The Best-Rated Luxury Cars Of 2023

We've all driven or walked past a luxurious car and wondered, "How much did that thing cost?" I mean, we know the answer: A lot. But, luxury vehicles did sell quite a bit in 2023, with the usual suspects (looking at you, Elon) doing reasonably well despite external factors—but the best-rated luxury cars of 2023 may surprise you.

Let's breakdown these impressive cars by type: compact, midsize, and full-size.

Compact Cars

Let's have a look at some of the best-selling compact cars in 2023.

Audi A3

The Audi A3 was the perfect everyday vehicle for lovers of luxury. The 4-cylinder 2.0L turbo-charged engine provided an excellent 201 horsepower. It also offers a combined fuel economy of 32 MPG. Not the best showing for a luxury vehicle in terms of power, but the Audi A3 is about driving in style and comfort, offering a modest 10.9 cubic feet of cargo space.

Dinkun Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Mercedes-Benz C-Class 

Operating on a similar power platform as the Audi A3, this sleek sedan also runs on a 4-cylinder 2.0L turbo-charged engine, but provides far superior horsepower performance to the A3, topping out at 255 horses. The Mercedes offers a combined fuel economy of 27 MPG. 

The C-Class is also rather slim on the cargo space front, offering between 8.6 and 12.6 cubic feet.

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Audi A4

Another entry for the Germans in the lineup of the best-rated compact cars of 2023, the Audi A4 offers better fuel economy than the Mercedes-Benz with 28 MPG. It also offers comparable horsepower of between 201 and 261, and a similar engine profile—while still providing 12 cubic feet of cargo space.

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Genesis G70

What the Genesis G70 lacked in combined fuel economy (topping out at 25 MPG), it more than made up for in horsepower, offering up to a spectacular 365 horses. The G70 offers two engine choices to buyers: a 2.0L turbo-charged direct injection, or a 3.3L V6 twin-turbo, for those who want that extra power. 

The G70 also provides 10.5 cubic feet of cargo space.

Benespit, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Mercedes-Benz CLA

The Mercedes-Benz CLA has a fuel economy of between 27 and 29 MPG, and boasts a 2.0L turbo-charged 4-cylinder engine with all of the bells and whistles you'd expect from a Mercedes—namely its 221 horsepower. However, it sacrifices cargo space to be a five-seater. 

If you're looking for a round-the-town whip for the whole family, the CLA might be perfect.

M 93, Wikimedia Commons

Mid-Size Cars

These mid-size luxury vehicles seek to strike a balance between function and form—and they do it well! Let's take a look at the best mid-size luxury vehicles of 2023.

Lexus ES

The perfect luxury family sedan? Well, maybe! The Lexus ES offers a great fuel economy of between 25 and 44 MPG, and a generous helping of horsepower: between 203 and 302 horses! 

It does all this with three engine options: a 2.5L 4-cylinder, a hybrid version of the same engine, and a 3.5L V6. It's also perfect for local shopping trips with 13.9 cubic feet of cargo space.

Dinkun Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Mercedes Benz E-Class

Unfortunately for Mercedes lovers, the E-Class leaves a lot to be desired in its 6-cylinder 3.0L turbocharged MHEV (mild hybrid) engine variant, offering relatively poor hybrid performance compared to other hybrids in its class. However, it does boast significant cargo space improvements—between 9.5 and 35 cubic feet! Its combined fuel economy is 26 MPG and it has enough horses to do the daily driving effectively: Between 255 and 362 horsepower.

Alexander-93, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Audi A7

The Audi A7 is a significantly more spacious improvement on it's cousin (also found on this list), but it's also a hybrid-only, running on a turbo-charged 3.0L V6 MHEV engine. It's hybrid engine can put out an impressive 335 horsepower and offers 24 MPG. The spacious nature of the A7 is where it really shines: providing 26 cubic feet of cargo space!  

Dinkun Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

BMW 5 Series

Another marvel of German engineering on display here is the favored BMW 5 Series. BMW aimed at the largest market possible by offering four different engines: two versions of a 4-cylinder 2.0L turbo-charged engine, one with hybrid capabilities, and the other without. For those seeking a more powerful machine, it also offered a 6-cylinder turbo-charged 3.0L and a 4.4L V8 twin-turbo! It's capable of a fantastic 28 MPG combined fuel economy and a horsepower range of between 248 and 523 horses while also providing ample cargo space of between 14.5 and 18.7 cubic feet. 

Dinkun Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Audi A6

The precursor to the Audi A7, the A6 brings up the rear in our lineup of best-selling luxury mid-size sedans. It's available in two engine options: a turbo-charged 4-cylinder 2.0L gas engine and a V6 MHEV with a turbo-charger and 3.0L capacity. The A6 offers a modest 27 MPG with an impressive 261-355 horsepower. It is, however, slightly less spacious than the Lexus ES with 13.7 cubic feet of cargo space.

Dinkun Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Full-Size Cars

Audi A8

The Audi A8 is a step up in size from the A6 and A7, providing a turbo-charged V6 at 335 horsepower, in addition to a 48-volt hybrid system. It's powerful engine will take you from 0 to 60 in 5.3 seconds, offering a spectacularly smooth ride despite it's power. It also has a combined fuel economy of 28 MPG. Although it's 13 cubic feet of cargo space is relatively small, it's expected for a full-size sedan.

Damian B Oh, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

BMW 7 Series

The BMW 7 Series is a beautiful drive! The 7 Series comes with a turbocharged 6-cylinder engine or a twin-turbo V8 with an optional hybrid plug-in. The turbocharged engine cranks out 536 horsepower, getting you from 0 to 60 in just 5 seconds, while the twin-turbo V8 will get you there in 3.5 seconds! It also makes use of self-driving technology, for those who just want to cruise on the highway.

Dinkun Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Mercedes Benz S-Class

The lavish Mercedes Benz S-Class is perfect for those who love to travel in style, providing three engine options: a 429 horsepower, 3.0L 6-cylinder engine, a more powerful 496 horsepower, 4.0L V8, and a hybrid option! The S-Class offers a combined fuel economy of 32 MPG, and while not offering much to speak of by way of cargo space, it is a wonderfully smooth city driver.

Dinkun Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Bentley Continental GT

The Bentley Continental GT is a luxury machine with insane amounts of power. It has two engine offerings. The 4.0L V8 produces 542 horsepower, making the coupe version of the GT go from 0 to 60 in just 3.4 seconds. The more powerful W-12 engine produces 626 horsepower, going from 0 to 60 in just 3.3 seconds in the coupe model. It averages an impressive 28 MPG on the highway. It's trunk space is modest at 12.4 cubic feet, but that's to be expected in a car with ample leg room.  

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Rolls Royce Ghost

Rolls-Royce has become a brand synonymous with luxury, almost since it's very inception. The Ghost is no exception to this standard, offering a 6.7L V12 engine, capable of producing 563 horsepower. It only achieves 14 MPG, though, so it's not exactly economical fuel-wise—but if you can afford a Rolls-Royce Ghost, you can afford to put gas in it.

From gorgeous aesthetics to well-thought out engineering, the best-rated luxury cars of 2023 laid the groundwork for what was expected of car manufacturers in 2024. Do you think they delivered? While other luxury manufacturers have had a good year, Porsche certainly hasn't —nearly 25,000 units of it's Panamera SUV were recalled this year due to risk of spontaneous combustion! So, if you own a Panamera, you may want to consider trading it in for one of the luxurious rides on this list. 

Damian B Oh, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons