Best Cars Under $60K

The fact that the Audi A5 still looks fresh and modern four years after its last significant update is a tribute to this timeless design. Returning for 2025 in just the sleek-looking four-door hatchback Audi calls Sportback, the iconic grille with the swept-back headlights and sculpted hood continues to give this midsize luxury model a strong presence. However, there are rumors that an all-new design is coming in the next year or so.

Audi dropped the two-door coupe and cabriolet body styles this year, leaving the Sportback with its turbocharged powerplant driving all four wheels with the brand’s legendary quattro all-wheel-drive system. Power is good for a car at this price, and the A5 delivers an excellent blend of handling and ride comfort. Buyers looking for a sportier option can also consider the higher-performance S5 and RS 5 Sportback models.

Without the A5 coupe and cabrio models, the Audi has fewer direct competitors. The BMW 4 Series is still available as a coupe, convertible, or four-door, so potential A5 buyers should look closely at the BMW as well. The Cadillac CT4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class are also good options, but overall, the Audi A5 remains a well-balanced and desirable choice.

The BMW 5 Series is the German automaker's midsize sedan offering, slotting between the compact 3 Series and full-size 7 Series. The 5 Series was redesigned for the 2024 model year, but the rear-wheel-drive plug-in version was dropped from the lineup. This year, the 550e xDrive plug-in hybrid arrives in showrooms. It represents an intriguing middle ground between the mild hybrid four- and six-cylinder models and the all-electric BMW i5, which is reviewed separately. Not only is the 550e more fuel-efficient, but it also delivers an impressive 483 horsepower. If that's not enough, there is also the high-performance BMW M5 (also reviewed separately) with an incredible 717 hp.

All 5 Series variants adhere to an underlying performance focus that has defined the model since its 1972 debut. This is especially true when comparing it to the more opulent and comfortable Mercedes-Benz E-Class, redesigned last year. Meanwhile, the aging Audi A6 balances performance and comfort equally.

While all these sedans have their merits, the 5 Series stands out for its spacious trunk. Its infotainment system, while comprehensive, may be overwhelming for the less tech-savvy. However, even with these minor drawbacks, the 2025 BMW 5 Series remains a top recommendation in this class. The good news is, you can't go wrong with any of these choices.

One of the newest models in the Mercedes-Benz lineup, the stylish CLE (Coupe and Cabriolet) was designed to take the best attributes of the two models it replaced: the two-door variants of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Similar in length to the E-Class Coupe and Cabriolet, the Mercedes CLE has sleek lines and an elegant interior that boasts the brand’s latest high-tech features.

The 2025 CLE is offered in three performance levels, each with a modern mild-hybrid powertrain and standard Mercedes' 4Matic all-wheel drive. The base-level CLE 300 gets a turbo four-cylinder engine that puts out 255 horsepower, matching that of the BMW 4 Series. A turbocharged six-cylinder rated at 375 hp powers the CLE 450, while the top-level AMG CLE 53 bumps up to 443 hp, delivering performance similar to the BMW M4 and Audi S5.

No matter which powerplant you choose, the CLE features a premium interior with high-quality materials throughout. Newly developed front sport seats are available with heating, cooling, and massage features. The seats also get integrated speakers for the standard premium audio system. An 11.9-inch vertical touchscreen displays the latest MBUX infotainment system, complemented by the 12.3-inch digital driver’s display and available head-up display.

While two-door coupes and convertibles have become a rarity in today’s market, the Mercedes-Benz CLE is an ideal example with a luxurious, comfortable cabin, usable rear seat, and excellent driving dynamics. It holds its own against its BMW 4 Series/M4 and Audi A5/S5 rivals.

Like generations before, the 2025 Ford Mustang adheres to a straightforward formula: big engine, rear-wheel drive, and attainable price tag. The rest pretty much takes care of itself. Ford issued a new version of the Mustang in 2024, called the S650 internally, and it returns for the 2025 model year mostly unchanged. Up front, you get either a turbocharged four-cylinder engine or a big V8. You can get convertible versions and fastback coupe versions. And you can also get high-performance versions, called Dark Horse, with serious power.

Base versions of the 2025 Mustang start in the low-$30,000 range, making this an attractive proposition for budget-friendly folks who still want fun to come standard. Of course, nostalgia is paramount. The Mustang was the original "pony car," debuting in 1964 and followed shortly after by competition from the Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger. Today, the Camaro and Challenger have been canceled, leaving the Mustang the only American pony car still available.

