These Are the Cheapest Luxury Cars You Can Buy

Have you always wanted to own a luxury vehicle, but end up making a more practical purchase decision instead? What if you could own a car that satisfies your luxury ownership desires while still appealing to your practical side? Luckily for you, there are a number of new and used reliable luxury cars that can occupy your driveway without destroying your budget.

Of all the lower-priced luxury vehicles out there, we identified the best luxury cars based on the iSeeCars Quality Score, which takes into account reliability, safety and value retention, and then selected those with the most affordable price tags. Because luxury vehicles are often leased, we also looked at the average price of 3-year-old luxury vehicles for options that are even more budget-friendly and have major savings over a new car’s MSRP.

Here are the best affordable luxury cars across many body styles on the market today. For the most reliable luxury cars across all price ranges, you can also check out our handy Most Reliable Luxury Cars guide.

Cheapest Luxury Cars

iSeeCars identified six luxury cars with a base price of $40,000 and below and have an iSeeCars Quality Score of 8.0 or above.

1. Lexus ES 350

iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.9

Starting MSRP: $40,000

The Lexus ES 350 luxury midsize car ranks sixth. As Toyota’s luxury brand, Lexus has a reputation for being the most reliable brand among luxury automakers. The ES has a spacious and luxurious interior as well as a long list of standard safety features, including forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, road sign detection, and automatic high-beam headlights. It comes with two engine options: a four-cylinder that offers all-wheel drive (AWD), which is new for the 2021 model year, and a front-wheel drive V6. A new Lexus ES 350 starts at $40,000 and a three-year-old used Lexus ES 350 costs an average of $30,291.

2. Acura ILX

iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.5

Starting MSRP: $26,500

The Acura ILX is the most affordable vehicle in the luxury small car class, making it an appealing entry-level vehicle for luxury car buyers. The ILX offers a comfortable ride and earns respectable fuel economy at an EPA-estimated 24 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway. The ILX comes with a suite of standard driver assistance features including lane keep assist, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, forward automatic emergency braking, road departure mitigation, and adaptive cruise control. A new Acura ILX starts at $26,500 and a three-year-old used Acura ILX costs an average of $20,597.

3. Audi A4

iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.5

Starting MSRP: $39,100

The Audi A4 compact car from Volkswagen’s luxury brand ranks fourth. It is known for being fun to drive while offering a smooth and comfortable ride. It also has an excellent fuel economy of 27 mpg city/35 mpg highway for its front-wheel-drive version, and is available with its Quattro all-wheel drive system that’s slightly less efficient. A new Audi A4 starts at $37,400, while a lightly-used Audi A4 for sale can be found for $23,591.

4. Acura TLX

iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.4

Starting MSRP: $37,500

Acura TLX midsize luxury sedan earns praise for its driving dynamics and has one of the lowest starting prices in its class, making it a good value for luxury car shoppers. The luxury version of the Honda Accord, the Acura TLX comes standard with front-wheel drive, but Acura’s advanced Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) can be added for $2,000. The 2021 TLX earns the highest safety designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety with a Top Safety Pick+ rating. It comes standard with safety features including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and automatic high-beam headlights. A new Acura TLX costs between $37,500 and $48,300 and a three-year-old used Acura TLX costs an average of $26,119.

5. Volvo S60

iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.2

Starting MSRP: $36,050

The Volvo S60 compact car ranks fifth. It has a luxurious cabin with standard features including a moonroof and premium sound system along with a suite of safety features including road departure mitigation, collision mitigation, and traffic sign recognition. A new version starts at $36,050, while a used Volvo S60 has an average three-year-old used car price of $23,742.

6. Audi A3

iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.1

Starting MSRP: $33,300

The Audi A3 is a luxury small car that was redesigned for 2022 to include updated interior and exterior styling as well as a more powerful 201-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Standard safety features include lane departure warning, forward collision warning, pre-collision sense that rolls up windows and tightens seatbelts if a collision is imminent, forward automatic emergency braking, and lane departure warning. The A3 offered a hatchback model that was discontinued after the 2018 model year, but can still be found in the used car marketplace. A new Audi A3 starts at $33,300, and a three-year-old used Audi A3 costs an average of $24,366.

