Coupes under $50k

  1. Home /
  2. Best coupes under $50k

Whether you’re just starting to drive or heading into a mid-life crisis, coupes appeal to all of us. Luckily, these days you don’t need to spend big money to enjoy the thrills of the swept-back driving experience.

While you are able to buy a Subaru BRZ or Toyota 86 for less than $40,000, choices start to expand once you’re shopping under the $50,000 so let’s start there.

Toyota 86

It is getting a little long in the tooth, but the Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ combo still offers sports car thrills for an affordable price. Available in manual or automatic with a choice of specification levels, the Toyota 86 has stood the test of time despite external pressure to fill it with extra power.

Mazda MX-5

Mazda MX-5

With the nameplate just celebrating its 30th birthday, there’s small wonder why so many flock to the Mazda MX-5 for an engaging top-down drive. Even if you’re more of a hard-top fan, Mazda now offers the RF version which includes a folding metal roof.

Hyundai i30 Fastback N

A relatively new player to the coupe game, Hyundai’s i30 N was transformed into a four-door coupe following the success of the hatchback. Sleeker styling marries with everything that made Hyundai’s first true hot hatch great

Volkswagen Polo GTI
Best Value Performance Cars

$0-50K: Volkswagen Polo GTI #3

A strong showing from the former champ

Renault Sport Clio RS
Best Value Performance Cars

$0-50K: Renault Sport Clio RS #4

Last year’s champ loses its crown

Holden Astra VXR
Best Value Performance Cars

$0-50K: Holden Astra VXR #5

Returning hatch hero a track weapon

Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo
Best Value Performance Cars

$0-50K: Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo #6

Straight-line king but corners ain’t its thing

Audi S1 Sportback
Best Value Performance Cars

$0-50K: Audi S1 Sportback #7

Lots of fun, but lots of money, too

Renault Megane GT220
Best Value Performance Cars

$0-50K: Renault Megane GT220 #8

RS-lite locked up by the fun police

Holden Astra GTC
Best Value Performance Cars

$0-50K: Holden Astra GTC #9

Stronger on paper than on track

Hyundai Veloster Turbo
Best Value Performance Cars

$0-50K: Hyundai Veloster Turbo #10

Has the buck, but not the bang

Ford Falcon XR6
Best Value Performance Cars

$0-50K: Ford Falcon XR6 #11

Slow, but satisfying. Except for Morley…

Peugeot 308 GT
Best Value Performance Cars

$0-50K: Peugeot 308 GT #12

Judges either love or hate the 308

Citroen DS3
Best Value Performance Cars

$0-50K: Citroen DS3 #13

Pricey and slow not a good combo

Chrysler Price Hike
News

Big price increase for Jeep and Chrysler SRT models

Aussie dollar hurts Jeep and Chrysler SRT models

Reviews

Holden Spark entering the Australian market in 2016

Gone are the days when small cars came at the sacrifice of technology

Motorclassica Exhibition: Just for fun
Opinion

Motorclassica Exhibition: Just for fun

I do plenty of stuff around cars, whether it’s driving interesting ones, meeting people who work with them or watching people race them. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Inside TRD’s Secret Warehouse
Features

Inside TRD’s Secret Warehouse

Lurking inside a shed in Japan is an armoury of Toyota’s retired race weapons.

Audi R8 V10
News

Audi R8 V10 pricing revealed

Spec and pricing released for Audi’s latest supercar

Ogier masters Rally Sweden, Whincup rated world’s best
Motorsport

Ogier masters Rally Sweden, Whincup rated world’s best

Motorsport wrap: Ogier victory follows boycott threat; V8s star Whincup lauded; Record season for louder F1

2015 Mazda CX-3 long-term car review, part 1
Reviews

2016 Mazda CX-3 sTouring AWD Long Term Review

CX-3 starts in the deep end to prove there’s nothing shallow about it

Nine celebrity petrolheads
Features

Nine celebrity petrolheads

Just because you’re famous doesn’t mean you can’t be car obsessed.

Audi TT review
Reviews

Audi TT review

Igolstadt’s latest coupe adds evolutionary panache

Opinion: Meeting an Audi legend
Features

Opinion: Meeting an Audi legend

Would meeting a childhood crush face-to-face bring blush or blunder?

Top 10 New Private Imports
News

Top 10 New Private Imports

As the government permits private import of new cars from 2018, we rush to name the top performance models to bring to Oz

Porsche 911 GT3 video review
Reviews

Porsche 911 GT3 video review

So just why is the 911 GT3 our 2016 Performance Car of the Year?

Car Style

How old is too old for a driver licence?

We let the numbers tell us when elderly road users should consider hanging up their driving gloves.