10 Vehicles Rich People Want the Most That You Probably Drive Too

“If I ever get rich, I’m going to buy a sweet new car,” you’ve probably thought to yourself. Perhaps you have a specific model or make in mind — something only rich people can afford, such as a Ferrari or Lamborghini. Maybe you want something more practical, such as a Tesla, but only if you had the money to afford it, right? Well, you’d be surprised to find out how the other half lives.

In many cases, rich people make pretty much the same decisions the average Joe does. They, too, eat fast food. Rich people buy the same brands of cat litter. And when it comes to choosing a car, rich people often spring for the same model as average earners.

That’s right: Just because people make a lot of money doesn’t mean they’re looking to buy a luxury vehicle. Even Warren Buffett, one of the richest people on the planet, drives a Cadillac — a fairly thrifty option considering the amount of money he has.

So, what vehicles do rich people like to buy, if not super high-end sports or luxury vehicles? The list will surprise you — because it’s composed of mostly average-priced vehicles. There’s a lesson there, too. Just because you have a lot of money doesn’t mean you should spend it.

A new study by the consumer research firm MaritzCX looks at the cars purchased the most by people who earn more than $200,000 per year. That’s the definition, for our purposes, that we’ll give to “rich people.” Using the data from MaritzCX’s study, here are the top 12 models the rich favor. No. 5 can be had for under $20,000.

10. Acura MDX

Another luxury SUV, the Acura MDX is similar to the Audi Q5 in a number of ways. In fact, they’re very close competitors. But according to MartizCX’s data, wealthy consumers prefer the MDX over the Q5. In 2016, 9,221 people who make more than $200,000 per year purchased an MDX, putting it within the top 10. Price for the MDX start at $44,500, making it one of the more affordable luxury SUV options.

9. Ford Explorer

The Ford Explorer has been around for a long time. It’s not uncommon to see Explorers from different model years and generations in a single trip across town. And they remain popular to this day, even for consumers who might be tempted to buy a more expensive brand or model. More than 9,500 wealthy buyers opted for the Explorer in 2016, which has a starting price in the low $30,000 range.

8. BMW X5

Again, a luxury SUV makes the list. If you haven’t caught on, high-earners apparently love their luxury SUVs. Case in point: the BMW X5, which is one of several X models in the BMW lineup. The X5 has a starting price of around $55,000, so it’s not exactly cheap. But even at that price, wealthy consumers bought one more than the MDX or Q5. Per MaritzCX’s data, 11,150 rich people bought one in 2016.

7. Lexus RX350

Nope, we’re not done with luxury SUVs yet.

The Lexus RX350, a vehicle that is similar to the MDX, Q5, and X5, lands at the seventh spot. Like the others, it has a similar price point, albeit the starting plasrice is a bit lower at around $43,000. The numbers show this is indeed a crossover the rich favor over its competitors. MartizCX says more than 11,300 of these SUVs were sold to high-earners in 2016.

6. Honda Accord

It might be surprising to see a consumer car, such as the Honda Accord, on the list. But it makes sense. The more expensive or exclusive a car is, the fewer people who are going to buy it. That explains how the Accord lands at No. 6 on the list. It’s affordable, reliable, and performs. The standard Accord starts in the low $20,000s, and per MaritzCX’s numbers, the rich bought more than 11,400 of them in 2016.

5. Honda Civic

Not to be outdone by its brand-name brother, the Honda Civic lands in the top five on MartizCX’s list. According to the data, people earning more than $200,000 purchased more than 11,800 Civics in 2016. Like the Accord, the Civic is affordable and reliable, making it an attractive choice for consumers at any level. A brand new Civic will set you back around $19,000, but that’s for the bare-bones model.

4. Jeep Wrangler

Everybody wants a Jeep. Or everybody has at least thought about what it would be like to have a Jeep. And specifically they want a Jeep Wrangler — you know, the model that makes you think “that’s a Jeep.” Well, the wealthy are on board, too, and high-earners bought 12,370 Jeep Wranglers in 2016. There’s something alluring about the Wrangler that’s hard to put your finger on, but clearly it transcends economic lines. It starts at around $24,000.

