Drifting is a form of art that first originated in Japan around the ‘70s. Driving fast in a straight line, or sticking to corners at ridiculous speeds is both joyous in their own right, but drifting looks to maximize car control to allow drivers to express themselves in a show of skill by stitching one move with another; leaving a ribbon of tire smoke in their wake.
Updated June 2023: Drifting, like every other track event, requires serious driving skills, style, and, most importantly, a suitable car. While the used car market is a goldmine of great drift cars, as a beginner, you'll need something cheap and a car you won't mind hitting against the barrier occasionally in pursuit of the perfect angle. We have therefore updated this list to include the cheapest drift cars that beginners can easily get on the used car market.
That brings us swiftly to the sort of cars that are purchased for drifting, which frequently tend to be used cars that are rear-wheel drive and can easily be modified to within an inch of their peak capabilities. It’s also important to ensure that you can get lots of practice in to perfect your balance and precision before purchasing a car for drifting, which will help you to pull off stunning It takes a lot of practice to get the balance and precision needed. If you're a beginner and want to go drifting, starting off with the right car is important. Getting a good drift car will make it much simpler to pull off drifting stunts. The good news is that you don't have to spend much money on getting your first great drift car.
The ideal purchase should feature a rear-wheel drive layout, limited-slip differential, manual transmission, balanced and lightweight chassis, a nice long wheelbase, an easy-to-tune suspension, and, of course, a front-mounted, simple-to-tune engine. That doesn’t mean that these are absolute must-haves, but each one contributes to turning a good build into a perfect one. To help you understand what the best choices on the market currently are, we’ve narrowed down a list of the 10 cheapest drift cars you can buy and modify into genuine drift weapons.
Note: Using sources like Carsurvey to determine the average owner reception and databases such as Bring a Trailer to find out average prices, we’ve put together a detailed list of the 10 cheapest beginner’s drift cars you can buy right now.
10 1990-1999 BMW 3 Series E36
Starting Used Price: $2,000
Despite the wave of Japanese drift cars that emerged during the ‘90s, the E36 proved to be an unexpected rival that had just as much scope for customization as anything that Japan had to offer. It’s exactly why you should choose a BMW E36 3 Series as your first drift car. It has just enough power for fun, sideways driving, while also being pretty reliable despite the hard labor. The stock engine puts out nearly 200 horsepower and can handle modifications for up to 350 horsepower without demanding a major engine rebuild. This means you won't have to worry about breaking things prematurely and can use the stock platform for years. It also comes with a solid manual transmission that can withstand abuse.
Pricing
Excluding the M3 trim level, the remaining four models that were sold in the US remain extremely affordable, with the 318i going for as low as $2,000 these days. If you do have slightly deep pockets and can afford to buy the range-topping M3, we couldn’t be more supportive.
Trim | Avg. Used Market Range | Original MSRP |
318i | $2,000 - $6,000 | $22,900 |
323i | $3,000 - $8,000 | $26,900 |
325i | $4,000 - $10,000 | $29,900 |
328i | $5,000 - $12,000 | $33,900 |
M3 | $10,000 - $20,000 | $38,900 |
9 1989-1997 Mazda MX-5 Miata
Starting Used Price: $2,000
The Mazda Miata is another excellent choice for beginners because it's easy to work on and has earned itself the title of ‘the world’s best-selling convertible’ as a result of its notorious reliability. However, the stock engine doesn't have the best drifting potential and probably won't be enough for serious competitive events. So, the best option is an engine swap, preferably being an LS3, which can be purchased from GM for around $10,000. Otherwise, Mazda Miata is also a great option because it's lightweight and has a tight turning radius. While the prospect of an electric Mazda MX-5 Miata excites some, we think we’ll stick with our internal combustion engine versions for a while longer.
Pricing
Given the sheer volume of MX-5s that entered circulation, it comes as no surprise that they can be had for next to nothing. Your search will likely return examples that are as low as $2,000, but we’d recommend splashing a little more cash to make sure it’s been looked after and maintained to a good standard.
Trim | Avg. Used Market Range | Original MSRP |
Sport | $2,000 - $6,000 | $26,830 |
Club | $5,000 - $10,000 | $30,290 |
Grand Touring | $10,000 - $15,000 | $32,590 |
8 1982-1994 BMW 3 Series E30
Starting Used Price: $5,000
The E30 316i is a great starting point for a first-time drifter since it has rear-wheel drive, a manual transmission, and an engine bay that is big enough for an engine swap. Since the standard engine doesn't have enough power for proper drifting, you will be needing an engine swap. The most popular and easy examples of suitable blocks include the LS V8s, 2JZs, SR20s, and VQ35s.
