Brand-new sub-$30,000 cars that deliver a premium interior and driving experience

What makes a car feel premium? Is it the materials deployed to cover and wrap key touchpoints around the driver? The precision and design and execution of the forward dashboard that occupants will be perched behind? An above-average attention to detail applied to the car's handling feel? Consistently excellent ride comfort across a wide range of situations? Styling that hits harder than its price point leads on? All of the above?

The concept of one car being more premium than another can be a little difficult to quantify. In a BMW 3-Series or Lexus ES, a premium feel is expected since it's included in the price tag. When it comes to more affordable models, one or more attributes can often combine to contribute to an above-average driving experience.

Each of the models listed here is among the cheapest new cars on the market today, and each has a little something extra dialed in that makes it a little more special.

Honda Civic

From $24,695

The Honda Civic is one of the most successful automotive nameplates on the road today. Earlier generations of this popular model focused their attention on advancing interior space, safety, and performance before the most recent Civic generations made a strong push towards a more upscale drive. Now quieter and smoother than ever, thanks to its high-strength new platform, the Civic's latest drive feels more premium than ever. Shoppers can opt for the higher-performing Civic Si as well, which proves that high-performance bargains still exist.

After an extensive road test in the latest-generation Civic, your writer would argue that one attribute takes this car more upscale than any other: the safety systems. Driver assists on my watch performed with the virtually flawless, smooth and predictable execution I usually expect on twice-the-price luxury models, with lane-keeping assist working particularly well despite challenging weather and lighting conditions.

From the driver's seat, you've got a premium ride beneath you, backed by driver assistance that works almost telepathically with the driver for a strong sense of confidence and an easier time driving smoothly.

Kia K5

From $27,490

The Kia K5's styling is designed to make a serious impact both day and night. Daring and angular lines and intersecting styling elements reward the eyes for inspecting exterior details more closely, and the LED lighting signature after dark, especially from the K5's dramatic rear lights, also packs some serious presence on the road.

The cabin is clean, tidy, and cohesive, with interfaces, displays, and control surfaces sharing a common font, theme, and color scheme. The resulting user experience feels more precise and organized, and comes backed by an impressive array of high-end tech, including a huge display screen, wireless charging, ventilated front seats, and a 12-speaker Bose audio system on higher grades.

With styling and feature content that packs a punch, the Kia K5 easily stacks up as a premium pick. Just watch for flying trim pieces. Pricing from the high-20s to the mid-30s.

Mazda 3

From $25,650

Owners and experts alike tend to rave about the interior, styling and drive of the Mazda 3, which gives shoppers plenty of selection. Whether you prefer a sedan with a turbo engine and AWD or a simple front-drive hatchback, various body styles and powertrains culminate within the lineup, making it easy for shoppers to devise the ideal Mazda 3 for their tastes and budget.

Pricing ranges from the mid-20s to the mid-30s, with the Mazda 3's elegant and non-distracting interior and premium-feeling switchgear helping easily earn it a place on our list. Aside from one of the best interiors in the segment, the Mazda 3's body keeps the use of unpainted surfaces to a minimum for a higher-end look.

Add in driving dynamics designed to deliver a comfortable ride that'll still make enthusiast drivers grin, and the Mazda 3 is one of the most well-rounded, premium-feeling cars you'll find for the dollar. It's also the most awarded hatchback of the last five years.

Subaru Impreza

From $26,595

The Subaru Impreza is known for a lot of things, but being a premium offering in the small car market wasn't typically among them. While competitor models offer flashier cabins, bigger screens, and more glamorous styling, the most premium attribute to the Impreza actually makes itself the most apparent when driving in at least two particularly challenging situations. The first of these is on rough and pothole-covered backroads in rural areas, where the Impreza demonstrates a generations-long knack for delivering a rough road ride that stands up well to abuse.

Rough roads can cause the ride comfort levels of many cars to take a nosedive, but the Impreza has long been an expert at keeping occupants relatively comfortable when the going gets rough. Some affordable cars feel more premium than the Impreza on smooth roads, but fewer feel as well set up to handle the rough ones.

The second is AWD, which is standard on all Impreza models. Mostly, you'll never know the system is there, but when driving in snowy, icy climates, the combination of a sturdy and well-sorted ride and a secure grip on the surface of the road delivers the confidence level of a pricier SUV in a more compact and economical package.

There's a particular attention to detail in the Impreza's ability to turn particularly stressful conditions into no big deal at all: and that's a hallmark of many pricier premium cars.

VW Jetta

From $23,995

With last year's updates taking the Jetta's styling even more upscale, shoppers after a big-car experience without the big-car price tag have some thinking to do. The Jetta's premium feel has been recognized for generations, and the latest adds its best-yet interior and tech suite to the mix. Also, Volkswagen has said goodbye to cheap interior plastics.

Now, the Jetta is running VW's most modern steering wheel, displays, consoles, and infotainment systems which are easily among the best in the segment when it comes to visual performance and straightforward operation. The distinctively tidy cabin design helps reinforce the sense of roominess on board. You'll find no trouble fitting four large adults and their things on board, and the Jetta's bigger-than-average size and excellent ride tuning give shoppers a solid taste of Volkswagen's latest capabilities.

With pricing from the low 20s, few affordable cars feel and look this upscale.

Sources: Acura, Subaru, Kia