3. Honda Pilot

We’re leaving luxury SUVs behind. Higher up the list are more economically viable SUVs, such as the Honda Pilot. It’s considerably cheaper than a luxury SUV, with prices starting at around $31,000. Of course, you don’t get as many fun toys, but it’s a Honda, so it’s reliable and affordable. According to the MaritzCX study, consumers earning more than $200,000 bought 13,460 Honda Pilots in 2016.

2. Jeep Grand Cherokee

The Wrangler isn’t the only popular Jeep model among the upper crust. The Jeep Grand Cherokee, the brand’s flagship vehicle, is immensely fashionable among the over-$200,000 crowd. MartizCX’s study says high-earners bought almost 14,000 Grand Cherokees in 2016. Evidently, the trouble that Jeep ran into with its shifters (that killed a famous actor) weren’t enough to dissuade rich buyers.

1. Ford F-150

The most popular vehicle among the rich is the most popular vehicle among the population at large: It’s the Ford F-150 pickup. Ford sells an enormous amount of F-150 trucks every year. It’s been America’s best-selling vehicle for four decades. It has a starting price in the mid-$20,000s and has a variety of model options and variants. MaritzCX’s data show people earning more than $200,000 bought 21,449 F-150 pickups in 2016.

10 Classic American Cars You Will See on a Trip to Cuba

Yes,
My baby’s my common sense,
So don’t feed me
Planned obsolescence

— from The White Stripes’ “The Big Three Killed My Baby”

Planned obsolescence never learned the Cuban way of speaking Spanish. Nearly 60 years after Fidel Castro overthrew the government and ended Cuba’s capitalist system, the epic American cars of the 1950s still roll down Havana streets.

How is such a thing possible? Considering U.S.-sourced parts were banned from Cuba since 1959, it had to be a combination of crafty mechanics, body shop wizards, and feats of improvisation. But we’ll leave that story for another day. Here, we just want to celebrate the massive, colorful cruisers you could see on a trip to La Habana. Since many operate as taxis for tourists, anyone can get inside one for a small price.

Here are 10 classic American cars you shouldn’t miss on a trip to Cuba. Note: Because the grilles and other details changed over the course of 60 years, take the calls on make and model year as our best guess.

1. Buick Roadmaster

Many 1950s Buicks still patrol Havana, with Super, Special, and Roadmaster leading the pack. The pictured model, a Roadmaster most likely manufactured for the 1953 model year, maintained its gorgeous exterior over five decades into its life. There is no telling what it looks like under the hood, but as of 2004 the body was in excellent shape.

2. Ford Fairlane

Ford Fairlanes from the mid-1950s are quite common in Cuba. This model, which is pegged as a 1957, sported many of the original details when the photo was taken in 2014. You’ll also see many models from 1956 as well as Customline, Sunliner, and Crown Victoria from the mid ’50s in Havana.

3. Chevrolet Deluxe

Classic Chevys rule in Havana to this day. Tourists can ride in an Impala, a 210, a Bel Air, or a Deluxe like the one pictured. This model appears to be a 1952 (possibly 1954) that lost some of the original chrome from the back wheel and the section behind the front wheel. As of 2015, this car still ran tourists around the city, marking its sixth decade in operation.

4. Cadillac Eldorado

Cadillacs from the 1950s remain a symbol of excess, and they don’t get much more excessive than a late ’50s Eldorado with fins in hot pink. Three people can stretch their legs out, punch their lunch on the counter, and throw down backpacks in the back seat of this ride. If you did nothing else in Cuba, riding around old Havana in one of these would be worth the trip.

5. Ford Edsel

While the Ford Edsel is considered one of the great automotive flops of all time, the convertibles you see in Havana certainly look impressive six decades later. Edsel survived only three model years (1958–60), but this red ’58 Pacer remained in excellent condition for its 50th anniversary year (2008). We can think of worse cars to get us to the church on time.

