10 Used Performance Sedans You Can Buy For Roughly Half The Price Of The 2025 2 Series Gran Coupe

With the recent release of the new 2025 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe, it’s easy to find yourself yearning for some four-door performance. However, if you don’t have the near-$50,000 to cover an entry-level 2025 2 Series Gran Coupe, feelings of FOMO may overcome you. However, CarBuzz is here to ease your despair.

You don’t have to look far, or dial back the years too much, to find a litany of fast and affordable hot sedans to purchase. In fact, you can even say you’d be spoiled for choice if your budget is even just half of what a new 2 Series Gran Coupe costs. Let’s take a look at what $25k or less can buy you these days, we bet it’ll be a bit more than you may have initially thought. Not to mention, you won’t have to deal with the new 2 Series Gran Coupe’s suspiciously Kia-like looks.

The following entries were chosen based on their fair purchase price with market average mileage, courtesy of Kelley Blue Book. Of course, if we’ve missed your favorite, we do apologize.

10 2017 Audi S4

Average Used Market Price: $15,496

The first and cheapest performance sedan on our list is the 2017 Audi S4. The S4 sits right in the middle of the Audi A4’s lineup, between the pedestrian A4 and the hardcore RS4. This means you’ve got the best of both worlds, you’re not subject to the piddly 252 horsepower offered on the A4, but you’re going to skip out on the harsh ride and uncomfortable seats found in the RS4. For just over $15k, you can have yourself a well-sorted middleman, something which can get you home from work in relative comfort, but can also tear up some back roads when the mood strikes you.

9 2015 Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG

Average Used Market Price: $19,054

Next up is another German, the 2015 Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG. This one’s got a V8 in it, so you know it’s the one you’d want. While the C63 S AMG offers more power, its price is much higher, and, in our opinion, the extra 34 horses isn’t worth the near-$5,000 price increase. But, to each his own. You’re still getting nearly 470 horses and a four-second-flat 0-60 MPH time with the regular C 63 AMG for less than $20k on average. That’s a winner in our book. Just look out for loose and rattling interior panels, as it’s a prevalent issue on the W204-gen C 63 AMGs.

8 2015 Jaguar XFR

Average Used Market Price: $19,058

One of the cars with the best power-to-money ratios on our list is the 2015 Jaguar XFR. Unfortunately, Jaguar still suffers from its age-old and now-undeserved reputation for being unreliable. However, it’s fortunate for those who want a fast Jag, as they’re relatively cheap these days. 550 horses for less than $20k is a great deal for us. Not to mention, the 5.0-liter Jaguar AJ V8 is a reliable peach, especially when teamed with a supercharger. Be sure to check that moveable dial shifter, as they can get stuck in the console from time to time.

7 2020 Subaru WRX

Average Used Market Price: $19,107

Next up is the daddy of the tuner circles, the Subaru WRX, or the “Rex” as it’s affectionately known as. Not only is it a tuner car darling, it’s also a formidable World Rally Championship great, with decades of Subaru rally experience backing it up. This is best seen in its Symmetrical All-WHeel Drive system, which, of course, was bred in rallying. You can pick up a used Rex for relatively cheap, with many 2020 models going for less than $20k. Be careful if you’re going to tune it, though, as these motors don’t take kindly to making too much more boost than stock.

6 2020 Honda Civic Si

Average Used Market Price: $20,348

The Honda Civic Si can be called one of the Subaru WRX’s competitors, although it doesn’t sport the all-wheel drive or the rally pedigree of the Rex. Regardless, the Si enjoys much of its own fame due to the history behind the Si denomination. Some regard the 10th-gen Civic Si to be the best looking one to ever exist, as the current 11th-gen leaves some to be desired regarding its looks. The 1.5-liter Earth Dreams unit powering the 2020 Si is adequate, and its six-speed manual transmission is well-sorted and easy to live with.

5 2019 Ford Taurus SHO

Average Used Market Price: $20,384

A performance sedan that may not get the recognition it deserves is the Ford Taurus SHO. Its power comes courtesy of a 3.5-Liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V6, and it also boasts all-wheel drive, making for great traction in the dry and in the wet or snow. There are loads of tuning companies which take on the Taurus SHO thanks to its 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine, meaning you can take those 365 horses and, potentially, make much more with just a simple tune and bolt-on mods. For just over $20k, the 2019 Taurus SHO seems like a great deal to us.

4 2012 Cadillac CTS-V

Average Used Market Price: $20,752

Next is one of the most sought-after American performance sedans, the Cadillac CTS-V. These days, the CTS-V still fetches a pretty penny, but you can still get one that’s not too old for roughly half that of a new BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe. For just under $21k, you’ll receive a thumping great, supercharged GM LSA V8 and the option to have a manual transmission, something Cadillacs of yore would lose their lunches over. But, as the saying goes, “the future is now, old man.”

3 2019 Dodge Charger R/T

Average Used Market Price: $21,613

One of the last American sedans which offers a V8 makes our list, the 2019 Dodge Charger R/T equipped with the 5.7-liter HEMI V8. Most of you may know the Charger didn’t start off as a sedan back in the mid-1960s, but rather a big, fast, and loud coupe. The modern Charger is a sedan, but its bold and brash roots are still present, especially when it’s equipped with one of Dodge’s HEMI V8s. If you’re after one with V8 power, you can find loads of examples for just over $20k which are only five or so years old with reasonable mileage.

2 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP

Average Used Market Price: $22,865

The penultimate model to grace our list is an older one, but it still exudes enough youthful vigor to put a big smile on your face for much less than that new 2 Series Gran Coupe. It’s the Pontiac G8, more specifically, the GXP model which boasts a 415-horse General Motors LS3 V8, an engine which was also installed within the Chevrolet Camaro SS and the Holden Commodore. In essence, the G8 GXP was a simple muscle car with four doors, so you and your children in the back can enjoy that LS3 in comfort.

1 2022 Volkswagen Jetta GLI

Average Used Market Price: $22,935

Last on our list is also our newest entry, the 2022 VW Jetta GLI. The Jetta GLI has been around for a few decades now, and is the highest-performance version of the famous sedan offered. These days, you can pick up a used GLI for much less than new. Because you can find examples just a couple of years old, you could even pick up a GLI with a certified pre-owned warranty, meaning it’s – almost – as good as buying a new one. It’s also one of the better-looking hot, affordable sedans out there these days.

Sources:
CadillacForums.com