Buying a new sports car might be the dream for many gearheads, but the reality is that most people just don't have the cash to drop on something that expensive. The used market offers hope though, as many amazing cars will over time depreciate in value to the point where they can be picked up by the average car fan. There's plenty of hidden gems dotted around the used sports car market, but equally, there's plenty of duds too.

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Not every sports car is built equal, as the following cars prove. Some are money pits, with endless problems that will slowly but surely drain an owner's wallet for as long as they own it. Some aren't good enough compared to what else is out there, and some are just genuinely terrible cars. Whatever the reason, buyers shouldn't let the temptingly affordable used prices of these models persuade them. They might have depreciated a lot, but in these cases, they're still not worth the cost.

10 Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG

Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG
Via Supercars Net

Buying a used AMG is always going to be a risky prospect, as the brand is notorious for its shaky build quality. The CL55 AMG is very much a mixed bag in that respect, with some owners reporting their cars to be fairly reliable and some having a total nightmare.

Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG
Via Mercedes-Benz

The most costly issues owners report is with the AMG's Active Body Control system. It's worth noting that some owners couldn't get the ABC fully fixed even after multiple trips to the mechanic. For that reason, it's probably best to avoid the CL55, at least for anyone who wants a hassle-free ownership experience.

9 Jaguar F-Type

2015-jaguar-f-type-r-coupe
Jaguar

There's nothing inherently wrong with the F-Type, and today the earliest model years can be picked up for a fraction of their original retail price. The main issue is simply that the car isn't good enough to justify spending the money on. Bloomberg awarded the car their Most Forgettable Sports Car of 2020, which should tell prospective buyers all they need to know.

jaguar f-type rear
Via YouTube

There have also been reports of multiple issues with the build quality of the F-Type, including faulty door handles, misfitted window seals, and sticking exhaust flaps. There are many better sports cars out there for the money, even with the significant used discount off the MSRP.

8 Maserati GranTurismo

Maserati GranTurismo
Via Romans Of St Albans

Like old AMGs, old Maseratis have long been notorious for being money pits. Nevertheless, the rock-bottom prices of some used models have convinced gearheads to try their luck at maintaining one year after year. The problem with the GranTurismo is that it's neither the cheapest used Maserati out there nor the easiest one to keep running.

Maserati GranTurismo
Via Romans Of St Albans

The most common faults are with the axles and suspension, but other build quality issues are often reported, like the interior leather bubbling and peeling. Maserati is also in the process of making a direct successor to the GranTurismo, and when that's launched, the old car's value is likely to drop even further.

7 BMW M5 E60

A silver E60 M5
Via Bring a Trailer

On paper, the E60 M5 sounds like a used bargain. A V10-powered proper M car, with enough room for a family, all for as little as $15,000. Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, it is. The E60 is one of the least reliable M cars ever, and it was even at the bottom of reliability surveys when it was new.

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A silver E60 M5
Via Bring a Trailer

Used, it's even worse, with owners reporting all sorts of issues with that specially developed V10 engine. It might be cheap to purchase, but the E60 can quickly run up repair bills even bigger than its used asking price. There's plenty of better M cars out there, and they'll cost a lot less to run.

6 Alfa Romeo Brera

Alfa Romeo Brera S Prodrive
Via Veloces Of London

The Brera is an unfortunate case, as, like the E60 M5, it's a great idea on paper. However, Alfa's dodgy build quality has come back to haunt buyers again and used Breras suffer from a plethora of faults. The most common is with the notorious M32 gearbox, which can prematurely wear out and even completely fail.

Alfa Romeo Brera S Prodrive
Via Pocket Rocket Sales

There have also been cases of faulty power steering pumps, paint that flakes off easily, timing chain wear, and driveshaft failure. It's quite likely at least one of these things will go wrong on a well-depreciated Brera, and when it does, it'll be very expensive to fix. It may be a great car to drive when it's working, but Alfa couldn't quite get it right on the build quality yet again.

5 Lotus Evora

Lotus Evora 2009
Via Honest John Classics

The Evora is the Lotus that tries not to be a Lotus. It trades the low-tech, basic sports car feel of the Elise and Exige for a supposedly more premium feel. The problem is that the brand's build quality just isn't good enough to compete, with everything from cracked roof panels to misfitting passenger airbag lids reported.

Lotus Evora
Via Wikimedia Commons

The other issue is in that trying to make the Evora feel more luxurious, Lotus lost the razor-sharp handling that they're known for as well. So not only is this a car plagued with quality issues, it's not even as good to drive as the other models in the brand's lineup.

4 Ferrari Mondial

Ferrari Mondial
Via Hagerty

It might seem like the Ferrari Mondial gets a lot of hate throughout the car world, and some of that is probably unjustified. It certainly wouldn't be remembered anywhere near as badly if it wasn't made by one of the greatest sports car-making companies in the world. The Mondial was an attempt by Ferrari at making a more affordable car, but instead, they accidentally removed all the things that make their cars great.

Rear 3/4 view of a red Mondial
Via Wikimedia Commons

For starters, early Mondials were painfully slow. It also didn't look the part, with a boxy and ill-proportioned design. It wasn't particularly unreliable when it was new, but years of low used prices have meant that many owners haven't kept up with the required maintenance. That means buying a cheap one today will likely mean getting a car that needs some serious TLC to get it back into shape.

3 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG
Via Rikon London

There's another AMG on the list! What a surprise. Joking aside, the C63 AMG is let down by one major flaw: its engine. It uses the M156 unit, which has actually had a major lawsuit filed against in the United States. That lawsuit claimed that AMG failed to remedy known failure points in the engine despite knowing about them for years.

Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG
Via Rikon London

That would lead to premature engine wear, which in turn would mean some very costly repair bills. The lawsuit ultimately didn't succeed, but it shows how infuriated some owners were with their cars. That reason alone is enough to avoid the C63 AMG, which is a shame as it's reportedly a hoot to drive.

2 Jaguar XJS V12

Jaguar XJS V12
Via Jaguar

A classic British sports car with one of the cheapest V12s on the used market is really a recipe that can only lead to disaster. It's possible to get an XJS for as little as $5,000, although cars at that price will likely need thousands of dollars of repairs to even be properly driveable.

RELATED: These British Sports Cars Are Way Better Than Everyone Gives Them Credit For

Jaguar XJS
Via Classic Driver

The V12 under the hood is the main culprit, with a tendency to set itself on fire or just catastrophically fail. That's not to mention other issues like the intermittent electrics, leaky seals, and corrosion problems. They might be cheap to buy, but that's about the only redeeming feature of this British sports car nightmare.

1 Honda Del Sol

Honda Del Sol
Via Honda

It's not just expensive sports cars that depreciate badly, cheap ones do too. The Honda Del Sol was relatively affordable when it was released, and now it goes for peanuts. The cheapest examples are only a few thousand dollars, but even at that price, there's a lot better metal for the money elsewhere.

Honda Del Sol
Via Honda

It was a fairly fun car to drive for the era, although it wasn't exactly fast. The Del Sol's main issue was its targa roof, which was notorious for leaking even when the car was just a few years old. Later models mostly fixed the problem, but there were still other build quality issues with the Del Sol all throughout its life. It's by no means the worst car on this list, but even for its super cheap price, it's better to buy a Miata or even an old hot Civic.