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the-best-performance-cars-in-2022

<p>What makes a great performance car? On the surface it's simple: gobs of power from a charismatic engine, along with agile, involving handling.</p>

<p>However, while pure sports cars are often weekend toys, performance cars have to be practical and comfortable enough to use every day, which means they also need at least four seats, a decent boot, a compliant ride and a plush, user-friendly interior.</p>

<p>Here, then, we count down our top 10 buys, and reveal the performance&nbsp;car to avoid. If any of the models on the list&nbsp;take your fancy, just click on the relevant link to find out more or see how much of a discount you could get by using&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/">our free New Car Buying service</a>.</p>

<p><strong><em>Slideshow story: please click the right-hand arrow above to continue, or simply scroll down if you’re reading on your mobile&nbsp;</em></strong></p>


Best performance cars 2022

Saloon

<p dir="ltr">Mercedes’ line-up is vast – ranging from the A-Class family hatchback through to staple saloons such as the C-Class and E-Class, and onwards towards multiple SUVs, luxury saloons and even sports cars. Coupés and convertibles are thrown into the mix as well.</p>

<p dir="ltr">As one of the ‘big three’ German brands, Mercedes most often finds itself competing with Audi and BMW but more recently has found itself fending off Jaguar and Volvo, too.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Mercedes models are known for comfort. One example of this is the E-Class, because while the Audi A6 has a plusher interior and the BMW 5 Series handles better, the E-Class is probably the most comfortable for a long motorway journey.</p>


MERCEDES-BENZ

CLA 45 AMG

<p>The CLA 45 is ridiculously fast, but more than that&nbsp;it's this four-door coupé's agile&nbsp;and engaging handling that&nbsp;earns it a place on this list. Just bear in mind that&nbsp;rear head room is tight and&nbsp;some of the interior plastics feel disappointingly cheap – particularly given how much you're paying.</p>


10: Mercedes-AMG CLA 45

<h3><strong>Pros</strong></h3>

<ul>
	<li>Savage acceleration</li>
	<li>Entertaining handling</li>
	<li>Interior looks great</li>
</ul>

<h3><strong>Cons</strong></h3>

<ul>
	<li>Seriously expensive</li>
	<li>Some cheap plastics inside</li>
	<li>Limited rear head room</li>
</ul>


Sports

AMG GT

<p>Hugely expensive, but hugely fast and practical, the E63 S also sounds amazing and offers handling that's safe and secure&nbsp;when you need it to be, yet entertaining when the opportunity presents itself.</p>


9: Mercedes-AMG E63 S Estate

<h3><strong>Pros</strong></h3>

<ul>
	<li>Terrific engine noise</li>
	<li>Performance is outstanding</li>
	<li>Entertaining handling and steering feel</li>
</ul>

<h3><strong>Cons</strong></h3>

<ul>
	<li>Not as comfortable or relaxing to drive as the Audi RS6</li>
	<li>Expensive to buy outright and pretty hefty depreciation</li>
	<li>Road and wind noise on the motorway</li>
</ul>


Coupe

<p dir="ltr">Munich-based BMW is most famous for its sports saloons, in particular the 3 Series and 5 Series. However, it actually builds almost every type of car imaginable: everything from two-seat convertibles to seven-seat MPVs.</p>

<p dir="ltr">The cheapest model in the BMW range is the 1 Series hatchback, which is a rival to the Audi A3, Mercedes-Benz A-Class and Volkswagen Golf. Meanwhile, at the other extreme is the i8 plug-in hybrid sports car, which costs more than £100,000.</p>

<p dir="ltr">BMW was also quick to capitalise on the rise of the SUV and now has six in its range: the X1, X2, X3, X4, X5 and X6.</p>

<p dir="ltr">All of this makes it one of the big three German prestige brands, along with Audi and Mercedes-Benz.</p>


<p>This is a&nbsp;rival to pure sports cars such as the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/alpine/a110/coupe/review/n185">Alpine A110</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/porsche/cayman/coupe/review/n17361">Porsche 718 Cayman</a>, but while they feel light and agile, the M2&nbsp;is more of a heavyweight&nbsp;–&nbsp;albeit one with terrific grip, traction and handling. As a bonus it offers a pair of rear seats so&nbsp;you can take your friends along for the ride.</p>


