Ever had a sleeper? The covert thrill of driving a car that looks boring and nearly avuncular in its outlook but can leave even the best of performance mods biting the dust is like a shot of adrenalin. And sleepers are pretty common in the automobile industry.

At times, if a carmaker is unable to come up with a design that makes its car stand out from the crowd, it adds to the USP by giving a little boost in the power. Basically, the cars have zero-style but are beastly under the hood. The performance of a sleeper car is way over and above its call of duty, even if it's boring, or has part-of-the-milieu looks that make people misjudge it.

This is why the Camaro turned into a COPO Camaro or the Ford Taurus managed the very impressive Taurus SHO. These cars looked like the ordinary models of their time but were extraordinary under the hood. Of course, none of these now-discovered sleepers can be had cheap.

But there are plenty of other sleepers, less popular and even lesser-known that can be yours for under $10,000 in the used car lot. Give them a spin and watch jaws drop as you speed off in a car that looks like something your grandpa would drive.

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10 2006-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Sedan

via CarandDriver

In 2005, the Chevy Cavalier was replaced by the Cobalt, as a 2006 model. Was it noticed? Well, nope, and although the Cavalier was once a bestseller, the Cobalt made for a modest success. The base models were your ordinary, everyday passenger car, built to save fuel and be a no-nonsense drive.

via CobaltSS.net

The Cobalt SS coupe came with a supercharged 2.0-liter engine then made 205 horses and was a hit. The sedan bore an even more powerful engine that jetted 171-260 horses but looked nondescript. The reason why the Cobalt SS sedan can be yours for less than $5,000 and yet be a thrilling drive.

9 1999-2004 Chrysler 300M

via autoevolution

The Chrysler 300M came into the market as a full-size luxury sedan, something the doubting Thomas in us instant cocked an eyebrow at. Initially, it was supposed to be marketed as an Eagle Vision but when Eagle died as a marque, the car became the Chrysler 300M.

via autoevolution

While it made the best-car lists of a few magazines, most people did not really like the dull design and today it is largely forgotten. This is why even the 2004 model can be had for around $5,000, if not less...despite its 3.5-liter V6 engine that made 253 horses and 255 ft-lb of torque. Plenty of metal in that pedal.

8 2010-2016 Scion tC

via RoadReality

Now defunct, the Scion, a Toyota marque made the tC, also sold as the Toyota Zelas from 2004 to 2016, although it’s the 2010-onward second-generation model that we’d call a sleeper. They were popular back in the day but consumer memory is short today and with its 2016 demise, not many would want a used one.

via Autoblog

But the Scion tC gave its heart out with 180 horses and zipped 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds. Plus you could add in a turbocharger from TRD and make it fly. Many can be had for less than $10,000 and more can be found in drag racing today.

7 2005-2007 MazdaSpeed6

via autoevolution

The MazdaSpeed6 was a performance-only version of the Mazda6. produced for only two years, looking not very different from the original car. It had ordinary-sedan looks and in fact, there could no better definition of a sleeper than this unassuming car.

via Pinterest

The standard 2.3-liter inline-four engine came turbocharged to make 274 horses and 280 ft-lb of torque. It was an all-wheel-drive wonder, with climate control and a sunroof, and yet can be had for less than $10,000.

6 2005-2006 Nissan Altima SE-R

 Red 2005 Nissan Altima Parked Outside
via Nissan

Part of the third generation of the Nissan Altima that lasted from 2002 to 2006, the SE-R was introduced in 2005 with a 3.5-liter V6 that made 260 horses and 251 ft-lb of torque, and also came with beefy brakes and one stiff suspension to handle all that power.

Red 2005 Nissan Altima Parked
via Nissan

Add to that a high-flow exhaust and a six-speed manual transmission and this car was the true epitome of a slightly boring car that could zip 0-60 mph in 6.1 seconds. Prices fall under the $10,000 gamut.

5 2003-2004 Mercury Marauder

via CarandDriver

The Mercury Marauder’s 2003 arrival was a revival of the nameplate after a 33-year hiatus, only, it was pretty short-lived considering by 2004, it was gone again. The Marauder was the performance version of the Grand Marquis fourth-gen sedan.

Mercury Marauder
via Hagerty

Only a little more than 11,000 of these were sold, and somehow that 4.6-liter V8 engine that made 302 horses failed to attract buyers even though it went 0-60 mph in 7.5 seconds. The engine was the same as the one under the hood of the Mustang Mach 1. Look hard and you can find one under $10,000.

4 2005-2006 Toyota Corolla XRS

via CarSpecs

The Toyota Corolla is not an exciting car, although its reliability, practicality, and even economy do make it a bestseller. In 2005, the standard Corolla had a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine that made 130 horsepower. Nothing to brag about, right?

via Pinterest

True, until the Corolla XRS came out in 2005, with a 1.8-liter twin-cam four-cylinder engine that made 170 horsepower, mated to a six-speed transmission. It did not look different but driving it was a way different experience. Easy to find one under $10,000.

3 2003 Volvo V70 R

via MotorBiscuit

The Volvo V70 was an executive wagon that lasted from 1996 to 2016 and looked far too cumbersome to be fast. It was spacious, comfortable, and of course, luxurious. In 2003, like in the previous generation, Volvo released a V70 R.

via autoevolution

The 2.5-liter inline-five engine made 300 horses and 295 ft-lb of torque, letting this big car jet 0-60 mph in under 5.6 seconds, running on an all-wheel-drive, with dynamic stability as well as traction control. Enough to keep it fast, but keep it grounded.

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2 2003-2008 Pontiac Vibe GT

via JDPower

The Pontiac Vibe was a rebadged Toyota Matrix and frankly, it’s okay if you remember neither. A decade has gone by and these were never bestselling cars. In fact, Pontiac itself went defunct soon after, although it tried its best to stay afloat and alive.

via BestCarMag

The Vibe GT carried a 1.8-liter inline-four engine from the Toyota Celica GT-S and made 170 horses in the first generation, and because of the various recalls that plagued Toyota in 2009-2010, we’d advise you skip the second generation. Easy buy for under $10,000.

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1 2006-2009 Chevrolet Impala SS

via Hagerty

By the turn of the 21st century, the Chevrolet Impala looked like a generic American sedan, and came with two base V6 engines, offering 211 and 240 horses. At par with the competition but nothing ground-shaking, right?

2009 Chevrolet Impala SS - Front Quarter
Hagerty

From 2006 to 2009, Chevrolet made its last SS models even if they went largely unnoticed. The 5.3-liter V8 engine in these made 303 horses, and while it wore SS badging and rode on bigger tires, it looked like every other Impala. You can find one of these for under $5,000, making them a steal.

Sources: Autolist, CarGurus

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