Entertaining, Practical, All-Wheel-Drive Cars in the $60k Bracket

Driving enthusiasts tend to sniff out some of the best performance deals. That’s not to say we’re always smart and reasonable with our purchases, mind you. But sussing out good performance bargains? For that knowledge, we’re tough to beat.

Surprisingly, there is an abundance of riotous cars around the $60,000 mark. While that amount is hardly chump change, it is less than the average transaction price for a new vehicle in Canada these days. Ford will happily sell you a Mustang GT with a V8 and an active valve exhaust to annoy the neighbours for around $60,000, while Nissan will have someone on the hook for about that amount with a loaded Z.

But those are rear-wheel-drive coupes. The funsters we’re focusing on are four-door compact rocket ships with all-wheel drive, making them practical, year-round performers. Many of them have their roots in much less expensive machinery, though it is a time-honoured tradition of speed freaks to take an affordable car and stuff an enormous engine under its hood. They all come with a fully sorted suspension and factory warranty. Note that the prices listed here include freight and air conditioning fees, but do not include other charges since they can vary across the country. 

Ready for a thrill? Hang on.

Audi S3

This car was actually the impetus for this article, packing a whiff of all-wheel-drive rally heritage thanks to its great-grandfather, the original Quattro. A starting price at $57,950 is shockingly close to what several non-luxury brands charge for similar power, though our test car stickered north of $70,000, so be sure to go easy on the options. There is a total of 328 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque behind that four-ringed grille, with power funnelled to each corner via the brand’s famously fastidious Quattro all-wheel-drive system.

Cadillac CT4-V

Speed freaks with an admirable but perhaps misplaced sense of American patriotism aren’t getting Blackwing for this money, but they can get into a V from Cadillac’s performance division. The angry Cadillac CT4-V packs just three horsepower fewer than the Audi but brings 380 lb-ft of torque to the party, making the Caddy feel far more aggressive in most driving situations. A $61,224 sticker will include all-wheel drive in this car, though it’s best to ignore some shoddy interior bits, especially when directly compared to the German.

Toyota GR Corolla

Continuing a drift south in price but not power is this hot hatch, whose tuning was honed by none other than Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda himself. A raucous 1.6L three-cylinder engine makes 300 turbocharged horsepower; that’s a hundred ponies per cylinder, a sum that is literally Hellcat territory. Its all-wheel-drive system can send up to 70 per cent of power to the rear wheels for extra fun. Unlike engines of this type from decades ago, this modern mill packs 295 lb-ft of torque, meaning drivers can ask the engine to settle down when required without losing all semblance of forward grunt. Prices start at $49,945, but the one you really want is the Premium trim with manual transmission for $57,947.

Volkswagen Golf R

While it’s a shame that the Volkswagen Golf R is no longer available with a manual transmission, it would be a disservice not to mention this thing in the same breath as these other vehicles. Stickering at $53,145 (or about three grand more for the mystifying Black Edition), it heaves out a towering 328 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque from a turbocharged four-cylinder, laying it all to the ground through 4Motion all-wheel drive and a torque vectoring differential out back. If those specs seem familiar, that’s because this is essentially the same powertrain as the S3 that kicked off this article. Bookends, thy names are Audi and VW.