8: BMW M2 Competition

<h3><strong>Pros</strong></h3>

<ul>
	<li>Searingly fast</li>
	<li>Practical for a sports car</li>
	<li>Entertaining handling</li>
	<li>CS is not in limited production like the Porsche Cayman GT4 is</li>
</ul>

<h3><strong>Cons</strong></h3>

<ul>
	<li>Competition is not as delicate as an Alpine A110</li>
	<li>Slightly notchy manual gearbox</li>
	<li>So-so interior quality</li>
</ul>


<p dir="ltr">Porsche is best known as the quintessential sports car maker, but its line-up is increasingly diverse, interesting and successful, from its SUV family to the Panamera hatchback and shooting brake and, in time, a planned family of electric vehicles.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Whatever your choice, What Car?’s testers rate the cars highly; Porsche has an unusually high percentage of five and four-star cars.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Without exception, its sports cars are class leaders or among the class leaders, standing out for combining driving thrills with surprising luxury and comfort. Likewise, its SUVs are among the sharpest handling, as well as offering high levels of practicality and quality. Meanwhile, the Panamera is a true rival to the very best large executive saloons.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Porsche also sees itself as an electric car pioneer and has already enjoyed sales success with its plug-in hybrid range. Its first all-electric sports car is imminent, signalling the firm’s intent to stay relevant for many years to come.</p>


PORSCHE

PANAMERA

<p>If you're looking for&nbsp;a sharper-handling alternative to traditional&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/best-luxury-cars-2021/n17020">luxury saloons</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/best-plug-in-hybrid-cars-in-2021/n22782">plug-in hybrids</a>, the Panamera should definitely be on your shortlist.&nbsp;It may not ride quite so fluently, but it's very agile for such a big&nbsp;car, particularly if you opt for one of the V6-engined models.</p>


7: Porsche Panamera

<h3><strong>Pros</strong></h3>

<ul>
	<li>Stupendous pace</li>
	<li>Classy interior</li>
	<li>Relatively low CO2 emissions from E-Hybrid</li>
</ul>

<h3><strong>Cons</strong></h3>

<ul>
	<li>Expensive to buy</li>
	<li>Touch-sensitive controls hard to navigate</li>
	<li>Heavy V8 versions could be more fun</li>
</ul>


<p>The M5 isn't as comfortable as an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/rs6/estate/review/n17185">Audi RS6 Avant</a>&nbsp;or as vocal as a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/e-class/saloon/review/n17226">Mercedes-AMG E63 S</a>, but for those looking for the last word in driver interaction, it's&nbsp;the best of the three.</p>


6: BMW M5 Competition

<h3><strong>Pros</strong></h3>

<ul>
	<li>Incredible straight-line performance</li>
	<li>All-weather traction</li>
	<li>Impeccable build quality</li>
</ul>

<h3><strong>Cons</strong></h3>

<ul>
	<li>Expensive to buy</li>
	<li>Underwhelming engine note</li>
	<li>Lacks the drama of an E63</li>
</ul>


<p dir="ltr">Alfa Romeo now has one of its strongest-ever model line-ups, after years of living off past glories.</p>

<p dir="ltr">The BMW 3 Series-rivalling Giulia executive saloon is one of the best cars in its class to drive and has performed very well in the annual What Car? Reliability Survey, while the closely related Stelvio competes in the booming SUV class.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Smaller and larger SUVs are planned, as is a two-door coupé version of the Giulia that will take on the Audi A5, BMW 4 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupé.</p>

<p dir="ltr">It’s all a long way from the days when Alfa Romeo just had a couple of dated hatchbacks (the Mito and Giulietta) and the niche 4C sports car in its range.</p>


ALFA ROMEO

Giulia Quadrifoglio

<p>This two-time winner of our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/car-of-the-year-awards-2021-performance-car-of-the-year/n22456">Performance Car of the Year Award</a>&nbsp;remains great fun on a winding road, and surprisingly quiet and comfortable in everyday use. However, the interior is feeling its age, and there are now rivals with higher limits.</p>


