10 Best Cars for 2023 (Under $50,000)

This story only revolves around passenger vehicles, meaning that no crossover, SUV, and pickup has found its way to the list, and thank goodness for that, as there are simply too many high-riders out there in my opinion. Should you favor those instead of the traditional two-, four- or five-door machines, then you can also click on this link, though preferably after checking out these rides.

The list may be somewhat subjective, as what you probably consider to be a good deal may have been a ‘no-no’ for me, hence why it didn’t make its way here, and it is in random order. Nonetheless, it does comprise rides from premium brands, as well as other vehicles, and obviously muscle cars, because it’s what I’d get on a $50K budget. So, let’s kick it with the premium establishment.

Over at BMW, it is the 3 Series that would get my money. The 330i sedan has an MSRP of $43,800, and should you opt for the rear-biased all-wheel drive version, then you’re looking at a minimum of $45,800. Both use a 2.0-liter four-pot with 255 horsepower and feature numerous gizmos as standard. In Mercedes’ stable, you can get the C-Class from $43,550 with RWD, and $45,550 with AWD. It is equally powerful to the Bimmer in the C 300 configuration and brags about doing the 0-60 mph (0-97 kph) in 6.0 seconds. At $40,300, the 261-hp Audi A4 45 TFSI is the most affordable one here.

Next up, we are going to put the hypothetical spotlight on muscle cars. As everyone and their grandmother knows, there are three models here, made by Ford, Chevrolet, and Dodge, namely the Mustang, Camaro, and Challenger respectively. At the time of writing, the Dearborn company’s model was listed from $43,045 for the GT Premium Fastback, with its 450-hp 5.0-liter V8. The Camaro 1SS has an MSRP of $39,600, and it packs a 455-hp 6.2-liter V8, and the Challenger R/T Scat Pack, with its 485-hp HEMI V8, can be had from $46,940.

Are you one of those people who’d rather have a Caddy than anything else? Well, you’re in luck, because there are a few models within this price range, including the 325-hp CT4-V, which starts at $46,595. Should you settle for the slightly bigger CT5, then you are looking at a minimum of $38,195, which would leave you around $10,000 to decide on what optional extras it should sport.

Over the last decades, Toyota has become synonymous to reliability, though we all know that it is only for a few specific models, and most of them are not in production anymore. Therefore, we are going to focus on the Japanese company’s current lineup, which is vast when it comes to passenger vehicles, and that made it tricky to pick a single model. Nonetheless, the title goes to the GR Supra for the simple fact that I like it, and that, as a freshly divorced middle-aged man, who has no kids, it has all the room I need. It starts at $43,540, but I’d fork out more for the 3.0-liter model, which can be ordered from $52,500.

There is only one last spot open, and I gave it a good thought as to what model it deserves. After reminding myself that brands such as Hyundai, Honda, Mazda, and Volkswagen still exist, I decided to stop at Alfa Romeo. And you already know the car, don’t you? Why, of course you do, as it is none other than the Giulia. The Italian sports sedan made under the close watch of Stellantis uses a 280-hp 2.0-liter four-banger with rear-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission in between and could be yours from $46,980 in the RWD Ti trim level.

I also gave it a thought as to which one I’d go for, and I’d be choosing both with my mind and my heart. Therefore, there is only one model that would get my seal of approval, and it hasn’t made it to the list because it is a bit more expensive than the $50,000 cap. It is the BMW 5 Series, in the 530i Sedan configuration, which has an MSRP of $56,000, 248 hp on tap from a 2.0-liter gasoline burner, and is more comfortable than any other vehicle mentioned here.

That said, which one would you go for and why? And while you’re at it, which model would you have added to the list? Drop a line below and let us know.