Luxury cars have always had a certain mystique in the eyes of buyers. With their high-quality, comfortable interiors and typically powerful engines, luxury vehicles are a cut above the everyday vehicles that you usually see on the road. In fact, the appeal of high-end cars is so strong that many people count owning one among their major life goals.
Unfortunately, the inherent quality of luxury cars is reflected in their price tags, putting many of them outside of the range the average buyer can afford. If you know what models to look at, though, you can get an excellent luxury car without spending your entire life’s savings on it.
The following are the top luxury cars that will be coming out in the 2019 model year that you can buy for under $50,000.
2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
The 2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class perfectly illustrates the fact that you can buy a great luxury car at a reasonable price. The C-Class’s starting MSRP of $41,400 makes it an excellent value considering its quality and performance. The car’s 2.0-liter turbocharged engine puts out a very respectable 255 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. This engine is paired with a nine-speed transmission for the smoothest and most responsive possible driving experience.
2020 Lincoln Continental
Starting at $46,305, the 2020 Lincoln Continental comes in just under the $50,000 threshold. But the newest Continental is still a luxury car that’s worth looking at. Inside the new Continental, you’ll find premium materials such as real wood and Venetian leather used to craft an interior design that is both comfortable and stylish. The Continental also includes an available state of the art heads-up display that displays critical road and vehicle information for the driver.
In terms of performance, the 2019 Lincoln Continental has quite a lot to offer. The vehicle’s 3.0-liter V6 engine comes equipped with twin turbochargers that give it excellent power and responsiveness on the road. This engine puts out 400 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. The amount of power provided by the engine makes the vehicle a fun ride for those who enjoy a premium performance.
2020 Kia Stinger
With a starting MSRP as low as $34,085, Kia’s Stinger sedan is one of the strongest values in the luxury market. The Stinger can be equipped with either a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that puts out 255 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque or a 3.3-liter V6 engine that produces 365 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque. The larger engine option car propels the Stinger from 0-60 in an exhilarating 4.7 seconds.
Owing largely to its excellent value and strong performance specs, the 2020 Kia Stinger is a strong competitor among this year’s luxury vehicle lineup. U.S. News and World Report rates the car as third in its class, citing its powerful engine options and excellent handling. Given the car’s high value and otherwise excellent features, though, these are fairly minor complaints that do little to detract from it.
2020 Lexus ES
The 2020 Lexus ES starts at $39,900 and features an exterior design that is sure to draw eyes by virtue of its extremely unique front grille and sharp body lines. Thanks to a 3.5-liter V6 engine, the 2020 Lexus ES puts out 302 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque, more than enough to make it an engaging and enjoyable ride. This makes the Lexus ES especially economical for longer trips, for which it is also well-suited on account of its quiet cabin and smooth driving capabilities.
2020 BMW 3 Series
Rounding out the list of the best luxury cars under $50,000 in the current model year is the 2020 BMW 3 Series, which starts at an MSRP of $40,750. The car’s standard 2.0-liter turbocharged engine produces 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, which is more than enough to keep a driver’s attention on its own. If you prefer even more power, though, the 3 Series can also be upgraded to a 3.0-liter engine capable of putting out 382 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque.
The 2019 BMW 3 Series holds up well when compared to the rest of its class. For its price, few other luxury cars offer the same levels of quality, especially with regards to the vehicle’s interior. Likewise, the 3 Series is a strong contender in terms of power, though there are other models, such as the Kia Stinger, that offer comparable performance at the same or lower prices. The one complaint that reviewers have registered about the 3 Series is its somewhat limited cargo capacity.