Whoever said top-notch sports cars were unaffordable for the average Joe hasn’t looked hard enough in the pre-owned market. Sure, there's a whole other charm driving straight off the showroom, but doing so with iconic brands like Mustang, Camaro, Porsche, and Audi will end up costing you an arm and a leg.

UPDATED 2023/10/11 By Ron FP

After skyrocketing last 2021, used car prices have been going down in 2023. This might be a good time to go through the listings of the best used sports cars on the pre-owned market. We're here to help you shorten your shopping list.

We've cross-referenced vehicle specifications, pricing information, press releases, reviews, and performance figures from manufacturer websites, Classic.com, Zero To 60 Times, Edmunds, Kelley Blue Book (KBB), CarComplaints, and J.D. Power to update this article and give you 12 of the best used sports cars that you can buy for $20,000 or less.

In fact, many car enthusiasts specifically look for these lean, mean-driving machines in the used market. There are a few reasons for this, but the most important is price, as many sports cars depreciate quickly. Another reason is the love and care that most enthusiasts give to their sports cars compared to more traditional family sedans and SUVs. In the end, while many modern cars end up having long-term issues with some bells and whistles associated with electronics, in most cases, engine life is retained for the long haul.

12 2001 Honda S2000

KBB Fair Market Price Range: $19,573 - $23,484

Produced from 1999 to 2009, the Honda S2000 was Honda's 50th-anniversary celebration model. Inspired by the 1960s-era S-series Honda roadsters, the Honda S2000 derived its moniker from its FC20 engine's 2,000-cc displacement. This engine was special: cranking out 124 horses per liter of displacement, the Honda S2000's FC20 powerplant has one of the highest specific power outputs from any naturally aspirated production car engine ever built. For comparison, the 2023 Corvette Z06's modern, high-revving flat-plane crank V8 only produces 121 hp per liter of displacement. Moreover, the legendary Lexus LFA's beautiful howls only translate to 117 hp per liter.

The 2001 Honda S2000 achieved a stellar 4.9/5 consumer review rating from both KBB and Edmunds. Moreover, CarComplaints tells us that the 2001 Honda S2000 is one of the least problematic model years in the nameplate's decade-long production run.

Performance

11 2019 Subaru BRZ Premium Coupe

KBB Fair Market Price Range: $18,931 - $21,152

The Subaru BRZ is one of the 2 products of the Toyota-Subaru collaboration project for a compact sports car, the other product being the nearly-identical Toyota GT86. For the 2019 model year, the Subaru BRZ drew power from a 2.0-liter boxer-4 engine that produces 200 hp (205 for M/T) and 151 lb-ft of torque (156 lb-ft for M/T) to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in a decent 6.4 seconds for the manual-transmission version.

Although it didn't receive any quality and reliability rating from J.D. Power, the 2019 Subaru BRZ is one of the few model years of the nameplate that had zero complaints recorded on CarComplaints (the other zero-complaint model years were 2020 and 2021). Moreover, the 2019 Subaru BRZ also received a laudable 4.6/5 expert review score from KBB.

Performance

10 2004 Porsche Boxster 986

Average Used Car Price: $18,857

The 986 was the 1st-generation Porsche Boxster. During the sports car's 1996 debut, the mid-engined Porsche Boxster had a 2.5-litre flat six-cylinder powerplant propelling a body that took inspiration from the 1992 Boxster Concept. In 2000, the base Boxster 986 trim received a new 2.7-liter engine while the new Porsche Boxster S variant came with a 3.2-litre engine. Beginning 2003, Porsche refreshed the styling increased the engine output on both Boxster variants. The 2004 Porsche Boxster was the last of the 986 generation and was eventually succeeded by the Porsche Boxster 987 in 2005.

Performance

9 2018 Toyota GT86 GT Black Coupe

KBB Fair Market Price Range: $19,040 - $21,579

The Toyota GT86 debuted in 2013 as the descendant of the Toyota AE86 Corolla, more popularly known as the Hachi Roku in the JDM racing scene. True to its lineage, the 2018 Toyota GT86 remained a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive (FR) sports car that offered very decent power (200-205 hp, 151-156 lb-ft) from a naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter Subaru boxer-four engine. With a light body, a low center of gravity, and a 53/47 front-biased weight distribution, the Toyota GT86 can either cut the apex or drift sideways around it – depending on which racing style the driver wants to use.

The 2018 Toyota GT86 did not receive a quality and reliability rating from J.D. Power, but it also did not receive any complaints according to CarComplaints. KBB expert reviews for the 2018 Toyota GT86 returned a decent 4.6/5 rating.

Performance

8 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata

KBB Fair Market Price Range: $20,132 - $22,449

The MX-5, commonly known as the Miata, is Mazda's 2-seater darling of the lineup. With its lightweight body, agile steering, precise acceleration response, and a near-perfect 50/50 weight distribution, the 2019 Mazda MX-5 makes the most out of its 2.0-liter I4 engine (181 hp, 151 lb-ft) to give drivers a truly exhilarating experience behind the wheel. Okay, the 2019 Mazda Miata is just a hair above the $20,000 budget, but we'll be remiss not to include it because it's the 30th anniversary model year, and it squeezes out 26 more horses from the same engine compared to its 2018 predecessor.

The 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata received a "great" 86/100 quality and reliability score from J.D. Power and a very respectable 4.7/5 consumer review score from KBB.

