Best luxury cars in the UK: Top picks for 2026

For decades the Mercedes S-Class has been built to a simple brief: Make the best luxury car in the world. Since the first one in 1972 it’s been just that – the S-Class doesn’t rely on gimmicks or dramatic styling, but instead it focuses on doing everything exceptionally well. The ride quality is extraordinary becoming the benchmark for decades, external noises are almost non-existent and the cabin is low-key spectacular in the same way that Apple laptops tends to be.

Updated at the start of 2026, with more than half of its parts tweaked or replaced entirely, the S-Class feels as cutting edge as something with an internal combustion engine possibly could these days. The huge central touchscreen is one of the best systems currently available, while features such as rear-wheel steering make this giant limousine feel surprisingly manageable in town. Higher specification versions add reclining rear seats, massage functions and the most ambient of interior lighting.

The cleverest feature remains the Mercedes-Benz S-Class’s suspension technology – cameras scan the road ahead and prepare the suspension for bumps before the wheels reach them. It's the closest you’ll get to deleting potholes as you drive along.

The Rolls-Royce Phantom exists on its own, making comparisons with other luxury cars feel almost pointless. Every Phantom is built with an obsessive attention to detail that borders on the ridiculous – its famous Starlight Headliner options contains hundreds of individual fibre-optic lights, positioned so as to look like any starry skied vista you choose.

Customers can even commission bespoke artwork within the interior, for the dashboard and door panel inlays or embroidered into the head rests. Almost anything is possible if your wallet is sufficiently healthy. The ride quality remains the benchmark – Rolls-Royce engineers refer to it as the 'magic carpet ride', a simile that’s become etched into car review clichedom. It's a level of sophistication that all luxury carmakers try to emulate. Nobody's quite done it yet.

It’s probably not worth talking about the price, but… £420,000 is the starting point. Then again, a Rolls-Royce Phantom once sold for £20,000,000. It’s a different world, metaphorically and literally.

The craftsmanship of the Bentley Flying Spur is extraordinary. Beautiful, soft leather, wood veneers that are genuine works of art and a rotating multimedia screen that feels both novel and classy, somehow. It swivels between a touchscreen, three analogue dials and a wooden panel at the touch of a button.

Today's engine options comprise a pair of V8-engined plug-in hybrids, both offering effortless performance and suiting the Bentley's relaxed character surprisingly well.

On the move, the Flying Spur feels almost impossibly refined. Tyre and wind noise are reduced to little more than a whisper, while the air suspension effortlessly smooths away rough surfaces. Rear-seat passengers are especially well looked after, with hectares of legroom, heated and ventilated seats, plus optional airline-style tables and rear touchscreen controls. Whether you're driving or being driven, few cars make long journeys feel so effortless.

The Bentley Flying Spur's greatest achievement is blending two contradictory qualities. It feels genuinely luxurious from the rear seat yet remains deeply satisfying to drive yourself. Not many cars manage both. Although for £170,000 before options – and there are many, including the £8,000 Mulliner Package – it probably should be all things to all (wealthy) people.

The remarkable thing about the big Range Rover – the proper one – isn’t that it's luxurious. Plenty of SUVs are, after all. No, it's that it remains genuinely capable off-road while simultaneously feeling like one of the most luxurious limousines ever made.

Its interior is magnificent. The minimalist dashboard design has aged beautifully, while the seats are among the most comfortable fitted to any production vehicle. Rear-seat passengers are especially well catered for in Range Rover long-wheelbase versions, which offer more legroom than your jeans back in your early 2000s emo skateboard kid phase.

Buyers can choose from petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid Range Rovers, with a fully electric addition to the line-up not too far away. The plug-in hybrid is properly impressive, offering up to 72 miles of claimed electric range, while having huge petrol tank to keep you going and going and going. The price tag obviously matches the ability, though: £110,000 before you’ve upgraded anything, which you will. A lot.

The BMW i7 is one of the most technologically ambitious luxury cars ever built. Rear-seat passengers can enjoy a folding 31-inch 8K Theatre Screen that descends from the ceiling and turns the cabin into a private cinema. Its doors can open and close automatically and crystal-effect controls sparkle across the dashboard. It's the ultimate lottery winner’s paradise.

Fortunately, BMW backs up the gadgets with genuine substance. The electric drive system is perfectly suited to luxury car duty. Since the dawn of the petrol engine, car companies have been trying to figure out how to keep the thing quiet – what better way to do that than to get rid of it entirely for something that runs near silently?

Official BMW i7 driving range extends beyond 450 miles in some versions, making long-distance travel remarkably easy. What's most surprising is that BMW hasn't forgotten about the driver – despite weighing roughly the same as an arena holding an eating contest, the i7 feels sharp to drive.

