The Best Affordable Sports Cars of 2019

When you think of a sports car, what form does that vehicle take? Does it have two doors, the promise of athletic handling, and a general intent to deliver fun no matter if it's used for a grocery run or to tear up a good road? That's our take, at least. And the good news is that buying a sports car needn't require spending Porsche money. You can pick one up for less than $50,000. That boxes out brand-new Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and even Chevrolet's value-laden Corvette, yet among the sports cars that remain are a few of our favorites (at any price).

Base price: $45,485

Compact, low-slung, and with two doors, Audi's TT certainly looks like a sports car. Haters will gripe that it is based on common front-drive Volkswagen underpinnings. That is true, but Audi has put its touch on these components in such a way as to deliver proper performance: The last regular-grade TT coupe we tested reached 60 mph in 5.2 seconds, generated 0.98 g of lateral grip, and stopped from 70 mph in 151 feet. Those last two metrics beat several high-dollar rides from BMW and Porsche. If you want more speed, Audi offers the more powerful TTS and the bonkers TT RS, but those versions are priced above $50,000. Should you want less roof, there's also a TT roadster.

Base price: $36,295

The 2-series umbrella covers a multitude of small, two-door BMWs: There is the four-cylinder 230i and the six-cylinder M240i, as well as xDrive all-wheel-drive versions of both (rear-wheel drive is standard). Oh, and you can also opt for any 2-series in convertible guise. All of them fall under the $50,000 mark save for the M240i xDrive convertible, and that model only edges over our price cap by $3395. Among today's BMWs, the 2-series family hews closest to the company's spiritual center: Agile handling and sweet and thrilling engines.

Base price: $26,495

The line separating muscle cars from sports cars has blurred in recent years. Chevrolet and crosstown rival Ford have worked hard to ensure their pony cars can turn as well as they scamper away from a stoplight. The latest Camaro is smaller and lighter than its predecessor, and it drives so well that its terrible outward visibility through its gun-slit windows is nearly excusable. Drivers keen on cranking their Camaros' handling up another notch can now opt for the 1LE performance package no matter which of the three engines (a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, V-6, or V-8) is selected.

Base price: $26,290

With a little help from Mazda, Fiat resurrected its 124 Spider nameplate for 2016. The roadster wears a modern take on the classic Italian sports car's boxy styling, but underneath it is a contemporary Mazda MX-5 Miata. In place of the Mazda's naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine sits a turbocharged Fiat unit packing more torque; buyers can step up to the 124 Spider Abarth model for extra handling upgrades and slightly more power thanks to a louder, freer-flowing exhaust system.

Base price: $27,490

Similar to the Chevrolet Camaro, Ford's Mustang has evolved in recent years from a drag-strip special to a genuinely sharp-handling thing. Unlike the Camaro, the Mustang doesn't offer a V-6 anymore, but its turbocharged four-cylinder engine and optional V-8 can both be combined with a Performance package. Even without that kit, the Mustang steers crisply and handles athletically. In coupe form, in particular, it looks the part of a sports car thanks to its fastback roofline and Coke-bottle profile. Want the ultimate in sub-Shelby-Mustang cool? Try for the als0-under-$50,000 Bullitt.

Base price: $25,220

Yes, we're specifying the two-door Honda Civic Si coupe for this list; the four-door sedan is just as good and more practical, but just doesn't shout "sports car." (Ditto the Si-lite Honda Civic Sport hatchback, which is essentially a cheaper, less powerful Si in hatchback guise.) The front-drive Si coupe combines a willing turbocharged engine, a slick six-speed manual transmission, and a limited-slip front differential with a supremely fun chassis setup. That the car is a steal at just over $25,000-and includes heated front seats, a sunroof, automatic climate control, adaptive dampers, and a touchscreen audio system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto-is icing on the cake.

Base price: $26,625

The Honda Civic Si coupe isn't the only screaming deal on this list-Mazda's MX-5 Miata shares the honor. Even though its price has crept up in recent years, the Miata remains a great value at its roughly $27,000 base price in 2019. That's for the roadster-a folding-hardtop targa model dubbed "RF" (for Retractable Fastback) starts at $33,835. Keep in mind that the MX-5 Miata remains one of the standard-bearers for sports cars at any price, and with rear-wheel drive, two seats, an ultra-light curb weight, and a retractable roof, it embodies the very idea of a classic sports car.

Nissan was the first automaker to introduce auto rev matching (dubbed SyncroRev Match) on a manual transmission, in which the engine computer automatically blips the throttle to smooth manual downshifts while the clutch pedal is pressed. This seemed revolutionary on the 2009 370Z; it has since spread to a number of other carmakers' manual transmissions. Also, 2009 was a while ago. The 370Z sports car hasn't changed in any major capacity since, but it's still available with a stick-including SyncroRev Match.

Base price: $26,680

Think of the Subaru BRZ as a lighter, four-cylinder Nissan 370Z-or as a slightly larger, hardtop Mazda MX-5 Miata. Either way, it's a lightweight, rear-drive coupe with delightfully neutral handling characteristics. Novice drivers would do well to get behind the wheel of one and suss out the differences between understeer and oversteer to learn the finer points of vehicle control. The BRZ's chassis is so playful, one needn't carry huge speed around corners to enjoy its limits. As a bonus, its cabin offers four seats (the rears are only suitable for children, but, hey, it's still two more seats than the Miata or 370Z) that can fold down to create a large pass-through to the trunk area. So, it's almost practical.

Base price: $27,385

If the Toyota 86 looks familiar, you're not crazy: It is mechanically identical to the Subaru BRZ. (The sports cars were co-developed by Subaru and Toyota.) Thus they share the same 2.0-liter flat-four engine, six-speed manual and available six-speed automatic transmissions, limited-slip rear differential, styling, and basic interior layout.