And its stable keeps growing — new for 2025; there's a 60th Anniversary Edition model in a revived blue paint color with extra body graphics and equipment. There's also an 800-horsepower supercar version called the Mustang GTD, though it isn't reviewed here because it's practically a different vehicle altogether.

Today, the Mustang has a modern and comfortable interior. The back seat is still small, but it has comfortable seats and a smooth, calm demeanor on the highway. The technology is also good, with vivid and responsive screens to control its many functions. That nod toward the future, while still clearly influenced by the past, continues to draw new customers to the Mustang each year.

Hyundai's Ioniq 6 electric sedan picked up steam in 2024, and the company has decided to leave a good thing virtually unchanged for 2025. The streamlined, midsize four-door offers an alternative to SUVs and boxy crossovers, along with a range — up to 342 miles in front-wheel-drive models — that few competitors in its reasonable price range can match.

The Ioniq 6 shares its platform and powertrain with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 electric crossover, but its styling cuts down on interior space, especially in the rear seating area. Cargo capacity is lower than in the boxy, SUV-styled Ioniq 5 as well.

Sedans have fallen out of favor in the U.S., so the Ioniq 6 has few direct rivals. Competition includes the Tesla Model 3 sedan, Ford Mustang Mach-E coupe-like crossover, Polestar 2 hatchback sedan, and BMW i4 sedan. Overall, the Ioniq 6 is longer than any other electric sedan in its price range, and only the wider and taller Mach-E has more total passenger space. The Hyundai also falls short in cargo space and horsepower but still has plenty of oomph and a more comfortable, composed ride than most of the competition.

The only other drawback is that as a Korean-built car, the Ioniq 6 doesn't qualify for a federal income tax credit while the Mustang Mach-E and Model 3, its two North American-built competitors, do. That means both cost less when the tax credit is applied. Other potential rivals cost more and, like the Hyundai, don't qualify for the federal tax credit because they are built overseas.

If this were a BMW or Mercedes, we’d be talking about the 2025 Audi S3 as just one of three different versions of a “Series” or “Class.” Audi gives its various versions separate names, though, so here we are talking about the S3 separately. If you don’t need or want something as racy (or expensive), read our Audi A3 review. If you want something even racier, check out the Audi RS 3.

Like its siblings, the S3 is a small sedan; smaller in fact than a Honda Civic. This will obviously be an issue for some as the back seat’s headroom is tight, legroom is merely serviceable, and the trunk is tiny for a sedan. But let’s not operate under the assumption that bigger is automatically better. Not everyone needs a limo’s worth of space. The S3’s diminutive size is a big reason that it’s such an agile and engaging car. It would lose a lot if it packed on pounds and inches. Besides, it’s much more practical than the two-door BMW 2 Series.

The S3 is also more luxurious than similarly priced sport compacts such as the mechanically related Volkswagen Golf R, or Honda’s Civic Type R. Interior quality is far superior, with better materials and construction throughout. The S3’s cabin may not be the most overtly luxurious in appearance (it almost seems inspired by an ‘80s Sci-Fi aesthetic), but you don’t have to look, touch, or even smell very long to realize that you’re getting a more upper-crust experience.

Of course, the same can be said of the cheaper A3. What you’re getting with the 2025 Audi S3 is superior performance, which increases this year thanks to an injection of power (the S3 has a best-in-class 0-60-mph estimate), a reworked transmission, and chassis elements brought over from the RS 3. Its torque-vectoring all-wheel drive is the big ticket item, and it definitely makes the S3 more appealing and less likely that you’ll feel compelled to splurge on the RS 3. Either way, Audi’s family of small sedans is well-made and fun. You can’t go wrong.

The BMW i4 represents a pretty simple concept when it comes to EVs: Take an existing gasoline-powered vehicle and swap out the powertrain for batteries and electric motors. The 2025 BMW i4 shares its looks, inside and out, with the gas-powered 4 Series Gran Coupe and it offers many of the same features. The i4’s driving characteristics are similar, too, with a sporty feel and available high-performance trims for extra thrills. Unfortunately, the shared architecture between the i4 and 4 Series means the i4 has limited cargo space, and no frunk for extra storage.

The i4 is available in several trim levels, with top models serving up 536 horsepower and blistering acceleration. Range estimates span from 276 to 310 miles depending on model. Inside, the i4 has all the BMW panache you’d expect, with a massive set of screens dominating the dashboard and high-quality materials throughout the cabin. Top trims, however, can get pretty pricey for the segment, so we recommend sticking to mid-level i4’s for the best value.

