Just because you want a nice car doesn’t necessarily mean you want to drive a land yacht. The good news is that modern compact luxury cars provide all the luxurious touches you’d expect from their larger competitors in a smaller, fun-to-drive package. So let’s explore five of the best small luxury cars for the money.

The five best compact luxury cars for the money

TrueCar recently published a list of the best compact luxury cars. We’ll highlight the top five cars on their list and include pricing information and some of each car’s stand-out standard features. 

1. The 2023 Acura Integra is an all-new compact luxury car

The 2023 Acura Integra CVT has a base price starting at $31,895 and an estimated fuel economy of 30 MPG in the city and 37 on the highway (33 MPG combined). The Integra CVT uses premium gasoline to fuel a turbocharged 1.5-liter inline four-cylinder that delivers 200 horsepower and 192 lb-ft of torque through a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

Standard features in this compact luxury car include:

• Automatic On/Off headlights with automatic high beams
• LED headlights and taillights
• Power side mirrors with heat
• 17” alloy wheels
• Premium synthetic seats with 8-way power driver’s seat
• Heated front seats
• Rear seat armrests
• Proximity keyless entry
• Dual-zone climate control with manual rear controls
• Leather steering wheel cover with leatherette door trim
• Adaptive cruise control with stop and go
• Automatic dimming rearview mirror
• Eight-speaker stereo with a 7-inch touchscreen and voice command
• A full suite of driver safety assist features

2. The 2022 Audi A3 is an affordable luxury sedan with lots of features

The base model 2022 Audi A3 Premium starts at $35,895 with an estimated fuel economy rating of 29 MPG in the city and 38 on the highway (32 MPG combined). The Audi A3 Premium features 201 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque using regular unleaded gasoline in a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder backed by a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Other standard features include: 

• Two driving modes: Eco Mode and Sport Mode
• Automatic On/Off headlights with automatic high beams
• LED headlights and taillights
• Rain sensing windshield wipers
• Folding side mirrors with power, heat, and memory
• Power moonroof
• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Eight-way power-adjustable leather bucket front seats with power lumbar support and heat
• Rear seat armrests
• Remote start
• Proximity keyless entry
• Dual-zone climate control with automatic rear controls
• Leather steering wheel with audio controls
• Auto-dimming rearview mirror
• Ambient lighting
• HD radio with Bluetooth streaming, 10.1-inch touchscreen, and voice command
• A full suite of driver safety assist features

3. The 2022 Cadillac CT4 is one of the best compact luxury cars for the money

The base 2022 Cadillac CT4 has a starting price of $35,090 and an EPA-estimated 27 MPG combined city/highway (23 city/34 highway). The CT4 takes premium unleaded gasoline to make 235 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque from its turbocharged 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine backed by an eight-speed automatic transmission.  All Cadillac CT4 models include these standard features:

• Automatic high beam headlights
• LED headlights and taillights
• Power side mirrors with heat
• 17-inch alloy wheels with run-flat tires
• Premium synthetic seats
• 12-way power adjustable heated driver’s bucket seat with power lumbar support
• 10-way power adjustable heated passenger bucket seat
• Rear seat center armrests
• Remote start
• Proximity keyless entry
• Dual-zone climate control
• Leather steering wheel with audio controls
• Eight speaker stereo with HD and satellite radio with an eight-inch touchscreen and voice command
• In-car WiFi
• A full suite of driver safety assist features

4. The 2023 BMW 2 Series is a luxury car under $40,000

The 2023 BMW 2 Series base model is the 228i Gran Coupe with a starting price of $37,595 and fuel economy ratings of 24 MPG city and 34 highway (28 MPG combined). The 228i Gran Coupe uses premium fuel to get 228 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque from a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Standard features include:

• Automatic On/Off headlights with automatic high beams
• LED headlights
• Rain sensing windshield wipers
• Fog lamps
• Power folding side mirrors with heat and memory
• Automatic parallel and perpendicular parking
• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Premium synthetic seats
• Rear seat center armrest
• Remote start
• Proximity keyless entry
• Dual-zone climate control 
• Leather steering wheel with audio controls
• Automatic dimming rearview mirror
• AM/FM HD radio with satellite, Bluetooth, and a 6.5-inch screen
• Navigation
• Front and rear parking sensors
• A full suite of driver safety assist features

5. The 2022 Volvo S60 landed a spot on TrueCar’s list

The base model 2022 Volvo S60 B5 Momentum has a starting price of $40,295 and gets an estimated 26 MPG city and 35 highway (30 MPG combined). The B5 Momentum features a 247 horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder with 258 ft-lbs of torque using premium unleaded gasoline and an eight-speed automatic transmission. Other Volvo S60 standard features include:

• Two driving modes: Eco Mode and Sport Mode
• Automatic On/Off headlights with automatic high beams
• Curve adaptive headlights
• LED headlights and taillights
• Power folding side mirrors with heat and memory
• Power panoramic moonroof
• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Premium synthetic seat material
• Eight-way power adjustable driver and passenger seats with heat and power lumbar support
• Rear seat center armrest
• Remote start
• Proximity keyless entry
• Dual-zone climate control
• Automatic dimming rearview mirror
• 10-speaker HD radio with satellite, Bluetooth streaming, voice command, and a nine-inch touchscreen
• Rear parking sensors
• A full suite of driver safety assist features