Ferrari has recently released its first electric car, which appears to have achieved what millions of pieces of dreadful merchandise failed to – ruined the brand's credibility. But there’s hope for Ferrari yet, because back in 2009 the original Porsche Panamera felt like it might do the same thing in Stuttgart. The pushback was nowhere near as strong, but still… A Porsche limousine? And one this ugly, at that?

Fast forward to today and the third-generation Panamera is one of the best cars in the world. Nobody cares that it’s by the same company that brings us the Porsche 911 – although there’s the whole thing with the brand making SUVs too, of course.

Inside, the Panamera now feels genuinely special. Material quality is excellent, the technology is superb and rear-seat comfort has improved significantly. Factor in the optional  and extraordinary Active Ride suspension system for the best experience. It leans into corners, smooth away bumps and even raises the body to help passengers get in and out. It's still astonishingly fast, naturally. How fast, exactly? The Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid produces 782PS and reaches 62mph from a standstill in 2.9 seconds.

The Lexus LM is one of the strangest luxury cars on sale. You’ll also find it in our article about the best large people carriers, which tells you everything about its weirdness.

Yes, based on the Japanese market Toyota Alphard MPV, the four-seater version of the LM replaces the rear cabin's second- and third-row seats with two airline-style reclining armchairs separated by a centre console. A huge 48-inch display screen separates the rear passengers from the front two, there’s refrigerated storage and enough legroom to stretch out fully.

It’s powered by a 2.5-litre petrol-electric self-charging hybrid and it’s reasonably good enjoyable to drive in the way that all high-riding vans tend to be, but the real fun of the LM is in the back. Everything from the suspension tuning to the sound insulation prioritises the people in those rear recliner seats.

Mercedes does a van that’s arguably a luxury car too – the Mercedes V-Class is priced that way, anyway – but whereas that feels like a very fancy commercial vehicle, the Lexus LM feels like a luxury car shaped like a shed.

While many luxury cars chase giant grilles, increasingly dramatic designs and mad touchscreen sizes, the Audi A8 remains subtle. Most people won't notice it. They might even think that it’s the same as their mate’s A4, but that's exactly why many buyers love it.

The cabin remains one of the calmest environments on the road. Material quality is exceptional, the seats are superb and refinement levels remain among the best in any car at any price. Audi's predictive suspension technology can even raise the car if it senses an imminent side impact, helping to direct crash forces into stronger parts of the structure.

Buyers can choose from diesel, plug-in hybrid – and for the Audi S8 performance version – petrol power, all traditional stuff in 2026, It's the 286PS TDI diesel which makes the strongest case for anyone who regularly covers huge motorway miles. Don’t worry, it doesn’t sound like a diesel at all – all smooth and very quiet. The A8 TFSI e plug-in hybrid offers up to 36 miles of claimed electric-only range, which isn’t that much compared to the most modern PHEVs, but enough to make a meaningful dent in fuel bills. If you want a  V8, then the S8's your only option these days. Buy one while you can because the Audi A8's production run isn't too far away.

Another Porsche in the luxury car list? Yes, and it’s because the Porsche Cayenne is arguably the best luxury SUV to drive. The current-generation of petrol and plug-in hybrid models are getting on a bit, but received a significant overhaul in 2023 to keep things fresh. Cayennes combine exceptional body control with a genuinely comfortable ride, something extremely difficult to achieve, even for a firm with deeper pockets than most. The optional adaptive suspension system is arguably the best on the market.

Inside, the Cayenne shares much of its technology with the Porsche Panamera, which is no bad thing. Build quality is superb and equipment levels are generous. Those plug-in hybrid versions are particularly impressive, offering a substantial claimed electric range of up to 52 miles, while adding to performance. The quickest one cracks 0-62mph in 3.6 seconds.

The smaller Porsche Macan is a better car to drive – if you’re really that bothered about the nth degrees of dynamism in your big fancy SUV – but the Cayenne is by far the more prestigious.

If you want an ultra-luxury SUV but don’t want the Rolls-Royce one because it looks like a London cab, the Bentley Bentayga is where your search ends. It takes everything Bentley knows and stuffs it into something that can carry five adults, a week's worth of luggage and, if you fancy, a custom picnic set.

The cabin is arguably slightly “Volkswagen Group” in a way that the Flying Spur’s isn’t – mainly because the touchscreen Is less neatly integrated – but the quality and material use are every bit as good. Plus, you get the added benefit of that SUV driving position, sitting up all high like the great success you are. It makes parking the enormous thing a bit easier too.

Choose between a V8 turbo petrol with 650PS (the best one) or a plug-in hybrid that you can inform the taxman is capable of 176mpg. Be sure not to wink when you do that. It is one of the best PHEVs to drive anywhere though, because it’s been engineered for general smoothness and refinement rather than massive electric-only mileage.

Whichever version you choose, the adaptive air suspension delivers the sort of ride quality that makes motorway miles disappear unnoticed. It’s a little cheaper than the Flying Spur too, which seems reasonable for a car with all the prestige and more practicality.