11 Of The Fastest Cars Under $50,000 In 2025, Ranked By Top Speed

In some ways, the top speed of a performance car is arguably less important than in decades past. Many affordable cars can now hit speeds that would result in their drivers losing their licenses if they had a run-in with local law enforcement. On the other end of the buying spectrum, the top speeds of seven-figure hypercars are mostly limited by tire technology and the length of the testing facilities available to their manufacturers. However, that hasn't stopped top-speed figures from being a point of pride among enthusiasts and a key way to compare one similarly priced car against another.

A gentleman's agreement among German manufacturers limits many of the country's performance cars to 155 mph to avoid a top speed war and keep local politicians happy. It was once the case that the limit was only relevant to each brand's most powerful performance car, but today even some sub-$50,000 cars can hit that speed and beyond. So, while many of the fastest cars within that price bracket have official top speeds of 155 mph, they could potentially go faster with their limiters removed. Even those cars that don't quite reach that speed can get fairly close, with all of these attainably priced cars offering top speeds far in excess of anything that can be safely attempted on a public road.

Americans might not be able to buy the rally-derived GR Yaris, but Toyota does offer its larger GR hot hatch stateside. The GR Corolla has been on sale for a few years now, but for the 2025 model year, it's now available with an optional automatic transmission as well as the six-speed manual it originally launched with. Prices start around $40,000 for the base trim and rise to around $47,000 for the top Premium Plus trim. At the heart of every GR Corolla sits a 1.6L turbocharged three-cylinder engine making 300 hp.

Like most of the affordably priced performance cars here, the GR Corolla is more about delivering driving fun than maximum straight line speed. However, it's still plenty capable in the latter regard, and can reach 143 mph flat out. Combine that with its sharp handling, all-wheel drive, and stiff suspension, and you've got a highly capable track day toy that's still practical enough to be used as a daily driver.

The Subaru WRX heads into 2025 with a new variant available, the WRX tS, which stands for "tuned by STI." It's not as sharp as an STI, instead balancing daily driving comfort with track day potency. Whether or not that's a good thing is a matter of personal taste, but it certainly opens the WRX up to a wider pool of potential buyers than before. The tS sits at the top of the WRX range, but buyers looking for straight-line speed won't have to plump for it. In fact, the car features the same 271 hp Boxer engine across all trims, with the cheapest starting just under $34,000 including fees.

Subaru's spec sheet for the WRX doesn't list an official top speed, but the folks over at Car and Driver estimated that it should reach a maximum of 145 mph. That puts it a little way behind competitors like the Honda Civic Type R and VW Golf R in both horsepower and top speed. Buyers looking for the ultimate performance figures will find better value for money elsewhere, but then, the WRX was never designed for the drag strip.

There is a wide range of sub-$50,000 cars on the market that claim official top speeds of 155 mph, and they don't all hail from German manufacturers. The Hyundai Elantra N is just about the cheapest way to get into the 250 kmh club, with a starting price of $35,445 including destination fee for 2025. The numbers certainly look impressive given its upfront cost: its 2.0L turbo-four engine churns out around 280 horsepower, and 0-62 mph is handled in 5.3 seconds on the way to an officially claimed top speed of 155 mph.

That puts the Elantra N in similar territory as performance machines from BMW, Audi, and VW, but at a lower price than all of them. You could argue that the Hyundai is more practical too thanks to its superior trunk space. We spent some time with the car and found its handling to be equally appealing as its value for money. There was one weak spot, which was the car's infotainment tech, which strangely didn't have the connectivity features of cheaper models in the Elantra range. However, given what else the car offers, that's far from a deal breaker.

Mini has arguably strayed further away from Alec Issigonis' original vision than ever with the launch of the JCW Countryman All4. That's not necessarily a bad thing — after all, car buying tastes have changed hugely from when Issigonis originally crafted the ingeniously packaged Mini  back in 1959. Still, the JCW Countryman All4 might raise some eyebrows for even long-time fans of the brand, since it's a 155 mph, all-wheel drive performance crossover which can easily cross the $50,000 mark if you add plenty of options. In base-spec form, it's available from roughly $48,000 including destination fee.

According to the brand, it's designed to offer Mini Cooper buyers a larger, more family-friendly option that still delivers the driving fun and quirkiness of a traditional Mini. Having tested the JCW Countryman All4's capabilities in Portugal, SlashGear came away with mixed feelings, with the car feeling like a slightly uneasy compromise between being a true drivers' car and a practical family SUV. Still, for buyers looking for impressive performance figures, crossover practicality, and a dash of quirky charm, there isn't much else that's faster at this price point.

The entry-level variant of BMW's 2-Series coupe is the only one that's available for under $50,000, and with the right setup, it will reach 155 mph. As standard, the 230i is limited to 130 mph, but buyers who ask their dealer to fit the correct performance tires can have that limiter upped to the higher speed. Delivering that speed is a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder engine making 255 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque.

