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

It’s nearly impossible for anyone to be happy with the car market’s current state. New cars seem to be out of reach for most prospective buyers. It’s telling that the average transaction price for a new cars have been over $50,000 for the last ten months in a row. While we might spend our downtime window shopping the used car market, it doesn’t hurt to fantasize about what it would be like to realistically buy a new car today.

We asked our readers earlier this week what new car they would buy with a $50,000 budget. While the responses featured a wide range of vehicles, one car came up repeatedly; the Ford Mustang GT, which starts at $48,555. While the pony car ethos is meant to be about affordable power in a relatively compact package, the Mustang has also fallen prey to performance and price creep. The Mustang GTD is clad in carbon fiber, fitted with active aerodynamics and costs over $325,000. However, today is not a day for six-figure sports cars.

Rivian R2. Comes in at just under 50K, looks good and isn’t as large as the R1, but still has plenty of functionality. If possible to get either the dual motor or extended battery pack for $50K, I’ll go that route.

Submitted by: Drg84

Kia EV6 Wind AWD (top trim). Kia currently has a minus $13,600 lease offer, so the total amount financed (including fees, destination, etc.) comes out to $42,895.

I love Hyundai/Kia’s safety features, such as the blind-spot cameras, which display in the dash cluster.

I currently drive a 2022 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid, and I’ve figured that my next vehicle someday will be an EV – once EVs have fallen in price (due to new battery chemistries, solid-state batteries, etc.). The Kia EV6 seems to be the best EV that falls within the $50k price range.

Meanwhile, the EV9 Wind AWD comes out to $51,595 after minus $14,600 lease offer, so maybe I can bargain the dealership salesperson to take $1,595 off somehow.

My ideal vehicle would be a lifted station wagon, with enough ground clearance to clear light flooding (several inches deep) and moderately heavy snow, but a low enough center of gravity that it doesn’t feel like a swaying, clumsy boat. I hate the way my wife’s Nissan Rogue sways when it turns, so I’d rather have a lifted sedan or station wagon than a top-heavy SUV. Or at least a plain (non-lifted) station wagon. Unfortunately, station wagons don’t seem to exist anymore.

Submitted by: Michael Makovi

If I can get a Giulia for under $50k new, I would take that.

Otherwise, none of them. I drive manual for my sports cars – no desirable ones are within budget, and no other commuter appeals to me whatsoever.

Submitted by: ChaosphereVIII

Do I get $50,000 CAD, or do I convert $50,000 USD to CAD, giving me $68,107?

$50,000 would get me into a new Outback Wilderness (I can come up with the other $2000). Lots of room for gear, dual X-Mode is so much better than people understand, it’ll tow a rafting/kayak trailer, and if need be, I can sleep in it.

For $68,107, I’d be into a GR Supra 6MT so fast it would make your head spin. I don’t care that it’s a BMW under the skin. I love this car. I’ve seen a few around town (it’s rarer than Porsche 911s here), and they turn my head every time. In the absence of being able to afford a Porsche 718, this looks and feels perfect for me.

Submitted by: JohnnyWasASchoolBoy

Gotta be a VW Golf R all day, every day. It’s still the Swiss Army Knife of cars, it can do just about anything you want it to do and still give good reliability and performance. The lack of manual on the new ones is a bummer, but I bet there are still a couple NOS manuals kicking around waiting to be snapped up. They come in good colors, the seats are super comfortable and all the options you need and want are included. Easy choice.

Submitted by: Mike

I don’t have to worry about a rear-facing car seat anymore, and my son can buckle himself into the car seat, so I’m going Mustang GT with the manual transmission. I know it’s not a GREAT manual, but still. I’d love to be able to get the GT Performance Pack, but that’s about $55k brand new.

Submitted by: MrMcGeeIn3D

Nissan Z. Everyone seems to hate the Z, but it’s growing on me. Manual, rear wheel drive and Turbo. Currently, I’m driving an MX-5, so it would give me some extra room.

Submitted by: Joe Joe

Enthusiast pick: Nissan Z, I’ve seen some performance models advertised new just under 50.
Practical pick: Mercedes-Benz CLA 350 EV
Right now, I’m probably picking practical.

Submitted by: Connor Paull

I would put my money where my mouth is and buy the 2026-7 Subaru Forester Wilderness.

I may be the only person from here to Autopia that likes the way it looks, but I would definitely own one of those.

Submitted by: tallestdwarf