10 Cheap AWD Cars That Can Keep Up With The New Mustang With Ease

The Ford Mustang Dark Horse is one of the last great holdouts in an era when all-wheel drive has become the default for serious performance machines. From electric hypercars to turbocharged European sport sedans, four-wheel traction is now table stakes — yet the Mustang stubbornly, admirably, sends every one of its horses to the rear wheels only. That purity comes at a cost, though, because the used market is loaded with AWD performance cars that will humble a Dark Horse off the line, and many of them can be had for significantly less money.

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AWD performance cars that approach 500 hp new will drain your bank account in a hurry. But on the used market, there are several genuinely rapid all-wheel-drive machines that make the Dark Horse look slow — and cost less than one. For this list, we’ve found ten such cars: performance machines that push serious power to all four wheels and will easily keep up with the 500-hp Dark Horse, all for less than what you’d pay for a new one.

2018 Tesla Model 3 Performance

Average Used Value: $23,940

Specs

Engine	Read Also 1 week ago Pontiac Engineers Drilled Holes Through Their Own Frames—In The Name Of Speed 19 autotech Two electric motors
Transmission	Single-speed direct drive
Power	450 hp
Torque	471 lb-ft
0-60	3.1 seconds
Top Speed	155 mph

Source: Tesla

A rear-wheel-drive purist might scoff at the idea that an electric car could properly outrun a Ford Mustang Dark Horse. But the Tesla Model 3 Performance can leave a Dark Horse in the dust in a straight sprint. These cars will do 0-60 in a very impressive 3.1 seconds, according to Tesla’s claims — thanks to a dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup producing 450 hp and 471 lb-ft of torque. It’s also a far more practical machine than the Mustang, with four doors and a decent-sized trunk.

The Tesla Model 3 Performance is possibly one of the cheapest high-performance all-wheel-drive cars on the used market. You can pick up a 2018 example for around $23,940 on average, and you’ll very rarely pay over $30,000 even for the nicest examples. For the level of performance on offer, that’s exceptional value.

BMW 440i xDrive (F32)

Average Used Value: $29,875

Specs

Source: BMW

The BMW 440i xDrive isn’t an M model — it’s not even a proper M car. So you’d think it wouldn’t be able to keep up with a Ford Mustang. You’d be wrong. The 440i xDrive accelerates from 0-60 in 4.6 seconds, according to BMW’s claims. While that makes it a touch slower to 60 than the Dark Horse, it will comfortably keep up with or outrun the less powerful GT model.

According to recent auctions on Classic.com, an F32-generation BMW 440i xDrive will cost you around $29,875 on the used market. That’s significantly less than a new Mustang for similar straight-line performance, with the added everyday usability of all-wheel drive and the prestige of the BMW badge.

2019 Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S

Average Used Value: $30,794

Specs

Source: Mercedes-Benz

AMG-badged Mercedes-Benz models have long been a benchmark for accessible performance. The Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S is no exception. This may be one of the smaller AMGs, relying on a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 rather than a big twin-turbocharged V8. But that doesn’t make it any less of a proper AMG — or any less quick. According to Mercedes-Benz, the CLA 45 S will go from 0-60 in 4 seconds flat, putting it right on par with the Ford Mustang Dark Horse in a straight line.

Classic.com puts the average price of a 2019 Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S at around $30,794. For that money, you’re getting a genuine AMG Mercedes with all the performance, luxury, and daily usability that entails.

2018 Tesla Model S P100D

Average Used Value: $33,708 (all Model S variants)

Tesla

Specs

Source: Tesla

The Tesla Model S P100D is the second electric car on this list, and it’s a very different proposition from the Model 3 Performance — bigger, more luxurious, and considerably more powerful. The P100D’s dual-motor setup produces 680 hp and 791 lb-ft of torque, enabling a 0-60 sprint of just 2.4 seconds when Ludicrous Mode is engaged. That’s quick enough to challenge supercars on the drag strip.

A used 2018 Tesla Model S will set you back around $33,708 according to Classic.com. The P100D will sit toward the higher end of that average, as it was the flagship, most expensive variant of the car at the time.

2020 BMW M240i xDrive

Average Used Value: $34,000

BMW

Specs

Source: BMW

The BMW M240i xDrive is only a ‘warm’ M car, but don’t let that fool you into dismissing its performance credentials. It’s genuinely fast, with a claimed 0-60 time of 4.3 seconds. While that’s slightly behind the Ford Mustang Dark Horse, it will easily dispatch a Mustang GT in a straight sprint. It’s a compact car, so cargo space is more limited than in the Mustang, but that smaller footprint and its all-wheel-drive system make it a more capable daily driver in many situations.

