Yahoo Autos 11 Luxury Crossover SUVs for under $50,000
11 Luxury Crossover SUVs for Under $50,000
From Acura and BMW to Mercedes and Volvo, there are deals to be had.
Price creep for new vehicles in the US has always been an issue, but most of the movement for window stickers in recent inflationary years has been more like a steady jog rather than a slow creep. As of a few months ago, Cox Automotive estimated the cost of a new car to be $48,528. That’s the average for everything, from full-size pickup trucks and high-volume crossovers to luxury cars and compact sedans, which are gradually disappearing.
Everyone wants their hard-earned pay to go as far as possible. Still, at a certain station in life, it’s perfectly normal to contemplate the step to an aspirational purchase from a brand you’ve perhaps admired from afar, maybe with a certain amount of lust.
So what better time than now to reach for the stars, to put pencil to paper, and see if the family budget is ready for premium? The average vehicle price might be bumping up against $50k, but there are luxury cars to be had for less. And because everyone wants utility, headroom, and cargo capacity, we’re focusing this list on luxury SUVs, leaning more toward unibody-designed car-based crossover utility vehicles rather than full-size body-on-frame SUVs like the Cadillac Escalade. A lot of people just call them all SUVs.
2024 Acura MDX FWD
Base Price: $49,850
You’ll see a lot of vehicles on this list with only two rows of seats, but the Acura MDX actually has three—with seatbelts for seven—making it arguably one of the best bargains for stretching your dollar. The fourth-generation MDX from Honda’s luxury brand was all-new two years ago as a ’22 model, and it’s currently outselling all other large luxury crossovers by wide margin, even the Tesla Model X. Power comes from a 290-hp 3.5-liter V6 rated by the EPA at 19/26 mpg in city/highway driving.
And if you’re excited for the prospects of a zero-emission future, Acura just revealed details about its all-electric ZDX SUV, expected to arrive next year with estimated range of 325 miles. Sorry, the price for Acura’s first EV will be well above $50k. Acura’s talking closer to $70k.
/…… Acura RDX $41,750
2024 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Sprint RWD
Base Price: $44,775
Here’s your chance to embrace a revered Italian brand that dates to 1910. Alfa Romeo is under the Stellantis umbrella, along with Fiat, Peugeot, and all the Chrysler group brands, and that global organization appears to be serious in supporting Alfa’s expansion into the lucrative (but fiercely competitive) US luxury market.
The Stelvio remains a bit player, but take one for a test drive and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the upscale interior, the European ride and handling, and the 280-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder under the hood.
And now is as good a time as any to consider the Stelvio: Prices have actually gone down from the 2023 to 2024 model year for all four trim levels. The ’23 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Sprint RWD was $46,575, so that’s a meaningful $1800 price cut for the new model year. You can even step up to the ’24 Stelvio Ti AWD for $50,225. If you find a dealer clearing out ’23 models, be sure to push for that better price. You’re doing them a favor!
2023 Audi Q4 e-tron
Base Price: $49,800
You had to know at least one battery-electric crossover SUV would find its way onto this list. BMW, Cadillac, Lexus, and Mercedes all have them, too, but they’re over $50,000. So the Audi Q4 e-tron represents a decent bargain, with style, a nice interior, German engineering, and a respectable 236 miles of range, priced slightly above similar offerings from mainstream brands.
This base model is in Premium trim, with a single electric motor and rear-wheel drive. For another $5k, you can have the dual-motor all-wheel drive version of the Q4 e-tron. That’s also about the starting price for the Q4 e-tron Sportback, if you like a coupe-like silhouette for your crossover.
2023 BMW X1 xDrive28i
Base Price: $38,600
BMW and Mercedes-Benz have been consistently duking it out for the annual sales crown for luxury vehicle in the US, and it’s not hard to see why. Both brands have flooded the market with crossover SUVs, sports cars, luxury cruisers, and roadsters, not to mention the many variants for all of them. The premium bologna can be sliced many ways, Germany has learned.
While most BMWs sell for considerably more, this X1, which was all-new a year ago, represents the entry point for Bavarian utility. It’s a compelling model with a clean interior layout, spirited handling, and a 241-hp 2.0-liter turbo-four rated at 28 mpg combined. And as a smaller vehicle, the controversial twin-kidney is smaller, too, and better proportioned. That’s a good thing.
