What is/are the ultimate "stealth wealth" car(s) in 2026?
Discussion
We've just moved back in with my parents temporarily so living in my childhood home (it's a private cul-de-sac ie unpaved) in a village on the edge of the New Forest and I can't help noticing that the demographic of the neighbourhood has changed significantly from when I was a kid. Back then in the 80s/90s, it was mostly "working class" young families and obviously some of the same people still live here but are empty nesters now but as I imagine that none of the houses down this road are now worth less than 500k (even the smaller ones), most of the newcomers are either older with no children or if younger, quite affluent ie not titled or "old money" but professionals on 6 figure salaries. There are a couple of millionaires too (not sure if they're on the ST rich list lol) but next but one pops out in his helicopter a couple of times per day!
No supercars though (maybe it's because it's an unpaved road) but I certainly see more expensive cars than the Fords/Vauxhalls/Austins/Rovers of my childhood driving past every day. One of the millionaires lives down the end of the road and has a lot of visitors, so I see a lot of big Land Rovers/Range Rovers driving past but I think that he drives an Ineos Grenadier himself, which is an intriguing choice. The family in the big house over the road also have a Skoda Kodiaq L+K for the school run, a black Audi A5 Cabriolet and a 3rd gen Renault Clio, which is an interesting combination (I'm with them on the Clio at least)! Inevitably, there are a couple of Teslas too.
So what do you drive these days if you have a few quid and if you want a quality/refined package but don't want to be "flash" and fly under the radar a little? Traditionally depending on what type of vehicle you require, the following have been the "status"symbols in their respective sectors ie if you're driving one of these, you appear to be wealthy/doing well, even if you're not, so I'm looking for kind of the opposite to these.
Golf GTI
3-Series/C-Class
5-Series/E-Class
S-Class
Evoque/Discovery Sport
BMW X5
Range Rover
G-Wagen
911/Boxster
Aston Martin/Bentley
Ferrari/Lamborghini
Now, traditionally the more understated brands that one might have gone for if one had means but wanted to fly under the radar were Volvo, Saab, Volkswagen and Audi but I'm not sure if that's still true, apart from Volvo perhaps? An A4/A6 Allroad still carries a sense of restrained quality/elegance but most of the other cars are a little brash? I think that Volkswagen has lost it a bit over recent years and that Skoda is possibly the more restrained, no-nonsense brand in the VAG family (not SEAT, although I do lean towards them personally).
So to have a crack at the above list but with the "stealth wealth" alternatives, I'm going to suggest:
Small: MINI, Renault 5 EV, Polo GTI
Medium saloon/"estate": Alfa Romeo Giulia/Stelvio
Large saloon/estate: Skoda Superb L+K
Small family SUV: Skoda Kodiaq L+K
Large "sporty" SUV: VW Touareg
Large family SUV: Volvo XC90/Land Rover Discovery 4
4x4: Ineos Grenadier
Sports car: Mazda MX5
GT: BMW 8-Series?
Supercar: I don't think a "stealth wealth" supercar exists
So what do you consider to be the ultimate "stealth wealth" cars in 2026?
Before anyone mentions an old Range Rover, Mercedes SL or a "classic silhouette" Jaguar XJ, I would say that these are the opposite of "stealth wealth" ie they're quite affordable to buy but potentially make you look a lot more wealthy than you are?
No supercars though (maybe it's because it's an unpaved road) but I certainly see more expensive cars than the Fords/Vauxhalls/Austins/Rovers of my childhood driving past every day. One of the millionaires lives down the end of the road and has a lot of visitors, so I see a lot of big Land Rovers/Range Rovers driving past but I think that he drives an Ineos Grenadier himself, which is an intriguing choice. The family in the big house over the road also have a Skoda Kodiaq L+K for the school run, a black Audi A5 Cabriolet and a 3rd gen Renault Clio, which is an interesting combination (I'm with them on the Clio at least)! Inevitably, there are a couple of Teslas too.
So what do you drive these days if you have a few quid and if you want a quality/refined package but don't want to be "flash" and fly under the radar a little? Traditionally depending on what type of vehicle you require, the following have been the "status"symbols in their respective sectors ie if you're driving one of these, you appear to be wealthy/doing well, even if you're not, so I'm looking for kind of the opposite to these.
