I’m Trading My 4×4 For A Sports Car! What Should I Buy?

John has enjoyed off-roading in his Lexus GX, but the gas mileage is terrible, and he doesn’t hit the trails enough to really justify having that kind of car. He wants to swap it for something fun for zipping around the city and the occasional track day. With a budget of up to $60,000, what car should he buy?

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Here is the scenario.

So I got a Lexus GX last year, it’s been great fun, and I enjoyed the “overlanding” life, camping out of it and using the huge space inside. But its horrible on gas, and I don’t use it to its full potential, so my wife and I decided to get her a Bronco Sport (for her daily and our camping needs). This leaves me with a chance to get something fun and exciting again. Id be daily driving this in the city, so hot take, I want an automatic (i already have a track day Miata for the fun manual driving). I want something that feels fast, and is exciting to drive, and could be taken to track days if needed (in case the Miata ever breaks). The budget is about $60k

Quick Facts:

Budget: up to $60,000

Location: Atlanta, GA

Daily Driver: Yes

Wants: Fun, somewhat comfortable, reasonable MPG

Doesn’t want: A manual

So the overlanding life wasn’t as convenient as you thought it would be and you decided it’s better do enjoy a car on an everyday basis than on an occasional one. You are looking for something sporty, but can be driven daily, with reasonable MPGs and you already like Toyota products. I would say a Toyota Supra is the right fit.

Whether or not you consider the current generation a “real Supra” with its BMW powerplant and German switchgear, it certainly looks the part of a Japanese bred sports car, though the styling is a bit polarizing. You still get a turbocharged straight-six under the hood making 335 horsepower that do the sprint to 60 MPH in about four seconds. While manual Supras command a premium, the ones using the excellent ZF 8-speed automatic are plentiful under $60,000. You can argue that this car may not be deserving of the “Supra” nameplate, but it’s still a well-balanced machine that is home on the street or the track. Get yourself an interesting color like this yellow one.

I’m sure the commenters are going to take you to task for not wanting a third pedal in metro Atlanta, but I get it. Crawling along in rush hour traffic on 400 in a manual is a miserable experience, and you couldn’t pay me to do it ever again. Sure, we could have expanded MARTA into the suburbs decades ago and mostly fixed all that, but since the traffic is the only thing keeping crime out of Cobb County, we sit and burn gas.

Unless your new daily driver doesn’t burn gas, that is. Your commute can’t be more than 25 miles each way, so why not pick up an EV as your new daily? You’ll save a ton of money on gas, maintenance will be cheaper, and perhaps most importantly, EVs are way more efficient in stop-and-go traffic than gas cars or even hybrids. It takes some power to keep the A/C and radio on, but beyond that, EVs really only use electricity when you’re moving.

So what EV should you buy with a budget of about $60,000? A Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, hands down. It’ll cost a little extra, but take one for a test drive, and tell me I’m wrong. We’re talking about the most fun-to-drive EV on the market, and you can afford it, so why not? Sure, it doesn’t have 300 miles of range, but fast charging is far more important than range in a daily driver, and 221 miles is plenty. Heck, my Fiat only has 141 miles.

Unlike my Fiat, though, the Ioniq 5 N will be a blast at the track, too. In most situations, the fake shifting is a novelty, but on a track, it’s actually useful. It would be great if Braselton added more chargers, but it at least has a few, including at least one at Road Atlanta itself. Other people are going to tell you I’m wrong, but that’s just how you know they’re wrong. Besides, have those people even driven the Ioniq 5 N?

You’ve come to us with a very simple question here. You need a track-capable car that’s still comfortable enough to daily, and you want an automatic gearbox in it. The Supra is a fantastic choice there, but I reckon there’s only one correct answer for that use case: Get thee a Cayman.

The PDK is one of the best auto boxes out there, aggressive and precise enough for delicate track work while still compliant on the street. The Porsche surrounding it needs no introduction, as one of the best mid-engined chassis you’ll find for anything resembling your price point. That dollar figure is, by the way, enough for you to just barely squeak into a 718 in GTS trim, for sale right in Georgia.

Sure, the dealer’s site says $63,000, but AutoTrader’s price starts with a five and that’s the number we’ll go with. All the daily comfort and ease of use you could ever want, all the track capability you could ever need should your dear Miata bite it. You’ve clearly got taste, don’t settle for anything worse than the best — or anything more boring than a Cayman GTS.

Well, this is a fun challenge today! Something that’s fun to drive, comfortable, and nice enough to be your daily driver is a good car to be shopping for, and while I think my colleagues have come close to the right answer, I’m not sure they’ve quite hit the nail on the head. I agree with Collin that an electric car is the right option for any daily driver today, and I think Amber was on to the right track with a Porsche – because they’re almost always fun. Do you see where I’m going with this?

That’s right, the perfect new car for you is an electric Porsche! You can pick up some absolute bargains on Porsche’s electric Taycan these days, and they’re fun, fast, comfortable and one of the best looking cars on sale today. There are a few in your price range nearby, but personally I don’t think you can go wrong with this Volcano Grey example.

It’s covered hardly any miles, will manage 200 miles on a single charge, and has a lush red leather interior in which you can soak up all your daily drives. And sure, it might be a bit heavy to run on track, but are you ever really going to get bored of racing your Miata? I don’t think so.