The 17 Most Powerful New Cars for Less Than $30,000

The average transaction price of a new car in the United States is not much more than $30,000, so how much horsepower does $30K buy? As it turns out, quite a lot. You’ll note that on this list, which covers 17 powerful new cars available for under the big 3-0, the least powerful has 281 horsepower. Also surprising is the number of V-6s-there is but one four-cylinder and three V-8s-as well as only a single foreign-brand auto. (Go U.S.A.!) We should also point out that horsepower does not necessarily equate to quickness; this list focuses solely on output, not acceleration.

Least expensive version: LS FWD, $29,595

The Chevrolet Traverse still exists in its original form-the version introduced for the 2009 model year way back when-and it still has a V-6 engine under the hood. While its sibling, the GMC Acadia, saw a full redesign for 2017, the Traverse soldiers on for one more year before adopting an all-new, lighter-weight body and a wheels-up rethink. In the meantime, the $29,595 crossover just slides onto our list thanks to its standard, albeit aging, 281-hp V-6.

Least expensive version: SE AWD or SXT FWD, both $27,840

Don’t worry, this roundup isn’t made up entirely of front-drive crossovers-there are spicier options under $30,000. In the meantime, deal with this Dodge Journey. While the base front-drive SE starts at $22,240, it comes only with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and, get this, a four-speed automatic (!). Unlocking the available 283-hp V-6 requires stepping up to the $26,140 SXT trim and selecting the V-6 and six-speed automatic combination for $1700. Or, for the very same money, you can step backward into the SE trim but add four-wheel drive, which automatically swaps out the weak four-cylinder for the same V-6. We tested a 2016 Journey with the V-6 and all-wheel drive and recorded a decent 7.8-second run to 60 mph.

Least expensive version: SE, $26,090

Seriously, we promise that more exciting cars are on this list, but until we get there, you can chew on the tie between the Dodge Grand Caravan and the Dodge Journey. It isn’t rocket science, this tie, given that both the Grand Caravan and the Journey use the same engine, and both are available for less than $30,000. (And, yes, the Grand Caravan lives on for 2017, even though its Chrysler sibling, the Town & Country, has been replaced by the all-new Pacifica.)

Least expensive version: Sport, $24,990

Jeep’s Wrangler lineup is fairly straightforward, at least as far as the SUV’s powertrain is concerned. Every Wrangler, be it a two-door model or the four-door (the former of which starts at $24,990 and the latter of which can be had for just a hair less than $30,000), comes with a 285-hp V-6 engine and four-wheel drive and either a six-speed manual transmission or a five-speed automatic. The Jeep’s 285 horsepower easily overwhelms the off-roader’s wallowy, old-school suspension and slow steering. We’re not saying it isn’t cool that the Wrangler is sort of quick; we’re just saying that a four-cylinder diesel would really hit the spot-you listening, Jeep?

Least expensive version: LX, $29,590

The new Pacifica is a sweet-driving people mover with a smooth ride and secure handling. Better still, a 287-hp V-6 is standard even on the base LX trim level. (Chrysler is now also offering a plug-in-hybrid iteration that adds electrification to a lower-output version of the same V-6 engine.) The 3.6-liter six’s oomph helps scoot the Pacifica along smartly, and the quickest Pacifica we’ve tested hit 60 mph in 7.3 seconds.

Least expensive version: SE FWD, $28,220

Believe it or not, but the Taurus comes standard with a 288-hp 3.5-liter V-6 and offers customers a 240-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine as an extra-cost upgrade. Stick with the more powerful V-6, which posts slightly worse fuel economy than the available turbo four, for maximum Taurus punch.

Least expensive version: LX V-6 FWD, $29,885

Kia’s Sorento SUV comes standard with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder, but the available 290-hp 3.3-liter V-6 is a must buy if you plan on getting places with a minimum of frustration and maximum haste. To nab the relatively silky six, you’ll need to skip the $26,295 L trim level and slightly more expensive LX and head straight for the $29,885 LX V-6 with front-wheel drive. You’ll thank us.

Least expensive version: SE RWD, $29,090

Now we’re getting warmer! Having subjected you, dear reader, to minivans and crossovers with mildly eyebrow-raising horsepower figures, we now present something fun: the Dodge Charger! This mean-looking four-door sedan sports a 292-hp 3.6-liter V-6 engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission as standard equipment. Sure, there’s a 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 on the options sheet, but don’t forget that the Charger is rear-wheel drive (all-wheel drive is available, but it's over our $30,000 price cap), meaning that, even with the V-6, the Charger is capable of a burnout or the occasional tail slide. As a bonus, the big sedan with the V-6 is EPA rated at up to 30 mpg on the highway.

