Best performance cars 2024: the thrillers to buy – and avoid

The best performance cars combine sports car-rivalling acceleration and engaging handling with impressive everyday usability, but which should you consider – and which are best avoided?...

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by
Mark Pearson
Published03 March 2024

What makes a great performance car? On the surface it's simple: lots of power from a charismatic engine, along with agile, involving handling.

However, while pure sports cars are often weekend toys, performance cars have to be practical and comfortable enough to use every day. And that means they also need at least four seats, a decent boot, a compliant ride and a plush, user-friendly interior.

Our team of highly experienced reviewers have the never-arduous job of testing these cars in all of those areas – and more – to ensure their verdicts meet the needs of the performance car buyer. And following that extensive testing, they agree that the BMW M3 Touring is the very best performance car to buy in 2024.

Best performance cars - Audi E-tron GT and Porsche Taycan

Below, we explain why. Plus, we reveal our top 10 performance cars, and point you in the right direction to read the full reviews or save money by viewing the best performance car deals available right now.

Our pick: M3 xDrive Competition M 4dr Step Auto

0-62mph: 3.5 sec
MPG/range: 28.2mpg
CO2 emissions: 229g/km
Seats: 5
Boot: 480 litres
Insurance group: 42E
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning

Strengths

  • Staggering pace and grip
  • Surprisingly comfortable ride
  • High-quality interior

Weaknesses

  • Doesn't sound that special
  • Pricey to buy
  • As expensive to run as you'd expect

We had to wait more than 35 years for an estate version of the BMW M3, but its place at the top of our performance car table demonstrates it was worth the wait. Not only is the BMW M3 Touring the most practical M3 yet – and by a long way – but it has four-wheel drive as standard, which makes it exceptionally capable in all weather conditions.

Despite the extra bulk, its 0-62mph time of 3.6sec is just 0.1sec slower than the saloon's, and still noticeably faster than that of the closely related Alpina B3 Touring and the Audi RS4 Avant. The Touring’s additional weight doesn’t blunt the car’s handling, either; it remains beautifully balanced.

However, the M3 Touring's real trump card compared with four-door rivals such as the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, is the extra practicality it offers. There's 500 litres of space beneath the luggage cover (and considerably more above), plus the 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat and the ability to open the tailgate and rear windscreen independently add to the versatility.

Read our BMW M3 Touring review

Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning

Strengths

  • Incredible point-to-point pace
  • More spacious rear seats than in the coupé
  • Wonderful interior quality

Weaknesses

  • You'll want to add a fair few options
  • Range isn’t spectacular
  • Non-electric rivals have bigger boots

If you want the best blend of electric power and driving excitement, then look no further than the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo.

Turbo and Turbo S trim levels deliver on power and performance, forsaking range for a 0-62mph time of as low as 2.8sec. However, our preferred 4S trim strikes a much better balance between performance and range – it can cover the same sprint in a still-rapid 4.1sec, yet can officially travel 304 miles between charges.

The Cross Turismo wraps all of its power in a compelling package which offers greater versatility than the regular model, thanks to a bigger boot and roomier rear passenger space – even though you can fit more inside the combustion-engined Audi RS6 Avant and Mercedes-AMG E63 S Estate

Inside, the Taycan Cross Turismo is finished with high-quality materials to provide a truly premium feel.

Read our Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo review

Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning

Strengths

  • Potentially rapid charging
  • Comfortable ride and great handling
  • Very well equipped and strong resale values

Weaknesses

  • Ionity rapid chargers are few and far between
  • Not as spacious as a Model S
  • Low-speed motor whine and gearbox shunt

The Audi E-tron GT is a 523bhp four-door coupé that can sprint from 0-60mph in 4.1sec. It’s not as sharp to drive as the closely related Porsche Taycan, but strikes a good balance between all-out speed and ride comfort. 

As you'd expect of such a pricey car, the E-tron GT is well equipped inside and features a crystal-clear infotainment and driver display, albeit with the exception of some fiddly touch-sensitive buttons. 

The saloon boot is a little tight to squeeze luggage into, but it’s deep enough to swallow a few cases. And despite the E-tron GT’s sleek silhouette, there is enough room in the back for two six-footers to travel in comfort.

Read our Audi E-tron GT review

Our pick: 2.0 Turbo Veloce 4dr Auto

0-62mph: 5.7 sec
MPG/range: 38.2mpg
CO2 emissions: 167g/km
Seats: 5
Boot: 480 litres
Insurance group: 34E
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning

Strengths

  • Wonderful engine
  • Agile, involving handling
  • Pliant ride

Weaknesses

  • Interior quality disappoints in places
  • Inconsistent brake feel
  • Race mode switches of stability control

This two-time winner of our Performance Car of the Year Award is one of the best sports saloons to drive on a winding B-road, due to its engaging handling and free-revving 2.9-litre V6 petrol engine. 

Put the Giulia Quadrifoglio into its Race mode, and it provides an excellent soundtrack too, with the exhaust barking and crackling loudly as the gearbox helps you to press on. 

On the inside, however, there are areas where it falls short of its rivals – both the BMW M3 and Audi RS4 feel more premium inside. Plus, space in the back is lessened by the car’s low roofline. 

