The Best Affordable Performance Cars, Trucks, and SUVs
Everyone loves performance, but who wants to pay Porsche money for it? Luckily, there is a thriving bundle of choices for the driver on a budget. The 20 cars, trucks, and SUVs—yes, those last two can offer performance, too, in their own ways—deliver satisfying performance for under $50,000 apiece. With so many offering four doors, useful cargo space, and otherwise livable interiors and agreeable around-town comfort, this group represents a wider look at performance cars than our roundup of cheap sports cars.
So, click through for a peek at the most affordable performance cars money can buy in 2019, as picked by our editors:
Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti
It's easy to get excited over the 505-hp Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, the brand's twin-turbocharged BMW M3-eater. But for as good a deal as that sport sedan is (pricing starts at $75,590) compared to its rivals, you can get the same basic handling feel and looks in the regular-grade, four-cylinder Giulia's Ti trim. Even though all-wheel drive is offered, stick with the rear-drive spec for maximum fun and a lighter curb weight. The 280-hp four-cylinder engine feels strong and emits a properly Italian blatty exhaust note, and the chassis returns the same fluid athleticism as the Quadrifoglio's. That you can buy this not-another-BMW-3-series for under $50,000 is icing on the cake.—Alexander Stoklosa
Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti
Base price: $41,790 Engine: 280-hp turbo 2.0L inline-four
BMW M240i
BMW's M240i is the more powerful of the two non-M-badged 2-series models and is among the last of the affordable, sporty, rear-drive cars you can buy out of Germany these days. (So, too, is the burlier M2, but its pricing falls just on the high side of $50,000.) A turbocharged inline-six sends 335 horsepower to the rear axle via a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is available, as well as a convertible model, but the sportiest combo is the rear-drive, stick-shift coupe. As a bonus, the M240i delivers near-M2 performance with far more livable ride quality and comfort.—Charles Dryer
BMW M240i
Base price: $46,795 Engine: 335-hp turbo 3.0L inline-six
Chevrolet Camaro
Whether you think of the latest crop of pony cars from General Motors and Ford as sports cars or muscle cars—we think they count as either, depending on your point of view—there's no question they offer a wide breadth of performance choices for less than 50 grand. Take the Chevrolet Camaro, which marries knife-sharp handling with either a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, a V-6, or a V-8 engine. All three engines can be paired with the track-ready 1LE handling package.—Alexander Stoklosa
Chevrolet Camaro
Base price: $26,495–$37,995 Engines: 275-hp turbon 2.0L inline-four, 335-hp 3.6L V-6, 455-hp 6.2L V-8
Dodge Challenger R/T and Scat Pack
Skip past the base, six-cylinder Dodge Challenger models for the R/T and Scat Pack trims. While those V-6–powered coupes are surprisingly quick given their size, the Challenger feels best with a V-8 installed in its nose. The famous 707-plus-hp Challenger SRT Hellcat models are priced well above our $50,000 price cap, however, which leaves the 475-hp R/T and 485-hp Scat Pack Challengers as your affordable muscle-car go-tos in the Dodge lineup.—Alexander Stoklosa
Dodge Challenger R/T and Scat Pack
Base price: $35,790–$40,490 Engines: 375-hp 5.7L V-8, 485-hp 6.4L V-8
Dodge Charger R/T and Scat Pack
The Dodge Charger is the United States' last eight-cylinder, rear-wheel-drive sports sedan left. As if that weren't appealing enough on its own, the Charger offers not one V-8 engine option, but three. The two that are priced beneath $50,000 are found in the R/T and the Scat Pack trims. (The third is a 707-hp supercharged Hemi V-8, found in the SRT Hellcat models.) The Charger R/T uses a 5.7-liter Hemi rated at 375 horsepower; it is capable of a 5.1-second sprint to 60 mph. The more powerful Scat Pack uses a 6.4-liter Hemi making 485 horsepower and, if you can keep from roasting the tires, will rocket to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. With a starting price set just below $40,000, it’s one of the better four-door performance bargains in the market today.—Max Mortimer
Dodge Charger R/T and Scat Pack
Base price: $37,490–$41,490 Engines: 370-hp 5.7L V-8, 485-hp 6.4L V-8
Ford Mustang
Similar to Chevrolet's Camaro, the Ford Mustang blurs the line between a pony car and a sports car. Also like the Camaro, the Mustang blends a great rear-drive chassis with a multitude of engines, although only the entry-level turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder and 5.0-liter V-8 engines slide in under our price cap. The Mustang Shelby GT350 and its 5.2-liter V-8 (as well as the upcoming GT500 and its supercharged V-8) cost more.—Alexander Stoklosa
Ford Mustang
Base price: $27,490–$36,450 Engines: 310-hp turbo 2.3L inline-four, 460-hp 5.0L V-8
Honda Civic Si