6. Chevrolet Bel Air

You won’t hunt forever if you want to ride in a classic Chevy Bel Air. This pink convertible model, which we believe is a 1953, lost some chrome details from the back wheel but otherwise remained in great shape when the photo was snapped in 2015.

7. Mercury Monterrey

The Mercury Monterey debuted in the U.S. for the 1952 model year, and that premiere edition made its way to Havana. When the photojournalist filed this shot in 2013, at least one original Monterey convertible still made the rounds as a taxi for tourists.

8. Buick Super

When you think of big American cars of the 1950s, you’re probably thinking of something like a Buick Super sedan. This model, likely manufactured as the 1953 edition, lost some chrome on the driver’s side but kept its menacing fascia details.

9. Oldsmobile 88

You can probably see models from every year of the Oldsmobile 88’s first decade (1949–59) in Havana. Some convertibles are in pristine condition, but we thought we’d showcase an example of a 1958 model that survived in less glamorous form. You see chrome details missing from the sides, but that unique grille and fascia mark it as a ’58.

10. Ford Super Deluxe

If you’re a fan of 1940s American classics, Havana has some of them, too. This Ford Super Deluxe (ca. 1947) is one intriguing example. Note the three riders up front in this vehicle that dates back seven decades. As of 2016, this car still made the rounds in Cuba.

10 Fastest Accelerating Cars In The  World

One way to determine a car’s speed, is to look at its acceleration capability. Common standards for comparing acceleration between cars are to examine the 0-60 mph acceleration times or 0-100 km/h times of different cars. For this discussion we will be using 0-60 mph acceleration times.

This list include street-legal production cars and modified cars; concept cars, strictly “race only cars”, and one time only vehicles may not be included:

10. Corvette Z06: 2.95 seconds

The performance of the all-new, 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 establishes it as one of the most capable vehicles on the market – and one of the few to achieve sub-3-second 0-60 performance and a sub-11-second quarter-mile time.

9. Nissan GT-R: 2.9 seconds

530 hp. Base price is $89,950. The GTR comes in two trims: Premium and Black Edition. Both come with a 3.8 liter twin turbo-charged V6 engine that produces 530 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 448 pound-feet of torque at 3,200 to 6,000 rpm and. Those unfamiliar with its automated manual transmission may find it awkward at low speeds.

8. Lamborghini Aventador : 2.9 seconds

700 hp. Base price is $379,700. The Lamborghini Aventador is the one of the fastest street legal bull.

7. Koenigsegg Agera R: 2.8 seconds

1115 hp. Base price is $1,600,000. The Agera R is a Swedish supercar. The wings on the Agera R are designed to respond to wind pressure and high speeds. This design is not only lighter than conventional designs but also allows smarter response to headwinds and tailwinds.

5. Pagani Zonda R: 2.7 seconds

Base price $1,830,000. 750 hp. An expensive yet remarkable car, the non-production Zonda R is powered by 750 horsepower with 524 lb-ft of torque. It equals the time of the Porsche 911.

4. Lamborghini Sesto Elemento: 2.5 Seconds

Base price $2,500,000. 570 hp. It is equipped with a V10 engine that is capable of producing 570 horsepower. Now that may not sound much, but if you’ll consider the weight of this car, it is more than enough to produce unprecedented speed.

3. Hennessey Venom GT: 2.5 seconds

Price is $725,000 for the 725 hp variant, and up to $950,000 for the 1200 hp twin turbo V8, which is the variant that is ranking second here. Only 10 will be made every year, and 4 are already on order.

2. Bugatti Veyron Super Sport: 2.4 secs

Price: $2,400,000. 8.0L W16-Cylinder, 64v DOHC Quad Turbocharger w/ 1200 hp. The original Bugatti Veyron can torque 0-60 mph in 2.5 secs at the cost of $1,700,000. The Bugatti Veyron SS is also the second fastest car in the world by top speed.

