Coupes under $50k
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- 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
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

First drive: Volvo S60 Polestar
Swedish tuning aces turn a Volvo into a driver’s car

First drive: Toyota Kluger
Top-selling seven-seater SUV sharpens up in every respect

First drive: Porsche 911 Turbo
Through six generations, the Porsche 911 Turbo has meant one thing above all else – stunning performance

First drive: Kia ProCeed GT
Shock sub-$30K pricing and Euro engineering underpin Kia’s first driver’s car

First drive: Subaru WRX
It’s still a WRX, but a more refined, better-handling, more involving iteration

First drive: Nissan X-Trail
Aussie SUV favourite finds refinement and offers seven-seat option

First drive: Jaguar F-Type Coupe
The rain in Spain made our first taste of Jaguar’s new coupe a challenge

First drive: Lexus CT200h
Lexus introduces facelifted version of its smallest hybrid

First drive: MINI Cooper
Sharper performance, handling – and price – for new Mini

First drive: Volkswagen Polo
Former COTY winner undergoes light facelift with new tech

First drive: Skoda Yeti
Czech soft-roader returns with a new face and lower prices

First drive: Audi A8
Facelifted Audi A8 brings improvements and performance, at a price

First drive: Skoda Rapid
Latest Czech small car fails to hit the mark

First drive: BMW M3 & M4
Highly anticipated duo will restore M division’s stellar reputation

GM posts second-biggest loss in operating history
The news does not get better from Detroit… Peter McKay reports on the latest figures and losses.

February vehicle sales down 21.9 percent
This month’s VFACTS sales figures show more short-term doom and gloom for the local market, but spirits (and sales) should rise by June.

US Mail: The casualties of crisis
Wheels magazine’s US correspondent John Lamm reports from the war zone.

Yaris recall is 45,000-plus cars
Toyota Australia has confirmed that it’s recalling more than 45,000 Yaris sedans and hatchbacks to rectify a potentially dangerous seat belt pretensioner glitch.

New Safety Standards for the European Union
EU mandates stability systems and efficient tyres from 2011.

Credit crunch
The fractured – nay, broken – American car market has forced Japan’s big four to turn to its government for financial assistance.

Nissan staff ‘OK to moonlight’
More signs of belt-tightening in Japan, with Nissan employees given the green light to moonlight while the company is quiet. Peter Nunn reports from Tokyo.

GM passes on billion dollar loan
Cost reduction and cuts across the board allow GM to hold its debt-ridden head up high.

Penny pinching
Opel dealers may top up GM’s empty piggy-bank to keep the wheels rolling.

Chery on top
When Ford puts the last remaining piece of the Premier Automotive Group pie up for auction, it may find Chery is the flavour of choice.