The Honda Civic long ago established itself as a sport-compact tour de force thanks largely to its high-revving VTEC engines. Despite using a torque-rich, relatively low-revving turbocharged four-cylinder engine (redline is a so-so 6500 rpm), the newest Civic Si still has plenty of Honda magic coursing through its veins. With responsive steering, a composed suspension tune, and the ability to change direction with authority and verve, the Si is one of the sharpest-handling front-wheel-drive cars on the market. It is available both as a two-door coupe and a four-door sedan, and Honda charges the same $25,220 for either, giving the Si one of the strongest fun-per-dollar ratios of any new car you can buy.—Joey Capparella
Honda Civic Si
Base price: $25,220 Engine: 205-hp turbo 1.5L inline-four
Honda Civic Type R
Honda's wild-looking Civic Type R is the quickest-accelerating front-wheel drive car C/D has ever tested, which is saying something. It's also among the most involving-to-drive cars sold today, building on the less hardcore Civic Si's already fun base state. Factor in the Type R's $36,620 starting price, and you're looking at a sub-$40,000 sports car that will run with an Audi RS5 around Virginia International Raceway (per the results of our annual Lightning Lap track test). Just as the Type R's appearance nearly defies description, "driver's car" doesn't even begin to describe the hot hatch.—Josh Jacquot
Honda Civic Type R
Base price: $36,620 Engine: 306-hp turbo 2.0L inline-four
Hyundai Veloster Turbo
With its wacky styling and asymmetrical three-door configuration (two doors on the passenger side and only one on the driver's side), the Hyundai Veloster easily stands apart from the rest of its mostly normal compact classmates. The one to buy is the Turbo version, which, ahem, uses a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine packing 201 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed manual is standard, while a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic that's less fun and somewhat laggy in its responses is optional. Veloster Turbos also get a stiffer suspension, while the "base" Turbo R-Spec trim adds on stickier tires and a short-shifter kit along with a bunch of nice convenience features to go with its aggressively low $23,820 MSRP.—Daniel Golson
Hyundai Veloster Turbo
Base price: $23,820 Engine: 201-hp turbo 1.6L inline-four
Hyundai Veloster N
Hyundai's first-ever N car in the U.S., the Veloster N, goes for the sporty, next-level-style M and AMG treatments BMW and Mercedes apply to the highest-performing cars in their lineups. To wit, the Veloster N builds on the strong foundation of the Veloster Turbo, swapping that hatchback's turbocharged 1.6-liter engine for a massaged 2.0-liter that produces 250 horsepower in regular guise and 275 horsepower when buyers select the optional performance package. Every N gets big brakes, sticky tires, adaptive dampers, and a sweet body kit with red-painted accents on the bumpers and rocker panels. The interior gets grippier bucket seats and blue seatbelts. Who doesn’t love colored seatbelts? Fully loaded with an active exhaust and an electronically controlled limited-slip differential, the N comes in at under $30,000—a screaming deal for the sweetest-driving Hyundai ever.—Daniel Golson
Hyundai Veloster N
Base price: $27,820 Engine: 250–275-hp turbo 2.0L inline-four
Jeep Wrangler
Jeep Wrangler, performance car? You betcha! Though softened by the introduction of the new JL generation, the old-school Wrangler is still a visceral, noisy, exciting 4x4 that shrugs off other SUVs' trending toward quiet, composed family vehicles. From the basic Sport trim to the more-capable-than-you’ll-ever-need Rubicon model, the Wrangler is the performance benchmark for off-highway fun and playing in the dirt. It's even pretty entertaining to drive on-road, given its wayward body motions (improved in this latest generation!) and sloppy steering, which require the driver to pay attention just like an SUV from 40 years ago might have.—Mike Magrath
Jeep Wrangler
Base price: $29,440 Engines: 270-hp turbo 2.0L inline-four, 285-hp 3.6L V-6
Kia Stinger GT
Thanks to its family-friendly size, solid set of performance credentials, and sub-$50,000 MSRP, the Kia Stinger fits into an appealing market niche. Even though the Stinger is not a focused driving machine like, say, a Mercedes-AMG C43, its 4.7-second zero-to-60-mph time means it doesn't have to take any stoplight lip from big-dollar performance sedans. It's the pragmatic person's performer, too, with comfortably large rear seats and a cargo area big enough to swallow bicycles. Just be sure to splurge for the 365-hp GT version; the entry-level four-cylinder car is a good value but not nearly as thrilling to drive.—Josh Jacquot
Kia Stinger GT
Base price: $40,295 Engine: 365-hp twin-turbo 3.3L V-6
Mazda MX-5 Miata
Ever since Mazda took the idea of the small British roadster and remastered it with Japanese-car reliability and cute styling in the early 1990s, its MX-5 Miata has been the cheap performance car to beat. The Miata has held fast to a winning formula through four generations. Even in today's overregulated automotive world, it remains a tiny, lightweight, rear-wheel-drive, open-top runabout with fantastic handling. The current-generation MX-5 (dubbed "ND") became even more enticing for 2019 thanks to an upgraded 2.0-liter inline-four that bumped output to 181 horsepower, 26 more than it had before.—Joey Capparella
Mazda MX-5 Miata
Base price: $26,650 Engine: 181-hp 2.0L inline-four
