These Are The Ultimate Stealth Wealth Cars Currently On Sale

Flaunting wealth is sort of gross in this day and age. Sure, some people still do it, but in polite society, it's far better to fly under the radar. While that attitude hasn't really translated to today's car designs, with so many being a bit more, well, in your face, some cars have snuck through as understated signals that people have both money and taste. That idea is what led me to the question I asked you all last week.

I wanted to know what you all thought was the best stealth wealth car on sale today. What car lets (or actually doesn't let) everybody know that the buyer has money, without shouting about it? Of course, this is tougher than it once was, because my question came with the added caveat that the car must currently be on sale. I'm not sure if you've noticed, but today's cars are less subtle than they once were. Still, you all surprised me with some extremely good answers. Obviously, every wagon-ish thing on sale today was mentioned, but that was sort of a given. Some of you also pointed to somewhat utilitarian vehicle that have quietly gotten extremely expensive as examples of stealth wealth, and those are valid as hell.

Anyway, that's enough out of me. Why don't you scroll on down below and check out what cars that are currently on sale exude stealth wealth? Oh, and if your car is on the list, would you mind Venmoing me a couple bucks? Thanks in advance.

The non AMG Mercedes Benz E class is the only Euro station wagon left that is a stealth wealth vehicle.

In the past it was BMW 3 or 5 series wagons and the Saab/Volvo wagons. People who buy these new tend to be highly educated, cultured, patrons of the arts, high income, high net worth, and very quiet when it comes to money matters. The wagons are special order so you have to wait months to acquire it. These people have high impulse control and do not need to take it home the same day they buy it. That is a key trait to their success in life. Most people who see these wagons think it is just some $30-40K car nothing special about it. They kind of attract attention for the rarity by car enthusiasts. The halo cars for this might be the diesel versions with the W123 diesel wagon as the king of them all.

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The Merc E450 wagon, because wagons always fly under the wealthy radar. They're practical even if they start at $80K

Submitted by: Tex & Jimboy II, The Sequel

Boring answer? Lexus RX. The people who buy them want a bit of luxury with a healthy dose of dependability. They have more important things to worry about than cars. They have aching hips and knees, so they don't want to be getting in and out of a sedan or low-slung sports car. They bought the first RX when it came out in the late 90's/early 2000's, and just kept buying them. They probably own multiple properties, the people at the bank know them by name, and they still own a check book, and actually use it, even the pages in the back where you're supposed to write down the amount of each check, because they probably don't know how to use their banking app.

Submitted by: MrMcGeeIn3D

Expensive cars that blend in? How about every large GM-branded SUV? Every Suburban listed at my local dealer starts at $80k and goes up to $96k, and seems like every third vehicle on the road is one of them.

Submitted by: Stuart Stribling

In my part of the world (SF, Las Vegas, Seattle), I'm seeing a lot of people with $2-10M houses buying Hyundai Ioniq 5's.

I also see the Ineos Grenadier in the hands of people who could afford a lot more.

Submitted by: Commentariat

RAV4 screams Uber driver, billionaire, and all the rest of us in between I guess, so my vote is the Porsche Macan T. I probably see 30 Macans and Cayennes a day, but only saw one Macan T in the wild. The person driving it probably wasn't cross-shopping lease deals on an X3 for a kid-mobile, bragging to their friends they achieved the lifelong dream of Porsche ownership. They could have done a gaudier spec or purchased a (gasp) Maserati, but I imagine the wealthy owner of that Macan T intentionally stopped short of louder.

Submitted by: carsten

Audi S6. Unless you know exactly where to look (besides the badge in the back), this looks like a basic Audi A6. Only a glance at the wheels and exhaust tips lets the average person know that this sports sedan has a bit extra under the hood. And it's easy for these to go over $80,000 so they are expensive and you won't see many of them.

I could add the new RS5, but those aren't available for sale in the US yet so if this is asked next year, you have my answer early.

Submitted by: Xavier96

It's funny, all these answers and statistically the #1 vehicle driven by people making over $200,000 is the F-150...

"Ford F-150 to be the most popular vehicle among consumers earning over and even over annually, often ranking above luxury brands"

Submitted by: Jimboy II, The Sequel

This is just a theory, but at least where I live I see a good amount of Kia Tellurides in some of the "nicer," but not "bougie" neighborhoods. They do have a an expensive look and surprisingly stately curb presence despite the "Kia" badge. Everything I've read has states that they drive nice and the look and feel of the interior is a class above its price.

Even in the valet lot of the fancy restaurant I work at, it's not uncommon to see a Telluride or Palisade parked next to a Lexus LX, Volvo V90, and a Mercedes S-Class.

Submitted by: LarriveeC05

Probably something like a Toyota Crown. No one really knows what it is, but it's a damn fine car that will likely go 200K miles with next to no surprise repair expenses.

Submitted by: BuddyS

Somehow I think it'd be something like a Miata. Or something that no one really just needs to make any excuses what-so-ever.

Submitted by: JBJB

What an odd question. I'm going to say the new Tesla Juniper Model Y. The tax credit flooded the market with Model Ys, but without the assistance you have to be a bit wealthy to afford the $50k car now. Everyone will assume you're not wealthy as they are as common as Camry's now – the stealth.

Flame suit on as I mentioned Teslas on Jalopnik. 👹

Submitted by: noflashfu