The Most Fun-to-Drive SUVs You Can Actually Afford

You don’t have to be a billionaire to afford a fun-to-drive SUV. There are plenty of more affordable options for every type of fun.

You will not be surprised to learn the Aston Martin DBX, Ferrari Purosangue, and Lamborghini Urus are fun-to-drive SUVs. With their outrageous horsepower and sophisticated, track-focused suspensions, you’d expect them to be. If you, the average person, are interested in an SUV that’s fun to drive, you’re not alone, and you don’t have to sell your house or major organs to reach for those exotics. Here is our list of the most fun-to-drive SUVs that might actually be in your budget.

“Fun to drive” means different things to different drivers, so we’ve included anything that’ll put a smile on your face, whether it’s straight-line speed, corner-carving capability, or off-road domination.

For each of the vehicles listed, everything from electric compacts to top off-road runners and more, we’re talking about the whole model line, but we’ll call out specific trims for maximum fun. We started with the average new car selling price of roughly $50,000 and identified a handful of vehicles on both sides of the line from more affordable to more expensive, but nothing here starts at or near $100,000. For simplicity’s sake, they’re listed in alphabetical order.

Alfa Romeo Stelvio

It’s getting old, and Alfa won’t sell you the big-horsepower Quadrifoglio version anymore, but that just means the Stelvio can be had for a good price. The SUV version of the Alfa Romeo Giulia sport sedan, the Stelvio drives and handles like a tall version of that car and turns every freeway cloverleaf into joy. If you really want to save money without giving up too much in handling, the smaller Tonale is a solid alternative.

Audi Q5

Every automaker has that one model it just always seems to get right, and for Audi, it’s the Q5. One of the brand’s earliest SUVs, it upholds Audi’s sport sedan legacy better than its siblings. If you really want to have a good time, though, spring for the SQ5 performance model. The extra power and sharper handling really bring it to life and remind you Audi used to build R8s.

Dodge Durango

A big, old, three-row SUV probably seems like an odd choice for this list, but consider this: V-8. The time-tested Durango can be had with a roaring V-8 engine in its second-least expensive trim level, so even on a budget you can sound good while getting the kids to practice. If you have the means, though, no other company on Earth will sell you an SUV with a 710-hp supercharged V-8 for $80,000.

Ford Bronco

Broncos just look fun, and whether you’re into beach cruising, rock crawling, or desert racing, there’s one for you. Take the roof down and the doors off, and let the sun and the breeze inside. Then drive your big-tire Sasquatch model through a mudhole, or enter your high-horsepower, long-travel suspension Bronco R in the Baja 1000. If the big Bronco is just too expensive, consider the Bronco Sport, particularly in its Sasquatch Badlands trim.

Ford Mustang Mach-E

People scoffed at the idea of a Mustang SUV and more so at an all-electric one, and they were wrong. Ford has refined the Mach-E over the years to handle and perform even better. You can enjoy a good drive in any of them, but we’re obsessed with the Mach-E Rally, which takes inspiration from rally racing and is absurdly fun to sling around on a dirt road.

Genesis GV70

Not content to be just another Lexus alternative, Genesis leaned into both value and sportiness when designing its line of luxury vehicles. The GV70 handles brilliantly in both gas and EV guise, giving the car far more personality and driver engagement than the typical luxury SUV. It’s one of many reasons it won our SUV of the Year award when it launched.

Honda Passport

Unless you go all the way back to the Isuzu-based ’90s model, there wasn’t a lot of excitement to be had in the Passport, which lately was nothing more than a shorter, two-row version of the Pilot. No more. The new Passport is actually cool. Even better, every model gets the same powertrain and torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system, so you don’t have to spend big to have fun. If can afford it, though, the upgraded suspension on the TrailSport model makes it a serious off-roader.

Hyundai Ioniq 5

How do you make a big, heavy, electric SUV cool? Dress it like the Ioniq 5, and make it handle better than it needs to. Any Ioniq 5 will be quicker and more fun in a corner than the equivalent gas-powered SUV, but there’s also an ace in the hole: the Ioniq 5 N. With 641 hp and performance-enhancing features like a manual transmission mode and custom “engine noises” (including a fighter jet), the Ioniq 5 N is one of the most fun-to-drive electric SUVs you can get. There’s even an off-road model called the XRT Pro that’s fun in the dirt. It’s also a past SUV of the Year winner.

