5 Non-Luxury Cars That Make the Middle Class Feel Rich

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A luxury vehicle is one of the most unmistakable badges of wealth — when you make it big, you let everyone know by buying a snazzy car.

But savvy middle-class car buyers make an impression on the road before they make their first million. Entry-level luxury cars typically start in the $40,000s, with the more premium models commanding in the $60,000s, $80,000s and beyond. 

However, a few models — some of which are priced among the most affordable new cars on the road — look, feel and drive as if they cost much more. Each one of the following vehicles starts under $35,000 — most are in the $20,000s — but gives average drivers with ordinary incomes a taste of what it’s like to turn heads on the highway.

5 2025 SUVs the Middle Class Should Consider Buying

2025 Kia K5

• Starting price: $26,990

Publications like MotorTrend have declared the Kia K5 the most exciting sedan in the midsize segment — and it’s not hard to see why. 

Although it’s accessible to average earners, the K5 allows middle-class drivers to drive rich with available features like a panoramic sunroof, 19-inch alloy wheels, a 10-way power driver’s seat with integrated memory, 24-inch combined panoramic display and 290 horsepower — enough to vault it from 0 to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds, according to its maker.

However, even the highest-end trim — the impressive EX — starts at under $35,000. Three out of the five available spec levels start in the $20,000s.

A major inside-and-out refresh in 2025 incorporates flared fins, a new honeycomb lower grille and a built-in spoiler to further bolster its already famously sleek, athletic and luxurious looks, according to MotorTrend.com.

2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata

• Starting price: $28,985

When you’re driving an open-top, two-seater sports car perched far behind a long, sloping hood with an aerodynamic flare that accounts for most of the car’s body before curving into wraparound headlights and an oversized grille, people assume you have money to burn. 

That’s why the MX-5 Miata lets middle-class motorists steal highway glances usually reserved for the rich. 

Car and Driver gives the MX-5 a perfect five out of five stars — accolades that Mazda earned after more than three decades of refining and perfecting the Miata into the fun, sporty and undeniably elegant sports car that it is today.

With 181 horsepower and a smooth-shifting six-speed manual transmission, drivers get the full experience of piloting a sports car built to command attention as well as it handles corners.

2025 Mazda 3 

• Starting price: $23,950

It’s not just sports cars. Mazda also makes sedans that outpunch their price tags. 

Car and Driver lauds the Mazda 3 for delivering premium quality, refined style and choice materials that rivals like the Honda Civic and Hyundai Elantra simply don’t come close to matching.

Although it has the feel and aesthetic of a much more expensive vehicle, it’s one of the most affordable compact sedans on the road. Even the highest-end package — the 2.5 Premium Turbo Plus — starts at under $36,000. Four out of six trims start in the $20,000s and the second-to-best Carbon Turbo starts at $32,100. Beyond its suave and sophisticated exterior, middle-class drivers can feel the thrill of 250 horsepower and the luxury of exclusive Zircon Sand Metallic paint, terracotta leatherette-trimmed seats, 18-inch alloy black metallic wheels and a premium Bose audio system with 12 speakers.

2024 Ford Mustang

• Starting price: $31,920

Anyone who has ever sat at a red light next to an idling Mustang coiled and ready for takeoff knows that whatever is under the hood sure sounds expensive.

What’s under the hood is the last available V-8 engine in any pony car still in production — and it doesn’t have to be expensive. The highest-end Mustang trim starts in the mid-$60,000s — but true luxury is available for much less and within reach of average earners in the middle class.

Even the entry-level EcoBoost Fastback has a 2.3-liter turbocharged 315-horsepower engine that generates 350-pound feet of torque and a 10-speed automatic transmission with power shifters.

2025 Acura Integra

• Starting price: $33,000

It’s no secret that an Acura badge exudes prestige and commands respect, but wouldn’t you think they start at $55,000 or $65,000?

The MDX or ZDX, maybe — but middle-class drivers who long for life behind the wheel of true luxury for less than $35,000 can’t expect to do better than the Acura Integra. Equipped with a 200-horsepower VTec turbo engine with the driver’s choice of paddle shifters or six-speed manual transmission, Car and Driver gives it a stellar 9.3 rating thanks to its top-notch fuel economy, safety features, interior room, performance, versatile configuration options and, of course, its incredible value.

_{Editor’s note: each car’s details, including pricing, was sourced directly from its respective maker’s website.}

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