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WHO BUILDS THE BETTER LUXURY FAMILY SEDAN?

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Luxury, like pornography, can be hard to define. In the case of automobiles, luxury is not as much about demographics or data as it is about the holistic feeling a premium vehicle gives you. Superior driving dynamics might be a major ingredient in the luxury experience, but design, build quality, and interior materials also are significant factors. Technology—chiefly infotainment and driver-assist hardware—is increasingly important, as well.

But in the past decade, there’s been a wrinkle in the luxury continuum. Mainstream marques have added high zoot trim packages to their volume models to earn more profit and amortize costs across broad volumes; meanwhile, luxury brands have moved downmarket to increase market share. Things have become especially heated among family sedans in the neighborhood of 40 grand.

Sedan buyers should be pretty familiar with the Honda Accord as a practical family hauler and work commuter. After all, it’s been the best-selling car to individual buyers (not counting rental fleets) for years. And Honda has made its midsize package even more impressive with the 10th generation.

Case in point: the top-spec 2018 Honda Accord 2.0T Touring. It comes loaded with all that luxury buyers expect, such as leather and amazingly lifelike imitation wood inside, Honda Sense driver-assist tech, and a hot-rodded engine under the hood—all for $36,690 out the door.

On the luxury end of the spectrum is the 2018 Audi A4 Ultra. With luxury sedan sales taking a nosedive and fuel economy regulations tightening, Audi introduced the more affordable and efficient A4 Ultra when the fifth-gen model made its debut in 2017. Starting at $36,975, the A4 Ultra is one of the most inexpensive ways to get a luxury-brand family sedan into your garage.