These Are The New Cars You Would Buy With A $50,000 Budget

Collin Woodard

July 27, 2023 at 8:00 AM·8 min read

Wages have generally risen over the last couple of years, but for a lot of people, that hasn’t been much help at a time when the average transaction price of a new car is so close to $50,000. For many, that’s more than they make in a year and far more than they could ever justify spending on a vehicle. But at the same time, there’s no reason we can’t window shop. Just because $50,000 is an absurd amount of money to spend on a car doesn’t mean we can’t think about what we’d buy if we could.

On Tuesday, we asked you what new car you would buy if you had up to $50,000 to spend and got far too many answers to possibly include here. Although we also got more than a few people who suggested cars that cost more than $50,000, and all of you should be ashamed of yourselves. Just kidding. Anyone with that kind of budget in the real world can definitely afford to spend a few thousand more to get the car they really want. But for the purposes of this slideshow, we only went with suggestions with MSRPs that are less than $50,000.

Toyota Sienna

Do we have to include dealer mark up?
Because without it, it would be a Toyota Sienna XLE with the carpeting replaced with vinyl mats and the center seats removed.
If we have to consider the local Dealer add on, Maybe a Corollacross LE if I get a salesman that will deal with m?

Dealer markups are so variable, why bother thinking about it? This is supposed to be a fun hypothetical, not an exercise in misery. Enjoy that Toyota Sienna you just pretend-bought. Minivans rock.

Suggested by: hoser68

Toyota GR86

I occasionally have to restrain myself from throwing caution (and my retirement savings) to the wind and grabbing a Toyota GR86. Now that my kid is old enough to ride in the front seat, rear seats are optional. Unfortunately, the kid plays cello, so something like a Miata is out of the question, but the tiny rear would be the perfect place to store the instrument while still leaving the trunk unencumbered for a bachelor’s-size grocery run. With the balance of the money left over I would invest in some winter tires for the snowy Midwest winters and window tinting for the hot Midwest summers.

Several commenters picked the GR86, and we don’t blame them. It says a lot about what Toyota delivered that people would go with a car that starts below $30,000 when they have a hypothetical $50,000 budget.

Suggested by: paradsecar

Volvo V60

Base starts at 48K.

Man, these things are so pretty. Does anyone have $50,000 they can offer to an automotive journalist in need of a gorgeous station wagon? Asking for a friend, obviously, but maybe not.

Suggested by: ArtistAtLarge

Chevrolet Camaro SS

I’d pick up another SS 1LE before they go away
Maybe a Mustang, but it pops over 50k once you add the performance pack and active exhaust, and that doesn’t even get you Magneride or Recaros. Gotta bump up to Premium and you’re spending $58k just for that..

It’s such a shame that Chevrolet made the designers do that to the Camaro’s front end. It really is a fantastic driver’s car.

Suggested by: Laststandard

Cadillac CT4-V

CT4-V (non-Blackwing) A 2.7L turbo 325 hp sports sedan. I got a kid and a dog so I need four doors but both are about 8 years old and 60 lbs.
These have been almost forgotten about because of the lack of manual option but it’s a four door Camaro you can see out of, where do I sign?

Sadly, the Blackwing starts at just over $60,000, but 325 hp is still plenty of horsepower. We say you deserve your four-door Camaro.

Suggested by: Carbon Fiber Sasquatch

Hyundai Elantra N

The car I actually want is just over $50k, so I’m going to Be Different and go with this bucket of monkeys right here:
I’ve never been able to drive one, but when I watch other people drive them, I can tell they are having way more fun than they expect to be. Their words say, “i’d rather have a CTR” but their face tells me this is their true friend.
The fact that it looks as stupid as I drive just adds to the appeal. Absolutely nobody is going to be surprised to see one of those do a burnout at every single opportunity.
If I’m allowed, I’ll spend the remaining 10-15k on anime stickers.