Golf GTI
3-Series/C-Class
5-Series/E-Class
S-Class
Evoque/Discovery Sport
BMW X5
Range Rover
G-Wagen
911/Boxster
Aston Martin/Bentley
Ferrari/Lamborghini
Now, traditionally the more understated brands that one might have gone for if one had means but wanted to fly under the radar were Volvo, Saab, Volkswagen and Audi but I'm not sure if that's still true, apart from Volvo perhaps? An A4/A6 Allroad still carries a sense of restrained quality/elegance but most of the other cars are a little brash? I think that Volkswagen has lost it a bit over recent years and that Skoda is possibly the more restrained, no-nonsense brand in the VAG family (not SEAT, although I do lean towards them personally).
So to have a crack at the above list but with the "stealth wealth" alternatives, I'm going to suggest:
Small: MINI, Renault 5 EV, Polo GTI
Medium saloon/"estate": Alfa Romeo Giulia/Stelvio
Large saloon/estate: Skoda Superb L+K
Small family SUV: Skoda Kodiaq L+K
Large "sporty" SUV: VW Touareg
Large family SUV: Volvo XC90/Land Rover Discovery 4
4x4: Ineos Grenadier
Sports car: Mazda MX5
GT: BMW 8-Series?
Supercar: I don't think a "stealth wealth" supercar exists
So what do you consider to be the ultimate "stealth wealth" cars in 2026?
Before anyone mentions an old Range Rover, Mercedes SL or a "classic silhouette" Jaguar XJ, I would say that these are the opposite of "stealth wealth" ie they're quite affordable to buy but potentially make you look a lot more wealthy than you are?
Starsky80 said:
We've just moved back in with my parents temporarily so living in my childhood home (it's a private cul-de-sac ie unpaved) in a village on the edge of the New Forest and I can't help noticing that the demographic of the neighbourhood has changed significantly from when I was a kid. Back then in the 80s/90s, it was mostly "working class" young families and obviously some of the same people still live here but are empty nesters now but as I imagine that none of the houses down this road are now worth less than 500k (even the smaller ones), most of the newcomers are either older with no children or if younger, quite affluent ie not titled or "old money" but professionals on 6 figure salaries. There are a couple of millionaires too (not sure if they're on the ST rich list lol) but next but one pops out in his helicopter a couple of times per day!
No supercars though (maybe it's because it's an unpaved road) but I certainly see more expensive cars than the Fords/Vauxhalls/Austins/Rovers of my childhood driving past every day. One of the millionaires lives down the end of the road and has a lot of visitors, so I see a lot of big Land Rovers/Range Rovers driving past but I think that he drives an Ineos Grenadier himself, which is an intriguing choice. The family in the big house over the road also have a Skoda Kodiaq L+K for the school run, a black Audi A5 Cabriolet and a 3rd gen Renault Clio, which is an interesting combination (I'm with them on the Clio at least)! Inevitably, there are a couple of Teslas too.
So what do you drive these days if you have a few quid and if you want a quality/refined package but don't want to be "flash" and fly under the radar a little? Traditionally depending on what type of vehicle you require, the following have been the "status"symbols in their respective sectors ie if you're driving one of these, you appear to be wealthy/doing well, even if you're not, so I'm looking for kind of the opposite to these.
Golf GTI
3-Series/C-Class
5-Series/E-Class
S-Class
Evoque/Discovery Sport
BMW X5
Range Rover
G-Wagen
911/Boxster
Aston Martin/Bentley
Ferrari/Lamborghini
Now, traditionally the more understated brands that one might have gone for if one had means but wanted to fly under the radar were Volvo, Saab, Volkswagen and Audi but I'm not sure if that's still true, apart from Volvo perhaps? An A4/A6 Allroad still carries a sense of restrained quality/elegance but most of the other cars are a little brash? I think that Volkswagen has lost it a bit over recent years and that Skoda is possibly the more restrained, no-nonsense brand in the VAG family (not SEAT, although I do lean towards them personally).
So to have a crack at the above list but with the "stealth wealth" alternatives, I'm going to suggest:
Small: MINI, Renault 5 EV, Polo GTI
Medium saloon/"estate": Alfa Romeo Giulia/Stelvio
Large saloon/estate: Skoda Superb L+K
Small family SUV: Skoda Kodiaq L+K
Large "sporty" SUV: VW Touareg
Large family SUV: Volvo XC90/Land Rover Discovery 4
4x4: Ineos Grenadier
Sports car: Mazda MX5
GT: BMW 8-Series?