Least expensive version: Limited Platinum with V-6, $27,700

Chrysler’s 200 sedan goes on the chopping block later in 2017, but for now the sleek four-door is still for sale and still offers buyers a 295-hp 3.6-liter V-6 engine. A 184-hp 2.4-liter four is standard, but there’s something deliciously wrong about 295 ragin’ Mopar ponies whipping through the front wheels of a mainstream sedan. To tap this spice, you’ll need to spring for the $25,705 Limited Platinum trim level and then add another $1995 for the V-6. For a little more money-and a leap over our price cap-you can rein in that engine with all-wheel drive.

Least expensive version: LS, $29,270

Just as the Ford Taurus is a big sedan with a standard V-6 with horsepower scaled to match, so is the Chevrolet Impala. Only, unlike the Ford, the Chevy crests the 300-hp mark (by five ponies!).

Least expensive version: SXT, $28,285

The only thing shared by the Dodge Challenger and the Chevrolet Impala, besides their identical horsepower figures, is size. Both the two-door Challenger and the four-door Impala are beefy machines. Of course, the Challenger looks a lot meaner than the Impala, and it looks nearly as mean as the far more powerful eight-cylinder Challenger variants. The Challenger also happens to be pretty fun and quick (for its size).

Least expensive version: Colorado Work Truck with extended cab, $26,055; Canyon SLE with extended cab, $26,930

Chevrolet’s mid-size Colorado, as well as its GMC-badged sibling, the Canyon, received a neat upgrade for 2017 in the form of a new eight-speed automatic transmission and a more powerful V-6 engine with 308 horsepower. The six and the new transmission come as a pair, offered as an extra-cost add-on on lower-spec Colorados and Canyons and standard fitment on the upper trims. The least expensive way to grab the new combo is via the Colorado’s spartan Work Truck trim, as applied to the extended-cab body style with rear-wheel drive, for an out-the-door total of $26,055.

Least expensive version: EcoBoost Fastback, $26,820

As the first and only four-cylinder engine on this list, the Ford Mustang’s available turbocharged 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine is something of an outlier. Every other car here has either six or eight cylinders, yet the Mustang slots into the fifth-most-powerful spot by way of its 310-hp turbocharged four. That power figure is nice, but we wish the EcoBoost revved more freely and felt more Mustang-like, particularly given that the same engine-worked over heavily for even more power-pops and snorts with appropriate theater in the Focus RS hatchback. We also have seen acceleration numbers for EcoBoost-powered Mustangs fall all over the place, although the quickest zero-to-60-mph time we’ve recorded is a snappy 5.2 seconds. We should also mention that the base Mustang engine, a 300-hp V-6, is burly enough to qualify for a spot on this list as well, but we wanted to focus on the most powerful variant on sale for less than $30,000.

Least expensive version: LS, $28,395

As if, in this day and age, we needed further proof that muscle cars no longer need V-8s, we present Chevrolet’s six-cylinder Camaro as exhibit A. Eight-cylinder pony cars are now ludicrously quick, wondrously loud, and give off those nostalgic vibes like musk. The Camaro’s 335-hp 3.6-liter V-6, on the other hand, is a mere $1495 option on the $26,900 entry-level LS model and replaces the standard turbocharged four-cylinder engine. (In direct opposition to Ford, Chevrolet makes its pony car’s V-6 optional and the turbo four standard.) In our testing, the V-6 has proven plenty quick and plenty capable of making sweet noises, especially with the optional dual-mode exhaust system. Add the Camaro’s sharp handling, and you have a package that not only sparkles as one of the most powerful cars under $30,000, but one of the best, period.

Least expensive version: Work Truck with regular cab and short bed, $29,975

It is fitting that-spoiler alert!-the top three most powerful cars available for less than $30,000 would be full-size pickup trucks optioned with V-8 engines. Trucks are still fairly cheap on the entry-level end (at the top end, well, not so much), and their engines by design need to be powerful and up to the task of hauling. In the Chevrolet Silverado, that task is accomplished by the base 1500 model’s Work Truck trim level with the $1195 355-hp 5.3-liter V-8 engine option. You can get this package for less than $30,000, as long as you’re fine with two-wheel drive, a two-door regular cab, and the shortest bed option available. Its corresponding GMC Sierra model is priced at $30,695, just out of the running for this list.

Least expensive version: XL with regular cab and short bed, $29,330

Ford narrowly misses the top spot on this list by a mere 10 horsepower. The F-150’s optional 5.0-liter V-8 puts out a mighty 385 horsepower-10 more, in fact, than the even pricier 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 EcoBoost engine. One must just crest the $30,000 mark to get that twin-turbo engine, however, which is why only the old-school naturally aspirated V-8 makes this list. As on the Chevrolet Silverado, nabbing the big engine for under our price cap requires buyers to resist moving beyond a base XL model with the regular cab, short bed, and two-wheel drive.