1. Porsche 918 Spyder: 2.2 seconds

Flush as we are with nutty performance cars at the moment, we should remember that automobiles as quick as the Porsche 918 don’t come along too often. With a Price tag of almost $900,000 it was released right around the same time as Ferrari LaFerrari and Mclaren P1 giving them quite a hard time.

Top 10 Most Expensive Cars in the World in 2017

We've compiled a list of the world's 10 most expensive cars (more or less) on the market.

The number of supercars and hypercars is growing at a fast clip. That means competition for the most expensive car in the world title is also growing. From the Lamborghini Veneno Roadster to the McLaren P1 to the Aston Martin Valkyrie, expensive, high-ticket rarities are crowding the top of the market. Surprisingly, a most expensive car list is not as easy to make as you might think. The prices for the most expensive cars fluctuate depending on customer build requests, which—among the buyers of the world's most expensive cars—can get rather baroque.

To assemble the list, we tried to filter out the wide spectrum of suspect vapor, such as the late Marussia, the Zenvo TS1, and the Icona Vulcano Titanium, and instead went with cars that have established sales, something of a history, and at least partially verifiable base prices—Lamborghini, McLaren, Bugatti, and Pagani, and Koenigsegg, among others. 

For the most expensive cars list we looked at cars that come from unexpected places, such as the Lykan Hypersport, a controversial, ultra-low-volume speed demon that is the first supercar to emerge from the Middle East. We also looked at cars that celebrities like Gordon Ramsay have been coveting. A list like this is also notable for what didn't make the cut—the Hennessey Venom GT Spyder WRE ($1.3 million), Lamborghini Centenario ($1.8 million), and Aston Martin Vulcan ($2.3 million). 

In the end, we decided to go with cars that mixed high style, an absurd set of performance capabilities, innovative materials and build techniques, and, of course, an unparalleled price tag.

10. Koenigsegg Regera - $1.9 million

Christian von Koenigsegg may be the most visionary privateer builder in the world today. His creations are deeply personal and undeniably ground-breaking innovations. The many of the most expensive cars in the world, the price of the changes to match the complexity each customer's demands. The Regera is built around a 5.0-liter twin-turbo V8 that pumps out 1,100 horsepower. The rest of the drivetrain is a brilliant departure from the norm: the Regera uses something called the Koenigsegg Direct Drive system, wherein a small, crank-mounted electric motor is connected to the engine with a hydraulic coupling and acts as a launch motor.

Then, each of the rear wheels is assigned its own electric motor the push out around 700 horsepower. Off the line, with the coupling open, the Regera is a purely electric drive. When the hydraulic coupling closes, the smaller electric motor fills out the bottom of the torque curve. Few innovations in the automobile have inspired as much envy as Koenigsegg's drive system, and that accounts for just a part of the exorbitant cost. 

9. Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta — $2.2 million

The Ferrari LaFerrari stood out when it was first introduced at the 2013 Geneva Auto Show, despite the fact that it had to share the floor with a new Lamborghini Veneno and McLaren P1. It has a top speed of 217 mph, crushed the track record at Maranello, and goes from 0 to 60 in under two seconds. 

Unveiled at last year's Paris Auto Show, the Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta is the open-topped version of the fastest production Ferrari ever made. Literally meaning "open," the Aperta differs from the hard-top—which was already expensive when it was first sold in 2013 or $1 million apiece—in a few crucial ways.

The Aperta uses the same revolutionary drivetrain to create around 1,000 horsepower: the mid-rear mounted 6.3-liter Ferrari F140 V12 coupled with its HY-KERS kinetic energy recapture system cribbed from its Formula 1 car. But the absence of a roof—and a slight increase in weight—has demanded some critical changes to the car: the Aperta's has a more prominent front air-dam to boost downforce, its radiators have been angled down to direct air flow out along the underbody instead of over the hood, and an L-shaped wedge has been integrated to the upper corner of each windshield a-pillar to reduce compression on the rear of the cabin. What Ferrari calls "Butterfly" doors open at a slightly different angle. Also, look for revised wheel arches

8. McLaren P1 GTR — $2.59 million

Ok, so the McLaren P1 GTR isn't on the market any more, and it never really was to begin with, since McLaren sold it out of the works, and only 35 were made. It's also a track-only car. You'd think these factors would take the GTR out of contention. Not so! A track car is still a car, and this one is a beauty. Built by McLaren works as a 20th anniversary celebration of McLaren's win at Le Mans and maintained by McLaren Special Operations department, the P1 GTR was sold only in pounds for £1.9 million. 