Performance

7 2007 Mercedes-Benz SL

KBB Fair Market Price Range: $13,500 to $25,321

The Mercedes-Benz SL-Class, which debuted in 1954, is one of the carmaker's revered nameplates for the sports car and touring categories. For 2007, the Mercedes-Benz SL offered the following engines:

• 5.5-liter V8 (382 hp, 391 lb-ft)
• 5.5-liter supercharged V8 (510 hp, 531 lb-ft)
• 5.5-liter V12 (510 hp, 612 lb-ft)
• 6.0-liter V12 (604 hp, 738 hp)

The 2007 Mercedes-Benz SL, which received a 4.7/5 consumer review score from KBB, still has a fair market price range of $13,500 to $25,321 today.

Performance

6 2014 Audi TT

Average Used Car Price Range: $16,000 - $22,000

Audi launched the iconic TT sports car mode in 1995. The 2014 Audi TT is part of the nameplate's 3rd generation, but this iteration only became available in the US in 2016. Whether you opt for the clean lines of the coupe, or the excitement of the roadster, there's an Audi TT that you can choose. The coupe version, with its 4-passenger seating configuration, is just a bit more practical.

The 2014 Audi TT came as a bit of a surprise to buyers due to the absence of a center infotainment screen. Instead, the infotainment system display was combined with the instrument cluster - an innovation that Audi called the "virtual cockpit." Eventually, the virtual cockpit also became either a standard or optional feature for other Audi models.

Performance

5 2011 Mazda RX-8

KBB Fair Market Price Range: $7,690 - $10,611

Produced from 2003 to 2012, the Mazda RX-8 was the last of Mazda's rotary-powered production sports cars (although this can change with the possible launch of the Mazda RX-9 sometime between 2026 and 2028). Using a naturally aspirated 1.3-liter rotary engine (13B-MSP RENESIS), the Mazda RX-8 produced almost 240 hp during its final production years.

J.D. Power has no quality and reliability rating for the Mazda RX-8, and JDM fans prefer its predecessor, the RX-7, due to styling and reliability issues. However, CarComplaints tells us that the latter model years – including the 2011 Mazda RX-8 – have the least amount of buyer woes.

Performance

4 2011 BMW Z4 Roadster sDrive35is

KBB Fair Market Price Range: $19,360 - $22,493

The 2011 BMW Z4 is the 3rd model year of the nameplate's 2nd generation, which was the first BMW Z series model to feature a retractable hardtop. This Z4 generation (2009 - 2016) was produced exclusively in Germany, and it was the last batch of pure BMW Z4s that had zero association with the Toyota Supra.

The range-topping sDrive35is trim of the 2011 BMW Z4 drew 335 horses and 332 lb-ft of torque from BMW's N54 engine – a 3.0-liter twin-turbo I6 powerplant that's considered one of the best forced-induction mills that the German carmaker ever built.

The 2011 BMW Z4 earned a "best" 91/100 driving experience rating and a "great" 81/100 overall score from J.D. Power. Moreover, the 2011 BMW Z4 also garnered a 4.7/5 consumer review rating from Edmunds.

Performance

3 2013 Nissan 370Z (Z34) Coupe

KBB Fair Market Price Range: $18,721 - $21,436

The 2013 Nissan 370Z is the 5th model year of the iconic Z-Car's 6th generation (Z34). With a lineage that goes back to the celebrated Nissan Fairlady Z (Japan market) and Datsun 240Z (US market) of the 1960s and 1970s, the 2013 Nissan 370Z has a performance-oriented DNA. Standard across the 2013 Nissan 370Z lineup is a naturally-aspirated 3.7-liter V6 powerplant that delivers 332 hp (350 hp for the NISMO variant) and 270 lb-ft of torque (276 for the NISMO).

The 2013 Nissan 370Z received an "average" 79/100 overall score from J.D. Power, a 4/5 consumer review rating from KBB, and a 4.5/5 consumer review score from Edmunds.

Performance

2 2017 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth Convertible

KBB Fair Market Price Range: $15,616 - $17,755

All-new for 2017, the Fiat 124 Spider is a compact sports car based on the Mazda MX-5 Miata. However, the Italian Fiat 124 Spider distinguishes itself from its Japanese counterpart through a 1960s-inspired exterior and a Fiat-built powerplant. Whereas the Miata thrives on a precise and responsive naturally-aspirated engine, the Fiat 124 Spider uses a 1.4-liter turbocharged I4 engine that delivers 160 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque for the Classico and Lusso trims. The 124 Spider Abarth trim gets 4 extra horses due to a less restrictive exhaust system.

The 2017 Fiat 124 Spider received an "average" 75/100 quality and reliability score from J.D. Power, but it took home a very impressive 4.9/5 consumer review score from KBB.

Performance

1 1997 Chevrolet Corvette C5

Average Used Car Price: $19,588

One of the best used cars for under $20,000 is the 1997 model year of the fifth-generation Chevrolet Corvette - or the C5 - as it's lovingly known to car fanatics. Produced from 1996 to 2004, Chevrolet totally overhauled the C5 Corvette's chassis as well as the engine and transmission arrangement to offer more stability and power.

The base trim offers a 5.7L V8 that produces 350 hp and propels the iconic sports car to 60 mph in just over 4 seconds. It was also during this generation, specifically in 2003, that the Corvette hit a famous milestone: a half-century of production. To honor the moment, the 2003 Corvette 50th Anniversary Edition was released. Even if you can’t get your hands on the limited-edition model, simply owning a 2003 Corvette means you’ve got a real piece of automotive history in your driveway.

Performance