Not everyone can afford a BMW M4 Competition Pack and certainly not an all-out supercar like a 911 Turbo. These cars are indeed worth the money. But is it worth buying a six-figure sports car that may be outdone by one of lesser value? Here is a list of some of the best bargain sports cars that also do perfectly as daily drivers. Some of these can keep up with the purebreds like Ferrari and Lamborghini, while others are too fun to pass up.
Updated May 2022: If you're looking for an affordable car that's fast and fun to drive, you'll be happy to know that we have updated this list to bring you some of the best bang-for-the-buck sports cars every speed hunter wants to drive.
In a world where every auto manufacturer makes about thirty-some-odd models, it's daunting to find the perfect car. Performance cars are becoming costly by the day, thanks to the introduction of space-age materials and exquisite quality. Try buying a performance car from BMW, Mercedes, or Audi that doesn't have carbon fiber or Alcantara in it. Those materials add up, and they'll only keep improving as long as speed hunters crave faster machines. More cars need to have more power, refinement, efficiency, and safety than ever before, and with that, a lot lose what matters most. It's genuinely hard to find reasonable cars with a stick shift or a light curb weight—both attributes of the best drivers' cars. The sports cars on this list are a return to form and for a little less than the rest.
17 Subaru WRX STI - $38,170
The WRX is one of the best rally cars of all time. Enter the STI model. It's equipped with a turbocharged 2.5-liter flat-four that is eager to rev and pump out a characteristic flat-four burble from its four exhaust pipes, producing 305 hp and 290 lb-ft in the process. The STI goes from 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds, on par with some much more expensive sports cars.
The WRX STI is among the easiest cars to modify, making it a fan favorite among JDM lovers. The car offers remarkable power, efficiency, and a thrilling drive. The WRX STI starts at only around $38,000.
16 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 - $66,045
For speed hunters who don't like the look of the Corvette and want something a little more understated that still offers brutal power, the Camaro ZL1 is the best alternative. The ZL1 package is not only the best version of the Camaro, but it is also the ultimate king of the racetrack-ready muscle machines, one of the sickest Camaros ever built. In it comes a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 engine, wicked aerodynamics, and super sticky tires.
For $66,045, drivers can own a fire-breathing 650-horsepower V8 coupled with either a satisfying manual gearbox or a snappy ten-speed auto. And with its ferocious track capabilities, the Camaro ZL1 offers one of the greatest performance values.
15 VW Golf R - $45,085
The Golf started life as a cute, innocent hatchback before growing up to become the R, which VW could've told us stands for "Really Hardcore" and we'd believe them. The same 2.0-liter 4-cylinder in the GTI now makes 292 hp and gets to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds thanks to its 4MOTION all-wheel drive. The R is even faster through the corners than any other Golf. This hatch does everything right and will never bite back, which has made it a fan favorite.
The Golf R is a completely livable mega-hatch for the daily grocery shopper and can change its personality on a dime if you find yourself at a set of lights versus Vin Diesel. There's controversy about whether this is the best hot hatch ever made or is simply too sterile and easy to drive. The Volkswagen Golf R is the mature enthusiast's hot hatch with its snappy performance and an underrated exterior.
14 Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 - $55,275
At a starting price of $55,275, very few performance cars can match this Infinity. The car features a long list of safety equipment, a limited-slip differential, a luxurious cabin, and a 400-horsepower 3.0-liter V6. The Q5 Red Sport 400 is a rear-wheel-drive vehicle with double-wishbone suspension in the front. It also comes in all-wheel drive for you skiers out there. The 0-60 sprint is dealt with in 4.5 seconds, and its top speed is a hot-hatch-smashing 155 mph.
Infinity is riding a hard bargain with this one, seeing as it has more power than an Audi S4 and a BMW 335i for a similar price. All of a sudden, the German cars don't seem as alluring. The Red Sport 400 offers an athletic performance with its generous range of standard features, making the car worth every dime.
13 Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack - $41,490
Dodge has a rebuttal for the engineers at Infinity with its Charger Scat Pack edition of the Charger. The Scat is cheaper than the Infinity and has a V8 engine producing 485 hp 475 lb-ft of torque. Power goes to the rear wheels only and drives to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds. How Dodge manages to sell such an incredible car at less than $50,000 is a mystery. The Scat Pack lacks some amenities that its other, next-level trim, the SRT 392, has, such as leather seats and a sunroof.
