Is an older luxury vehicle a better deal than a lightly used mainstream car?

Shopping for a car can sometimes make buyers choose between features they want versus features that would be “nice to have.” But what if there was a way to get a luxury car for the same price as a mainstream model?

Consider this scenario: You have a $30,000 budget for your next car. You’ve been looking into a one-year-old 2024 Toyota Camry, a highly rated midsize sedan. For that price, you’re probably looking at the SE trim level, which includes features such as a four-cylinder engine, synthetic leather seats, 18-inch wheels, automatic climate control, and a rearview camera.

But if you’re willing to consider a slightly older vehicle, the Lexus ES 350 actually shares much of the same DNA as the Camry (Toyota and

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