2017 Audi A4
Starting Price: $34,900 (Details Below)
Our top-ranked luxury small car starts at just $34,900, and you can load on nearly every available feature and still stay below the $50K mark. The price-leading A4 Ultra model also gets excellent fuel economy, with an EPA-estimated 27 mpg in the city and 37 on the highway.
U.S. News & World Report chose the 2017 Audi A4 as its Best Luxury Small Car for the Money award winner. While it may not be the sportiest or quickest car in the class, it is a technology leader, with standard features that include support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and optional technology such as the Audi Virtual Cockpit, which replaces the traditional gauge cluster with a customizable wide-screen video display.
Low-speed emergency automatic braking with pedestrian detection is standard, while an advanced all-speed system is available.
2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia
Starting Price: $37,995 (Details Below)
Arriving this year from Italy is the 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia, which is a compact luxury sedan that boasts impressive performance chops with a splash of Italian attitude. It holds a spot near the top of our rankings of luxury small cars and has a base price of $37,995.
Getting most of the headlines is the 505-horsepower Giulia Quadrifoglio, but the base model and the midrange Giulia Ti both carry a potent 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 280 horsepower. The base and Ti trims are available with either rear- or all-wheel drive, while the Quadrifoglio is only available with rear-wheel drive.
If you’re looking for great rear-seat legroom or a wealth of standard safety equipment, you might want to look elsewhere, as the Giulia doesn’t check either box.
2017 Lexus ES
Starting Price: $38,900 (Details Below)
If you’re looking for a comfortable, reliable sedan that’s a step above mainstream sedan offerings without an extremely steep price tag, put the 2017 Lexus ES on your shopping list. It’s our 2017 Best Luxury Midsize Car for the Money award winner. ES pricing starts at $38,900.
For 2017, all ES models come standard with automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, and automatic high beams. For buyers with excellent fuel economy at the top of their wish lists, the 2017 Lexus ES Hybrid should also be considered. It earns EPA mileage estimates of 40 mpg in the city and 39 on the highway, with a base price of $41,820.
2017 BMW 2 Series Convertible
Starting Price: $38,950 (Details Below)
The 2017 BMW 2 Series is one of the highest-rated cars in our rankings of luxury small cars, and it’s also offered as a convertible with a starting price tag of $38,950. At that price, you’ll get a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that sends 248 horsepower to the rear tires.
There’s another engine available for the 2 Series convertible, but the four-cylinder turbo is the only one that will keep you under $50,000. In a class that often pits luxury against performance, the 2 Series convertible definitely comes down on the sporty side. It comes with a back seat, but it's best reserved for small kids or packages.
2017 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Starting Price: $39,500 (Details Below)
The 2017 Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a luxurious luxury small car that earns a spot near the top of our rankings in the class. Unless you opt for the high-performance (and costly) AMG version, the C-Class is better suited for comfortable highway cruising than aggressively attacking corners.
You can stay under $50,000 with either the C300 sedan or coupe. Opting for the available convertible pushes you just over the mark. Standard features in the sedan include dual-zone automatic climate control, a seven-speed automatic transmission, power-adjustable front seats, and a 7-inch infotainment system with Bluetooth connectivity. Power comes from a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo.
2017 Genesis G80
Starting Price: $41,400 (Details Below)
Genesis is Hyundai’s new luxury brand, and you can buy one of their two models with a base price of less than $50,000. For $41,400, the base 2017 Genesis G80 comes with an array of standard equipment that would come as costly options from other brands.
The list of included features starts with a leather interior and a navigation system. Also included on all models is a host of advanced safety equipment, including automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, lane departure warning, and blind spot monitoring. Unlike some adaptive cruise control systems that only operate at highway speeds, the G80’s included system will operate in stop-and-go traffic.
All-wheel drive is available as a $2,500 option. The G80 scores a spot in the top third of our rankings of luxury midsize cars.
2017 BMW 4 Series
Starting Price: $41,950 (Details Below)
The 2017 BMW 4 Series is a car built for drivers. While it still has luxury touches and the luxury dealer buying experience, it is a performance car at heart. It earns a spot near the top of our rankings of luxury small cars.
There are a couple of models of the 4 Series that you can get into for less than $50,000. The 430i Coupe is a two-door that starts at $42,150. With most brands, you wouldn’t have to explain that the coupe has just two doors, but with BMW you do, because they also offer a 430i Gran Coupe with four doors starting at $41,950. Leatherette upholstery is standard, as is a 6.5-inch iDrive infotainment system.
Most of the options available for the 4 Series are grouped into packages, so the car’s price can climb quickly as you start adding features. Many advanced safety systems, and even Apple CarPlay capability, will cost you hundreds (if not thousands) extra.
