(Daily Mail) A price cap of $65,000 might appear arbitrary when considering performance cars, but it’s the sweet spot for drivers to find some of the most compelling options.
Above such a figure, buyers quickly run into six-figure territory with little to no meaningful gain in vehicle performance.
At the other end of the scale, cars priced below such a benchmark price might offer solid entry-level features, but ultimately fall short in delivering high-end performance.
With such a balance in mind, Edmunds has curated a list of the five best performance cars you can buy for around $65,000.
The selection represents the pinnacle of performance without tipping into exorbitant pricing:
The Audi RS 3 is a small sedan with a big attitude, especially at this price with plenty of room in the back even for 6-footers
Audi RS 3 – Starting manufacturer’s suggested retail price: $63,395
If you’re old enough to remember motorsports in the 1980s then you know why the RS 3´s five-cylinder engine is special.
It was a five-cylinder that powered Audi’s greatest motorsport effort ever, the Sport Quattro, which won the brand four World Rally Championship titles.
The RS 3 relives that glory with a turbocharged 401-horsepower 2.5-liter five-cylinder linked to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that routes power to all four wheels.
It snorts and pops its way to a 0-60 mph time under 4 seconds while maintaining livable daily comfort, excellent tech, and room for 6-footers in the back seat.
It’s a small sedan with a big attitude, especially at this price.
The 2024 RS 3 costs $63,395. Based on the A3 compact sedan, the RS 3 has a special 401-horsepower five-cylinder engine.
BMW M2 – Starting MSRP: $66,075
With 473 horsepower from a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine, a tidy coupe body style, and your choice of a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission, the 2025 M2 checks all the small-car hot-rod boxes.
In Edmunds´ testing, an automatic-equipped 2024 M2 – which had 20 fewer horsepower – hit 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and cleared the quarter mile in 11.6 seconds.
The M2 is also a driver’s car with textbook rear-wheel-drive handling, an electronically controlled limited-slip differential, and purposeful flared fenders stretched over performance rubber.
Perhaps best of all, the M2 matches its bigger sibling, the M4, in most performance metrics using a smaller, lighter and less costly package.
