Looking for your next car, and have a budget of up to £50,000?  We’ve got you covered with this guide to the 11 best cars, across multiple segments. These are my picks including both new and used, from luxury SUVs to premium sports cars. 

Best Brand New SUVs for under £50,000

Cupra Ateca 2.0 Petrol - £49,680

Cupra, SEAT’s premium offshoot brand, make some great cars. We love the styling of the Formentor and the space of the Alteca SUV. But if you want an SUV with some poke, this VZ2 model with the 2.0-litre engine and drivetrain from the Golf R, is sure to be of interest. 

With 300hp and a 7-speed-lighting fast automatic gearbox, it’ll be easy to forget you’ve got enough cargo space for all the weeks of shopping, and enough seats to carry the whole family along. 

The exterior styling is great too, with an angular silhouette but understated wheel arches and bumper trims compared to the standard Ateca. 

Volvo XC60 - £48,858

Introduced as the baby brother to the full-size XC90 SUV, the XC60 is still a large vehicle with significant carrying capacity. Space enough for 5 full-sized adults with a very generous boot, a raised driving position and ground clearance, it’s the epitome of what an SUV should be.

For just shy of £49,000, you can get the mid-range XC60 B5 with the Hybrid AWD drivetrain. This gives a nice blend of power and economy, with a good amount of equipment thrown in too, such as leather seats, a great sound system and 19” alloy wheels.

Best Used SUVs for under £50,000

Buying used comes with one big advantage, the price. New cars lose around 40% of their value by the time they are one year old. That means if you’re happy with your car not being brand new from the factory, you can get something at 60% or less of the MSRP. 

Audi Q7 - £48,100

The Audi Q7 is a medium to large SUV, placed between the Q5 and Q9. It gives just the right amount of space without the car being enormous, 5 people can be seated comfortably and all their luggage.

As a perfect example of the value available on the used market, this particular example we’ve linked to is up for £48,100 as a 2024 model, a brand new Q7 starts at around £65,000, which makes buying used a no-brainer for us!

Being a luxury SUV it’s kitted out with all the features you’d expect: heated seats, a great navigation system and adaptive cruise and lane control. 

BMW X5 - £46,948

Another of the German giants, the X5 is BMW’s answer to the above-mentioned Q7. This one is a 2021 reg but has only done 12,000 miles. It comes with the 3.0-litre petrol engine combined with a plug-in hybrid system, for great economy and nearly 400hp on tap.

Inside, the cream leather continues the upmarket feel, with typically BMW accents to the dash and steering wheel. Infotainment is on a huge landscape screen in the dash, but many features can be controlled via the steering wheel and centre console buttons.

Best Brand New Luxury Cars for under £50,000

If you’re spending £50k on a car, luxury is probably a top priority, here are our picks for plush rides, for under £50k.

Range Rover Evoque - £40,115

Whilst undeniably the baby of the Range Rover family, the Evoque still offers a good deal of luxury and style, but at a cost well under half of that of a “full-fat” Range Rover. We think this a reasonable price considering other luxury SUVs such as the Kia EV9 are around £20k more.

The diesel-engined manual version is the cheapest, but we think if you’re buying a Range Rover it has to be an auto, add around £3,500 to your budget to get one equipped with the 2.0 diesel engine, auto gearbox and 4wd. 

Jaguar E-pace - £45,999

Jaguar has always been known for their luxury cars, and the modern models are no exception, the E-pace is their midsize SUV, equivalent in size to the Evoque. We love the interior of the E-pace, with its asymmetrical sweeping centre console and tri-spoke steering wheel.

Engine wise this particular car is fitted with JLR’s 2.0 diesel unit, a good engine although not famed for its reliability, but with manufacturer warranty, it’s not a dealbreaker. At one pound under £46,000, this brand-new luxury SUV would be a good option for a £50k budget.

Best Used Luxury Car for under £50,000

Land Rover Range Rover - £49,980

For used luxury vehicles. It doesn’t come much better than a 2019 “full-fat” Range Rover for £49,000. With only 13,000 miles on the clock and the economical hybrid powertrain, we think this is a great deal. 