Once checking those boxes, the price begins to show. Nonetheless, out of the box, the Scat Pack Charger is faster than the majority of the cars on the road and for a lot less. For around $40,000, you can have a shouting V8 and muscular looks for about as much as a fully loaded BMW 2-series.
12 FIAT 500 Abarth - $21,790
A true pocket rocket, the Fiat 500 Abarth is the epitome of small fun. And with a tiny four-cylinder with 160 hp and a 0-60 time of 6.9 seconds, this little FIAT isn't about speed, its philosophy is to be fun, aggressive, and full of personality. The 500 makes a boisterous burble out of the back and is completely hilarious. With the manual gearbox, this tiny automobile drives better than cars with double its price.
At $21,790, drivers get to drive the automatic transmission 500 Abarth. Available as a coupe or sliding soft top, prices start going up with the manual gearbox on the way to the open top. Thanks to its small size, this thing can zip around town faster than most supercars; a special car with lots of charisma.
11 2022 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat - $66,825
Very few new cars could go back in time to the 1960s and '70s and not look out of place, and one of them is the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. The car's long list of driver-assist features and the techno-focused cabin could look out of place, but the thundering V8 engine and the retro style would fit right in. The standard Hellcat is powered by a 717-hp powerhouse, while the Redeye model comes with 797 horses. The Super Stock model comes with special equipment dedicated for drag-racing, including an 807-hp V8.
These are just a few mentions of why this car deserves a trophy as one of the best value performance cars. And at a starting price of about $66,000, drivers get to own a modern muscle car with near-nuclear reactor power under its hood. Its throwback bodywork, sweet-sounding soundtrack, and inhabitable back seats make this muscle car a favorite among modern enthusiasts.
10 Hyundai Genesis Coupe - $24,323
The Genesis Coupe is a car that's slipped through the cracks. It's never been a front-pager in the automotive magazines or a special feature on hit automotive TV shows, but maybe that's the beautiful mystique behind the Genesis Coupe. It looks no more threatening than its cheaper trims but delivers an absolutely sublime driving experience.
The most powerful trim level is powered by a 3.8-liter V6, which makes 348 hp driving the rear wheels. This car went out of production in 2016, but the local dealerships have excellent used examples at slightly below $25,000. S re, it's not the most elegant coupe on the market, but it'll deliver thrills, speed, and understated looks for a seductive price.
9 BMW M2 - $59,895
When it comes to maximum performance, the words compromise and the M2 can't appear in the same sentence. Compared to the regular BMW 2-Series, the M2 stands out as a souped-up coupe with a potent engine, meaner mug, suspension tuned for racetracks, and wider hips. The 2021 M2 comes with a hard-charging, high-revving twin-turbo engine that eats straightways for breakfast. While the world is on the verge of forgetting the stick shift, this little Bimmer remains resistant. However, for relevance's sake, it also offers snappy dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Its 3.0-liter inline-six engine makes the M2 sweet to drive with 405 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque. The transmissions are six-speed for the manual and seven-speed for the dual-clutch. The BMW's standard iDrive infotainment system comes in an 8.8-inch touchscreen with an intuitive interface and quick response times. The 2021 M2 starts at $59,895. There's no 2022 model offered, but it returns in 2023 that still offers the shift-it-yourself gearbox, but with a wider stance than the current model.
8 Mercedes-Benz GLA 45 AMG - $49,000
The GLA 45 will make the M2 look like a slug. It gets to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds, thanks to its 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system. C ming in at a $49,000 base price; it's less than the M2 but has an extra two doors and can carry a family along with their luggage. The GLA is one of the more captivating AMGs because it's basically a hot hatch with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine.
This powerhouse is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission to produce 221 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. However, buyers can opt for the higher-powered models with 302 or 382 hp. Not speccing the optional spoiler will fool everyone into thinking you drive an innocent crossover.
7 Audi S3 - $46,895
The 2022 Audi S3 comes with a starting price of $46,895. For this price, the car comes with everything expected from an S model: a dual-clutch automatic, leather stitched seats, and a pokey turbocharged engine, among other exciting features. All S3 models feature a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 306 horsepower. The 0-60 run takes just 4.3 seconds, which would humiliate most supercars on a straight line.