2017 Audi Allroad
Starting Price: $44,000 (Details Below)
With standard all-wheel drive, excellent interior room, and loads of available high-tech infotainment and safety features, the 2017 Audi Allroad rose to the top of our rankings of wagons. A base price of $44,000 also makes it an affordable luxury car, even if you add some upgrades.
Leather interior surfaces are standard on the Allroad, as is a 7-inch Audi MMI infotainment system with support for both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A 40/20/40-split rear seat allows for a multitude of cargo-carrying configurations. It's powered by a 252-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine that's paired with a new-for-2017 dual-clutch seven-speed automatic transmission.
The Allroad Premium Plus trim starts at $47,000 and includes a 19-speaker audio system, remote start, and heated front seats, plus front and rear parking sensors.
2017 Lincoln Continental
Starting Price: $44,720 (Details Below)
There aren’t many models in the luxury large car category that can be had for less than $50K, but the all-new 2017 Lincoln Continental fits the bill, with a base price of $44,720. Like Continentals of old, the new model is a powerful luxury cruiser that coddles its passengers.
The Continental features a cabin lined with quality materials, including exceptionally comfortable standard leather seating surfaces in all trim levels and real wood accents in some models. It uses Ford’s highly praised SYNC 3 infotainment system with an 8-inch touch screen, which also supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
A 3.7-liter V6 is included on the base trim, but you can stay under the $50,000 mark if you upgrade to the available 2.7-liter twin-turbocharged V6 that's both more powerful and more fuel efficient. To get the advanced electronic safety systems included on several cars in its class, you'll need to purchase expensive option packages on the Continental.
2017 Volvo S90
Starting Price: $46,950 (Details Below)
Not only does the all-new 2017 Volvo S90 feature one of the nicest interiors in the luxury midsize car class, but it packs on a host of standard equipment at a base price of $46,950. To achieve this level of equipment in many rivals, it could cost you many thousands of dollars more.
Included on the base model is an 8-inch instrument panel display and a 9-inch touch-screen infotainment display. A standard sunroof illuminates the sculpted interior, and there’s an included 10-speaker audio system, dual-zone automatic climate control, navigation, and keyless ignition.
The S90’s standard safety equipment includes a low-speed automatic emergency braking system, the Pilot Assist semi-autonomous driving system that can manage steering, acceleration, and deceleration, and an attention monitor system that warns you when it senses that you are becoming fatigued.
2017 Audi A6
Starting Price: $47,600 (Details Below)
Not only does the 2017 Audi A6 offer a sporty yet comfortable driving experience, but it does so with a base price that's under $50,000. For its base price of $47,600, you get a 252-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that sends power to the front wheels.
The A6 holds a spot near the top of our rankings of luxury midsize cars, with standard equipment that includes leather upholstery, tri-zone automatic temperature control, a sunroof, a 7-inch infotainment system, and parking sensors in the front and rear. Even if you’re aiming to stay under the $50,000 mark, you can add all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission for $2,200, making the total cost $49,800.
2017 Kia K900
Starting Price: $49,990 (Details Below)
The 2017 Kia K900 comes in just under our $50,000 limit, but it represents exceptional value in the luxury large car class. Not only is the K900 well-equipped for the money, but it comes with a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, so you're insulated from unexpected maintenance costs for the long haul.
Even the base K900 comes with leather seating surfaces, heated and ventilated front seats, a navigation system, a panoramic sunroof, and a large 9.2-inch infotainment screen. Rear-seat passengers get their own set of heating and ventilation controls. Though it features standard front and rear cameras and parking sensors, adaptive headlights, and rear cross traffic alert, much of the advanced safety equipment that is standard on cars like the 2017 Genesis G80 is optional on the K900.
More Buying Tools From U.S. News & World Report
Visit our new car comparison page to see multiple cars side-by-side and study how they stack up in terms of performance, sticker price, safety, reliability and a host of other factors. In our new car rankings, you can see how an entire class of cars compares.
Even luxury cars have special manufacturer incentive programs to keep them moving off the lots. Each month, the experts of U.S. News & World Report study the new car deals landscape to bring you financing offers and leasing incentives that can save you big money.
You can keep even more money in your wallet when you use our Best Price Program to help you find the dealers in your area who are offering the best prices. Buyers who use the program save an average of $3,279 off MSRP.
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Luxury Doesn’t Have to Break the Bank
Putting a luxury car in your garage doesn’t need to be a wallet-draining experience. If you buy the right car, you can get the opulent luxury experience you’re looking for, great performance, plus a host of standard technology and advanced safety features.
Of course, buying new isn’t the only route to a great deal on a luxury car. Buying a manufacturer-backed certified pre-owned car can also get you behind the wheel of a luxury ride without the high price.
On the following slides, we take a look at what's available in the new car market for less than $50,000. While many come from traditional luxury brands, one comes from mainstream brands and one comes from a new luxury brand that you may not yet have heard of.