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Cheap speed really does exist and today we break down some of the best sports car options under $20,000.
The Fast and the Frugal
The hardest part of being an automotive enthusiast is the sheer cost of such a hobby. Going fast in a track-worthy car, scaring the neighbors at six a.m. with your hellacious exhaust note, or just embarrassing that tricked-out WRX at the stoplight comes at a hefty price. And that’s just for the car, to say nothing of tuning, modifications, and the rest. This is why it is imperative to find a reasonable entry point into your automotive obsession. To help, we’ve compiled a list of the best used sports cars under $20,000 to get you started.
Chevrolet Corvette (1968-2004)
Depending on the condition and mileage, you can find a third-, fourth-, or fifth-generation Chevy Corvette for under $20,000. It’s hard to recommend against any Vette, but the fifth-generation is where the LS1 debuted. This 5.7L V8 makes 345 horsepower (350 hp in 2001 cars and after) and is reason alone enough to justify the fifth-gen Corvette. Great handling, a 50/50 weight distribution, and a 176-mph top speed only added to the allure.
Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ (2013-2020)
The first generation of the Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ/Scion FR-S offers the same car in three guises, but all of them feature the same combination of nimble handling and a 2.0L flat-four good for approximately 200 horsepower. Like other Subaru, the low, horizontal engine keeps the car’s weight low, improving maneuverability. If you’re looking for a car that emphasizes agility and engagement over raw power, the 86/BRZ is an excellent choice. A dedicated fan-base and strong aftermarket support makes personalizing your new 86 a breeze.
Ford Mustang GT (2011+)
Midway through the Mustang’s fifth-generation, Ford updated the car’s engine offerings, bringing a new 5.0L Coyote V8 to the Mustang GT. The new Coyote granted the Mustang GT with a beefy 412 horsepower and 390 lb.-ft. of torque. All that new grunt was controlled by a new set of Brembo brakes. The Mustang has been a go-to for cheap speed dating back the mid-1960s, and the current crop of ten-year old used models are a perfect balance of modern performance and affordability.
Nissan 370Z (2008-2020)
The 370Z is the second most recent generation of Nissan’s legendary Z-cars and one of the best. The 370Z features a 3.7L V6 putting up a healthy 330 horsepower sent to the rear-wheels via a six-speed manual or a seven-speed automatic transmission. While some cars on this list skew toward handling prowess or raw power, the Nissan 370Z is one the few that offers a potent blend of both. The 370Z also benefits from strong aftermarket support, so you can customize to your heart’s content, your imagination’s limits, and your wallet’s finite depths. If simple, pure driving joy is your bag, the Nissan 370Z needs to be under your consideration.
Toyota MR2 (1984-2007)
For something of the road less traveled, there’s the Toyota MR2. The MR2’s uniqueness is right in the name Mid-ship, Rear-wheel drive, 2-seater. That’s an ambitious, frivolous, formula for the notoriously conservative Toyota. And yet, the company built three generations of the Mr. Two for over twenty years. The first and second generations are known as skills-testers, eager to oversteer thanks to their unusual weight distribution, whereas the squirreliness of the MR2 was dialed back by its third generation. The third-gen car was also a major departure in styling, coming exclusively as a convertible. If you’re an automotive iconoclast, the Toyota MR2 might be just what you’re looking for.
Chevrolet Camaro SS (2010+)
The Mustang isn’t the only Great American Muscle Car you can get for under $20,000. The fifth-generation Chevrolet Camaro is another, and as a Chevy you’ll be wanting to seek out those with an SS badge. Studiously avoiding both literal and figurative non-starter of a V6, we suggested the manual version of the SS comes equipped with a 6.2L LS3 V8 making 426 horsepower. The automatic version, were you to go that route, comes with a modified version of this engine, the L99 V8 that offers cylinder deactivation for improved highway fuel economy. Both versions come equipped with upgraded Brembo brakes for maximum stopping power. The fifth-gen Camaro offers that classic muscle car mix of high horsepower and a gruff street demeanor.
Mazda Miata (1990-2015)
The car cognoscenti have a saying: the Miata is always the answer, and while the MX-5 might not be great for rock crawling or towing, it is indeed considered the sports car default. Why? Because the Mazda Miata is as pure a sports car as it gets. Forget gobs of horsepower. Forget overwrought styling. The Miata has made its bones on stellar handing, it’s a canyon carver to rival the Colorado River offering more feedback than a Stooges concert. You can find first-gen (NA) Miatas for a good deal less than $20,000, but you can also skip all the way forward to the current fourth gen (ND) and still find examples under that mark.
Honda S2000 (1999-2003)
The hipster’s choice among lesser-known-but-seriously-great sports cars is the Honda S2000. Fashioned after the very first Honda cars, the small and spritely S500 and S600, the S2000 was a modernized, optimized vision thereof. Like the 86 and the Miata, the S2000 eschews displacement in favor of lightness and athleticism. This doesn’t mean the S2000 is short on aural excitement, though, its 2.0L four-cylinder has an 8,800 rpm redline! That’s not rev happy, it’s rev hysterical. This plus a six-speed manual and the now vintage-looking digital gauge cluster and the S2000 offers one of the most engaging drives you’ll find under $20,000.
BMW 3 Series E46 (1998-2005)
Not too many years ago, the BMW E46 3 Series was largely unheralded, and its used prices reflected that. But enthusiasts have been waking up to the sneaky greatness of the E46 (and earlier E36 even more so). Buying into an aging German sports car is not for the faint of heart. However, if you can cope with the higher-than-average repair bills, your reward isn’t far from the “Ultimate Driving Machine” billing. You could settle for the 330i and its 3.0L straight-six, good for around 230 horsepower, but why settle when you can find proper M3s within our $20,000 price range. These come equipped with a 3.2L inline-six with 333 horsepower and 262 lb.-ft. of torque. Superb handling, a luxury-level interior, and reserved good looks make the E46 a soon-to-be classic BMW.
Porsche Boxster (1996-2004)
When it first debuted, some felt the Porsche Boxster was sacrilegious. The engine was in the wrong place (mid rather than rear). The engine was water cooled. And those headlights!? All was forgiven, however, once people got behind the wheel and discovered the 911’s little brother was a pure Porsche through and through. The move to a mid-engine design lent the Boxster a near perfect 50/50 weight distribution. Engine displacement increases as the cars get newer, ranging from the early 2.5L to 2.7L and finally 3.2L. If lacking the grunt of the 911, the lighter and more balanced Boxster was arguably the better handling car and is today an excellent and affordable used sports car under $20,000.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in September 2021 and has been completely revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
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