Cars also have certain types of styling, ride, and reputation that helps to set their image, which in many cases has made some drivers seem older than they are. For those driving a Buick LeSabre, Cadillac DeVille or Lincoln Town Car, the features of the comfortable interior, soft ride and easy highway cruising helped to create a particular image that lent a touch of maturity to the driver. While a safe and comfortable luxury car is appealing to many buyers, the conservative styling of these three cars is increasingly associated with an earlier, less youthful demographic. Other vehicles such as the Toyota Avalon, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lexus ES 330 also built a reputation around quiet interiors and straight-forward features rather than sporty styling, and still can make a good buy, but not necessarily for a driver that has a more youthful image in mind.

History and pop culture notwithstanding, the list of these ten cars also demonstrates how vehicles change over the years, both in reputation and in design. The Chrysler Sebring convertible used to offer a cheap way to enjoy the outdoors the Cadillac DTS and Buick Lucerne continued the tradition of comfort-oriented American sedans and the Ford Crown Victoria remains instantly recognizable thanks to its body-on-frame construction, rear-wheel-drive setup, and longstanding career as an appearance in police paint schemes and taxi cabs. These cars may all vary in size, styling, and most importantly purpose, but they all share traits that help them look older than their modern counterparts. That doesn’t necessarily make them duds, either, especially for those seeking sedans that can offer a relaxed experience and lots of room.

1. Buick LeSabre (1992–2005)

For many years, the Buick LeSabre was offering the kind of day-to-day transportation most buyers sought a comfortable ride, a lot of interior space and uncomplaining road manners. Its soft shape and traditionally styled seats earned it a reputation as a highway cruiser, and fans may think its old stereotypes are part of its appeal. But if you’re looking for a cheap, comfortable, no-fuss vehicle to get you from here to there, its rounded shape, association with the elderly and its ties to retirement communities can actually make it feel stuck in another age of cars than it really is. (Being a relatively affordable luxury car, some buyers may even want to display its message of wealth on a budget.)

Buick LeSabre Styling and Comfort:

• Comfortable and spacious daily transportation
• Soft body shape and traditional seating
• Designed primarily for relaxed cruising
• Strong retirement-community vehicle association
• Older styling remains noticeable today

The LeSabre’s story is a reminder that even though a car may look good and offer affordable, comfortable transportation, its image can change over time. The LeSabre was a comfortable, spacious, durable mode of transportation that was popular among buyers looking for a comfortable ride without a lot of excitement. As time went on, the LeSabre’s traditional styling began to take on the appearance of an older person’s car, a perception reinforced by the relatively soft exterior proportions and bench seat. An intact LeSabre will still make affordable transportation, but it will broadcast a different message, one that may not appeal to those seeking the sporty or youthful appearance.

2. Cadillac DeVille

Previously the pinnacle of American luxury cars, the Cadillac DeVille was long, wide and spacious with a relaxed ride, offering a comfortable way to get around that encouraged many buyers to enjoy this much loved luxury car. Later models, however, don’t have quite the same level of influence over their styling, with their vast proportions, soft set up and almost ubiquitous beige interior being quite representative of an era and style of American luxury car which we have left behind. Indeed, the DeVille is still an excellent cruiser on the open road, but a traditional styling arrangement certainly doesn’t make it feel all that close to the stark styling of modern luxury cars.

Cadillac DeVille Luxury Characteristics:

• Large traditional American luxury sedan
• Soft suspension prioritizes relaxed cruising
• Spacious cabin with muted interior colors
• Exterior proportions feel dated today
• Comfort remains a major attraction

The DeVille has come to exemplify the changing expectations of American luxury cars. A spacious interior and soft ride catered to the luxury of long-distance driving, at the expense of driving dynamics. While many people still prefer that type of luxury, the DeVille’s proportions and interior design have become a bit dated in comparison to modern luxury vehicles. The use of beige and gray trim and a large vehicle size bolsters the old-school look of the DeVille, which can still make for a very smooth highway ride. However, it remains a blast from a much earlier time for modern American luxury vehicles.

3. Lincoln Town Car

The Town Car is best remembered for its ability to commute along the open highway in comfort and style. Its incredibly comfortable seats, easy-going ride, and cavernous trunk all contributed to its appeal as a luxury car for many years. That all changed over decades of use as an airport transfer vehicle, limousine, and retirement destination, where the Town Car’s reputation was built. The classic town-car appearance its formal roofline and huge trunk immediately telegraphs that you’re driving a car that was designed in a different era. With plenty of interior comfort but floaty handling and classic proportions, the Town Car can be a little old-fashioned to look at for some drivers.