Pricing
Given that E30 BMW M3 prices have skyrocketed, the other trim levels are slowly rising as well as the demand for these truly gorgeous cars is only increasing. Luckily, they’re not so high that they can’t still be purchased, with examples on the market for as low as $5,000.
Trim | Avg. Used Market Range | Original MSRP |
318i | $5,000 - $12,000 | $22,300 |
323i | $7,000 - $15,000 | $27,400 |
325i | $8,000 - $18,000 | $29,600 |
M3 | $30,000 - $60,000 | $36,900 |
7 1996-2001 Toyota Chaser
Starting Used Price: $5,000
The Toyota Chaser is another great first drift car for beginners, thanks to a solid chassis that will last for moon miles and a powerful 1JZ-GE engine that gives it a solid start off the line. They are cheap and easy to find in good condition, and tons of mods are also available. You could make this car seriously fast with just a few alterations, like a bigger turbo, an updated intercooler, and new headers. And because it's so reliable, you could use it for years, making it a calculated risk to purchase.
Pricing
Buying a Chaser of this generation feels even sweeter that they can be easily imported now, and plenty of people have done so already. The big advantage to that is that the market has no shortage of examples roaming around. We’d recommend opting for the GX100 version since they are not only the best of the bunch, but also because they can still be had for reasonable sums of money.
Trim | Avg. Used Market Range | Original MSRP |
VVTi | $5,000 - $12,000 | Not sold in the US |
Tourer V | $7,000 - $15,000 | Not sold in the US |
Avante | $6,000 - $13,000 | Not sold in the US |
Tourer S | $6,000 - $14,000 | Not sold in the US |
LX | $8,000-$15,000 | Not sold in the US |
GX100 | $10,000-$20,000 | Not sold in the US |
6 2003-2009 Nissan 350Z
Starting Used Price: $8,000
If you're looking for a cheap drift car that you can drive almost right out of the box, the Nissan 350Z is your jam. You'd be hard-pressed to find another car that can go from mild to wild so quickly for a similar price. The 350Z is an easy car to work on. You can upgrade it with simple modifications like an angle kit or a welded diff. This car also has a huge aftermarket scene, making finding new parts, repair shops, and modifications easier. The standard car alone has around 270 hp, which means there is plenty of potential to be toyed with here. No wonder the Nissan 350Z is such a great first drift car.
Pricing
Prices can waver quite substantially for the 350Z, and that could spell trouble for those on a budget. The chances are that previous owners of examples that are now on the market have got their money’s worth by driving their 350Z hard and fast for a few years, and that will inevitably take its toll. Find a good example, and be strong in your negotiating, and you could just bag yourself a bargain for $10,000.
Trim | Avg. Used Market Range | Original MSRP |
Base | $8,000 - $14,000 | $26,809 |
Enthusiast | $9,000 - $16,000 | $28,369 |
Performance | $10,000 - $18,000 | $30,309 |
Touring | $11,000 - $20,000 | $33,059 |
Grand Touring | $12,000 - $22,000 | $36,859 |
NISMO | $15,000 - $30,000 | $38,070 |
5 1993-1998 Nissan Silvia S14
Starting Used Price: $8,000
The S14’s legend in the drift community is well documented at this point and has therefore been widely accepted as one of the go-to cars to start your drifting career with. That’s one of the main reasons why we love the Nissan Silvia S14. It comes with either an SR20DE or SR20DET engine – the latter is a turbocharged engine that can be tuned up to as much as 500 hp. The downside is that these engines are expensive to upgrade to their full potential when compared to other engines that can do it for cheaper, like the 1JZ. But if you’re happy to spend the money, you will not regret it.
Pricing
Silvia S14s are still surprisingly low cost, with the cheapest high-mileage examples selling for around $8,000 at present. These won’t be the nicest ones on the market, though, and you’ll be looking at spending closer to $20,000 for one of those.
Trim | Avg. Used Market Range | Original MSRP |
K’s | $10,000 - $18,000 | Not sold in the US |
Q’s | $8,000 - $15,000 | Not sold in the US |
Q’s Aero | $9,000 - $16,000 | Not sold in the US |
Spec-S | $10,000 - $18,000 | Not sold in the US |
Spec-R | $12,000 - $20,000 | Not sold in the US |
Club Selection | $20,000-$30,000 | Not sold in the US |
4 1979-1993 Ford Mustang Fox Body
Starting Used Price: $5,000
Often overlooked, many forget that the Mustang is more than just a straight-line performance car, especially the Fox Body Mustang. Coming off the '70s oil crisis, Ford made the Mustang as lightweight as possible. Under the hood, it got a 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-four or a 5.0-liter Windsor V8 engine. While both motors are great for drifting, the latter offers way more grunt, making it easier to control your slip angle and minimize driver error. Beyond that, models produced between 1979 and 1993 came with a standard stick-shift transmission and rear-wheel drive. You can see why the Ford Mustang is a great first drift car now, right?
