Top 10: Best 2010 Performance Vehicles Under $50,000 - Part I

2009 is coming to end, which means it's time to start planning for 2010. Most people's resolutions include working out more, eating less, recycling and maybe saving a few kittens from a burning building. Here at Sub5zero we're planning to have the best automotive year yet. 2009 was an incredible year for cars, but things are only going to get better. For our first Top Ten list, we picked the best performance vehicles for 2010 in the $40,000 to $50,000 price range. Follow the jump to find out what we're looking forward to this year. Who knows, you might even find some help for your next vehicle.

#10: 2010 Volkswagen Touareg TDI

This may surprise some people, but those that have driven a Touareg understand. The Touareg is one of the best SUV's I've ever driven, and it's only gotten better. It has VW's new clean-burning diesel turbo V6, which makes 407 lb-ft. of torque, the same as a Hemi-powered Dodge Ram. Rated at 18/25 mpg (owners have seen even better) it has a range of 600 miles per tank! This may be the same company that made the Beetle, but this is no vase-wearing flower child. While air suspension means a smooth ride, locking diffs and hill climb/decent-assist (both standard) mean it can explore unpaved routes with the best of them. With seating for 7, you could terrify your kids and 4 of their friends. You could probably even charge them for rides with a nice exhilarating mountain ascent. 

It comes standard with heated mirrors, headlight washers, a sunroof and a power lift-gate. I added the “Technology Pack” (NAV/DVD, keyless, rear-camera and USB dock) and it was only $49,950. Truthfully, that's all you need. The government even offers a $1,150 diesel tax credit. It has one of the nicest interiors of any SUV I've ever sat in, and comes incredibly well-equipped in stock form. The options are smartly packaged, and build quality is top-notch. It's more efficient, comfortable, and better equipped than anything in its class. It is both a luxury ski courier and slick-rock crawler. I also love that VW (along with BMW) is showing the US the potential of diesel. You don't need a V8 to sling mud.

See a Touareg attack the Mojave slick-rock

#9 Ford Raptor

This is the truck that does everything you want from a truck, without voiding the warranty. I'm not a truck guy, but when the ads are pictures of the thing getting 2 feet of air in the desert, I tend to sit up. I have always been a huge fan of Baja racing. It's like WRC if you lifted the rally car and shoved a V8 in, and what could be more fun in the world than that? This isn't another trim package attached to the usual Ford truck, it's a whole new species. Let's talk specs, shall we? It is 7 inches wider than a standard F-150. It has suspension by Fox Racing Shox, and is the only street truck sporting internal bypass shocks. Those two things add up to a vehicle that can happily scramble over rocks and bumps at 60 mph. Seriously. The base Raptor comes with a 5.4 liter engine, with 310hp and 365lb ft. But that truck is well under $40,000, and we've got some more room in the budget. Guess we better order the optional 6.2 liter, 400hp/400lb ft. engine. Just following the rules. It also comes with locking differentials, hill climb/descent assist and a button for “Offroad Mode”, which changes the throttle mapping for better modulation.

The Raptor only has a few other options, and luckily one is the graphics on the side (leave that unchecked). For $41,995 you have a truck that is-no better word for it: bad-ass. Ford developed this truck for off-road enthusiasts. They've been a part of off-road racing for 20 years. Well this is one hell of a way to pay back Joe Public. In the past you had to buy a truck, then bolt on upgrades. The Raptor takes care of that, and it's priced pretty close to top-of-the-line trucks that weren't injected with Baja 1000 hormones. Add to it the good on-road handling, simple but smart interior, and good towing capacity, and you have one of the funnest vehicles offered by a dealership today. Sure you won't win the Baja with it, and it can't crawl over rocks like a customized Jeep, but it is an example of a big company building something that is just plain fun, and putting it into production.

Watch it tear up the Nevada desert.