The 230i is a bit of an oddity in BMW's lineup, but that's a good thing. It isn't electrified, it's a two-door coupe, and it's available for a relatively attainable price. It's a car aimed squarely at enthusiasts, although the four seats and limited trunk space means that it could feasibly be used as a daily driver. Much of the rest of the brand's dealership floor space has been given over to larger, heavier electric and hybrid vehicles, but for now at least, BMW still offers an affordable, traditional sporty coupe for those who know where to look.

Production issues and subsequent dealer markups meant that finding a Nissan Z for under $50,000 was no easy task at its launch, but now that Nissan has gotten its supply chain in order, it can be comfortably bought within budget. Base-spec examples of the car start in the mid-$40,000s range, although buying a Performance, Heritage Edition, or Nismo will still push the price beyond $50,000. A fully-loaded Z Nismo with all the options ticked can reach well over $70,000. As standard, the Z is limited to 155 mph, with even base models offering 400 hp from the car's 3.3L twin-turbocharged V6 engine.

That makes the Z one of the most powerful cars in its price bracket, comfortably eclipsing its German and Japanese rivals. The car might not be the most refined or technologically advanced in its segment, but its combination of old-school brawn and modern comfort and connectivity has already won it plenty of fans.

A stalwart of the affordable performance genre, the Ford Mustang GT is still alive and kicking in 2025 despite its Dodge and Chevy competitors meeting their ends thanks to the switch to electric power. The Mustang GT Fastback is available for under $50,000, although keeping options to a minimum is necessary to avoid its final price spiraling upwards. Its old-school 5.0L V8 engine should be immediately familiar to Ford performance fans, as should its rear-drive layout and available manual transmission.

The Mustang GT's limited top speed of 155 mph puts it right on par with its German and Japanese rivals, and is far more than any American driver will ever need on the road. On the track, however, the upper reaches of its performance range are more reachable. While the GT is far from the most track-focused Mustang in the current range, it's more than capable of pulling weekend track day duties with ease, and it'll still be comfortable and docile enough to drive home afterward.

With a starting price of $49,995 including destination fee, the Audi S3 sneaks in under budget by the smallest of margins. The car receives a refresh for 2025, but its 155 mph limited top speed remains unchanged. Much like the BMW 230i, that top speed is only accessible with the right tire combination. With all-season tires fitted, the S3 is limited to 130 mph. The 2025 refresh sees various areas receive an upgrade, with infotainment tweaks, a revised cabin design, and updated styling.

More importantly given the car's performance credentials, there's also more power on offer, although the turbocharged four-cylinder engine's 2.0L displacement hasn't risen. Power output now sits at 328 horsepower, a 22 horsepower increase over the previous model year. Various chassis components are also borrowed from the RS3 to sharpen up the car's overall handling, while the seven-speed automatic transmission has been reworked for faster response times.

Offering similar power and a similar all-wheel drive layout to the Audi S3 is the VW Golf R. Sure, you don't get the prestige of the four rings on the grille, but then the Golf R is also slightly cheaper, with a starting price of around $47,000 including destination fee. What you do get is one of the most capable, well-rounded hot hatches on the market, which hasn't changed significantly since we reviewed it back in 2022. Then, we called it "hot hatch heaven," praising its confidence-inspiring abilities in damp conditions and its practical cabin.

As well as being thoroughly enjoyable on the road and suitably comfortable for daily driving duties, the Golf R also wouldn't be out of place at a track day. Testing its limits on a closed circuit is the best way to get near to its limited top speed of 155 mph, which can be further increased to 167 mph with the right package and a suitably generous budget.

While the excellent range-topping Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing might be out of budget, the standard CT4-V can be bought for a little under $50,000. The sports sedan's 164 mph top speed is a significant step up from most other, similarly priced sedans, even outshining the freshly revamped Audi S3. Under the hood of the CT4-V sits a turbocharged 2.7L four-cylinder engine churning out 325 hp. The CT4-V takes on its established German competition more directly than ever, but it's no copycat, with distinctly Cadillac looks and finish both inside and out.

Arguably, the CT4-V Blackwing is still the best looker of the model range, with its black accents and more aggressive appearance, but the standard CT4-V is still a handsome sedan. Perhaps most importantly, it's among a dying breed, with its powertrain having no electrification and no crossover version to be found. Cadillac still might not be the first brand that most enthusiasts associate with tire-smoking performance, but its engineers deserve significant credit for how much speed they managed to extract out of both its top-spec Blackwing models and its mid-range performance models like the CT4-V.

The current generation Honda Civic Type R is arguably better than ever, mixing track-ready performance chops with subtler styling and the practicality inherent with all Civic variants. At a starting price of $47,045 including destination, it certainly isn't cheap, but it justifies its price tag. Its claimed top speed of 169 mph makes it comfortably the fastest car of its kind, although it's safe to assume that most buyers won't getting close to that figure even if they're regulars at their local track day.

Has the latest Civic Type R become too powerful for its own good? With a top speed figure like that, it's a valid question to ask, but the answer is still probably no. We tested the car at the launch of the current generation and found it to be equally enjoyable at road legal speeds, giving drivers the best of both worlds. It's still a Honda Civic, and thus still a good grocery getter — it's just that with this one, you can hit speeds that were reserved for the most dedicated JDM tuners just a few decades ago.