Since the late 80s, Japanese carmakers have been going above and beyond to come up with economical sports cars. Mazda and its Miata truly scared BMW and triggered the creation of the very first Z-badged cars. In the United States, the '80s were plagued with re-badged Japanese cars. For example, the Dodge Challenger was essentially a Mitsubishi.
Nowadays, several Asian automakers other than Japanese have found the formula to produce cheap and fast cars that would please drivers from every corner of the globe. The most reliable German sports cars to buy used will last you a lifetime, even with a fair amount of miles on the odometer. However, it is now possible to buy a jaw-dropping Kia for the same price of a used BMW M5.
10 Kia Stinger: Top-Shelf
Back in 1992, Kia marketed its first vehicle in the American market. The Kia Sephia was essentially the typical Korean car: cheap, unreliable, and disposable. The Sephia was not the sort of cars that people would remember fondly. Things started changing in the early 2000s after Hyundai acquired 51% of Kia. From that point forward, Kia just kept on improving the quality of its vehicles.
The Stinger is at the top of Kia's food chain. There is absolutely nothing that ever came close to the Stinger since Kia was created. Some of the things gearheads love about the Kia Stinger GT are quite obvious. The car is absolutely gorgeous, packs tons of power, and costs a fraction of European and American cars of the same caliber.
9 Audi S4: Mid-Range
Audi tremendously changed since its Sport Quattro annihilated the competition on the rally stages. While BMW was constantly looking to improve its M-badged cars, Audi was actively working on its newly created S-Series. First released in 1991, the S4 was a beast right from the start. The 100 S4 paved the way for a plethora of Audi performance cars.
When looking at Audi's lineup, it is easy to see that the S4 is not the best option. The S4 is a great mid-size sedan and is definitely a notch above the A4, but it is nowhere as luxurious and exciting as the S6, S8, or even the RSQ8. As a matter of fact, the S4 could be seen as one of the most affordable sports sedans offered by Audi.
8 Kia Stinger: Normality
Gone are the days when a mass-produced sports car would come with the basics and nothing else. In today's environment, a sports sedan must be fast, luxurious, and extremely comfortable. It is important to remember that sports sedan owners usually have families. As a result, the bells and whistles needed to please the entire family must be present.
When looking back at some of the Kia vehicles released 15 years ago, it is easy to see that offered a spiffy interior was not the name of the game. The 2004 Kia Sorento was a decent low-end truck, but the interior was absolutely awful. Kia improved its game over the last couple of years. As far as the Stinger is concerned, its interior is on par with what Volkswagen or Dodge offer these days.
7 Audi S4: Sportiness
When people hear the name "Audi," they automatically associate it with luxury and sportiness. In fact, most German tend to be associated with the aforementioned qualities. The 2022 Audi A8L proves the fact that Audi makes some truly exclusive vehicles. The interior of the A8L looks like an executive lounge on wheels. While this is an extreme case, other Audis do not fall far from the tree.
The Audi S4 may not have an interior that is as beautiful and luxurious as the 2022 Audi S6, however, it does have an interior that would satisfy the vast majority of gearheads out there. Audi's bucket seats are still there to keep its occupants in the same spot when hitting a curve at high speed. As expected, Audi provides an entertainment system that matches the materials used for the dashboard. No overuse of plastic at Audi.
6 Kia Stinger: Beast Within
The first time Kia came up with an acceptable vehicle was in 2011. The Kia Optima of that year was fitted with a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four cylinder engine that pumps out 274 hp and 269 lb-ft of torque. It may not seem like much, but for a company like Kia, this is quite impressive. Fast-forward 10 years, and Kia has learned a lot from its past experiences.
The Stinger GT is one of those Korean cars car fans would love to own because of what lies underneath the hood. The top-line Stinger GT2 comes with a scary twin-turbocharged 3.3-liter DOHC V6 that makes 368 hp at 6,000 rpm and 376 lb-ft of torque at 1,300 rpm. This is a first time in the history of Kia that a car that makes over 350 hp makes it to production.
5 Audi S4: Certainly Not Just A Grocery Getter!
Audi hit really hard when it released the Audi S4 B5 in 1997. The insane sports sedan came with a twin-turbocharged 2.7-liter V6 that made 261 hp at the wheels. Audi really upped the ante with the S4 B6. Turbochargers flew out the window, and the V6 ended up being replaced with a more robust 4.2-liter V8 that made 339 hp to the wheels. Audi did not stop there.
It is often wrongly believed that the Audi S4 is a suburbia mom's car. The Audi S4 may be one of the most reliable cars Audi ever made, but it is also a tremendous mid-range sports sedan. Underneath the hood sits a solid turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 that churns out 349 hp at 6,300 rpm and 369 lb-ft of torque at 3,200 rpm. That is more power than the previous S4s. Moreover, Audi's engines are known to be strong and reliable.
4 Kia Stinger: The Little Details
Back in 2010, Hyundai released the surprising Genesis Coupe. The Genesis Coupe came in several trim levels, including a naturally aspirated 3.8-liter V6 that develops 306 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque. Though Genesis is known for being the luxury division of Hyundai, it was the very first time a Korean carmaker came out with something that had all the features a gearhead could look for in a car.
The Genesis Coupe came with elements usually found on European sports cars. The Stinger GT2 comes with Brembo brake pads and rotors, which is something not usually found on Kia vehicles. Moreover, the rear end of the Stinger boasts quad exhaust tips complimented with a diffuser that gives the sports sedan a true racing look.
3 Audi S4: Legacy Parts
Since the Audi S4 has been around for over 30 years, it is quite normal that the German automaker fine-tuned the art of manufacturing mid-range sports sedans. Moreover, Audi has increased the number of serious sports cars in its lineup during that 30-year period. From the 1999 Audi RS4 to the 2022 Audi R8, Audi has released vehicles that are equipped with what the company makes best.
As previously mentioned, the Audi S4 is not the top-line S-badged Audi. The brake kit is Audi's own system, which has been proven times and times again. As with most Audi S4s released over the last 15 years or so, the quad exhaust tips still give the car a sportier look. The rear-end does look beefy, but it does not have the diffuser found on the RS4 Avant. The mid-size sports sedan is meant to be subtle. Not loud.
2 Kia Stinger: Tuner's Playground
The Kia Stinger is not your average Kia. It is one of the most expensive Kia ever made, but also one of the fastest. 365 hp may be sufficient for a lot of people out there. The original look of the Stinger may be sporty enough to some people. For tuners or KDM fans, the Stinger is the perfect vehicle to customize to extreme levels.
Most gearheads heard of the Stinger GT2 when it was first released. Among that group of people were some tuners. They quickly realized the huge potential of the Korean car and decided to see what could be done. One of the best things to happen to the Stinger is a widebody kit. With larger shoulders and much more aggressive wheels, the Stinger is simply gorgeous.
1 Audi S4: Proven
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German car manufacturers do not need to introduce their brands. They have cemented their reputation as legitimate carmakers decades ago. As a result, well-established tuners have decided to come up with the right solutions to turn great sports cars into exclusive and personalized beasts that are worth twice their original values.
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The greatest thing about the S4 is that it also comes as a station wagon. Companies like ABT have noticed the S4 Avant potential right off the bat and put a package together for the car. A widebody kit or any other unnecessary aftermarket part is not needed on the S4. In fact, the S4 is best left practically untouched when modified. Once again, the S4 does not need to be loud. Its name speaks for itself.