Rivals such as the Cadillac Lyriq and Mercedes-Benz EQE Sedan offer more space and practicality, along with a substantial increase in luxury, but the i4 is certainly more entertaining to drive. The Polestar 2 is also worth considering, with slightly lower prices than the i4, more cargo space, and similar range estimates.

Now into its third decade of production, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class has evolved into today's benchmark small luxury sedan. It gets just about everything right: performance, comfort, technology, as well as plush, premium feel and design. Regardless of trim level, the C-Class distills the luxury experience of Benz's flagship S-Class sedan into a compact footprint ideal for daily driving around cities and suburbs.

The C-Class starts with the 255-horsepower C 300 base trim, moves up to the C43 with about 60% more power, and peaks with the latest update, the mesmerizing C63 S E Performance. Introduced last year, the C63 is a plug-in hybrid that doesn't purport to offer any meaningful all-electric range (Mercedes has yet to announce a number), but instead combines gas and electric sources for an absurd 671 hp and mountains of low-end torque. While this C63 isn't as visceral as when it was governed by an equally over-clocked V8 engine, it remains atop the small luxe-sedan food chain.

While the C-Class sets the pace for the rest of the class, there are alternatives. The Audi A4, high-performance S4, and BMW 3 Series are the most comparable rivals to the C 300 and C43 trims. The Cadillac CT4 and CT4-V are more affordable homegrown options, but neither can match the Benz's overall quality and refinement. For now, the C63 outclasses even the mighty BMW M3. While the Benz lacks some of the agility and precision of these rivals, it delivers the most well-rounded experience of all.

One of the newest mainstream automotive brands in the U.S., Genesis brings a unique perspective as the only luxury car maker based in Korea. While it doesn’t have the cachet or history of better-known brands like Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, or Volvo, it offers an impressive lineup of SUVs and sedans, including the refreshed 2025 G80 midsize luxury sedan.

The G80 slots logically between the smaller G70 and flagship G90 sedans. It shares much of its underpinnings with the recently revised GV80 SUV. The all-electric Genesis Electrified G80 EV is reviewed separately and has not yet received the same updates as the gas-powered version.

With distinctive styling and a cabin replete with high-quality materials, the G80 competes directly with popular European models that include the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and Audi A6. Like other models from its parent company, Hyundai, the G80 is an excellent value, boasting prices lower than the competition while delivering an extensive standard feature list. To sweeten the deal, all Genesis models come with a 10-year/100,000-mile warranty, beating those competitors by a large margin.

The G80 is an even stronger offering with significant updates for the 2025 model year. Exterior styling improvements are subtle, with a revised version of the familiar grille and advanced LED headlights in the brand’s signature two-line motif.

However, the G80’s interior gets a more noticeable makeover with an all-new 27-inch touchscreen that elegantly incorporates driver and infotainment displays. The G80 is the first Genesis with standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. High-quality materials are found throughout the cabin, and the G80 has the latest advanced driver-assist features.

With two potent powertrains, full-time all-wheel drive, and available rear-wheel steering, the G80 delivers impressive performance, befitting this luxury sedan while still carrying its passengers in comfort. Handling and driveability are not quite the level of a BMW or Audi, but the 2025 Genesis G80 is an excellent option for buyers with a lower budget or who want to stand out.

The 2025 Acura TLX is a midsize luxury sedan that competes with rivals like the Audi A6, Cadillac CT5, and Genesis G70. The Acura represents a strong value in its class, with a well-built and stylish interior, impressive handling and power, and sleek exterior styling. Even on base trim levels, the TLX has a full suite of standard safety equipment, with all models receiving top safety scores. Under the hood, the standard TLX gets a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that puts out 272 horsepower, but for the sporting buyers, there’s the turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 that’s offered in the high-performance Type S. With either powertrain, the TLX feels confident and composed on twisty back roads while also being comfortable on long commutes.

Notably, the TLX is smaller than rivals such as the BMW 5 Series, so it has less rear legroom and trunk space. Competitors like the Lexus ES and Volvo S60 are offered with hybrid or plug-in hybrid powertrains, so the TLX falls behind a bit in terms of fuel economy.

The TLX was updated in 2024 with a new digital gauge cluster and a large 12.3-inch infotainment screen, which are crisp and easy to read, but the infotainment display is controlled by a center-console touchpad rather than a touchscreen. New users will need to take some time to acclimate to the system. Even with those minor drawbacks, the 2025 Acura TLX remains a solid choice among midsize luxury sedans, especially for buyers who value an engaging driving experience.