The 1,000-horsepower P1 GTR is one of the most expensive cars in the world because it is a McLaren, and a very special one at that. It features a hybrid drive plucked from the audacious P1 road car, and but it differs in a variety of ways. Where the P1 has a variety of driving programs (e-mode, normal, sport, track, and race, as well as an all-out “boost” and Instant Power Assist System button), the GTR has a stripped down set of options. It has a fixed ride height on race-ready suspension, a fixed rear wing capable that can deploy a drag reduction system, and specially-designed exhaust system. It travels 225 mph at the high end and goes from 0-60 in 2.4 seconds.   

7. Bugatti Chiron — $2.6 million

When, as legend has it, former VW czar Ferdinand Piech demanded that Bugatti make the fastest car in the world, the masterminds in Mulsanne conjured the Veyron, an insectile example of aerospace colliding with automotive engineering that traveled a laughable 268 mph. Its W-16, 1,001-horsepower engine jacked up the cost to $1.5 million, and the four turbo wastegates were louder than most modern engines. 

Now, the Veyron—once among the most expensive cars in the world—is gone. In its place, the Bugatti Chiron, an even more expensive Bugatti. Also faster, more advanced, and more powerful than the Veyron, the Chiron boasts a similar quad-turbocharged W-16 8.0-liter engine, but it has tinkered and futzed until the output is now 1,500 horsepower—300 more than even the Super Sport, the fastest model of the Veyron. The Chiron's top speed has been limited to just 261 mph on the road; its actual top speed has reportedly not yet been tested. But the wealthy and wiling are lining up to set the mark.

What makes the Chiron one of the most expensive cars in the world? It's a Bugatti, it's handmade in an atelier, and no one can agree how to pronounce its name.

6. Pagani Huayra BC — $2.8 million

For those among you who didn't think it could get more extreme that the Pagani Huayra, we give you the Huayra BC, the most expensive Pagani ever made. The BC stands for Benny Caiola, an Italian investor who may have owned one of the best collections of Ferraris in the world. Caiola was one of Horacio Pagani's oldest friends and mentors, and this car takes Pagani's obsessive approach to detail to even more mental levels.

The BC looks and sounds like the "base" Huayra: The engine is still sourced from AMG, and remains a 6.0-liter V-12 bi-turbo that's been tuned by Pagani's demonic shop gnomes to bring you 790 horsepower and 811 lb-ft of torque. All of this sorcery is run through tripod drive shafts developed through Le Mans prototype program to the rear wheels by way of a seven-speed Xtrac transmission. Got that? The transmission itself is controlled by electro-hydraulic actuation and carbon-fiber synchronizers. Pagani, ever hungry for carbon fiber.

Here's just one of many ways in which the BC takes flight from the planet Huarya: Each shift in this dynamic transmission has been tuned from the standard Huayra 150 milliseconds to the BC's 75. That's taking a fast shift time and slashing it in half.

5. Ferrari Pininfarina Sergio — $3 million

Only six of these preposterous Ferraris were ever made. The very expensive Ferrari Pininfarina Sergio was created in homage to the famed son of the founder of Pininfarina the year that he died. It was originally presented as a concept car in 2013, the Sergio grew on Ferrari just enough to for them to green-light a six-car production run based on the Ferrari 458 Spider.

Thanks to an all-carbon-fiber frame, the hand-made Sergio is a full 330 pounds lighter than the already waif-like 458. Arranged in a two-seat configuration, it takes the open-air concept even further. Where the Ferrari 458 Spider has no roof, the Sergio has no roof, no side windows, and windshield. That makes the force of this naturally-aspirated 4.5-liter F136F  V-8 engine—the same one used the 458 Spider—all the more forceful. 

