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Best New Performance Cars for under $50,000 in 2024
You don’t need to spend that much to have fun in a new car, as these sports coupes, hot hatchbacks, and performance sedans prove.By Brian Silvestro and Joey CapparellaUpdated: Jul 17, 2024
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The Manufacturers
You might not have a huge amount of money to spend on a new performance car, but for about the average price of a new car you can get a variety of great machines that are at home on either a racetrack or your favorite curvy road. These picks run the gamut from hot hatch to muscle car, and all have a base price of less than $50,000. We’ve listed them in order of least to most expensive.
If you’re looking only for a more traditional sports car, check out our list of affordable sports cars. But these days, performance cars can take many different shapes.
More Fun New Cars: Fun Cars with Good MPG | Best Japanese Sports Cars Ever Made | Best 4-Door Sports Cars | Best Cars with Manual Transmissions
2024 Volkswagen Jetta GLI
VW
Price: $29,310
The Volkswagen Golf GTI, also found on this list, is the quintessential VW performance car. But if you’d rather have your GTI sedan-flavored, good news, you can get exactly that in the form of a Jetta GLI. It gets a 228-hp turbocharged inline-four paired to either a six-speed manual or dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Thanks to a stiffer setup and an independent suspension out back, it’s effectively a GTI sedan—perfect for those who prefer the look over a hatch. Plus, it’s cheaper than the GTI.
Here are all the details on the Upcoming 2025 GLI
2024 Honda Civic Si
Price: $30,195
There’s no way to go wrong with a Civic Si. It’s the king of affordable, reliable, fun transportation for those who need a practical car for every day.
A punchy 200-hp turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired to a slick-shifting manual transmission is the only powertrain available, and we wouldn’t recommend it any other way. And it offers the same space-efficient package as every other Civic sedan for when you need the back seat or the trunk.
2024 Toyota GR86 / Subaru BRZ
Price: $30,435
Except for the wonderful Mazda MX-5 Miata, the Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ twins might just be the most exciting affordable sports cars on sale today. A perfect chassis matched to expert suspension tuning and exceptional steering is finally paired with the 228-hp engine it always deserved.
Here’s our comparison test vs. the Miata
2024 Acura Integra
Price: $32,995
The new Integra might not be the overly simple, lightweight pocket-rocket we remember from the previous generation car, but it’s still a great time. It uses the same engine and six-speed manual from the Civic Si in a more mature, better-equipped body.
The Integra represents a pretty good value, too. Because it’s essentially a Honda underneath, you know it’ll last for hundreds of thousands of miles without issue. The sensational Integra Type S is a bit too expensive to truly be considered affordable, but you can still get a manual in the standard model for under $40,000 if you opt for the A-Spec and Technology packages.
2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI
Price: $33,190
While the eighth-generation Volkswagen GTI isn’t a massive leap over the old car, it’s still a great choice for those looking for fun on a budget. It’s also one of the only hot hatches left for sale in America right now.
If you can get over the terrible infotainment system layout, you won’t be disappointed by the GTI’s dynamics and sophisticated suspension. Act fast if you want the manual transmission, because 2024 will be the last model year for the six-speed shift-for-yourself option.
2024 Subaru WRX
Price: $33,855
Need a fun car that can do it all? Look
