It’s normal to desire a nice vehicle. Unfortunately, many are out of a reasonabl price range, and it feels like only the richest Americans can afford one. However, did you know that there is a subcategory of luxury called affordable luxury?
These are vehicles that offer many luxury features including a nice trim and high-quality engine, without being so far out of your price range it feels like you’re in outer space.
To compile this list, 24/7 Wall Street used ratings and prices pulled from sources like Car and Driver, Consumer Report, and more. Additionally, there was some editorial discretion used when selecting vehicles according to certain criteria.
First, the car needed to be under $100,000 but still firmly a part of a historically recognized luxury brand. This was to eliminate top-trim models from non-luxury brands that are just expensive (luxury brands are an image thing at their core, and it’s important to remember that). Second, we didn’t attach any years to these models because they are always changing.
Now that you know what you’re looking at, it’s time to figure out what affordable luxury vehicle you’re not going to be able to resist.
Why Cars Are Our Focus Today
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Cars are a necessity in America. With a lack of public transportation, most homes need one or more vehicles to enable everyone to get to work or school. However, that doesn’t mean cars have to only be for practicality. Luxury vehicles offer some pretty awesome upgrades and look nice.
However, many are affordable, and far too much for the average household. The luxury cars below prove that you can have your cake and eat it too with nice vehicles not that much over a standard new car price.
BMW 2 Series
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- Price Range: $38,000-$51,700
- Body Style: Sedan
- Power Used: Gas
- Horsepower: 241-255
One of the Most Affordable Options
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The BMW 2 Series features compact vehicles. There are a few different styles to choose from, including a convertible and a gran coupe. BMW is a classic luxury brand with affordable prices, especially the 2 Series.
Tesla Model 3 Performance
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- Price Range: $53,240-$64,190
- Body Style: Sedan
- Power Used: Electric
- Horsepower: 271-510
Electric Luxury
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Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) isn’t all luxury, however, the Model 3 Performance should be right up there with the Model S and X. They are easily able to outperform other vehicles on this list and have some major quality-of-life improvements in the newest models.
Lexus UX
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- Price Range: $36,490-$43,920
- Body Style: SUV
- Power Used: Hybrid
- Horsepower: 181-196
Reliable and High Quality
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This established luxury brand has earned its reputation for having amazing quality and reliability. The Lexus UX is a hybrid that has exceptional reliability and value as well as a very vocal customer base.
Audi Q3
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- Price Range: $36,000-$56,950
- Body Style: SUV
- Power Used: Gas/Electric Hybrid
- Horsepower: 184-228
Practical and Luxury
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The Audi Q3 is a compact SUV that’s considered entry-level. However, with the Audi logo, it’s a great mix of luxury and practical. With this vehicle, you don’t have to choose between a great car and a family vehicle.
Mercedes-Benz GLA
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- Price Range: $36,400-$56,950
- Body Style: SUV
- Power Used: Gas/Electric Hybrid
- Horsepower: 221-302
A Popular Design
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The compact SUV body type is a popular model in the United States and the Mercedes-Benz GLA is one example of a luxury car offering this style. It’s the smallest SUV offered by Mercedes and works as basically an SUV version of the A-Class. To make the vehicle feel even more luxurious, there are some additional touches in the car.
Kia Stinger
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- Price Range: $36,690-$54,090
- Body Style: Sedan
- Power Used: Gas
- Horsepower: 300-358
Premium vs. Luxury
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It’s debatable whether the Kia Stinger should be considered a luxury or a premium vehicle. It does offer some great performance stats (a 2.5-liter turbocharger V4 with 300-hp, or a 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 with 358-hp) that keep it competitive with other luxury vehicles. It even has some nice trim and interior to make it feel more luxurious but for a much lower price. Unfortunately, you might not want to buy one of these cars unless you want them to be stolen.