4. Aston Martin Valkyrie — $3 million 

There is no announced price for the Aston Martin Valkyrie yet. But a reliable source said that if we put $3 million, we'd be about right. This car, until recently known as the Aston Martin-Red Bull AM-RB 001, is a culmination of sorts of Aston Martin's visionary new president, Andy Palmer, who has ushered Aston Martin into a new age of solvency and relevance with a series of killer cars. The Valkrie is the most killer car of all. 

Palmer and Red Bull RAcing's Adrian Newey and Christian Horner agreed to build the car over a pint at a pub (true story). Thus the partnership was born between Aston and Red Bull Racing's Newey, the aerodynamicist whose work is largely responsible for Red Bull's multi-year dominance in Formula One. Newey and Aston Martin invented an aerodynamic scheme for the Valkyrie that channels air through the chassis and creates downforce without the help of a wings. 

The engine will be a 6.5-liter, naturally-aspirated V-12 tailored to the frame by Cosworth, and was made to achieve the magical 1:1 power-to-weight ratio. 

The Valkyrie is not a car for casual buyers of supercars. Marek Reichman, Aston Martin's designer, said the car—which has a Rimac-built hybrid battery system installed along with the engine—will make about 1,000 horsepower. 

3. Lamborghini Veneno Roadster — $3.3 million

The Veneno Roadster is the most expensive production Lamborghini on the road today. It's actually $500,000 more expensive than the coupe version of the Veneno. That's a lot of cash for a little less roof above your head.

How can you explain a cost well north of $3 million? Look at the build of this open-top two-seater. The monoque is lifted from the LP700-4 Aventador, except this one is made from carbon-fiber. Atop this is bolted a 740-hp, 6.5-liter V-12 with a seven-speed single-clutch ISR automated manual transmission—the same one found in the Veneno coupe. It's a tricky transmission, and one that gets a lot of heat among aficionados. If there's room for improvement in a car that costs more than a private jet share, the transmission would be the place. The sprung portion of the Veneno is placed atop a pushrod-actuated suspension, and even though it's driven by a a full all-wheel-drive system, the total dry weight of this carbon-fiber gem is just 3,285 pounds.

2. Lykan HyperSport — $3.4 million

Built by W Motors, the Lykan HyperPport is legitimately the first Arab supercar. We know this because W Motors is based in Lebanon, but also because the HyperSport is reckoned to be the first car to have headlights with embedded jewels. There are titanium LED blades that have a total of 420 15-karat diamonds. However, according to Lykan, buyers have also selected rubies, diamonds, yellow diamonds, and sapphires.

The rest of the car? Fine. It's powered by a mid-rear mounted, twin-turbo 3.8-liter flat-six boxer that fires about 780 horsepower through the rear wheels. It 0-62 in 2.8 seconds and has a blistering top speed of 240 mph. 

But really: The headlights are made with 240 15-karat diamonds. And that's what makes this one of the most expensive cars in the world.

1. McLaren P1 LM — $3.7 million

The McLaren P1 LM is the most expensive car in the world in 2017. Go ahead and dispute it, because you can. But first, consider the caveats: McLaren didn't actually build this car. They built the original P1, which was then acquired by Lanzante Motorsports, which painstakingly rebuilt the P1, transforming a near-perfect supercar into a definitive work of art that will one day be remembered as a crowning achievement of all humanity. 

It takes cues from the McLaren P1 GTR [see above] and the storied McLaren F1 road car. Like the F1, the LM has gold plating in the engine bay. And the engine which the gold surrounds is a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-8. Combined with the three electric motors dispersed between the engine and the rear wheels, the P1 LM produces a heroic 1000 horsepower.

These details may not distinguish a car on this list, which has high power standards. The Lanzante distinguishes itself is in how smart it is. The aerodynamics come to life on track. A modified rear wing and enlarged front splitter join together with dive planes that generate an astounding 40 percent increase in downforce over the P1 GTR.