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

News

Porsche to adopt Google built-in, Genesis implementing LG’s TV software

Porsche and Genesis have partnered with tech giants to advance in-vehicle experiences

Reviews

2024 Honda HR-V Vi X: Quick Review

The HR-V comes in a single petrol offering, so let’s see what that means for buyers

News

Electric vehicles dominate 2023 Japan Mobility Show

The artist formerly known as the Tokyo Motor Show stuns with stacks of excellent concepts

Reviews

VIDEO: 2024 BMW iX2 first-look review

Wheels grabs a local sneak-peek of the first BMW iX2, ahead of its 2024 launch as an extension to the X2 range.

News

Shannons axes classic auctions

Australia’s best-known classic auctions will be retired after more than four decades

Advice

Every new manual car you can buy in 2023 – November update

Won’t somebody please think of the manuals! It’s a fast-shrinking list, but at least it’s still long enough to deserve an article

Advice

Why are EV chargers unreliable?

Faulty public EV charging stations have been the angst for many critics in the media. Here’s why and what’s being done

News

Toyota FT-Se designer ‘didn’t need to rely on heritage’ for GR sports car

The FT-Se isn’t an MR2, Celica, or Supra continuation but an electric sports car all of its own

News

2025 Kia EV6 facelift spied with fresh face

The Kia EV6 will receive a freshen-up to be more in line with its new EV family

News

Toyota, Hyundai and others team up to make hydrogen happen in Australia

Toyota, Hyundai, Ampol, Pacific Energy collaborate on hydrogen society

News

Mazda CX-8, MX-30 axed in Australia

Value-focused Mazda CX-8 to be replaced by more-premium CX-80 in 2024, as Mazda’s first electric vehicle is discontinued locally

News

Toyota boss says EV strategy runs deeper than a ‘quick fix to zero emissions’

Plug-in and regular hybrids, hydrogen fuel cells, and electric vehicles to live in harmony on the way to lowering emissions

News

Mazda Iconic SP: RX-7 revival to potentially pack EV and ICE power

NE MX-5? Nah, Mazda’s electrified sports car concept is an RX revival…

News

2025 Mazda MX-5 imagined with Iconic SP concept lines

The fifth generation of the most successful sports car in the world is all but confirmed! Will it look like this?

Reviews

2023 BMW X3 M40i xDrive review: Satisfyingly sophisticated

While not the newest in class, BMW’s straight-six X3 is superb

Advice

Five affordable SUVs to consider

If you’re in the market for a budget-friendly SUV, here are some of Australia’s most cost-effective options.

Reviews

2024 Volvo XC60 Recharge: Quick Review

Volvo’s elegant fusion of luxury, performance and now, sustainability.

News

You can buy Ferrari’s Le Mans racing car

This is not a drill: Ferrari is building additional examples of its 499P to sell to the public. And it’s even faster than the version that won at Le Mans…

Opinion

Opinion: Are EVs already a bust?

Slowing sales, tardy infrastructure and increasingly negative public sentiment suggests the shine has come off electric vehicles – or is this just the calm before the storm?

News

Hydrogen cars: Toyota shifts focus, 2025 Hyundai Nexo coming

Toyota will focus on hydrogen commercial vehicles, while a new Hyundai Nexo SUV is rumoured to be in development

News

Tesla is selling V4 Superchargers to fuel giant BP to kickstart network

The move marks the first time Tesla has supplied its Superchargers to a third-party network

News

Three classic cars stolen from Victorian rural property

Thieves make off with over $100,000 worth of classic American muscle cars.

Features

Modern classic: Lotus Elise

The car that saved Lotus? That’s only half the story…

Opinion

Opinion: Emojis as positive reinforcement for speed limit enforcement

Rather than defaulting to a ticket in the mail, Andorra’s speed limit enforcement will whip you into shape by holding you up at the lights – but get it right and they’ll blow you a kiss.