As enthusiasts, we want a car that delivers on all the fundamental modern expectations — basic human rights, if you will — while still providing sporty dynamics. BMW, like other German brands, has the secret to the formula. One of the cornerstones of the enthusiast car experience is a rear-wheel drive bias. Other key areas we don’t want to forget are agile handling, considerable power, and torque. Then there’s the luxury finish that the BMW brand does so well.
So, if you want refinement, accessible power, and sharp dynamics, buy a BMW. However, many enthusiasts like to think outside of the box, and this list of cars is for those kinds of enthusiasts. Each of the following five machines is an individual alternative to a specific BMW model. They each offer a similar power output, rear-wheel drive, and crucially, are more affordable than their Bavarian counterparts.
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2025 Cadillac CT4
MSRP: $35,600
There are only a handful of American-branded, gas-powered sedans still on sale in 2025 — notably the Cadillac CT5 and the Dodge Charger Six Pack. Then there’s this, the compact CT4, which goes up against stiff German competition. The Cadillac CT4 is a premium choice that, although lacking in the kind of ride quality or refinement offered by the German rivals, is a strong offering that can tempt buyers away from the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe. Its interior offers its own take on the crisp and minimalist layout favored by BMW, and the exterior does a good job of standing out in a more flamboyant way.
The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe is based on a front-wheel drive chassis with available all-wheel drive, but the CT4 is rear-drive, again with all-wheel drive available. Cadillac’s CT4 comes with two engines: a 2.0-liter four-cylinder or the 2.7-liter four for some trims. Even the base engine makes 237 horsepower, which is only four horsepower down on the BMW 228i. Crucially, the base CT4 is also $4,000 cheaper than the BMW. Both will make the commute interesting, but only one offers the kind of charisma that comes from the combination of American pride and flair.
Basic Specifications
|
Engine |
2.0-liter, turbocharged I4 |
|
Power |
237 hp |
|
Torque |
258 lb-ft |
|
0-60 MPH |
6.2 seconds |
2025 Lexus IS 300
MSRP: $41,830
Another model that competes in the cutthroat arena of compact executive sedans, this time going up against BMW’s own 3 Series. Still in the long-running third generation that has been going since 2013, the Lexus IS has been redesigned for 2026 with a restyled front fascia and features like a new 12.3-inch infotainment screen in the re-thought interior. The IS 300 four-cylinder and IS 500 F Sport with its V8 engine will also be dropped. For the time being, the 2025 Lexus IS is still a great entry-level compact exec to consider instead of the 3 Series.
So, what do you get for choosing the Lexus IS over the base 3 Series? Lexus’s crisp styling, a plush interior with features like power seats and dual-zone climate control, available heated/ventilated seats, and a price that undercuts the BMW 330i by around $5,000. The entry-level Lexus IS 300’s four-cylinder engine makes 241 horsepower – 14 horsepower less than the 330i – but can also be specified with rear- or all-wheel drive, just like the BMW. Reviews usually cite the slightly less engaging dynamics than you’d find in a BMW 3 Series, but the IS is a good all-rounder, trading instead on comfort. If the 2025 IS 300’s four-cylinder is underpowered for you, the 2026 IS 350 will come standard with the 311-horsepower V6.
Basic Specifications
|
Engine |
2.0-liter, turbocharged I4 |
|
Power |
241 hp |
|
Torque |
258 lb-ft |
|
0-60 MPH |
6.9 seconds |
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If you’re someone with M4 aspirations on a budget, these affordable performance cars should offer similar thrills for a whole lot less
2025 Genesis G70
MSRP: $43,450
Don’t dismiss the Genesis G70 as a curious cut-price, semi-luxury sedan that doesn’t deserve a second look when sportiness is required. The luxury compact sedan from Hyundai’s subbrand Genesis offers its own take on the executive sedan breed with genuinely original and attractive styling, a luxury interior with a 10.3-inch infotainment display, and a long list of standard features that even includes leatherette upholstery, heated seats, 19-inch wheels, hands-free trunk, adaptive cruise control, and more. Genesis’s G70 has an agile chassis that has proven to hold up even in the face of the German brands, while comfort isn’t forgotten either.
