Best Midsize Luxury Cars For 2023

Genesis may still be a new name to many consumers but the Korean luxury automaker has been on a roll for the last four years, turning out hit after hit. The first car to wear the Genesis label in 2017, the G80’s 2021 redesign vaulted it from a solid-value player to the top of the midsize luxury pack. While Genesis doesn’t offer high-performance trims to rival BMW’s M5 and that the G80’s gas mileage and trunk space are so-so, the car’s slick style, value pricing and mountain of desirable features are a very compelling package.

Genesis may not have much in the way of heritage but, like Bruno Mars, the brand has found a way to remix the best elements of old-school and new. It excels at the things old luxury cars were famous for: it’s whisper-quiet inside, with a buttery smooth ride and relaxing seats with plenty of room. With either of its engines, a 300-hp four-cylinder or a 375-hp V6, there’s plenty of silent power even if the vibe is more relaxing quiet than high-speed performance. In some ways, the upstart Genesis feels more traditional than the Mercedes E-Class.

But it bucks tradition in other ways. Genesis includes loads of tech features and its systems are intuitive and easy to use. It dollops on the active-safety gear without making buyers pay extra for it, even including its very good Level 2 assisted driving setup, Highway Driving Assist on the base model. Not everyone loves the giant grille, but the G80’s sleek shape looks gorgeous from almost every angle, and it has a beautifully detailed interior to match, one that gives up no ground to Audi or Mercedes-Benz.

It does all this at a subustantially lower price than its opposite numbers from Germany, and it feels much more luxurious than its American and Japanese counterparts. Genesis backs it all with the best warranty in the class.

While it’s part of the Audi A6 lineup, the A6 Allroad is different enough from the other A6 models to warrant separate consideration for midsize luxury buyers. Aside from its price, it’s very hard to find fault with this luxurious, distinctive machine. If the regular A6 sedan is a visual wallflower, its station wagon sister, with big fender flares and a higher ride height, is a treat for the eyes and an attention-getter everywhere it goes. The extra space provided by that wagon layout makes it as practical as Audi’s own Q5 SUV, although the price difference between the two is pretty steep.

That said, the A6 Allroad does lots of things exceedingly well and makes the driver and passengers feel special while doing them. Power comes from a 335-hp V6 shared with the higher A6 trims, and it comes comparably equipped to those fancier A6s. Its adjustable air suspension provides a glass-smooth ride and responsive handling while also being able to boost the ride height by 1.2 inches. Its standard all-wheel drive easily finds grip on slippery terrain. It’s not meant for proper off-roading, but the Allroad is highly capable in a variety of situations.

Audi’s digital screens are a little bit too much tech, but not nearly as difficult to use as some more screen-heavy competitors. They also highlight a subtly luxurious cabin that feels richer than it looks in photos. The Allroad loses to the Volvo V90 and Mercedes-Benz E 450 All-Terrain on overall cargo space, but it falls neatly between them on speed and driving dynamics, and it never lacks for power or enjoyment. The best luxury cars make every journey feel special, and every trip in the A6 Allroad feels like a potential adventure.

The BMW 5 Series celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022, and each of its seven generations has been a desirable upper-middle-class performance machine. It’s true that added size, weight and complexity mean the current verion of car doesn’t feel quite like some of its ancestors, butven the base model 530i, with its 248-hp turbocharged four-cylinder engine, is a fun car to drive. The 5 Series is also uncontroversially handsome, unlike more recent opinion-splitting designs from BMW, and it has the same driver-focused, minimalist high-end vibe inside as its predecessors.

As with all 5ers since the 1980s, there are many different variations from mild to wild. The 530i is the base, but above that is the plug-in hybrid 530e (288 hp), the straight-six 540i (335 hp), the V8, M-tuned M550i (523 hp), the monster M5 (600 hp) and the furious M5 Competition (627 hp and the fastest car in this class). All come with a decently-sized back seat and trunk, and regardless of how wild the performance capabilities are they’re all good highway cruisers that comfort passengers in addition to entertaining drivers.
Of course, all this doesn’t come cheap and BMW’s lengthy options list can quickly inflate the price. On the other hand, BMW also makes many options available a-la-carte instead of bundling them in inconvenient packages. But we do wish the 5 Series’ active-safety gear were standard, especially at this price. In addition to performance and style, the 5 does well on fuel economy (in the non-M models) and cargo space.

Technically, the Volvo V90 is the only midsize car in the Swedish automaker’s lineup. It’s a wagon version of the S90 sedan, yes, but that car comes only as a long-wheelbase full-size model. Resembling a longer, lower and wider version of the XC90 SUV, the V90’s proportions make it gorgeous, and they’re helped by its off-road body cladding. As of 2022, the only way to get a U.S.-model V90 is as the lifted, all-wheel-drive Cross Country, but that’s no bad thing.

