Daily commuting shouldn't be the primary reason why you would buy a sports car, though, there are certain pros and cons when it comes to daily driver sports cars. Nevertheless, many of these performance machines offer an amazing experience even when driving just to the store. The Ferrari F40 would certainly not be your first choice, but something like the Ferrari 488 can easily be used as a daily driver.
Some sports cars seem to have all the characteristics of a good commuter: decent fuel economy, driving comfort, and sufficient storage area. However, finding one of these comfortable yet sporty cars at a reasonable price (and with cheap maintenance costs) does sound like an arduous task. Here's a list to make it a bit easier.
10 Audi TT
Audi isn't renowned for speedy roadsters but luxury sedans. Nevertheless, the Audi TT is one of those roadsters you fall in love with at first sight. Introduced way back in 1998, it now comes at a cheap price and still remains one of the best sports cars to drive.
With an all-wheel-drive system, you can enjoy all the perks of a roadster, you are launched to great speeds in a short time and you will enjoy the smooth handling. Furthermore, the Audi TT comes at a cheap price and is quite easy to maintain as spare parts can be found everywhere at a bargain.
9 Mazda Miata NA
The Mazda Miata NA is the ultimate affordable sports car. Renowned for its smooth handling, and perfect rear-wheel drive, the Mazda Miata NA is powered by the 1.6-liter DOHC inline 4-cylinder engine that produced 115 hp launching the lightweight roadster to a top speed of 126 mph.
Mazda comes at a cheap price and you can find models for under $10,000. The maintenance of this Japanese sports car will costs you almost nothing, and it is a rather reliable vehicle. You can enjoy a daily drive to work and everywhere you want to go with this special little car. What is not to love about this lovely roadster?
8 1998 BMW Z3
BMW is known for making luxury sports cars, but the Z3 is a completely different category. The moment this little guy was introduced in 1995 it became an instant classic. The 1998 version is rather more reliable and affordable, which makes it a perfect car to drive every day.
Powered by the 3.2-liter in-line six-cylinder engine that produced 240 hp, makes the BMW Z3 a rather fast car. You can enjoy the straights as well as the curves thanks to the perfect handling it offers. The BMW Z3 from 1998 is rather cheap as you can find it for around $5,000.
7 Chevrolet Corvette C3
Chevrolet is proud of the Corvette models and every Corvette has a story on its own. The story of the C3 model started in 1967 and the last production year is 1982. It came in several versions, including the C3 Corvette Stingray, which became a very popular model.
Nowadays, the Corvette C3 is a cheap sports car and can be found for around $12,000. Powered by the small block 5.7-liter V8 engine that produces 210 hp, it offers great speed, reliability, and you can enjoy the Corvette C3 all day, every day as maintenance doesn't cost much.
6 Honda CRX Si
The Japanese are well known all over the world for making cheap, unique, reliable sports cars. The Honda CRX Si edition is one of those; introduced in 1985 it was in production for two years and had several versions. The most popular one comes with the 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder which has 135 hp, launching this three-door coupe to great speeds, thanks to the lightweight of the CRX Si.
The Honda CRX Si is one of the Japanese classics that costs peanuts to own, and it offers perfect handling, which makes it rather easy to drive it daily.
5 Nissan 240Z
One of the most popular Nissan's sports cars, the Nissan 240Z is one of the best cheap sports cars you can enjoy as a daily driver. It seeks low maintenance and the 2.4-liter SOHC six-cylinder engine provided 150hp, which doesn't sound like much these days, however, it was back in the days and it provided a classy enjoyment backed up with smooth handling.
The Nissan 240Z, or as it is also known The Fairlady Z, is one of Nissan's best and one of the most beautiful vehicles thanks to the long hood and short deck, resembling the famed Jaguar E-Type, but for a much lesser price. You can find the Nissan 240Z for around $13,000, and its comfortable interior is yet another reason why you should buy this Japanese classic sports car.
4 1999 Porsche Boxster
Porsche, although known for creating luxury sports rear-engine sports cars, and has rarely been inclined to change. However, the Porsche Boxster is one such model; the mid-engine budget sports car was introduced in 1997 and is in production ever since.
The Porsche Boxster from 1999 offers great reliability, comfort, an enjoyable ride, especially in the summer, and handling as smooth as you are on the rails. Powered by the 2.5-liter inline flat-six boxer engine that produced 201 hp. The maximum speed of the Porsche Boxster was set at 149 mph, and for a rather cheap price of under $10,000 it offers a lot. All these benefits make it a perfect sports car for a daily driver.
3 Pontiac Solstice
Pontiac Solstice is often referred to as the American Mazda Miata; an affordable, reliable, lightweight roadster. Powered by the naturally aspirated 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine, producing 177 hp, it pushed this two-door roadster to the top speed of 142 mph.
You will love the sporty interior it comes with the car, and the chassis is perfect. You can look further into the car in Doug Demuro's review. You can find a great model for around $10,000, while the upgraded GPX model that has 260 hp is a bit pricier, marked at $17,000, but still a great choice.
2 Porsche 924
The nostalgia-inclined Porsche 924 will take you back to the '70 thanks to its unique features. Produced from 1976 to 1988, the model from 1977 has 110 hp and comes with the VW's EA831 2.0-liter inline-4 engine, mainly produced for vans.
The Porsche 924 is quite underrated like many other classic sports cars, therefore you can find the Porsche 924 for just around $6,000 in very good shape; there are no rust problems, and the engine is low on maintenance, which makes it a perfect daily driver car, despite the years.
1 Porsche 911 (996)
There are a number of Porsche sports cars that are not affordable, but the Porsche 911 (996) isn't one of them. This can be found on the other side of the ladder as it is one of the most affordable Porsche sports cars. It belongs in the popular Porsche 911 category, but this model is quite a bit different. The major change was the transfer from the air-cooled engine to the water-cooled engine; the 3.6-liter naturally aspirated flat-six engine that produced 296 hp.
This little roadster offers great speeds, unquestionable reliability, low maintenance fees, and a cheap price, as you can find it for less than $20,000, which makes it a perfect car to drive everywhere you want.