Read our Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio review

Our pick: 220i M Sport 2dr Step Auto

0-62mph: 7.5 sec
MPG/range: 44.1mpg
CO2 emissions: 144g/km
Seats: 4
Boot: 390 litres
Insurance group: 28E
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning

Strengths

  • Brilliant engine in M240i
  • Great infotainment system
  • Sharp handling

Weaknesses

  • Firm ride without optional adaptive suspension
  • Road noise
  • Not as practical as the 4 Series

With the performance and fun factor of a bigger M-car, the BMW M240i is a great all-rounder that’s fast and easy to live with. Press on down a twisty road and the M240i comes alive, providing excellent handling and producing a substantial 369bhp from its 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine. 

Although the steering could provide more feedback, the M240i remains an entertaining performance car, with the gearbox remaining smooth in automatic mode, yet reacting quickly when you pull the paddles behind the steering wheel. 

Given that it's a coupé, you don’t get the same level of practicality that you do with a BMW M3, but at least it has rear seats – unlike pure sports cars, such as the Porsche Cayman.

Read our BMW 2 Series review

Driving
Interior
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Buying & Owning

Strengths

  • Bonkers acceleration
  • Sounds fantastic
  • Remarkably comfortable with adaptive suspension fitted

Weaknesses

  • Expensive to buy
  • Some rivals are even more agile through the corners
  • Limited interior options for UK buyers

In its Sportback guise, the Audi RS3 is one of our favourite hot hatches, so it should come as no surprise that we also rate this saloon version of the car.

A slight reduction in rear head room and a less practical boot are the only real compromises over the RS3 Sportback. Elsewhere, though, it’s business as usual, which means a well built, if slightly uninspiring, interior and good in-car tech. 

At the car's heart lies a sonorous 340bhp 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine feeding power to all four wheels via an automatic gearbox. Traction is incredible, and as a result it can accelerate from 0-62mph in 3.8sec. Plus, if you pay to have the speed limiter removed and visit a track, it’ll hit 180mph, which puts it close to the more expensive BMW M3 and Audi RS4.

Read our Audi RS3 review

Our pick: 420i M Sport 2dr Step Auto

0-62mph: 7.5 sec
MPG/range: 44.8mpg
CO2 emissions: 144g/km
Seats: 4
Boot: 440 litres
Insurance group: 30E
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning

Strengths

  • More fun to drive than direct rivals
  • Range-topping M440i is seriously rapid
  • Back seats are more usable than you might imagine

Weaknesses

  • Divisive looks
  • Rivals have more versatile folding rear seats
  • Some wind and tyre noise

Packing 369bhp from a smooth 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol engine that drives all four wheels, the BMW M440i is a seriously quick car that leaves rivals from Audi and Mercedes far behind it. 

It’s fun to drive too, being composed and well mannered through corners. Adaptive suspension helps here, allowing you to stiffen and soften the ride at the touch of a button. 

The infotainment system in the M440i is truly excellent and is operated through a clear 10.3in display. Of course, you don’t buy a two-door coupé for its practicality, but the boot is decent and the rear seats are roomy enough for adults to use for short journeys. 

Read our BMW 4 Series review

Driving
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Buying & Owning

Strengths

  • Higher resale values than rivals
  • Strong on safety
  • Lots of kit for your money

Weaknesses

  • Tight rear head room
  • Small boot aperture
  • Not as fun as the best coupés

The engine in the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S may have a modest 2.0-litre capacity, but it's hand-built using racing knowhow to produce a mighty 415bhp.

As a result, the car can hurl itself from 0-62mph in 4.1 seconds, aided by a four-wheel drive system that provides excellent traction. Plus, it can vary the amount of power sent to each rear wheel, improving agility and allowing AMG to build in a thoroughly mischievous drift mode.

You pay a hefty amount for all of this, which makes it all the more disappointing that the interior feels a bit cheap in places. But those caveats aside, it's a very appealing car.

Read our Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 review

Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning

Strengths

  • Incredible point-to-point pace
  • Comfortable and refined
  • Outstanding interior quality

Weaknesses

  • Not as entertaining as a BMW M3 Touring
  • Distracting infotainment system
  • Automatic gearbox not as sharp as rivals'

A stalwart all-rounder, the comfortable and roomy Audi RS6 Avant is a stunningly quick estate car that's hugely grippy.

This helps it feels surefooted even when the rain is hammering down, although the BMW M3 Touring is ultimately more entertaining.

The RS6's interior feels very classy, but with a sporty edge. The flat-bottomed steering wheel, swathes of carbonfibre and Alcantara trim leave you in no doubt that you’re sitting in an RS model, while the boot is big at 565 litres.

Read our Audi RS6 Avant review

Our pick: S8 Quattro Vorsprung 4dr Tiptronic

0-62mph: 3.8 sec
MPG/range: 24.6mpg
CO2 emissions: 261g/km
Seats: 5
Boot: 505 litres
Insurance group: 50E
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning

Strengths

  • Savage straight-line pace
  • Comfortable and incredibly refined
  • Plush interior

Weaknesses

  • Not the most agile performance car
  • Muted engine note won’t appeal to all
  • Fiddly infotainment system

If you’re looking for a more luxurious take on the performance saloon, the Audi S8 should definitely be on your shortlist.

Its sheer size means it's not as agile as the other cars on this list, but it controls vertical body movements well over undulating roads and can carry a surprising amount of speed through corners thanks to its monstrous grip.

The interior is immaculately finished, too, with luxurious materials, including lashings of soft leather, and a standard of assembly that's second to none. What's more, you hear little from the outside world and there's loads of space for four.

Read our Audi S8 review


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Read more: Best and worst sports cars >>

And the performance cars to avoid...

Audi RS4 Avant

The RS4 Avant is fast enough, but its steering is numb and it suffers from sloppy body control, making it much less rewarding to drive than rivals. Read our review