This particular example has the gorgeous green metallic paint and tan leather interior. Infotainment is suitably opulent with large screens for all passengers, and all the safety and convenience features you could want, such as heated and cooled seats, adaptive cruise control and more.  

Lexus NX - £48,999

With Lexus’ great warranty system, buying a one or two-year-old car makes just as much sense as a brand-new one. This NX is Lexus’ medium-sized SUV, that carries on the brand's push to make stylish cars that shake off the old-man image.

Both inside and outside of the NX are well styled and equipped, with adaptive cruise,19” alloys, a huge touch screen nav system and plush leather. This example has just 8,152 miles on the clock, and is less than 18 months old. 

Best New Sports Cars for Under £50,000

If you’re looking for something to get to work in, but that can also be enjoyed on the weekend, there are plenty of great sports car options for under £50,000, from luxury tourers to out-and-out performance cars. 

BMW M240i xDrive - £49,995

The M240i is the closest you can get to a brand new M2 for under £50k, whilst it lacks the racing pedigree and suspension setup of the M car, it is still a great drivers car. If you’re looking for a car to do some long road trips in too, it might even be more suitable.

For £49,995 you get a brand new model with the formidable 3.0 turbo petrol engine and a sophisticated auto gearbox that will propel the car to 60 in 4.3 seconds. In addition to the performance capabilities, the M240i comes with black leather seats with contrast stitching and all the usual electronic gadgets.

Audi S3 2.0 TFSI - £46,520

Since its release in 1999, the S3 has been a firm favourite in the hot hatch sector, the 2024 model sports an aggressive angular style similar to the rest of the lineup in recent years. Inside sculpted wingback seats and flat-bottomed steering wheel cement the sporty pedigree.

The S3 is powered by the familiar 2.0 petrol turbo engine and permanent 4-wheel drive system, running through a 7-speed double-clutch gearbox. At £46,520 it rewards a little bit more change left over from the £50k budget compared to the BMW, but some would argue not as much driving feel or prestige.

Best Used Sports Cars for Under £50,000

In some ways the second-hand sports car market is even more alluring than other body types, as sports cars tend to depreciate faster than most, meaning even better value for money.

Jaguar F-Type 5.0 - £48,990

If cruising across Europe in a V8 sports car is in your future, the F-Type has to be considered, it has the performance and power of a top-notch sports car, but enough comfort and mod-cons to be an excellent grand tourer. This one comes in just under budget at £48,990.

Its 5.0 supercharged engine produces over 560hp, and its clever 4-wheel drive system makes sure none of that power is wasted. Available in both soft top and coupe body styles, you have the choice between open-air driving and total chassis rigidity. Inside is everything a premium Jaguar should be, high-quality leather and well-made buttons and controls. 

Porsche 911 997 - £45,940

For many people performance equals Porsche, it can’t be argued that they build some of the best sports cars out there, with their famous marketing slogan from the 70s ‘'Porsche…There is no substitute' there are many people out there who love the luxury and build of a Porsche.

The 911 is the epitome of that 987 is an older model, the oldest car on our list in fact, but this is a testament to the respect and premium Porsches command.

Built in 2010, this 911 has covered 47,500 miles and is fitted with the lightning-quick PDK gearbox and 4-wheel drive. Whilst it would be great as a tourer, this will also dominate on the road or track.

Spread Payments With Bumper

If you drive a luxury or sports car, it’s wise to be prepared for higher than normal repair bills. This is where Bumper comes in, we give you the ability to spread out the cost of such repairs at no extra cost, using zero per cent interest car repair finance.

Author - Joseph Law

Joseph has been writing about cars for over seven years and writing for Bumper for over two, blending his passion for automobiles with a talent for storytelling.

Joseph has written about engineering and cars for Autozilla, Komaspec, and several engineering manufacturers. When he's not writing or tinkering with one of his five cars, Joseph dreams of owning an Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale.