5 Of The Most Affordable V6 Sedans You Can Buy In 2026

In recent years, the SUV has solidified itself as the body style of choice for the majority of new car buyers. According to Edmunds, 60.9% of retail new-vehicle registrations in the United States in 2025 were SUVs. The continued popularity of both SUVs and trucks has led manufacturers to cut their sedan lineups dramatically over the last decade, and that trend doesn't look to be reversing in the near future either.

At the same time, tightening emissions regulations and changing buyer preferences have seen engines drop in both displacement and cylinder count. Turbocharging and hybridization mean that today's smaller engines offer similar power to their larger predecessors while being significantly more efficient. That's bad news for anyone looking to replace their aging V6-powered sedan with a like-for-like equivalent, as many affordable models like the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord are now available only with four-cylinder engines under the hood.

The remaining V6-powered sedans on the market in 2026 hail from premium brands, and they sport correspondingly premium price tags. That said, average new car prices are still hovering around record-high levels, with the average new vehicle in July 2026 costing $49,855, according to KBB. In that context, the V6 sedans left on the market today don't look unreasonably priced, although they're still far from being cheap. These five models are the most affordable V6 sedans that you can buy new in 2026, ordered from the priciest to the least expensive.

Usually, the word "affordable" doesn't apply to a car with a starting price north of $65,000. Nonetheless, in 2026, the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing, priced from $65,395 (including a $1,795 destination fee), is actually one of the most affordable V6-powered sedans left on the market.

Only the Blackwing variant of the car features a V6, since the standard CT4-V is equipped with a 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Stepping up to the Blackwing comes at a premium of $13,000 over the standard CT4-V, but for the extra price, buyers get a 3.6-liter twin-turbo V6 engine making 472 horsepower. Unlike many other sedans left on the market, buyers get the option of either a six-speed manual or 10-speed automatic transmission too.

A powerful, rear-wheel-drive sports sedan with a manual transmission sounds like the ideal formula to appease enthusiasts. In reality, it's just as good as you'd expect it to be, and then some. We spent time with the current-generation car back in 2024 and found very little to dislike.

Its engine offered more power than you could reasonably exploit on the road, its transmission felt accessible while still being precise during spirited driving, and the car didn't go overboard with nannying electronics. Enthusiasts looking to harness its talents will need to be quick, though, as Cadillac ended CT4 production in June 2026, making 2026 its final model year.

The cheapest European sedan that features a V6 engine in 2026 is the Audi S5, which starts at $64,695 (including a $1,395 destination fee). It's only $800 cheaper than Audi's larger A6, with which it shares an engine. In both cars, the 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 engine makes 362 horsepower. The S5, however, is slightly faster off the line and is generally the sportier offering overall, with upgraded S suspension as standard and an additional adaptive suspension setup available.

That suspension keeps it feeling planted in the corners, but it doesn't hinder the car's overall appeal as a daily driver. In fact, our reviewer came away from a week with the S5 thinking it might just be the perfect everyday car. Aside from a few minor tech gremlins that crop up in new cars at virtually all price points today, the Audi never failed to impress, both during city commuting and on the backroads.

As impressive as it might be, the S5 isn't short of competitors. Some of them also have V6 engines, like Cadillac's pair of sports sedans and Genesis' top-spec G70, while others like the BMW M340i have inline-6 engines. Both the BMW and Genesis are also less costly than the Audi, as is one of the two Caddys.

Cadillac's smaller sports sedan, the CT4-V, sports a four-cylinder engine in regular form and a V6 engine in top-spec Blackwing form. Meanwhile, the larger CT5-V adds a pair of extra cylinders at both performance levels. Its base engine is a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6, while the CT5-V Blackwing receives a 6.2-liter V8.

The catch is that the CT5-V's V6 engine isn't as powerful as the V6 in its smaller sibling. It's not a close fight either — the regular CT5-V offers 360 horsepower, a full 112 ponies short of the CT4-V Blackwing. Given the significant difference in power, the difference in price isn't as large as you might expect. For 2026, the CT5-V starts at $60,095 (including a $1,795 destination fee), only around $5,000 less than the Blackwing edition of the smaller sedan.

In 2025, buyers could optionally equip their CT5 with a V6 rather than the base four-cylinder, but the automaker did away with that option for the 2026 model year. That leaves the CT5-V as the only variant of the model to receive a V6 engine, but despite being slightly more affordable than the CT4-V Blackwing, it's the latter that's still arguably the superior choice for enthusiasts. Even so, the CT5-V remains one of the three most affordable V6 sedans on sale in 2026, as unlikely as that might sound.

It might be a left-field choice compared to its German, American, and Japanese rivals, but the Genesis G70 is a sports sedan that shouldn't be overlooked. It's available with either a four-cylinder or a V6 engine, with the latter option starting at $54,995 (including a $1,395 destination fee). Not only is that a cheaper price than most of its competitors, but it also makes the G70 only around $5,000 more expensive than the average new vehicle.

Inside and out, the G70 is far from average. Reviewing the current-generation sedan in 2024, we found its straight-line power output particularly impressive for the price. Drivers get to experience that power from a cabin that's competitive with many of its big-name rivals too. Thread the car through winding backroads, and it won't quite match up to its German competition, but in everyday driving, the Genesis holds its own.

The 3.3-liter V6 engine is the superior choice for performance, but just like many of the brand's competitors, Genesis charges a significant premium for the additional cylinders. The base-spec G70 features a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, and it starts just under $44,895, roughly $10,000 less than the V6 variant. This entry-level engine is not short on power either, churning out 300 horsepower compared to the V6's 365 horses.

The most affordable V6 sedan left in 2026 is the Lexus IS. The Japanese brand gave the long-running model some upgrades for the 2026 model year, but slimmed down its engine offerings to just the 3.5-liter V6. The base trim is now the IS 350 F Sport Design, and it starts at $46,895 (including a $1,395 destination fee).

It's far from the sportiest of sports sedans, but pure performance was never the appeal for IS buyers anyway. Reliability and comfort have long been its major selling points, and there's no indication that its longevity is set to change with the latest revisions to the car. The IS has previously been crowned one of the most likely Lexus models to reach 250,000 miles, so for buyers seeking an upscale replacement to their high-mileage Toyota or Honda, it's the closest match left on the market.

That durability shouldn't be too surprising — after all, Lexus is owned by Toyota, and some Lexus models share platforms with certain Toyota models. The IS doesn't have a Toyota-badged sibling in the U.S. market, though, and so buyers looking for a traditional V6 sedan have little choice in 2026 aside from coughing up the cash for the premium model. If the models above are out of budget and a V6 engine is non-negotiable, it's worth diving into the used market, where plenty of appealing cars still offer V6 power at a lower upfront cost.