Hyundai Genesis G80
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- Price Range: $54,400-$64,250
- Body Style: Sedan
- Power Used: Gas or Electric
- Horsepower: 300 to 375
Surprisingly Nice
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When you think of luxury vehicles, Hyundai likely isn’t the first one to pop into your head. It was originally made to be an affordable brand for the general consumer. However, with the Genesis vehicles, Hyundai managed to branch out and reach both target consumers.
Audi A3 Premium
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- Price Range: $36,495-$38,495
- Body Style: Sedan
- Power Used: Gas/Electric Hybrid
- Horsepower: 201
Another Affordable Option From Audi
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For a car at this price, it’s hard to imagine it being a luxury vehicle. However, it scores well on consumer review sites and it definitely feels like an Audi. But its many luxury options earn it top marks.
BMW X2
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- Price Range: $36,600-$56,950
- Body Style: SUV
- Power Used: Gas/Hybrid
- Horsepower: 241 to 312
Compact With Great Performance
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The BMW brand is no stranger to affordable luxury options. The X2 is just another solid example that the brand provides. This compact design with luxury comforts and great performance competes with the Mercedez-Benz GLA in terms of price.
Volvo XC40
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- Price Range: $36,400-$56,950
- Body Style: SUV
- Power Used: Gas or Electric
- Horsepower: 247
Number One Subcompact Luxury
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The reason the Volvo XC40 is a winner is due to its mix of practicality and luxury, along with its reasonable price. When it comes to rankings, this Volvo is a winner of the subcompact luxury SUV category while still being a premium vehicle.
BMW M Series
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- Price Range: The M2 starts at $63,200; the M3 starts at $76,000
- Body Style: Coupe, Sedan, Wagon
- Power Used: Gas
- Horsepower: Starts at 453
Another BMW
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The M series has been one of BMW’s best-received models. These are performance luxury vehicles. Out of the two main versions, the M2 and the M3, the M2 is considered the sportier version while the M3 has more practical uses. Both have quite a few additional features and add-ons.
Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio
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- Price Range: $81,855-$88,505
- Body Style: Sedan
- Power Used: Gas
- Horsepower: 505
A New Reintroduction
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The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is more than just a mouthful. This is a reintroduction of the Alfa Romeo Giulia into the American Market backed with some serious power. Unfortunately, that power does come in with a bit of a steep price tag. For the brand though, it’s rather reasonable.
Porsche 718 Cayman
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- Price Range: Starting at $69,950
- Body Style: Coupe
- Power Used: Gas
- Horsepower: 300
Surprisingly Reasonable
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It’s rare to find a Porsche in such a reasonable price range. With such a reasonable price, you could even splurge for an upgrade and get one of the S or GTS editions and still spend less than $100k while getting loads of extra power and performance. Car and Driver ranks the 718 Cayman a 10/10, and it probably deserves it. Keep in mind that this is a performance vehicle and not the best for shoving a car seat into.
Acura Integra
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- Price Range: $31,500-$51,800
- Body Style: 5-Door Liftback
- Power Used: Gas
- Horsepower: 200-300
The Luxury Branch of Honda
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As the luxury branch of Honda, you expect Acura to deliver some nice upgrades to their base models. The Integra is basically a Honda Civic with some nicer features and loads of cargo space.
Cadillac CT4
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- Price Range: $34,000-$61,495
- Body Style: Sedan
- Power Used: Gas
- Horsepower: 237-310
American Made
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Cadillac is an American brand. The CT4 model is a sedan made to replace the ATS but with a lot more power, engine upgrades, and reliability. It’s a direct competitor as well to the A3 and 2 Series.
Lincoln Corsair
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- Price Range: $38,730-$53,925
- Body Style: SUV
- Power Used: Gas
- Horsepower: 250
Ford’s Luxury Crossover
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The Lincoln Corsair is an American-made and stylish option while still keeping comfort a main feature. It’s a direct competitor to the Q3, X2, and GLA. Though Lincoln doesn’t want to admit it, it’s basically the luxury version of the Ford Escape. If you want a little extra and don’t mind a higher price, the Navigator is also a good option.
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