Report says wealthy buyers are keeping the US luxury and exotic car scene booming with the sector on track to reach $215 billion in a decade’s time
December 20, 2025 at 17:35
- US luxury car market may reach $215 billion by 2035.
- Used $100K–$170K cars will outpace new ones in growth.
- Younger buyers shop constantly and switch brands often.
If you’re ever spent time wondering how there are so many more high-end cars on America’s roads than there were a generation ago, and how on earth people can afford them, well, it looks like the shift is only getting started.
A new deep dive into the US luxury and exotic car world says the market for pricey cars is already worth around $110 billion could swell to between $180 billion and $215 billion by 2035, depending on how demand and inventory trends unfold.
Read: Only 7 Percent Of Cars Sold Last Month In America Cost Under $30,000
That’s according to a study from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and duPont Registry Group, which maps out how high end buying habits are shifting in real time. It predicts the strongest growth in new and used vehicles priced between $100,000 and $170,000, where annual sales are forecast to rise by 6-8 percent.
Ultra luxury and hyper luxury cars above that threshold ($170,000+) will still grow, but not nearly as quickly, perhaps because even America’s mega wealthy can buy only so many megabuck specials before running out of garage space.
Used Cars in Hot Demand
The biggest boom is expected in the used car market. Thanks to strong resale values and the fact that luxury cars do not age the same way normal cars do, pre owned exotics are projected to grow up to one and a half times faster than new models over the next decade.
Specifically, used luxury and exotic vehicles are forecast to grow by roughly 5 to 8 percent annually, compared to about 5 to 6 percent for new cars.
More: Honda Dealers Marking Up New Prelude To Over $60,000
Buyers who might hesitate at the rising prices of new luxury machinery are more than happy to jump into something lightly loved, and the report says these cars change hands frequently because their desirability barely fades with age.
The luxury explosion is also being propelled by a new generation of shoppers who behave very differently from traditional buyers. Millennials and Gen Z browse listings constantly, cross shop more brands and are far less loyal to the usual long-established heavy hitters.
Also: Just Six Months Later, BMW’s Hiking Its 2026MY Prices Again
In fact, around 80 percent of luxury buyers say they browse online for vehicles weekly or even daily, often without any immediate plan to buy.
They are also far more open to digital buying, with three quarters of all luxury buyers saying they would consider completing their next purchase entirely online. For dealers that is both exciting and mildly terrifying.
Wealthy Bubble
Despite rising interest rates, inflation and tariff concerns, the report finds that the high end market is remarkably resilient. Even the EV wave is not expected to derail things, though younger buyers show more interest in electric luxury than older ones.
Across age groups, emotion plays a central role, with about one in three buyers citing emotional connection to a brand or design as the primary reason they chose their car.
And while experiences now matter almost as much as the cars themselves, the thrill of the drive remains central to why people splurge on these machines. In fact more than 90 percent of buyers say brand-hosted events and driving programs enhance ownership satisfaction.
The idea of spending six figures on a car is still just a daydream for many Americans struggling to scrape together $30k for a new vehicle, but if the predictions hold true, the next decade will see more exotic metal on American roads than ever before.
And those cars will eventually depreciate enough that the rest of us with normal spending power can get in on the action. Or so we’d like to believe.