Saying the Elantra N is more fun than a Civic Type R is a bit of a stretch, but it’s far closer than it should be considering the price difference. And yes, you’re allowed to spend your remaining budget on anime stickers.

Suggested by: put-some-turbo-on-meeeee

It’s Hard To Choose

GR Corolla, Type R Civic, Golf GTI, Nissan Z
1st Gen Dodge Viper with low miles almost qualifies as new

The first-generation Dodge Viper wasn’t even new when it rolled off the production line, Bob. But yeah, Viper aside, those are some solid picks, so it makes sense that it’s hard to decide.

Suggested by: Bob

Mazda 3 Hatchback

A fully loaded Mazda 3 Hatchback with a manual transmission with money left over for PPF, extended warranties, and whatever. It’s one of the few desirable, attainable cars on sale that still feels “normal” and could conceivably last me 10 years or 200,000 miles.

Rear visibility, schmear visibility. Set your mirrors up right, and that’s way less of a concern. What’s much more important is the fact that the Mazda 3 is gorgeous and is close to being a perfect daily driver.

Suggested by: Aldairion

Polestar 2

I think the Polestar 2 would qualify. Barely.

It does indeed barely qualify, but it qualifies, and that’s all that matters here. Unlike, say, the Tesla Model 3 Performance, which, at $53,240, does not start below the $50,000 mark.

Suggested by: stiggums

Either/Or

My left brain wants this: [photo of a Ford Mustang]
My right brain wants this: [photo of a Hyundai Ioniq 5]

Imagine going back in time to the day you learned the 2011 Ford Mustang GT would get a 5.0-liter V8 that made more than 400 hp and trying to explain to yourself that in 2023, even though you still want a Mustang, you’d also consider getting an electric Hyundai instead.

Suggested by: Earthbound Misfit I

Lexus ES

[photo of Lexus ES]

It may not be the coolest car out there, but it’s hard to beat the Lexus ES’s blend of comfort, features and reliability. Plus gas mileage if you get the ES 300h. And if you’re buying an ES, why wouldn’t you buy the hybrid?

Suggested by: EveryCarHasIssues

Audi S3

A blue Audi S3 with all the bells and whistles, that’s all I need.

You probably won’t have enough left over to add all the bells and whistles to an S3, but do you really need a Bang & Olufsen sound system or a head-up display when you have more than 300 hp to play with? Definitely not.

Suggested by: Margin Of Error

Dodge Challenger R/T

I’ve always had a sweet spot for the Challenger R/T. Yeah they are crude, built with the precision of drunk stoners, are obnoxiously loud, and you’ll probably be carjacked if you wander into a bad zip code. But they are a blast to drive and they’ll be alongside the dinosaurs one day soon.

It really is amazing how much mileage Dodge has gotten out of the current Challenger design. The entire cost of development had to have been paid off a decade ago, and yet, it’s still going strong. Challengers may lose to Mustangs and Camaros at the track, but they’re still stupidly fun to drive. Annoyingly, Dodge doesn’t have a current press photo of a Challenger R/T, so enjoy this pic of a Hellcat.

Suggested by: Kickplate

Honda Civic Si

I would add everything in the package and accessory column that I wouldn’t have since I now have a bigger budget. Plenty left over to cover tax and years worth of gas, maintenance, registration, & insurance.
Or that base Volvo V60 that someone else already mentioned.

It makes sense that the Volvo V60 would tug at your heartstrings, but sticking with the Civic Si is probably the smarter move with your hypothetical money. Maybe add a Hondata tune in addition to all the other packages and accessories?

Suggested by: You’llBeSleepingWithTheFilet-O-Fishes

Chevrolet Colorado Trail Boss

Colorado trail boss. And whatever is left over would go into a bed (or bed rack) mounted tent/ camper.
Maybe the sand or green color.

Technically, you could get a Colorado ZR2 since it starts below $50,000, but you get extra points for picking the more practical Trail Boss instead. Although, that tent you buy with the leftover money better be real nice if you’re spending more than $10,000 on it.

Suggested by: chewymilk