Cheapest Luxury SUVs

iSeeCars identified four luxury crossover SUVs with starting prices below $40,000 with an iSeeCars Quality Score of 7.5 or above.

1. Acura RDX

iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.7

Starting MSRP: $38,400

The Acura RDX earns the top spot as the best cheapest luxury SUV. It also earns the distinction as iSeeCars best luxury small SUV. The RDX has a high quality cabin that is one of the plushest in its class. The RDX has many standard tech features including a touchscreen infotainment system, Apple CarPlay, a Wi-Fi hot spot, and Bluetooth connectivity. The RDX comes standard with safety features including adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and road departure mitigation. A new Acura RDX starts at $38,400, while a used Acura RDX for sale costs $27,061

2. Buick Encore

iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.3

Starting MSRP: $23,200

The Buick Encore subcompact SUV ranks second and is a relative bargain with a starting MSRP of under $25,000. The Encore provides a comfortable ride and has above-average cargo space for the class. All-wheel drive is not available on the base trim, but can be added to the Preferred trim for an additional $620. A new Buick Encore costs starts at $23,200 and a three-year-old used Buick Encore costs an average of $18,581.

3. Audi Q3

iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.1

Starting MSRP: $31,000

The Audi Q3 subcompact SUV ranks third. It has a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and eight-speed automatic transmission. The Q3 base model comes standard with all-wheel drive and with tech features including Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth, and a 10.25-inch digital gauge cluster. The Q3 also comes with a full suite of standard safety features including Audi Pre Sense Basic, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, automatic high-beam headlights, rain-sensing windshield wipers, lane departure warning, and front and rear parking sensors. A new Audi Q3 starts at $34,000 and a three-year-old used Audi Q3 costs an average of $27,296.

4. BMW X1

iSeeCars Quality Score: 7.7

Starting MSRP: $35,400

The compact BMW X1 ranks fourth. The X1 comfortably seats five passengers and has an impressive 27.1 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats and 58.7 cubic feet behind the front seats, which is comparable to cars in the compact category. With a standard 228 horsepower four-cylinder engine, the BMW X1 has a number of standard infotainment features, including an 8.8-inch touch screen, Apple CarPlay, and Bluetooth, as well as standard advanced safety features like front and rear parking sensors, rear cross traffic alert, forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, and lane departure warning.

A new BMW X1 has a starting MSRP of $35,400, and a three-year-old used BMW X1 costs ban average of $27,484

Cheapest Luxury Cars: Used Cars Under $30,000

Because of their high price tag, luxury cars are often leased. That means that lightly-used three-year-old versions are available in the used car marketplace to provide savings opportunities for buyers who want an affordable luxury vehicle. These cars have already taken most of their depreciation hit and have modern technology and safety features while costing significantly less than the vehicle’s new car starting price and are often still under warranty.

Cheapest Luxury Cars: Used SUVs Under $30,000

Here are the best used SUVs you can find for under $30,000

Cheapest Luxury Cars: Used Luxury Cars Under $20,000

If you look at cars that are seven years old, more quality used cars can be found for $20,000 or less.

Here are the best luxury SUVs that can be found for under $20,000:

Bottom Line

Thanks to these luxury cars, you can find a high-quality sedan, coupe, or SUV that provides a pleasant driving experience without breaking your budget. Whichever you choose, a quality luxury vehicle will allow you to hit the road in style and allow you to feel good about your purchase decision.

More from iSeeCars:

• Most Reliable Luxury Cars

• Best Luxury Midsize SUVs

• Fastest Cars for Cheap

If you’re interested in a new or used luxury car, be sure to check out iSeeCars’ award-winning car search engine. It uses advanced algorithms to help shoppers find the best car deals and provides key automotive insights and valuable resources, like the iSeeCars VIN check report and Best Cars rankings. Filter by make, model, powertrain, and special features to find your next luxury vehicle.

This article, Cheapest Luxury Cars, originally appeared on iSeeCars.com.