The Most Popular Luxury Cars in San Diego

It only takes an afternoon drive up the I-5 or a stroll through one of the highway’s adjacent high-end neighborhoods to understand the popularity of luxury cars in San Diego. But while you can certainly expect to see plenty of Mercedes, BMW, and Lexus models cruising around town, you might also see some ultra-fancy cars with unfamiliar emblems. So what are these mystery vehicles? All will be revealed in this list of popular—if unconventional—luxury car brands in San Diego.

Tesla

Mercedes and BMW might have dominated the top of the best-selling luxury vehicle list in San Diego for a while, but last year another brand swept to the top spot: Tesla’s Model S, a fully electric car with a distinctive “T” logo that’s as luxurious as it is environmentally friendly. But it’s not just the Model S’s fuel economy of over 90 miles per gallon and huge touchscreen control panel that makes this luxury vehicle stand out. Tesla’s unique marketing model of using foot traffic-heavy shopping mall storefronts instead of expensive dealerships has turned many casual window shoppers into new Model S owners.

Land Rover

You might not see “luxury” and “offroad capability” in the same sentence too often, but that’s precisely what makes Land Rover so popular in San Diego. There are plenty of adventures waiting for offroad enthusiasts just minutes from the city, and even if you’d rather tackle speed bumps at Fashion Valley than trundle through the East County backcountry, Land Rover is one of the slickest looking SUVs on the market, with tons of deluxe features.

Audi

Specializing in luxury combined with performance, German automaker Audi successfully shifted focus from racecars to luxury cars a couple of decades ago. The company currently comprises about 10% of all US luxury car sales. Audi’s knack for innovation is another one of its major selling points, having produced the first 100% galvanized vehicle for corrosion prevention. That feature might not matter much in San Diego’s climate, but the accomplishment promises more cutting-edge features in the future.

Bentley

Bentley only sells a few thousand cars in the US every year, and considering how frequently they’re spotted in San Diego, it’s safe to assume we’re one of the British carmaker’s key American markets. Notable for its winged emblem and classically sophisticated style, Bentleys might soon expand beyond the current focus on sedans. In recent years, the company has indicated it will eventually release an SUV model.

Maserati

Maserati also features a unique emblem—a trident inspired by a famous statue of Neptune in Italy—but for many years the brand was only available to a small slice of the car buying public. That changed in 2014 after the company released the twin-turbocharged Ghibli model—a smaller version of the famously expensive Quattroporte. Maserati saw US sales soar, mostly attributed to the model’s much more affordable five-digit price tag. And like their fellow Europeans over at Bentley, Italy-based Maserati is planning SUV crossover and all-wheel-drive options, which is sure to expand interest—and access—in the US market.

Ferrari

Like Audi, Ferrari also got its start on the racetrack, and even though it’s one of the most recognizable names in luxury vehicles, the famous prancing horse emblem is still a regular sight at European car races. It’s also quite common at luxury car auctions—Ferraris comprise 7 of the 10 most expensive cars ever sold at auction, topping the list with a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta sold in 2014 for $38,115,000.

Luxury Car Stereo System Installation at Affordable Prices

If you don’t have $38 million lying around for a vintage Ferrari—or close to $100,000 for many of the luxury cars on this list—your existing car can still look and feel like a million bucks with a few choice upgrades like premium window tint or a top-notch new stereo system. At San Diego Car Stereo, we’ve been decking out rides for over 25 years, so stop in our convenient Kearny Mesa location to see what we can do for you today.