Supercar: I don't think a "stealth wealth" supercar exists
So what do you consider to be the ultimate "stealth wealth" cars in 2026?
Before anyone mentions an old Range Rover, Mercedes SL or a "classic silhouette" Jaguar XJ, I would say that these are the opposite of "stealth wealth" ie they're quite affordable to buy but potentially make you look a lot more wealthy than you are?
Or they make you look a lot poorer than you are No supercars though (maybe it's because it's an unpaved road) but I certainly see more expensive cars than the Fords/Vauxhalls/Austins/Rovers of my childhood driving past every day. One of the millionaires lives down the end of the road and has a lot of visitors, so I see a lot of big Land Rovers/Range Rovers driving past but I think that he drives an Ineos Grenadier himself, which is an intriguing choice. The family in the big house over the road also have a Skoda Kodiaq L+K for the school run, a black Audi A5 Cabriolet and a 3rd gen Renault Clio, which is an interesting combination (I'm with them on the Clio at least)! Inevitably, there are a couple of Teslas too.
So what do you drive these days if you have a few quid and if you want a quality/refined package but don't want to be "flash" and fly under the radar a little? Traditionally depending on what type of vehicle you require, the following have been the "status"symbols in their respective sectors ie if you're driving one of these, you appear to be wealthy/doing well, even if you're not, so I'm looking for kind of the opposite to these.
Golf GTI
3-Series/C-Class
5-Series/E-Class
S-Class
Evoque/Discovery Sport
BMW X5
Range Rover
G-Wagen
911/Boxster
Aston Martin/Bentley
Ferrari/Lamborghini
Now, traditionally the more understated brands that one might have gone for if one had means but wanted to fly under the radar were Volvo, Saab, Volkswagen and Audi but I'm not sure if that's still true, apart from Volvo perhaps? An A4/A6 Allroad still carries a sense of restrained quality/elegance but most of the other cars are a little brash? I think that Volkswagen has lost it a bit over recent years and that Skoda is possibly the more restrained, no-nonsense brand in the VAG family (not SEAT, although I do lean towards them personally).
So to have a crack at the above list but with the "stealth wealth" alternatives, I'm going to suggest:
Small: MINI, Renault 5 EV, Polo GTI
Medium saloon/"estate": Alfa Romeo Giulia/Stelvio
Large saloon/estate: Skoda Superb L+K
Small family SUV: Skoda Kodiaq L+K
Large "sporty" SUV: VW Touareg
Large family SUV: Volvo XC90/Land Rover Discovery 4
4x4: Ineos Grenadier
Sports car: Mazda MX5
GT: BMW 8-Series?
Supercar: I don't think a "stealth wealth" supercar exists
So what do you consider to be the ultimate "stealth wealth" cars in 2026?
Before anyone mentions an old Range Rover, Mercedes SL or a "classic silhouette" Jaguar XJ, I would say that these are the opposite of "stealth wealth" ie they're quite affordable to buy but potentially make you look a lot more wealthy than you are?
Earthdweller said:
Or they make you look a lot poorer than you are
Ah, the double bluff! I still think there's somethimg a bit aspirational about those 3 cars. You see a tidy L322 Range Rover, R129/R230 SL or X350/X358 and it still looks like a much more expensive car than it is. If I wanted to look wealthy for some reason but wasn't then those are the 3 cars that spring to mind (possibly the Jag XK8/XK too).Being the flagship model, there's still something a bit elitist about the Range Rover, which the Disco 4 doesn't share and it's 90% of the luxury and 150% of the utility. You didn't buy the Disco 5 becsuse it wasn't as good and the new Defender wasn't as practical, so you stuck with the Disco 4. Also, they tend to be more tastefully specced than a Range Rover these days.
Mercedes Benz E-class All Terrain.
Rumour has it bought by the highest net worth average of all MB buyers, and so stealthy you will hardly see another, and they were so 'exclusive' MB no longer sell them in the UK market, because SUVs are far easier to shift to aspirational types than a slightly jacked-up estate.
Nobody will look twice at it.
Rumour has it bought by the highest net worth average of all MB buyers, and so stealthy you will hardly see another, and they were so 'exclusive' MB no longer sell them in the UK market, because SUVs are far easier to shift to aspirational types than a slightly jacked-up estate.
Nobody will look twice at it.