Jeep Wrangler

People have been having fun in Jeeps for more than 80 years, and there are more ways than ever now. Every Wrangler comes with the tools to remove the roof and doors and to fold down the windshield. From there, you just have to decide what to do next. Conquer the toughest trails with the Rubicon? Roar across the desert in the V-8-powered 392? Hang surfboards out the back of the Sport? If you can’t find a way to have fun in a Wrangler, you’re not trying. No surprise that it’s a past SUV of the Year winner.

Kia EV6

If the Hyundai Ioniq 5 just isn’t your look, the sleeker Kia EV6 is its mechanical twin and just as fun to drive. It even has its own high-performance edition, the EV6 GT. This one only makes 601 hp, and it uses it differently. Forget all the tricks and gimmicks and racetrack tools of the Ioniq 5 N—the EV6 GT just wants to be rowdy. In the proper environment, it turns anyone into Ken Block making big, smoky, four-wheel drifts look easy.

Land Rover Defender

It took a very long time for us to get Defenders in this country and even longer to get easy access to them. When we finally did, it was worth the wait. The Defender’s biggest strength is its ability to do everything. It’s still fun to drive on the road despite being a burly off-roader. It has a rally car feel on the street that turns into unstoppable capability on dirt. If you can swing its price, the OCTA model with its twin-turbo V-8 and trick suspension is a street-legal race truck.

Lucid Gravity

Lucid is new, but it did its homework. The fundamental engineering underlying the Gravity is unimpeachable, allowing it to simultaneously be one of the quickest SUVs we’ve ever tested, one of the longest-range EVs on the market, one of the quickest-charging EVs on the market, big fun in a corner, an excellent drift car, reasonably capable off-road, and still have room for seven. What’s best is, you don’t have to spend any extra to have fun because even the base Gravity is a riot on the road.

Mazda CX-5

Mazda has long emphasized handing and driver engagements among its top brand values, and while the brand has gone premium these days, the CX-5 hasn’t forgotten. Every Mazda SUV is as fun or more fun to drive than its direct competitors, but the CX-5 stands out even in that crowd. It’s one of the few SUVs that makes going around a fishhook freeway on-ramp on your daily commute fun. Any midsize SUV will get you to your destination, but the CX-5 will put a smile on your face every time.

Polestar 3

Spun off from sensible Volvo, Polestar wants to be the Porsche of EVs, and the 3 makes a good case. It doesn’t just look the part; the 3 is fun and engaging to drive in every trim. The single-motor, rear-drive base car is a good time in its own right with excellent dynamics, but if you have the budget, go for the Long Range Performance model for all the power.

Rivian R1S

Few vehicles do as many things as well as the Rivian R1S. Put it in Sport mode, and it handles like a Range Rover but quicker. Put it in Off-Road mode, and it crawls up trails like a Wrangler but quieter. Leave it in Normal mode, and it hauls the kids, pets, and stuff as well as any three-row SUV. The two-motor base R1S is all you need, but if you want to get spendy, the tri- and quad-motor models layer on speed and capability. Alternatively, wait for the upcoming R2 and save a bundle.

Tesla Model Y Performance

Thanks to powerful motors, a low center of gravity, and quick steering, all Model Ys feel sporty. If you really want to the full effect, though, upgrade to the Performance All-Wheel Drive model, which is not just the quickest but also gets suspension and tire upgrades to make it a better all-around performer.

Toyota 4Runner

So many people had fun with the old 4Runner that it took 15 years for Toyota to bother making a new one, and unsurprisingly, it’s pretty similar to the old one. Because Toyota makes seven versions from street truck to hardcore off-roader, whatever your flavor of fun is, there’s a 4Runner that fits. What’s more, you can drill down on what kind of off-roading you prefer with the overlanding Trailhunter and desert-bashing TRD Pro models.