The V90 isn’t as big inside as the three-row XC90, but it is very nearly as practical as any compact luxury crossover while being exponentially more stylish. No sedan on this list can come close to it on practicality or cargo room, and even the A6 Allroad doesn’t have as much room. It isn’t cheap, but even the higher-end Ultimate trim is quite a bit less expensive than the Audi and Mercedes E 450 All-Terrain. Unlike them, (and more than one of its SUV rivals), the V90 can also actually go off-road.

While not quite as capable in the dirt as a Subaru Outback, the V90 can handle a fair bit of terrain as long as the angles aren’t too steep and double as a refined, quiet luxury sedan on the pavement. It’s not as fast as the German wagons, but it’s got more than enough juice for most drivers. Sadly, Volvo doesn’t offer a PHEV version as on its other models, but the overall package is a real treat, and proof you don’t need an SUV for luxury family motoring.

The Audi A6’s subtle luxury car recipe is a bit of a double-edged sword. Unlike the A6 Allroad, which is distinctive because of its these-days-unusual wagon layout, the A6 sedan and its S6 sister are quietly understated, almost the point of invisibility. Indeed, from a distance, they’re hard to tell apart from the larger A8, and Audi makes its hatchback A7 (which we haven’t reviewed yet for 2023) its midsize style leader. Look closely, however, and lots of nice details emerge, both on the muscular, spare surface and within the sophisticated, screen-heavy cabin.

Unlike the Allroad, which uses only the mid-level 335-hp V6, Audi offers a 261-hp four-cylinder base engine in the A6, and it offers a 444-hp V6 on the S6, which is a pretty good competitor for the BMW M550i and Mercedes-AMG E53. The A6 and S6 are not as sharp handlers as their BMW or Acura competitors, but they’re still pleny of fun to drive. They also feel properly luxurious and offer plenty of room, both for people and gear, while returning above average fuel economy.

Audi leans into its tech-first reputation inside with lots of screens, with even the HVAC controls getting their own separate panel. This feels like a few too many screens, but Audi’s infotainment system isn’t too hard to learn. Unfortunately, like its German rivals Audi charges extra for its best driver-assist gear, and none of the A6 models (particularly the higher ones) could be described as inexpensive. It does, however, feel like a proper luxury car inside even if the exterior doesn’t advertise it.

A perennial contender on our “best used cars” lists, the Lexus ES has a reputation for reliability and quality that every other automaker is envious of, even if they won’t admit it. Lexus dealers, too, provide top-notch customer service experience in way not all competitors do. That care really makes a difference, and it’s part of what helps the ES sell well year after year. It has plenty of other virtues too, namely excellent fuel efficiency (particularly the hybrid), an affordable cost of entry, lots of interior room and a comfy, relaxing demeanor.

Considering that Lexus sells about twice as many ES sedans as BMW sells 5 Series models, this is what a big number of luxury customers seem to want. It’ll rarely if ever break down, it’s quiet and easy to use, and it’ll get you everywhere you want in stylish comfort. The downside of the ES is that it does absolutely nothing else. It is not a performance car even if the F Sport trims pretend to be, and even with its optional 302-horsepower V6 it isn’t particularly engaging to drive.

The hybrid makes just 215 hp, years of trouble-free 44-mpg motoring on regular gas won’t displease too many people. Better still, the ES doesn’t cost that much more than some high-end mainstream cars, starting at $42,590 and winding up at $52,580 for the top-spec ES300h Ultra Luxury. And unlike BMW, Cadillac and Mercedes-Benz, all of the best active-safety gear is standard.

While it’s a little further down on the list than it used to be, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class is still a luxury leader. It’s hard to find fault with its beautifully detailed interior design and it’s the only midsize model to truly offer something for everyone. In addition to the familiar sedan, you can also get this vehicle as a sexy hardtop coupe, a full convertible or as a high-performance or off-road themed station wagon, the E 450 All-Terrain. That last model is a direct opposite to the Audi A6 Allroad, and we think it’s the best value in the entire E-Class line.

So what holds back the E-Class? It’s not truly deficient in any one area, to be honest, but many competitors offer larger back seats, more cargo room and more standard safety features; and they often do it at a lower price. The Genesis G80 is just as plush and undercuts the base E 350 sedan by $5,000 while coming with a much longer warranty. The biggest sore point is back seat space. The recently-redesigned C-Class, one size smaller, now offers just as much room back there.

