These Cheap Sports Cars Are Way More Fun Than A Mustang
It takes way more than horsepower to have a fun car, and we’d drive these 10 cheap sports cars over a Mustang any day.
For those who love to drive, sports cars are like a good wine, with enough flavor and punch to take the stress of a long day away. Of course, not all of us can afford a luxury sports car, the kind made by automakers who feature in the garages of the rich and the famous. Then again, who needs an expensive ride when even cheap sports cars can provide all the thrills. As Sia croons, “I love cheap thrills,” and so would we if any of these beauties were parked in our garage.
Not only are these cheap sport cars fast and fun, but they also come with all the bells and whistles you need. Sometimes they may even have more power than you could handle. While we understand the enchantment muscle-turned-sports cars, like the Mustang, bring to the table, these sports cars can be even more fun. So here go 10 cheap sports cars that can be a lot cooler than a ‘Stang.
10 2008 Saturn Sky Red Line
The Saturn Sky debuted in 2006 as an answer to the challenge posed by the reigning Mazda MX-5 Miata in the US. The Red Line model was introduced the very same year, and it packed a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 gas engine putting out 260 horses and an equal amount of torque.
It clocked a 0-to-60 MPH time in a punchy 5.2 seconds on the way to a top speed of 140 MPH. With such insane acceleration, this high-fashion and cheap sports car is a lot of fun for less than $15..000 on the used car bazaar.
9 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
The C5 Corvette was redesigned back to front as the C4 generation had lost a bit of its market share and allure. It was important to give something new to sports car fans and these coke bottle ‘Vettes were able to pull back interest with a vengeance.
This sports car featured many manufacturing breakthroughs for its time but is an awesome performance bargain these days in the used car market. A spotless example can be bought for less than 20.000. The one pictured above has less than 40,000 miles on it and is armed with a 5.7-liter V8 cranking out 350 horses.
8 1985 Porsche 944
A Porsche for less than $20,000 sounds near-unbelievable considering it offers all the thrills of a first-rate sports car. The one featured above is a very clean in-and-out example and is a steal for 17.900. It’s in a rare Kalahari color and has only 60,000 miles on the odometer.
The power comes from a 2.5-liter inline-4, carried over from the 924, mated to a 5-speed Audi gearbox. It’s your best ticket to join the popular 944 community of enthusiasts as well.
7 2005 Mazda RX-8 Shinka
Shinka means “evolution” in Japanese and this special edition Mazda RX-8 was a cut above the usual versions. Apart from tons of luxurious features, it was armed with specially tuned shocks and a beefier suspension for superior ride quality. The 2005 models came only in Black Cherry paint and one of these Shinka sports cars is listed on Carfax for around $20.000.
This 4-door quad coupe has got a 1.3-liter rotary engine, the last ones sold in a US car, and wears only 30,000 on the miles-clock making for a cheap but zippy sports car.
6 2006 BMW M3 Convertible
This E46-generation BMW is dubbed as one of the most beautiful M3 models of all time. It’s a convertible trim, about 300 pounds heavier than the coupe version, but there’s no dearth of performance under the hood.
It’s got a burly 3.2-liter inline-6 hammering out 333 horses for a 5.4-second 0-to-60 MPH spin with a maximum speed of 155 MPH. Built for high-performance motoring, its big six screams with delight when you go full throttle. A mint condition example of this fun sports car can be yours for around $20.000.
5 2004 Honda S2000
The Honda S2000 is one car that will never lose value as it has already achieved collectible status in the US. However, they are quite affordable in the used marketplace at the moment. There are plenty of good examples selling for less than $25.000 and come with all the bells and whistles you can think of in a true-blue sports car.
The AP2 models get a 2.2-liter inline-4 pumping out 237 horses and can do a 0-to-60 jig in just 5.4 seconds with an electronically limited top speed of 149 MPH.
1990 Nissan 300ZX
Branded as “Japan’s Corvette killer”, the 1990s Twin-Turbo 300X was a sports car on ‘roids. Equipped with Garrett AiResearch parallel twin-turbochargers and dual intercoolers, this Z-car uses a 3.0-liter V6 coughing up 300 horses. This cheap sports car achieves a 6.0-second 0-to-60-MPH sprint with a 155 MPH top speed.
With these outstanding figures, it stood next to the stalwarts like the Porsche and Corvette at the time. However, these days they get no love in the used car bazaar and sell for less than 15.000.
3 1993 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4
The 3000GT debuted in 1990 as Mitsubishi’s flagship car featuring pop-up headlights and a flawless aerodynamic design. The VR4 trim, outfitted with air vents and smooth lines, was loaded with heavy tech on the insides. It’s one of the most reliable and inexpensive sports cars on the used car market today.
Well-maintained examples of these sports cars will set you back by around $25.000,and that’s an excellent deal for this classic Japanese icon. The one pictured above was sold recently for just $21.500 at BAT auctions..
2 1998 BMW Z3 2.8
With great looks and a ton of style, the BMW Z3 2.8 makes for a cool sports car, one that is now fairly cheap on the used car market, because most luxury cars do not hold onto their value all that well.
Under the hood went a 2.8-liter 6-cylinder mill that made 189 horses but a cool 203 lb-ft of torque, making for a thrilling ride. It sprinted 0-60 MPH in 7 seconds at top speeds of 135 MPH. Here’s a cool 1998 BMW Z3 2.8 sports car for less than $15.000, with only 48,000 miles on the odometer.
1 2005 Chrysler Crossfire SRT6
The Chrysler Crossfire was a badly planned lovechild of Daimler-Benz and Chrysler and never really attained superstar status. That said, the SRT-6 coupe got a 3.2-liter 18-valve V6 that made 330 horses and 310 lb-ft of torque, for one very punchy ride.
Since the styling never appealed to people all that much, the Crossfire does not hold on to its value all that well, and you can get one on the market for under $20,000. Like this model right here, listed fo less than $20.000.
Sources: CarGurus, Hemmings, Carfax, Autotrader, TrueCar