#8 Caterham Superlight R400

These cars have been around for a while, but every year they get better. In 2008, the British company's Caterham R500 lapped the Top Gear test track in 1:17.9, screaming its way into 5^th place on the “Power Board” and beating cars like the Zonda F, Maserati MC12 and the Bugatti Veyron. Well the R400 is basically the same car, with 50 fewer horses under the hood. Think that will slow it down? No more than the War on Drugs slowed down Andy Dick. It's just as light as the R500, weighing a Kleenex-like 1,133 lbs. It makes 210hp from a 2.0 liter Duratech engine, giving it a power-to-weight ratio better than any Ferrari currently on the market. That means 0-60 happens in 3.8 seconds, and it will go on to a top speed of 140 mph, sounding like all the world's hornets are chasing you down a tunnel.

Calling the steering “communicative” is an insult. Turn in happens as fast as your eyes can follow corners, and the grip will move all your teeth to one side of your mouth... and then to the other side. A 6 speed transmission means you're constantly shifting, but that only heightens the experience of driving it. Vented discs with 4-piston calipers will leave you with bruises that perfectly resemble the 4-point harnesses. At $42,745 this is the most visceral, raw, adrenaline pump you can buy. It will equally challenge and reward you. You won't want to drive it across 2 states, but it'll be so much fun you'll think about it.

 Watch it in action against the more expensive Ariel Atom

#7 2010 Audi S4

It's no secret I love fast sedans. They are the balance of everything you would want from a car, transporting passengers and cargo while giving the driver a thrill. If I had to own only one car for life, it would no doubt be some form of sport sedan. This year one of the brands that does them best, is bringing one of its best examples back: the Audi S4. The last S4 had a V8 that produced 340hp and 302 lb-ft. of torque and burned gas like an Exxon shareholder, getting a combined mpg of only 16. The new S4's engine is better in every way. It's a 3.0 liter super-charged V6, but it's only down 7hp (333) and makes 22 more lb-ft. of torque (324@2,900 RPM). Somehow Audi got better fuel economy as well, achieving 27mpg on the highway. Get it with either the 6 speed manual or 7 speed S-Tronic and 60mph is gone in 4.9 seconds. It has a great Audi interior, seats 4 adults comfortably, and the design is aggressive but tasteful.

The smaller engine also bodes well for the handling of the S4. The last V8 model was very nose-heavy, but that ailment is gone in 2010, due to 2 things. First, the AWD system is rear-biased(40/60), giving it great balance during mid-corner “throttle testing”. The second is the one option box you must tick, the Sport differential. It's a $1,000 option, and acts the same way as the Mitsubishi Evolution's yaw-control. When cornering it sends power to the outside wheel, balancing the car with power rather than using the brakes, like a TCS system. Starting at $47,300 it's not cheap, and simply holding the pencil over the options book will drive the price up. But if you don't need special leather gas tanks and Blue Tooth coil-overs, you can have one of the best sedans on the market for under $50,000.

See it in motion.

#6 2010 Volkswagen R20

The R20 is essentially the return of the much-loved R32, a hot, AWD version of the GTI. These cars are one of the best examples of building a fun, performance-oriented car that is also highly practical. The last two generations of the R32 were powered by VW's narrow angle, 3.2-liter V6. However the new version will be powered by a tuned version of the current GTI's FSI 2.0-liter turbo-charged 4 cylinder. This engine will be pumped up to 270hp, no doubt leaving A3 drivers quite upset. It will share running gears with Audi's TTS, using the Audi Quattro system instead of VW's Haldex design from previous R32 generations. No doubt a DSG will be standard, but hopefully this time VW offers us a manual as well. It will share bodywork with the fantastic-looking 2010 GTI, but will probably have some special accents inside and out to set it apart. Expect 0-60 to happen in the low 5s.

The best aspect of this car should be the handling. While the VR6 has one of the best soundtracks out there, it was like an anchor mounted too far forward on the short GTI's frame. The car was nose-heavy, and understeer came standard. The new 2.0 liter should solve that, leaving us with a lighter, better balanced, more agile car. An AWD GTI would an incredible car. Fast, balanced, and practical this hot hatch will be a serious contender across the board. Prices aren't out yet, but are expected to be in the low $40,000s.

+ Top 10 List: Best 2010 Cars Under $50k - PART II