Luxury Compact Cars with the Most Horsepower for 2025
These are the luxury compact cars ranked by their maximum horsepower based on iSeeCars' analysis of all new and used models within the last 5 years.
The luxury compact car with the most horsepower is the Mercedes-Benz C-Class (coupe) with a maximum of 503 hp at 5500 rpm and torque of 516 lb-ft at 2000 rpm. Behind the C-Class is the BMW M3 with a max of 503 hp at 6250 rpm and torque of 479 lb-ft at 2750 rpm. Ranked #3 is the Lexus IS 500 which has a maximum of 472 hp and torque of 395 lb-ft at 4800 rpm.
The luxury compact car with the most horsepower is the Mercedes-Benz C-Class (coupe) with a maximum of 503 hp at 5500 rpm and torque of 516 lb-ft at 2000 rpm. Behind the C-Class is the BMW M3 with a max of 503 hp at 6250 rpm and torque of 479 lb-ft at 2750 rpm. Ranked #3 is the Lexus IS 500 which has a maximum of 472 hp and torque of 395 lb-ft at 4800 rpm.
1. Mercedes-Benz C-Class (coupe)
- Max Horsepower: 503
- Torque: 516 lb-ft
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.7 / 10
- Value Retention 7.9 / 10
- Safety Not Available
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.5 / 10
- Value Retention 7.9 / 10
- Safety Not Available
- Max Horsepower: 472
- Torque: 395 lb-ft
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability Coming soon
- Value Retention 8.2 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
- Max Horsepower: 472
- Torque: 445 lb-ft
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability Coming soon
- Value Retention 7.5 / 10
- Safety Not Available
- Max Horsepower: 444
- Torque: 442 lb-ft
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability Coming soon
- Value Retention 7.5 / 10
- Safety Not Available
- Max Horsepower: 400
- Torque: 350 lb-ft
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.2 / 10
- Value Retention 7.3 / 10
- Safety Not Available
- Max Horsepower: 386
- Torque: 369 lb-ft
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.4 / 10
- Value Retention 7.4 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
- Max Horsepower: 386
- Torque: 398 lb-ft
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.2 / 10
- Value Retention 7.7 / 10
- Safety Not Available
- Max Horsepower: 386
- Torque: 398 lb-ft
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 5.8 / 10
- Value Retention 7.2 / 10
- Safety Not Available
- Max Horsepower: 365
- Torque: 376 lb-ft
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability Coming soon
- Value Retention 7.7 / 10
- Safety Not Available
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.9 / 10
- Value Retention 7.5 / 10
- Safety Not Available
- Max Horsepower: 349
- Torque: 369 lb-ft
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.0 / 10
- Value Retention 7.5 / 10
- Safety Not Available
13. Cadillac ATS (coupe)
- Max Horsepower: 335
- Torque: 285 lb-ft
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability Coming soon
- Value Retention 7.9 / 10
- Safety Not Available
14. BMW 3 Series (hatchback)
- Max Horsepower: 320
- Torque: 330 lb-ft
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.0 / 10
- Value Retention 7.2 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
- Max Horsepower: 320
- Torque: 310 lb-ft
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability Coming soon
- Value Retention 7.8 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
- Max Horsepower: 311
- Torque: 280 lb-ft
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 9.0 / 10
- Value Retention 8.2 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
- Max Horsepower: 311
- Torque: 280 lb-ft
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 6.0 / 10
- Value Retention 8.5 / 10
- Safety Not Available
- Max Horsepower: 310
- Torque: 350 lb-ft
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability Coming soon
- Value Retention 7.5 / 10
- Safety Not Available
- Max Horsepower: 302
- Torque: 332 lb-ft
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability Coming soon
- Value Retention 7.4 / 10
- Safety Not Available
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability Coming soon
- Value Retention 7.2 / 10
- Safety Not Available
- Max Horsepower: 280
- Torque: 306 lb-ft
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 6.0 / 10
- Value Retention 7.4 / 10
- Safety Not Available
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.1 / 10
- Value Retention 7.4 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
- Max Horsepower: 261
- Torque: 273 lb-ft
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 6.2 / 10
- Value Retention 7.4 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
- Max Horsepower: 261
- Torque: 273 lb-ft
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.0 / 10
- Value Retention 7.7 / 10
- Safety Not Available
- Max Horsepower: 260
- Torque: 236 lb-ft
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.6 / 10
- Value Retention 8.0 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
- Max Horsepower: 260
- Torque: 236 lb-ft
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.0 / 10
- Value Retention 8.5 / 10
- Safety Not Available
- Max Horsepower: 255
- Torque: 295 lb-ft
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.3 / 10
- Value Retention 7.5 / 10
- Safety 9.0 / 10
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.4 / 10
- Value Retention 7.4 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.7 / 10
- Value Retention 8.0 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.1 / 10
- Value Retention 7.5 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
Related Rankings
How We Rank These Cars
The Cars with the Most Horsepower lists rank vehicles by their maximum horsepower.
The maximum horsepower is the highest horsepower across all trim levels for a given vehicle model. In the event there is a tie, we use iSeeCars proprietary rating of the overall quality of the car (iSeeCars Score) to break the tie.
The overall iSeeCars Score is an analysis of three factors: reliability, resale value and safety. It is calculated based on the latest research and analysis by our data science team. The data analysis comes from over 12 million new and used vehicles in our Longest-Lasting Cars and 5-Year Depreciation Studies, combined with NHTSA and IIHS Safety Ratings.
Vehicles are scored in three categories:
Reliability
The reliability score represents an analysis of iSeeCars' proprietary research on the longest-lasting vehicles.
Value Retention
The value retention score is based on our data science team's statistical analysis and prediction of 5-year depreciation from MSRP to determine which cars hold their value best, using US Bureau of Labor Statistics data to adjust for inflation.
Safety
The safety score is calculated based on the last five years of crash test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and incorporates the latest Top Safety Pick information from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).