11 Best Luxury SUV Interiors On a Budget: Shouldn’t Every Day Feel a Little Extra ?

If you’re shopping VIP interiors on a matinee budget, look at Hyundai’s Calligraphy trim, available on the Palisade, Santa Fe and the up-and-coming Ioniq 9. Calligrahpy adds Nappa leather, premium sound, wood trim and some premium details like a UV sanitizing box for a few thousand dollars more. Hyundai, which is the parent company of Genesis, clearly takes a few cues from the luxury brand and ports them over to Hyundai, keeping you feeling pampered and special while not blowing the budget on a luxury car.

There are many things Kia adds to its cars at most trim levels such as phone as key, driver assist features and premium sound, and they’ll all make you feel pampered. But if you want to top of the line, look for the Prestige trim. This is where Kia adds Nappa leather, head up display, concert-quality sound and more to really take this interior over the top. Prestige is available in the Sportage, Sorento, Telluride and Carnival, though a similar trim carries the GT moniker in models including the EV9, EV6 and K5.

Of course we expect a beautiful interior in the priciest Buick, the top of the line Enclave. But the Avenir design, Buick’s top interior, can be had in all its models and for under $30,000, which is simply astounding. Buick Avenir models are showcased in white leather (but can be had in dark gray, too) accented with contrast stitching, wood and metal details, all with an eye for design that minimizes clutter while highlighting function.

While the Buick Envista, which starts at about $28K with the Avenir trim, has a simplified approach to delivering luxury, the recently redesigned Buick Enclave takes more than a few design cues from Cadillac, delivering a truly sublime luxury experience.

GMC meets us at the space between professional and personal, delivering both pampering and a buttoned-up feel. And those of us who are always on, always need to know that things got done and nothing was overlooked appreciate this. Their standards are our standards. That’s the approach to GMC’s design, which had an overhaul in the last year, adding a new multimedia system, new upholstery and new details. Still at the peak of GMC design is Denali, the top of the line trim for all its trucks and SUVs.

Denali is seen as so premium that people might forget it is a trim level of the Acadia, Sierra, Yukon and Terrain, not a separate model. But that’s the magic that sets Denali and its luxury SUV interiors apart, even though the AT4 and Elevation trims are very luxe, too.

If there’s one brand to watch for luxury innovation, it’s Jeep: The first premium brand to add a passenger-side screen, voice-assisted activation, open pore wood and quilted leather (yes, even in white leather in the top of the line models!), this brand’s luxury SUV interiors might surprise you because of its true 4 wheel capabilities. While most luxuries are in top trims of top models, such as the Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit, seen here, even in Jeep’s more affordable models the features and luxuries are plentiful.

Once you get behind the wheel of a Mazda, you get it: Not just the fun drive, not just the hand-in-glove feel in the driver’s seat, but the suede and leather upholstery, the minute detail on the dashboard, and the minimalist center console that reduces stress and focuses you on the road and your passengers. Time in this car is all about you, your passengers and time well spent.

Mazda is redefining its approach to luxury SUV interiors, seen most recently in the CX-90 and CX-70, with elevated materials and design defining the modern era of the brand.

When we saw the Nissan Ariya we were thrilled: This was Nissan’s most beautiful car, maybe ever. Thankfully, the Ariya isn’t alone. Nissan recently redesigned the Murano and Armada and added some of the most delicious features to those models, as well as some of the better features in the Infiniti QX80. Here, the Murano’s interior is denim-pigmented, leather upholstered and elegantly appointed with intuitive technology.

To say I was kind of wowed by the interior of the Ford Explorer was to put it mildly. Redesigned for 2024, the Explorer took a fresh approach to the interior space and function, then outfitted it with the Platinum trim: premium leather, textured metals and hide-the-dirt carpets and mats. Add ambient lighting, a panoramic sunroof and lots of convenient places to put your things—including your kids in the second and third rows—and you might never want to leave this lovely little pod of an SUV. Platinum is also available in Ford’s F-150 pickup truck and Expedition full-size SUV.

So, while we focused on SUVs here, it’s worth noting that Honda’s approach to family cars includes pampering its Odyssey minivan drivers, too, with the Elite trim luxury SUV interiors—which is also found in the Pilot and Passport SUVs. Contrast leather seating in a choice of light or dark leather, a focus on technology and elegant finishes like wood and engrained metal give the cabin elegance and resiliency. As a family car should.

There’s something that VW learns from its sibling brands Audi and Porsche: How to add sporty luxury to a car’s cabin. The VW R-Line, available in the Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport and Tiguan, is inspired by VW’s racing heritage. It’s notable for a streamlined look but pampering features such as heated, massaging quilted leather seats, a panoramic sunroof and a premium sound system.

Toyota loves to be the under-the-radar brand that wows with swoon-worthy details, and that’s the idea behind the Crown sedan and Crown Signia crossover SUV. Yes, you can get refined leather, elegant design and pampering features such as a wireless phone charger and premium sound system in a Lexus, or you can let the Toyota badge lend a more grounded feel while still delivering luxury. Crown models also feature a panoramic sunroof, voice-activated assistance and hybrid-only fuel economy.

The best part is that these SUVs, and the occasional minivan, allow you to have all the pampering and luxury of a more expensive, and exclusive, luxury brand, but without the heftier price tag or luxe label. Isn’t that a luxury on its own?