Pricing
Finding one in good shape today isn't difficult, considering Ford sold over a million examples during its lifetime. And being a Mustang, the car has great aftermarket support. This means you can have a drifting beast with a few mods, such as upgrading to a limited-slip differential and stiffening the car's chassis. But first, you’ll need to buy one, which shouldn’t be difficult given that they start at just $5,000.
Trim | Avg. Used Market Range | Original MSRP |
LX | $5,000 - $12,000 | $10,670 |
GT | $6,000 - $15,000 | $16,215 |
Cobra | $10,000 - $25,000 | $19,895 |
3 2003-2012 Mazda RX-8
Starting Used Price: $5,000
Over the last decade, prices for the RX-7 have started getting out of reach as people start to realize it is one of The Fast and Furious’ most underrated JDM’s. Luckily, you can turn to the RX-8 to get your rotary fix thanks to a more than reasonable market price at present. The RX-8 boasts incredible rotary power, a screaming 9,000-rpm, and a fantastic drifting chassis – something only a few cars can claim to have. Top that off with a front-mounted engine, rear-wheel drive layout, and a standard limited-slip differential, and you have the ideal sideways-driving monster for any aspiring drifter. Weighing in at just 3,050 pounds, the RX-8 offers incredible handling thanks to its near-50:50 weight distribution and low center of gravity. The overall package is a perfect candidate for an engine swap if you are terrified of rotary maintenance.
Pricing
We won’t beat around the bush here: rotary engines cost a bomb to maintain. But the RX-8 is also the perfect candidate for an engine swap if rotary maintenance terrifies you that much. With a host of suitable engines on offer, you can find yourself a clean example for $5,000 and get to work on creating your dream high-pitched build.
Trim | Avg. Used Market Range | Original MSRP |
Sport | $5,000 - $10,000 | $26,795 |
Touring | $6,000 - $12,000 | $31,640 |
Grand Touring | $8,000 - $15,000 | $32,960 |
R3 | $10,000 - $18,000 | $32,820 |
2 1985-1989 Merkur XR4
Starting Used Price: $3,000
The XR4Ti was basically a German-made version of the European Ford Sierra RS, sold in America as the Merkur XR4Ti from 1985 to 1989. The XR4Ti, therefore, borrowed its sporty ergonomics from the high-performance Sierra RS, a car designed specifically to race in Europe's Group A racing. Born a drift car, the XR4Ti is lightweight, has a long wheelbase, easily tunable independent rear suspension, balanced chassis, and a great power-to-weight ratio. The XR4Ti had a 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-four engine that churned out 175 hp and 200 lb-ft of torque. On top of that, it came with a five-speed manual transmission, completing the perfect formula for a tire-burning drift car. While the XR4Ti is rare, finding one is relatively cheap and easy since most drifters and tuners often overlook them.
Pricing
High-mileage examples are dirt cheap, costing about $3,000, while good-condition XR4Tis can fetch about $26,750. It depends on the standard variables by which a used car’s price can be judged, including its maintenance record and how much work has been done to it.
Trim | Avg. Used Market Range | Original MSRP |
XR4Ti | $3,000 - $8,000 | $18,638 |
1 1992-2000 Lexus SC300
Starting Used Price: $5,000
Boasting Supra internals, luxury features, and stunning looks, the Lexus SC300 is an underrated drifting gem. Although not the 2JZ-GTE engine you'd find in the highest-spec MKIV Supra, the non-turbocharged 3.0-liter 2JZ-GE inline-six is equally capable, rated at 225 hp and 210 lb-ft of torque. Besides the engine, the SC300 and the MKIV Supra shared other parts such as electronics, transmission, brakes, and sub-frames. That means the SC300 benefits from the Supra's off-the-shelf parts since the Supra is among the most popular tuned drift cars today. From bolt-on mods like headers and exhaust mods to intercoolers and coil-overs, you won't struggle to find aftermarket parts for your drift car. But the SC300 has the edge over the Supra in that it is also luxurious and handles incredibly. So, if you want a drift car to take to the track and the club, the Lexus SC300 is the perfect cheap JDM.
Pricing
Only one trim grade officially arrived in the US and went for close to $40,000 back in its heyday. Now, good examples can be found for as low as $5,000, but we’d recommend spending a little bit more to ensure that you get your money’s worth in the long run.
Trim | Avg. Used Market Range | Original MSRP |
Base | $5,000 - $15,000 | $38.305 |