WH16 said:
Mercedes Benz E-class All Terrain.
Rumour has it bought by the highest net worth average of all MB buyers, and so stealthy you will hardly see another, and they were so 'exclusive' MB no longer sell them in the UK market, because SUVs are far easier to shift to aspirational types than a slightly jacked-up estate.
Nobody will look twice at it.
They did used to say that Audi's wealthiest customers gravitated towards the A6 Allroad over the R8 etc. Rumour has it bought by the highest net worth average of all MB buyers, and so stealthy you will hardly see another, and they were so 'exclusive' MB no longer sell them in the UK market, because SUVs are far easier to shift to aspirational types than a slightly jacked-up estate.
Nobody will look twice at it.
Subaru Outback
Original Volvo XC90
Mini Cooper S in a sensible colour with sensible wheels
Classic? An aero Bristol or Alvis TC of some flavour...
Oh, and a brace of Hi-Lux for the estate...
Or...anything they want. Just like the rest of us.
Wealthiest man I think I know has a nice newish Bentley, a Mercedes supercar of some sort and drives a Hi-lux everywhere, every day. His other cars never turn a wheel..before the Hi-lux it was a bought new early BMW X5 3.0 diesel. He saw no point in changing it because it worked.
Original Volvo XC90
Mini Cooper S in a sensible colour with sensible wheels
Classic? An aero Bristol or Alvis TC of some flavour...
Oh, and a brace of Hi-Lux for the estate...
Or...anything they want. Just like the rest of us.
Wealthiest man I think I know has a nice newish Bentley, a Mercedes supercar of some sort and drives a Hi-lux everywhere, every day. His other cars never turn a wheel..before the Hi-lux it was a bought new early BMW X5 3.0 diesel. He saw no point in changing it because it worked.
Don Roque said:
WH16 said:
Mercedes Benz E-class All Terrain.
Rumour has it bought by the highest net worth average of all MB buyers, and so stealthy you will hardly see another, and they were so 'exclusive' MB no longer sell them in the UK market, because SUVs are far easier to shift to aspirational types than a slightly jacked-up estate.
Nobody will look twice at it.
They did used to say that Audi's wealthiest customers gravitated towards the A6 Allroad over the R8 etc. Rumour has it bought by the highest net worth average of all MB buyers, and so stealthy you will hardly see another, and they were so 'exclusive' MB no longer sell them in the UK market, because SUVs are far easier to shift to aspirational types than a slightly jacked-up estate.
Nobody will look twice at it.
I recall reading that Emma Watson drives/drove a black Audi S3. I thought that was fairly stealth wealthy in that its fairly average looking to 99% of people but still pretty capable and I would like to think it also had every option box ticked.
Generally speaking, I dont think the wealthy analyse this anywhere near as much as the poors do. When you can have whatever you want, it all starts becoming a bit meh or household appliance optics.
Generally speaking, I dont think the wealthy analyse this anywhere near as much as the poors do. When you can have whatever you want, it all starts becoming a bit meh or household appliance optics.
Exactly this.
I know 4 people with new Defenders.
Not a single one is into cars in the way we would understand.
Two have bought them with cash because they replaced ageing Discovery 4's, not status symbols, just always had new Land Rover and this is a new Land Rover.
One has bought it through his business and he's quite proud of it but ultimately it gets used as a work vehicle.
One is financed to the hilt and always mentions his new Defender whenever cars come up.
I know 4 people with new Defenders.
Not a single one is into cars in the way we would understand.
Two have bought them with cash because they replaced ageing Discovery 4's, not status symbols, just always had new Land Rover and this is a new Land Rover.
One has bought it through his business and he's quite proud of it but ultimately it gets used as a work vehicle.
One is financed to the hilt and always mentions his new Defender whenever cars come up.
Never heard that before.Actually I misread the title I missed off the "wealth" but and though we were talking just stealth. The new Sportline VW T7 looks like one of these at 65k for....a fecking van!
Our 5N is £66k list is that a lot these days?
Some friends of ours bought a mid range RR Sport a year or two back and I was staggered to hear it was over 100k. And yes it broke all the time and they bined to off after a year and lost 30k on it.
Our 5N is £66k list is that a lot these days?
Some friends of ours bought a mid range RR Sport a year or two back and I was staggered to hear it was over 100k. And yes it broke all the time and they bined to off after a year and lost 30k on it.
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