"It's easy to want to drive one of these cute kei cars. It's another thing to put your family in them and travel down the highway at 70 mph," one expert said.

These are eight of Edmunds’ highly rated affordable cars from luxury brands, each with a starting price of less than $45,000.

When shopping for a high-quality used car or SUV, who wouldn’t be against a vehicle with a luxury badge that’s loaded with ...