Price creep for new vehicles in the US has always been an issue, but most of the movement for window stickers in recent inflationary years has been more like a steady jog rather than a slow creep. As of a few months ago, Cox Automotive estimated the cost of a new car to be $48,528. That’s the average for everything, from full-size pickup trucks and high-volume crossovers to luxury cars and compact sedans, which are gradually disappearing.
Everyone wants their hard-earned pay to go as far as possible. Still, at a certain station in life, it’s perfectly normal to contemplate the step to an aspirational purchase from a brand you’ve perhaps admired from afar.
So what better time than now to reach for the stars, to put pencil to paper, and see if the family budget is ready for premium? The average vehicle price might be bumping up against $50k, but there are luxury cars to be had for less. And because everyone wants utility, headroom, and cargo capacity, we’re focusing this list on luxury SUVs, leaning more toward unibody-designed car-based crossover utility vehicles rather than full-size body-on-frame SUVs like the Cadillac Escalade. A lot of people just call them all SUVs. Our list below is in alphabetical order—it’s not a ranking.
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2024 Acura MDX FWD
Base Price: $49,850
You’ll see a lot of vehicles on this list with only two rows of seats, but the Acura MDX actually has three—with seatbelts for seven—making it arguably one of the best bargains for stretching your dollar.
The fourth-generation MDX from Honda’s luxury brand was all-new two years ago as a ’22 model, and it’s currently outselling all other large luxury crossovers by a wide margin, even the Tesla Model X. Power comes from a 290-hp 3.5-liter V6 rated by the EPA at 19/26 mpg in city/highway driving.
2024 Acura MDX FWD Interior
And if you’re excited for the prospects of a zero-emission future, Acura just revealed details about its all-electric ZDX SUV, expected to arrive next year with estimated range of 325 miles. Sorry, the price for Acura’s first EV will be well above $50k. Acura’s talking closer to $70,000.
2024 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Sprint RWD
Base Price: $44,775
Here’s your chance to embrace a revered Italian brand that dates to 1910. Alfa Romeo is under the Stellantis umbrella, along with Fiat, Peugeot, and all the Chrysler group brands, and that global organization appears to be serious in supporting Alfa’s expansion into the lucrative (but fiercely competitive) US luxury market.
The Stelvio remains a bit player, but take one for a test drive and you might be pleasantly surprised by the upscale interior, the European ride and handling, and the 280-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder under the hood.
2024 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Competizione Interior
And now is as good a time as any to consider the Stelvio: Prices have actually gone down from the 2023 to 2024 model year for all four trim levels. The ’23 Stelvio Sprint RWD was $46,575, so that’s a meaningful $1800 price cut for the new model year. You can even step up to the ’24 Stelvio Ti AWD for $50,225. If you find a dealer clearing out ’23 models, be sure to push for that better price. You’re doing them a favor!
If the Stelvio is a bit too expensive, check out the Alfa Tonale plug-in hybrid crossover, which is a lot like the Stelvio but smaller, with a starting price of $42,995.
2023 Audi Q4 e-tron
Base Price: $49,800
You had to know at least one battery-electric crossover SUV would find its way onto this list. BMW, Cadillac, Lexus, and Mercedes all have them, too, but they’re over $50,000.
So the Audi Q4 e-tron represents a decent bargain, with style, a nice interior, German engineering, and a respectable 236 miles of range, priced slightly above similar offerings from mainstream non-luxury brands.
2023 Audi Q4 e-tron Interior
This base model is in Premium trim, with a single electric motor and rear-wheel drive. For another $5k, you can have the dual-motor all-wheel drive version of the Q4 e-tron.
That’s also about the starting price for the Q4 e-tron Sportback, if you like a coupe-like silhouette for your crossover.
2023 BMW X1 xDrive28i
Base Price: $38,600
BMW and Mercedes-Benz have been consistently duking it out for the annual sales crown for luxury vehicle in the US, and it’s not hard to see why.
Both brands have flooded the market with crossover SUVs, sports cars, luxury cruisers, and roadsters, not to mention the many variants for all of them. The premium bologna can be sliced many ways, the Germans have learned.