A 2020 BMW M240i xDrive can be found for an average of around $34,000 on the used market (Classic.com). For everything you’re getting, that’s a genuine bargain.

2017 Audi TT RS

Average Used Value: $35,500

Specs

Source: Audi

The Audi TT RS is possibly the most overlooked performance car on this list — a fate that seems to follow the TT in general. It’s a car that almost always gets forgotten in favor of flashier, more headline-grabbing rivals. But you shouldn’t write the TT RS off. It’s a legitimately brilliant and legitimately fast sports car, with a 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder producing just shy of 400 hp. That’s enough to hustle this compact coupe from 0-60 in an impressive 3.6 seconds — quicker than the Ford Mustang Dark Horse.

Because the TT tends to fly under the radar, a used TT RS can be a fantastic bargain. 2017 Audi TTs tend to go for around $35,500 on the used market, with TT RS examples sitting toward the top of that range as the most expensive variant of the era. You’ll end up with a seriously underrated all-wheel-drive sports car that out-accelerates the Ford Mustang Dark Horse for considerably less money.

2022 Polestar 2 Dual Motor Performance

Average Used Value: $37,352

Polestar

Specs

Source: Polestar

The third electric car on this list, the Polestar 2 Dual Motor Performance is a direct rival to the Tesla Model 3 Performance mentioned earlier. Like the Tesla, it delivers blistering acceleration through a dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain while remaining practical enough for daily use. The Polestar 2 Dual Motor Performance claims a 0-60 time of 4 seconds flat, making it officially quicker than the Ford Mustang Dark Horse.

According to Classic.com, a 2022 Polestar 2 averages around $37,352 across all variants. The Performance model will sit toward the higher end of that figure, as it’s the top-spec version. While that’s not a throwaway sum, it’s still meaningfully cheaper than a new Ford Mustang Dark Horse.

2016 Audi RS3

Average Used Value: $37,411

Audi

Specs

Source: Audi

When it comes to performance cars you can genuinely use every day, few do it better than the Audi RS3. The 2016 RS3 is powered by the same inline-5 engine found in the TT RS, producing 362 hp and 343 lb-ft of torque, making it one of the quickest hot hatches available on the used market. A 2016 RS3 will launch to 60 mph in a mind-bending 3.5 seconds — faster than the Ford Mustang Dark Horse in both manual and automatic form.

Expect to pay around $37,411 for a 2016 RS3 today (Classic.com). That places it among the pricier options on this list, but an average just under $37,500 still undercuts any new V8-powered Mustang by a comfortable margin.

2020 BMW M340i xDrive

Average Used Value: $37,792

Specs

Source: BMW

Another ‘warm’ M car, the M340i xDrive is another BMW that rewards a second look. It uses BMW’s proven 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6, producing 382 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. Paired with the xDrive all-wheel-drive system, that’s enough to move this understated sedan from 0-60 in 4.1 seconds — roughly matching the Ford Mustang Dark Horse, in a package that’s considerably more practical for everyday use.

A 2020 BMW M340i xDrive will cost you around $37,792 on the used market according to Classic.com. It’s one of the pricier entries on this list, but the combination of near-Dark-Horse performance, genuine daily usability, and BMW prestige makes it worth every dollar.

2022 Volkswagen Golf R

Average Used Value: $41,833

Volkswagen

Specs

Source: Volkswagen

Of all the cars on this list, the Volkswagen Golf R is perhaps the most surprising entry when it comes to matching the Ford Mustang Dark Horse’s acceleration. But it does exactly that. While Volkswagen’s official 0-60 claim is 4.6 seconds, Car & Driver recorded a figure as low as 3.9 seconds in independent testing. For a hot hatch, that’s extraordinary performance. Its all-wheel-drive system and relatively efficient turbocharged engine also make it a far more sensible daily driver than the Mustang.

The Golf R is the most expensive car on this list, with a 2022 example averaging around $41,833 (Classic.com). That’s a real sum of money, but it’s still meaningfully less than a new Ford Mustang Dark Horse — and for most buyers, the Golf R’s practicality and everyday usability tip the scales firmly in its favor.

Sources: Classic.com.