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Between commuting, errands, and a place to escape on your lunch break, you spend a lot of time in your car. It might as well be a nice place to hang out. But many automakers reserve their best interior options for the absolute top trim luxury vehicles. Luckily for us, Autotrader just compiled a list of the absolute best interiors in cars under $50k. I’ll go over what makes some of them so nice, and what MotorBiscuit’s reviewers had to say.

  1. Chevrolet Blazer EV
  2. Genesis G70
  3. GMC Acadia
  4. Hyundai Santa Fe
  5. Lincoln Nautilus
  6. Mazda CX-90
  7. Subaru Crosstrek
  8. Toyota Grand Highlander
  9. Toyota Tacoma
  10. Volkswagen Atlas/Atlas Cross Sport

The first non-luxury brand and non -EV on this list is the GMC Acadia. Yes, it’s a full-size SUV. But it starts at just $43k. It offers three rows of seating and luxurious second-row captain’s chairs. Its new 15-inch center screen is one of the best in the segment. Reviewers love the build quality of the interior as well: Jason Fogelson said, “Giant center stack, beefy steering wheel, cavernous interior. The Acadia finally feels like a worthy entry to the family of ‘Professional Grade.’”

The leather interior of the new 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV
2024 Hyundai Santa Fe | Hyundai

I bet you didn’t expect to see a Hyundai on this list. The automaker used to be a budget option, but has really upped its game recently. This SUV comes with second row captain’s chairs for six seats in total. It also uses its 79.6 cubic feet of total cargo space very efficiently. My colleague Allison Barfield reviewed the Santa Fe and said, “Santa Fe stands out with a unique, attractive design and high-quality interior that provides plenty of space. It’s the perfect option for tech lovers with advanced features such as customizable interior ambient lighting and the digital key.” Read Allison’s entire 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe review.

Enthusiasts have long known that Mazda rivals Toyota and Honda’s engineering and build quality. The CX-90 is the automaker’s largest SUV. MotorBiscuit’s Amanda Cline reviewed the 2024 Mazda CX-90: “One thing is evident when you first get into the 2024 Mazda CX-90: the automaker put in a lot of work while designing this new three-row SUV. All of the work Mazda did is evident as soon as you see the inside of the cabin.” You can read Amanda’s full review of the 2024 Mazda CX-90.

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Staff Writer

Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari joined MotorBiscuit in 2021 and brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts.

Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. He has since incorporated his love of the written word with his admiration of classic cars. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.