But there’s still lots to love here. Mercedes-Benz’s multiple body styles all come wrapped in a handsome shape and you can get it with a 255-hp four-cylinder, 362 or 429-hp V6s or the stonking 603-hp V8 in the AMG E 63 S, which also comes as a wagon. It’s not cheap though, with those AMG’s cresting $100K and much of the automaker’s advanced safety features costing extra beyond that. Still, the E-Class is a deeply satisfying luxury car, and one that can be optioned into a serious performer.

After years of being an also-ran, the Acura TLX got a major re-think in 2021. Sleek, muscular new styling and a new platform were the order of the day, and the TLX is light on its feet and an eager, precise performer in all the ways Acura advertises. It’s also a good value, presenting a midsize car package at a price much closer to compact models like the BMW 3 Series. The TLX Type S, the most powerful model and a good alternative to BMW’s M340i, tops out around the starting price of the similarly-sized 530i. Acura’s reputation for quality and reliability doesn’t hurt either.

But there are some drawbacks to the TLX. Yes, it offers a midsize luxury car for compact premium car money, but it also has a compact-sized back seat. With just 34.9 inches of legroom, even Acura’s own smaller Integra does better, and as many midsize premium sedans are used as family cars, that holds the TLX back, as does its so-so gas mileage. But even with the four-cylinder engine this car’s responsive handling make it a fun driver, and it’s definitely distinctive to look at.

The best buys are in the middle of the lineup, either the feature-packed four-cylinder A-Spec or Advance models or the 335-horsepower Type S. We’d skip the pricey Type S PMC, however, which is priced against faster and more capacious cars.

Now GM’s flagship sedan, the Cadillac CT5 replaced both the CTS and the big CT6 in 2020. Although it styling is a little more subdued than its stealth-fighter inspired predecessors, it dynamics are excellent. While the base engine is underwhelming, the optional V6 turns the CT5 into a seriously fun sports sedan. The CT5-V Blackwing, introduced last year and the most powerful Caddy ever made, is a cut-rate BMW M5 killer and arguably more fun than many of its German rivals.

As a regular car though, the CT5 has some weaknesses. The exterior is handsome if understated, but the interior is on the plain side and a little too close to SUVs from Buick and GMC, with too much low-rent plastic. The back seat is reasonably roomy, but the trunk is small by midsize sedan standards. On the other hand, the CT5 offers lots of great features including GM’s Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving system, the best in the industry, and generally sells for a lower price than many competitors.

The original modern “four-door coupe,” the Mercedes-Benz CLS punches way above its weight on style, with a sleek profile reminiscent of the far more expensive AMG GT and an opulent, if busy, interior. Mechanically related to the E-Class, underneath the CLS gets the E’s optional 3.0-liter mild-hybrid inline-six as standard equipment, for brisk performance and silky smooth power delivery.

The highs are style and quiet, capable performance, but the CLS also has many tradeoffs. It lacks usable interior space and isn’t the most comfortable for adults thanks to its tight back seat and low roofline. The trunk is one of the skimpiest in the class, and hard to make full use of thanks to its shallow opening. Also, the 3.0-liter is the only engine, with the AMG version of the CLS having been dropped in 2021, so it isn’t as fast as it looks.

It’s lovely to look at, but the E-Class offers much of the same driving experience as the CLS with more interior space and usable storage while the Genesis G80 is almost as sleek but both cheaper and roomier.

The current-generation Jaguar XF is now in its eight model year, but you could be forgiven for thinking it’s been around longer than that. Though sleeker, lighter, faster and more modern than the car’s first iteration (built from 2008 to 2015), the current XF inherited much of that car’s visual style and hasn’t changed much in years. But as it gets ready for electrification in 2025, the British automaker has greatly pared back the XF lineup.

The XF Sportbrake wagon and potent supercharged V6 were dropped at the end of 2020, so the XF just isn’t as exciting as it once was. Only four-cylinder models remain, with 246 or 296 horsepower. The interior remains as comfy and roomy as it’s always been, and the XF’s trunk is huge by class standards. It’s practical but not as posh as Jaguars of old. You’ll find modern screens and a good infotainment system inside, but no burled walnut trim. It can be, however, a decent value.
As an entry-level luxury car the $45,145 P 250 S base model comes very well equipped at a price considerably lower than the four-cylinder Genesis G80, and it has more room and nicer fittings than the Acura TLX or Cadillac CT5. Even without the old V6, it’s also more fun to drive than the Lexus ES and far more exclusive, as Jaguar just doesn’t sell very many of these cars (its F-Pace SUV is far more popular now). This may be Jaguar’s last gas-powered sedan, but the brand still has plenty of cachet.