With all of these qualities, either the powertrain or the price has to let the side down, right? We can report that no, the G70 undercuts the equivalent base BMW 330i by $4,000 for the rear-wheel drive and optional all-wheel drive models. It also comes with a punchy four-cylinder, 2.5-liter turbocharged engine that offers up 300 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. That’s good enough for a 0–60 mph time in under six seconds, and Brembo brakes slow the whole thing down afterwards.
Basic Specifications
|
Engine |
2.5-liter, turbocharged I4 |
|
Power |
300 hp |
|
Torque |
311 lb-ft |
|
0-60 MPH |
5.9 seconds |
What I particularly appreciate about this car is that it’s not trying to be something else. It’s not trying to copy a German sedan, but rather presents itself as its own, elegantly styled and well-put-together South Korean offering.
2025 Toyota GR Supra
MSRP: $57,500
The Toyota GR Supra isn’t a sedan, but it is a cheaper rival to another key BMW model: the BMW Z4 roadster. They both share mechanical underpinnings, interior components, and, of course, powertrain features. What makes them fundamentally different is the Supra’s coupe design versus the Z4’s drop-top format, but the styling and chassis engineering are also geared towards a different kind of enthusiast. Despite sharing the BMW Z4 M40i’s 382-horsepower B58 inline-six engine, the GR Supra starts from $57,500, while the Z4 M40i begins negotiations at $68,400. Both can be ordered with a manual transmission, and both can hit 60 mph in similar times (about 3.5 seconds).
The Z4 is more expensive, more premium feeling inside, and has a less aggressive feel to its handling — it’s a grand tourer at heart. In contrast, Toyota’s GR Supra is a sports car at heart, forever in the shadow of the A80 Supra from the ’90s, but a great alternative to the Z4 with a more exciting attitude, and, incredibly, a price tag that leaves you with $11,000 in the bank for new tires and brakes. Both models are going away for 2026 and should be celebrated while they’re still around in a world that’s losing its sports car icons.
Basic Specifications
|
Engine |
3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged I6 |
|
Power |
382 hp |
|
Torque |
368 lb-ft |
|
0-60 MPH |
3.5 seconds |
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Luxury and performance don’t have to come at an exorbitant price. These ten cars offer a luxury experience without breaking the bank.
2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing
MSRP: $97,600
The Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing laughs at you for comparing it to the BMW M5 — it offers all the firepower you could want and knows its own American brand of brawn and charisma stands out against the Bavarian super sedan’s clinical precision. At the top of the Cadillac CT5 performance hierarchy sits the Blackwing, the ultimate version of the already-potent CT5-V. It swaps that car’s twin-turbo V6 for a fire-breathing 6.2-liter, supercharged dinosaur with eight pistons. It’s the LT4 engine from the Chevy Camaro ZL1 and Cadillac Escalade-V, and it provides the rear wheels and optional manual transmission with 668 horsepower to deal with. 0–60 mph is possible in 3.5 seconds.
BMW’s M5 is an elite performance sedan with a 4.4-liter, twin-turbocharged hybrid V8 and 717 horsepower. It can knock on the door of 60 mph in a half-second less, but the price is also high: roughly $122,000 versus the Blackwing’s sticker of $97,600. That’s a big saving, and despite the inevitable comparisons of handling dynamics or interior refinement, the manual transmission and rear-wheel drive of the Cadillac are an easy way to the enthusiast’s heart. Actually, the CT5-V Blackwing is the sort of purchase you make entirely with your heart.
Basic Specifications
|
Engine |
6.2-liter, supercharged V8 |
|
Power |
668 hp |
|
Torque |
659 lb-ft |
|
0-60 MPH |
3.5 seconds |
You don’t drive the Blackwing so much as you hold on for dear life. Some sports cars allow for the immediate use of all of the accelerator pedal. This is not one of those cars.
Sources: Cadillac, BMW, Toyota, Genesis, Lexus