Lincoln Town Car Design Features:

• Plush seating for long journeys
• Spacious trunk and formal roofline
• Smooth and relaxed ride quality
• Long association with limousine services
• Traditional American luxury-car proportions

The Town Car’s public image is also linked to its applications during its many years on the road. Its comfort-oriented characteristics led it to be well-suited to professional chauffeur service, airport transportation, and limousines. Those applications, in turn, helped create a strong association with traditional luxury and more senior customers. The formal roofline, large trunk, and roomy interior are part of its old-world full-size sedan DNA. While all of these characteristics are still useful for those who simply want to transport passengers comfortably, they do not always translate into a young, contemporary image. The Town Car is, in other words, a vehicle for which application and public image have come to go hand in hand.

4. Toyota Avalon

The Toyota Avalon was targeted at those customers who wanted the luxury car-like rear seat accommodations of a Lexus but without the Lexus tax, which helped it build a large following among retirees. The Avalon offered a large, quiet interior and a subdued styling that made it a solid choice for an efficient, day-to-day driver. The first-generation Avalon favored comfort and practicality over sportiness or fun, to the point that it cultivated a reputation as an older person’s car. While the Avalon’s rock-solid feel makes it appealing in the used market, it isn’t as exciting to drive as many other sedans on the road. Its hideaway-from-traffic styling doesn’t drive the newer drivers off the lot, but those with more enthusiasm in their driving might not be sold.

Toyota Avalon Comfort and Styling:

• More passenger space than Camry
• Quiet cabin for everyday driving
• Conservative exterior design across generations
• Solid build quality attracts used buyers
• Comfort prioritized over driving excitement

The Avalon can trace its appeal to good ratio of comfort to interior volume for its class, and it still retains that practical focus as a used car. Its reputation for being a safe, sensible car wasn’t helped by the vehicle’s earlier styling, which was less modern than many of the newer cars in the segment. Instead of muscular styling or a sporty persona, the Avalon played up its smoothness and comfort on the road. Those qualities can still help make the Avalon a good used purchase, even if the Avalon’s styling appears less modern than many competitors.

5. Mercury Grand Marquis

The Grand Marquis gained a following for its relaxed driving personality and smooth ride. Built for comfort and lugging ability, the Mercury’s oversize body and soft suspension could handle any number of miles without breaking a sweat. Its old-fashioned interior and classic beltline set a tone that was more in line with a time when American sedans had a narrower sweet spot than they do now. Combining the traditional instrument panel with a steering-column shifter and a bigger size set the Grand Marquis apart from modern cars. If you value a comfortable highway machine that’s more than happy to cruise for hours, you might be a fan but the old-school cabin and bigger package may give this Mercury a more aged feel.

Grand Marquis Traditional Features:

• Smooth ride over long distances
• Large body and spacious interior
• Steering-column shifter reflects older design
• Comfortable highway cruising remains its strength
• Traditional layout feels dated today

The Grand Marquis represents a change in expectations as to how an automobile should look. Its traditional styling and soft ride appealed to consumers seeking comfortable transportation with a minimum of fuss. Today’s sedans focus on rear-seat interior technology and more compact packaging, which makes the Grand Marquis appear at least a generation behind current styles. When combined with its steering-column shifter, full-size proportions and traditional concept, the Grand Marquis projects an older image for the car buyer. This may not be a bad thing for someone who just wants a comfortable, familiar vehicle, but it does potentially give the Grand Marquis an older feel.

6. Chrysler Sebring Convertible

Once a relatively inexpensive way to get in on the open-air experience, this car’s pie-shaped body and affordability meant it was really a rental-car favorite. To really score it, the Sebring Convertible no longer feels very hip or modern, given the round, soft shape of the body and its reputation as a rental-car. It can still be a fun, topless drive on a warm day, but it doesn’t always conjure up the youthful, athletic image you might want from a convertible. After all, the Sebring’s reputation as a fun, inexpensive convertible has worn a bit as the body style has become more and more common.

Sebring Convertible Ownership Details:

• Affordable entry into open-air driving
• Retractable roof added driving enjoyment
• Rounded styling now appears dated
• Rental-fleet reputation shaped public perception
• Convertible experience remains appealing today

The Sebring Convertible’s mixed reputation points to the distinction between a fun car to drive and good-looking styling. It had a roof off that allowed a new generation of buyers a convenient way to get behind the wheel of a convertible, and it attracted many drivers seeking something more stylish than a traditional sedan. But the car’s round exterior profile and associations with rental cars tarnished its fashionable image over time. Even with the roof off, this may look more like an older, cheaper convertible than a style-savvy new lifestyle vehicle. And that’s not to say it can’t be an appealing open-air car to drive it just might not have the sporty personality that convertible shoppers are seeking.

7. Lexus ES 330

It was appreciated for the Lexus ES 330’s soft and comfortable ride, quiet interior and conservative looks. These characteristics historically made it a good choice for those who always preferred comfort over performance. It was a very quiet car in any situation, including stressful situations like slow and congested traffic, and those who wanted that kind of ride appreciated this aspect of the car. A good environment in the cabin is important for comfort, whether it is a traffic jam or the typical trip down the highway. In today’s market, the Lexus ES 330 styling from the early 2000s doesn’t seem to be very modern anymore, and its conservative styling can make it seem as if the car has a buyer who has been going to the same dealership every weekend for 20 years.

