Luxurious 90s Vehicles That Haven't Aged Well
After the heavy, boxy cars of the 1980s, the sleek, curvaceous ‘90s cars were a welcome change. There was a deliberate move towards luxury and sophistication. However, by today’s standards, many of those ‘90s cars no longer feel so luxurious. Check out our 35 examples below.
Cadillac DeVille VII
The long-running Cadillac DeVille really entered a new era of luxury in the ‘90s. But while it was a great upgrade from the earlier models, the seventh-gen DeVille actually had quite a simple design, and the 2000s model injected more class and sophistication.
Infiniti Q45
If you know anything about cars, you’ll know that Infiniti does luxury better than almost anyone else. But while the Q45 was a grand vehicle in the 1990s, it didn’t have the same premium materials and innovation that modern Infinitis, like the Q60, do.
Mercedes-Benz W140
Mercedes launched the S-Class line in 1972, and it turned out consistently luxurious cars for decades. The W140 was known for its great build and interior during the 1990s; however, the S-Class has innovated and evolved a lot since then.
Audi A8
When the Audi A8 took over from the V8 in 1994, people were excited. While they enjoyed its good looks, they were more excited about its new technology, which included Xenon headlights and all-wheel drive. The later Audis received a better rep for luxury.
Alfa Romeo 156
Alfa Romeo is known for making gorgeous sports cars, but how often do you see a 156 on the roads nowadays? Not very often. Sadly, that’s not very surprising because while the 156 was a revelation in the ‘90s, it lacks the refinement of modern Alfa Romeos.
Mazda RX-7 III
If there’s one luxury car that has divided audiences, it’s the Mazda RX-7! Some people love it, whereas others are put off by its dodgy performance. And while the third-gen ‘90s model performs the best, it lacks the classic, luxury look that made the original so distinctive.
Toyota Camry XV10
We’d never accuse the Toyota Camry of lacking luxury, but not every version of this long-running car has been so opulent. The 1991 XV10 has been called “boring” by fans of the Camry, and looking at it today, we can’t really disagree.
Bentley Continental R
Bentley has always put luxury first, so naturally, the Continental R was a dream car in the 1990s. And while it does retain some charm, we can see now that it’s actually very similar to the outdated, boxy car designs of the ‘80s.
Ferrari 456GT
It feels like blasphemy to say that any Ferrari is ‘no longer luxurious’, but there’s a reason the 456GT is an overlooked model. Some drivers have called it the most boring Ferrari ever made, particularly for how underwhelming its design is compared to other models.
Range Rover P38A
We’re so used to modern, luxurious Range Rovers that this ‘90s P38A seems incredibly uninspired by comparison. Many SUVs released in the 1990s still favored that sort of boxy design, but it’s quite harsh and outdated to look at now.
BMW M3
The BMW M3 was a great offering when it came out in the ‘90s, and many people fell in love with its looks. However, when we compare it to BMWs released in the 2010s and ‘20s, there’s no competition; the ‘90s model is far more basic.
Nissan 300ZX
We have to admit that the Nissan 300ZX is impressive, and we’d definitely look twice if we saw one drive past. However, we wouldn’t necessarily class it as a ‘luxury car' by today's standards. We’d rather appreciate it for its speed and futuristic looks.
Volkswagen Corrado
The Volkswagen Corrado is very underrated nowadays, but in the ‘90s, it was deemed a ‘future classic’. Drivers especially loved how it modernized the boxy ‘80s shape. But when we compare it to modern Volkswagens, it’s actually very basic and unexciting.
Lotus Carlton
Any car branded a ‘hell-raiser’ was sure to be a hit, and that’s exactly what happened with the Lotus Carlton in the 1990s. It was sleek and had elegant curves, so of course, it felt luxurious. But by today’s standards, it’s nice but rather unassuming to look at.
Toyota Supra Tourer
We all know the Toyota Supra, but what about the ‘90s Tourer model? It’s a much simpler version of the 2021 Supra Tourer, which seamlessly blends sophistication with power. It was luxurious in the ‘90s but has since been improved.
Subaru SVX
Everyone was taking risks in the ‘90s, and that’s exactly how we got the Subaru SVX. We can appreciate its quirkiness, which won it an initial audience, but nothing about it says “luxury” to us. In fact, it has quite an ugly design.
Plymouth Prowler
We’ve got to hand it to the Plymouth Prowler! Even by today’s standards, this is a cool car, and we rarely see anything like it. But it’s a classic example of how our ideas about luxury have changed since the ‘90s because this car is more futuristic than opulent.
