Drive Car of the Year 2024 – Best Luxury Car under $100k

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be explaining all the categories and contenders for Drive Car of the Year 2024. Testing is currently underway, with the final winners to be announced early next year.

Luxury passenger cars have had their market share progressively squeezed by SUVs and even premium dual-cab utes, but there is still plenty of choice if spending up to $100K on a passenger car that offers a premium approach to technology and features. 

While not as large a category as it once was, many people aspire to own their own slice of automotive prestige and luxury, and traditional passenger cars still have a great deal of street cred where this is involved. It’s here, in the Drive Car of the Year Luxury Car Under $100K category, that most of us can afford to sign up for such a car.

Last year, this category was called the Best Medium Luxury Car. We’ve tweaked that slightly to encompass all cars of a luxury nature from both the Medium and Large Passenger Car classes.

When you consider that the sales volume of these segments combined is about the same as one model of 4×4 ute (the Ford Ranger), clearly these cars are not taking over the market. While the tide does appear to be receding, you can’t discount them as not being popular. One of the top-selling models in Australia, the Tesla Model 3, is a case in point.

There is a veritable smorgasbord of offerings vying for category winner this year, ranging from spicy and stylish to simply opulent. There are representatives of well-established brands such as Audi, Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Honda, Mazda and Peugeot against new brands such as BYD. As electric vehicles ease into the general population, we have the BYD Seal, Hyundai Ioniq 6, Polestar 2 and Tesla Model 3 in this award category for the first time.

It will be interesting to see if the C-Class can register another win with its combination of impressive equipment list, comfortable ride and high-tech, user-friendly infotainment. There’s a very strong field of contenders who will run it hard right to the end.

For example, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 will counter with its excellent energy efficiency, comfortable ride, brisk performance, and high-tech interior, while the Hyundai Sonata might surprise us with its undoubtedly sharp and attractive exterior styling, excellent cabin execution and punchy engine and gearbox.

The Lexus ES will throw the cat among the pigeons with its great application of premium materials, supremely quiet cabin and a back seat area so large and luxurious that you’ll feel obliged to employ a driver.

The significantly refreshed Polestar 2 is faster and the car drives further, both of which will hold it in good stead with the judges.

Then, of course, there’s the Tesla Model 3; if Tesla, the original EV disruptor, can disrupt any Drive Car of the Year segment, it’s this one. Excellent value for money following a recent discount, almost hot-hatch performance, secure handling and class-leading real-world energy efficiency combine to deliver a class act.

Tesla has announced a facelift for the 3, but we’re still waiting for the company to confirm whether it will arrive before our cutoff date. The Genesis G70 update, however, has been ruled out because it’s a Q1 2024 arrival.

Drive’s rules require that, for a car to be eligible, it must:

Here is the list of eligible cars, drawn from the FCAI’s Medium and Large car classes, with a retail price of less than $100,000. Please note that in some cases, the vehicle’s price range extends outside this range. In these cases, only the models priced within the range are eligible. 

The winner of the 2024 Drive Car of the Year Best Luxury Car under $100k will be announced in February 2024.

Before then, we will announce the finalists, all of which deliver on the buyer’s expectations of a premium approach to technology and features that enhance motoring life. One thing is certain: this category promises to be one of the toughest confronting our 11 experienced judges.