Lexus ES 330 Luxury Characteristics:

• Smooth ride quality and quiet cabin
• Conservative early-2000s exterior styling
• Comfort prioritized over high-speed excitement
• Understated luxury defines its character
• Older design influences its current image

The ES 330 embodies how one good luxury recipe can give way to a previous-generation image. Its quiet interior and smooth ride were what buyers wanted when they chose easy motoring over sportiness. These qualities are still desirable, especially for commuting in highway traffic. The conservative profile, however, is a throwback to early-2000 styling, and even less refined luxury sedans today look more modern and exciting. The ES 330’s reputation is not its comfortable ride or modest dimensions, but instead, it can color the mind of other road users when they look at its driver. Its age would make it not as attractive to drivers who seek a more modern appearance.

8. Cadillac DTS

Like many other Cadillac models, the DTS was a further extension of the brand’s tradition of large, comfortable luxury sedans. Its cabin was huge, while its soft ride contributed to a ride quality that was more at home in a cozy living room than a sportier newer Cadillac. When the DTS was introduced, however, the market for luxury cars was shifting toward vehicles with more agile handling, a more imposing road presence, and more streamlined European-inspired styling. With its full-size dimensions, chrome grille, and long wheelbase, the Cadillac’s styling came across as more old-school which can make the model seem more mature than the driver.

Cadillac DTS Design and Comfort:

• Spacious cabin prioritizes passenger comfort
• Soft ride emphasizes relaxed cruising
• Large chrome front grille
• Long body reflects traditional luxury styling
• Design contrasts with newer luxury sedans

This is an old-school luxury styling just beginning to look dated. The DTS’s generous proportions and comfort-oriented suspension show a concept that was still relevant when the motto for luxury motoring was “cruise” rather than “corner”. But newer, upscale models offered sharper styling and sportier profiles. The DTS has a grille as tall and narrow as the car is long, and its classic laid-back styling was apparently meant to evoke statesmanlike gravitas. That and the traditional American luxury sedan styling on display earned the DTS a little label of “it is what it is”. It will give up effortless cruise-ability and luxury, but for those who want a car that doesn’t look young, the DTS offers traditional approach.

9. Buick Lucerne

Buick at least made an effort to update its typical full-sized sedan formula with the Lucerne, but the car didn’t succeed in shedding its older-buyer reputation. It has a spacious and luxurious interior, has a quiet engine and a smooth ride. Its exterior styling isn’t aggressive enough to do anything to convey a more youthful or modern image. The Lucerne’s subdued looks enable it to fade into the background traffic, and the car’s traditional look is more appropriate for a setting that’s associated with a traditional lifestyle. The Lucerne excels in comfort, but it also shows how a vehicle can upgrade its formula without shedding all of the elements that have helped it get through the decades with a good reputation.

Buick Lucerne Comfort and Appearance:

• Comfortable full-size sedan design
• Quiet cabin supports relaxed driving
• Pleasant everyday driving experience
• Restrained exterior styling remains conservative
• Older-buyer reputation persists over time

The Lucerne is Buick’s way of returning to a typical full-size sedan that does not forsake all that this vehicle brand has come to be known for comfort. Quiet, soft-driving and docile, the Lucerne appeals to many drivers, as long as they like a more laid-back driving experience. Unfortunately, the styling is a little on the subdued side and does not have the same verve as a vehicle that has a more muscular design like some of its modern competitors. Its long-established image as the “old man’s car” because it has traditionally been driven by older folks gives it an even more aged reputation, regardless of how modern or contemporary the vehicle’s experience is.

10. Ford Crown Victoria

For gearheads who enjoy a body-on-frame design for its unbreakable durability, the Ford Crown Victoria remains a popular relic of the 1990s. Rear-wheel-drive architecture is a defunct breed in most new showroom floors, and for many enthusiasts and collectors the road going Crown Victoria remains a symbol of how American automotive engineering used to be. The image of the Crown Victoria is nonetheless still associated with police cruisers and fleet city cabs, cars purchased by municipalities and driven by retirees. Despite potential ex-police modification, the Crown Victoria to the untrained eye can appear less classic than beastly. Its pedigree is still rock-solid, but its legacy to the general public leaves much to be desired.

Crown Victoria Heritage and Reputation:

• Durable body-on-frame construction
• Rear-wheel-drive American sedan layout
• Strong association with police cruisers
• Familiar former taxi fleet vehicle
• Enthusiast interest has increased again

That leaves the Crown Victoria in an interesting middle ground. Its old fleet image has left it many connotations with those who know it as a police cruiser or city taxi, while its tough, rear wheel drive build and big American character makes it attractive to others. While many people see its physical characteristics as aged like an old limo or regular fleet car, the Crown Victoria still has a standing in the minds of many enthusiasts, which they could still appreciate due to its mechanical nature and longevity, but a stock vehicle still projects an aging image a testament to its engineering strength combined with antiquated public image.