Nissan 370Z
Sure, Nissan's 370Z sports car is old. It's actually about a decade old, but even so, it is one of the more affordable two-seaters on the market. It shades the basic size and layout shared by the Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86 twins—that of a small, rear-drive, two-door coupe (a convertible also is offered)—but trades those cars' weak-ish four-cylinder engines for a powerful V-6. The aging Z car still looks interesting, if familiar, and its low price of entry makes it a compelling choice for sports-car buyers who don't want the usual Mazda MX-5 Miata.—Alexander Stoklosa
Nissan 370Z
Base price: $30,985 Engine: 332-hp 3.7L V-6
Subaru WRX
The Subaru WRX has long been a staple in the enthusiast community thanks to its potent flat-four engine, all-wheel drive, and strong aftermarket parts support. The current-generation WRX's four-cylinder engine is the first in its lineage to incorporate a twin-scroll turbocharger, direct fuel injection, and equal-length headers. It pumps out 268 horsepower and shoves the WRX to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds—so long as you can stomach a full-throttle clutch drop to maximize launch performance.—Maxwell Mortimer
Subaru WRX
Base price: $28,080 Engine: 268-hp turbo 2.0L flat-four
Subaru WRX STI
Picking up where its lesser WRX sibling leaves off, the Subaru WRX STI gets additional performance enhancements such as upgraded Brembo brakes, limited-slip differentials (front and rear), and a stiffer suspension. The last few examples we've tested have been slower to 60 mph than expected, however, with only one of them cracking the five-second mark. That being said, most STI owners pine for the STI because its older EJ engine (versus the WRX's newer, smaller four-cylinder engine) still enjoys robust aftermarket parts support. For all the EJ's fans, it still uses a single-scroll turbocharger, unequal-length headers, and port fuel injection. There isn't anything specifically wrong with that setup, but we hope someday Subaru might incorporate newer tech into the STI's engine and elevate its performance further above the WRX's.—Max Mortimer
Subaru WRX STI
Base price: $37,480 Engine: 310-hp 2.5L flat-four
Toyota 86 / Subaru BRZ
The Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86 may be the most overlooked enthusiast-oriented drivers' cars on the market. The irregular torque delivery of the 205-hp flat-four engine is easily overshadowed by the sharp handling, precise steering, and rear-drive playfulness at the easy-to-approach grip limit. As a testament to the BRZ/86's many improvements since being introduced for 2013, the Subaru BRZ tS threw down an impressive lap time around Virginia International Raceway at our annual Lightning Lap track test. Also, with its rear seats folded, the Toyobaru can fit a full spare set of track tires in its cargo hold. Try that in a Mazda MX-5 Miata.—David Beard
Toyota 86 / Subaru BRZ
Base price: $26,680–$29,565 Engine: 200–205-hp 2.0L flat-four
Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro
Truck performance is different from sports-car performance, but it's performance all the same. Take Toyota's Tacoma TRD Pro, which sits at the top of the Tacoma lineup and comes standard with a host of off-road-ready gear for tackling brutal trails, sand dunes, jumps, or whatever you might throw its way. The TRD Pro treatment includes Fox shocks, a lifted suspension, Kevlar-lined tires, a locking rear differential, and that badass grille with old-school "TOYOTA" lettering. Pricing is a bit high, but it still slides in under $50,000, unlike Ford's one-size-up F-150 Raptor.—Alexander Stoklosa
Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro
Base price: $43,905 Engine: 278-hp 3.5L V-6
Volkswagen Golf GTI
It's small but roomy, sporty but practical, and quick (zero to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds) but economical on gas. The Volkswagen GTI is all ate up with such this-but-that juxtapositions. It's racy but comfortable. It's beautifully built but costs only about 30 grand. How can one little hatchback be so all-around great? We have no idea, but clearly Volkswagen does, because the GTI continues to be multiple great things at once, no buts about it.—Rich Ceppos
Volkswagen Golf GTI
Base price: $28,490 Engine: 228-hp 2.0L inline-four
Volkswagen Jetta GLI
The zestiest version of Volkswagen's Jetta sedan, the GLI, is but one letter and a trunklid away from VW's iconic Golf GTI hatchback. The newest-generation GLI strengthens the connection between it and the GTI, sharing its MQB underpinnings with the Golf and GTI. As such, the GLI pretty much drives like a GTI with a trunk—as it once did before the two models split onto different chassis for a few years. Today's GLI shares its potent 228-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four and six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission options with the GTI, too. We also appreciate that the GLI comes standard with a limited-slip differential and a lowered suspension compared with the standard Jetta, while other performance-enhancing features such as adaptive dampers are optional.—Joey Capparella
Volkswagen Jetta GLI
Base price: $26,890 Engine: 228-hp turbo 2.0L inline-four
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