It's efficient, easy to drive, speedy, and boasts fabulous engineering. With an eager and ready-to-go chassis as well as a rigorous turbo-four engine and modern styling, the S3 is built to offer excellent value for money. It sits comfortably between the more calm A3 and the high-performance Audi RS3.
6 Ford Mustang GT - $36,285
The Ford Mustang has been the people's sports car since the '70s and has continued to deliver affordable speed for decades. T e new 2022 Mustang GT Fastback is no different. The car is powered by a potent 5.0-liter Ti-VCT V8 Engine with 450 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque. The Fastback is equipped with the sporty old-school six-speed manual transmission, accelerates to 60 mph in only 4.4 seconds, and attains a top speed of 163 mph.
This car is around $36,285 and delivers all the performance of a front-engined, manual-transmission supercar. An art from its swift acceleration, it finishes the quarter-mile in 12.6 seconds. There are few cars on sale today that can offer this visceral a driving experience for this price bracket. W at makes people gravitate towards it may be its performance and bombastic V8, but the looks just scream "I'm a cool guy."
5 Cadillac ATS-V - $46,895
This sedan can take down the best of the best, a bargain performance sedan that will leave track-focused sports cars eating dust. It's powered by a 3.6-liter twin-turbocharged V6 making 464 hp. It also gets to 60 in 4.2 seconds from a standstill and comes with a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $68,790.
The used car market offers excellent condition models of this car with prices ranging between $55,994 to $63,900. A d considering that Ferrari used a Cadillac-sourced suspension in their 458 Italia supercar, believing that the ATS-V features one of the best suspensions on the market is not an assumption.
4 Nissan 370Z - $31,040
This car has the same DNA as its older brother, the Nissan GTR, but the GTR starts at approximately $115,000. The 370Z starts at $31,040 and is available in various trim levels, shapes, and sizes. The 370Z is an update on the famous 350Z and gets more performance. T is Nissan has a naturally aspirated 3.7-liter V-6 hooked up to a standard six-speed gearbox or an optional seven-speed automatic. The V6 produces 332 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque, pushing the 370Z from 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds.
Its rear-wheel-drive layout allows for glorious skids and celebratory burnouts. And ff the standard 370Z isn't thrilling enough; there's the track-oriented 370Z NISMO. It gets the same 3.7-liter V6 fine-tuned to make 350 hp and a massive 276 lb-ft of torque.
3 Honda Civic Type R - $38,910
There's no Civic Type R for 2022, but the 2021 model still offers excellent value for money. There'll be a 2023 model speculated to feature a more powerful version of the turbo-four engine, and it's estimated to have a starting price of $39,000. The 2021 Type R comes with a starting price of $38,910. This is a hot hatch built to dethrone the latest supercars, and, true to that, the car's excellent performance is at par with many modern supercars.
This front-wheel-drive rocket has a spine-tingling 306 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque from its 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. It's also the fastest FWD car to go around the Green Hell in 7:43.8. Despite its looks, the Civic Type R has superb chassis balance and just enough power to make the front wheels grip without torque steer.
2 Ford Focus RS - $41,995
This Ford Focus RS was quite popular when it came out in 2002. I caused quite a commotion for being an extremely capable and quick four-wheel-drive hatchback with its basic manual transmission. Its 2.3-liter 4-cylinder makes 350 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque, so it probably does have more oomph than the Type R, which may justify its starting price of $41,995.
For that, drivers get four-wheel drive and Drift Mode, a setting that allows drivers to pull off skids with ease. The car was developed closely with master-drifter Ken Block, so it's expected to be good. Unlike the Type R, it doesn't have the tired looks, and unlike the Golf R, it brings a little ruckus to the party.
1 Kia Stinger GT - $36,290
The Stinger GT is quickly changing people's preconceived notions about Kia. The Stinger GT wraps speed, reliability, quality, and value into a nice $36,290 package. This car is offered in two turbocharged engine versions; a 2.5-liter turbo-four with 300 hp and a 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 with 365 hp.
The four-door will waft five people in luxury to their destination with little drama. It isn't an all-out super saloon, but it's a bonafide cruiser. Think Aston Martin-style cruising. The Kia gets more standard options than its competitors for a much lower price. Expect to see these on the road a lot more than before. Journalists have praised it for being a nice break from the mold and a surprising competitor to the Titans of Stuttgart.