5: Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio

<h3><strong>Pros</strong></h3>

<ul>
	<li>Wonderful engine</li>
	<li>Sweet handling</li>
	<li>Pliant ride</li>
</ul>

<h3><strong>Cons</strong></h3>

<ul>
	<li>Interior feels cheap in places</li>
	<li>Iffy infotainment system</li>
	<li>Inconsistent brake feel</li>
</ul>


<p>Packing 369bhp from a smooth and sonorous 3.0-litre turbo engine that drives all four wheels, the M440i is properly quick, beating its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/tag/latestAudi%20S5">Audi S5</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/tag/latestMercedes%20C43">Mercedes-AMG C43&nbsp;</a>rivals in the dash from 0-62mph with a time of just 4.5sec. It’s more fun to drive than those cars, too, staying remarkably flat and composed through corners.</p>


4: BMW M440i

<h3><strong>Pros</strong></h3>

<ul>
	<li>More fun to drive than direct rivals</li>
	<li>Range-topping M440i is seriously rapid</li>
	<li>More room in the back than you might imagine</li>
</ul>

<h3><strong>Cons</strong></h3>

<ul>
	<li>Divisive looks</li>
	<li>Rival coupés have bigger boots</li>
	<li>Some wind and tyre noise</li>
</ul>


<p>We mentioned that some&nbsp;Giulia rivals have higher limits, and that includes the latest M3&nbsp;(and its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/m4/coupe/review/n17199">M4 coupé</a>&nbsp;sibling). As a bonus, you get a&nbsp;similarly comfortable ride,&nbsp;a higher quality interior and a much more intuitive&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/best-and-worst-car-infotainment-systems/n21268">infotainment system</a>.</p>


3: BMW M3/M4

<h3><strong>Pros</strong></h3>

<ul>
	<li>Staggering pace and grip</li>
	<li>High-quality interior</li>
	<li>Comfortable ride</li>
</ul>

<h3><strong>Cons</strong></h3>

<ul>
	<li>Mercedes-AMG C63 S sounds better</li>
	<li>Needs to be driven hard to really engage</li>
	<li>Fairly pricey</li>
</ul>


<p>The C63 S delivers&nbsp;muscle car brutishness, courtesy of a&nbsp;thundering V8, but it's so much more than just a drag racer. It steers well and has a delightful chassis balance, along with a comically easy ability to entertain with its sideways antics. The BMW M3 may have a slight edge in terms of outright speed, but the C63 S is&nbsp;more involving.</p>


2: Mercedes-AMG C63 S

<h3><strong>Pros</strong></h3>

<ul>
	<li>Fabulous engine noise</li>
	<li>Great performance</li>
	<li>Playful and easy to drive</li>
</ul>

<h3><strong>Cons</strong></h3>

<ul>
	<li>An M3 offers more precise handling</li>
	<li>The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio exhibits a more pliant ride</li>
	<li>Road noise on the motorway</li>
</ul>


TAYCAN

<p>Some might view it as heresy that an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/best-electric-cars-2021/n17000">electric car</a>&nbsp;is in the number one spot, but the Taycan proves such machines can be every bit as rewarding and usable as the best petrol rivals, and then some. It offers exceptionally precise, tactile steering and incredible poise and grip in corners, while the&nbsp;brakes are monstrous.&nbsp;It's even reasonably practical and wonderfully classy inside.</p>


1: Porsche Taycan

<h3><strong>Pros</strong></h3>

<ul>
	<li>Staggering performance</li>
	<li>Stunningly capable and fun in corners</li>
	<li>Wonderful interior quality</li>
</ul>

<h3><strong>Cons</strong></h3>

<ul>
	<li>It's very expensive...</li>
	<li>...and you’ll probably want to add some options</li>
	<li>Its range is useful but far from class leading</li>
</ul>

<hr />
<p><strong>For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter&nbsp;</strong><a href="http://pages.haymarket.com/whatcar/wcar-form.html"><strong>here</strong></a></p>

<p><strong><a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/best-7-seat-suvs-and-4x4s-2022/n2060">Read more:&nbsp;Best 7-seat SUVs and 4x4s 2022 &gt;&gt;</a></strong></p>


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