Peugeot 406
Peugeot hasn’t ever been fully classed as a ‘luxury brand’, but the 406 model, released in 1995, was a huge hit. Drivers wanted something practical that also looked good, so the 406 felt luxurious. Nowadays, we can see that its styling is actually quite simple.
Mazda Miata
We can’t really say anything bad about the ‘90s Mazda Miata, but we also can’t claim it’s a luxury car. It took the classic two-seater, long-hooded sports car design but didn’t do anything particularly lavish with it. The result is good, but not particularly luxurious now.
Bentley Arnage
This is the second Bentley on our list, and we’re feeling the heat! But we had to mention the Arnage because while it does nail that classic Bentley sophistication, its styling (particularly of the interior) is quite dated now, especially compared to newer luxury Bentleys.
Chevrolet Impala SS
The Chevrolet Impala was a classic muscle car, so we’re extremely disappointed to see how the ‘90s SS model botched the design. While the Impala name badge made it feel luxurious back then, we can now see how uninspired and awkward the SS really was.
Jaguar XJ220
No, we haven’t lost our minds! The ‘92 Jaguar XJ220 was a luxurious British supercar, but we’ve put it on our list because Jaguar has managed to do even better in the following decades. Just look at the C-X75 concept design in all its luxurious glory!
Porsche Boxster
In the ‘90s, Porsche was one of the most popular luxury car brands. People adored the 911, so they were similarly thrilled when the Boxster was released. However, while it’s a deserving classic, the Boxster isn’t as dazzling to modern collectors.
Ferrari 348
The 1990s Ferrari 348 was the last Ferrari developed under Enzo Ferrari, so of course it was luxurious. But beyond its beautifully crafted exterior, the 348 doesn’t actually have many luxury features. Some drivers call it an “unpolished gem”, and we’re inclined to agree.
Lamborghini Diablo
If you love driving at daredevil speeds, you’ve probably heard of the 1990 Lamborghini Diablo! But though it has power and speed in spades, we don’t quite see it as the luxury car it was designed to be in the ‘90s. It puts performance before luxury.
Acura NSX
Much like the Diablo, the Acura NSX was a ‘90s sports car that people classed as ‘luxurious’ due to its expensive, innovative design. But it lacks the comforts that we’d expect from a luxury vehicle, so we’d firmly put it in the ‘performance’ category today.
Ford Thunderbird X
The Ford Thunderbird is an iconic luxury car, but not every generation shares the charm and style of the original. The tenth-gen model, in particular, put a very ‘90s spin on the Thunderbird, giving it a more basic look that lacked any distinctive opulence.
Lotus Elise
If you love sports cars, the Lotus Elise was probably your dream car at some point. It was groundbreaking in the ‘90s, but while we’ll admit that it’s beautiful, we don’t get the same sense of luxury from it now because we can see how ‘no frills’ the design is.
BMW E34
In the 1990s, BMW was working to refine both the looks and performance of its cars, and it definitely hit the mark with the E34. It defined that era for the brand, but those hard ‘90s lines were soon given up in favor of the more elegant rounded BMW design.
Cadillac Catera
While we can’t call the Cadillac Catera ugly, it’s definitely underwhelming to look at today. Even when it first came out, there were people who thought it lacked the luxury features of its closest competitors, which explains its short manufacturing period.
Honda CRX Del Sol
As far as ‘90s sports cars go, the Honda CRX Del Sol was definitely eye-catching when it first came out. It had the small body and long hood of a high-performance sports car, but what was missing was any sense of personalized luxury.
Dodge Intrepid
You might know the Charger and the Challenger, but do you remember the ‘90s Dodge Intrepid? Probably not, we’d guess. It was classy, spacious, and had a flashy rounded design, but compared to more modern luxury vehicles, it’s rather forgettable.
Chrysler Imperial VII
The Chrysler Imperial is a vintage icon, so every model must be the epitome of luxury, right? Wrong! The seventh-gen version did away with the traditional muscle car look that made the Imperial so impactful and replaced it with harsh lines and a chunky build.
Audi TT
When Audi first released the TT in the ‘90s, people were quick to praise its stunning design. While we agree that ‘less is more’, this model is an example of how first-gen designs are often too simple to compete with later luxury upgrades, like the 2023 TT.
Chevrolet Camaro IV
We wanted to go out with a bang, so we're ending the list with the Chevy Camaro. More specifically, the fourth-gen version was released in 1993. It was a spin on the classic pony car design, but, as you can see, nothing about it truly screamed “luxury”.
