The BEST Cheap Sports Cars!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
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#VINwiki #VINwikiSurveyPanel #CheapSportsCars - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
I love how Doug is really been bringing out the deepest parts of his inner corvette guys soul with each of these question panels 🤣🤣
which doug
…but why in Johnny Knoxville’s voice?
Expected him to go "My Corvette is best Corvette 'cause..." XD
the lawn chair had it 🤣🤣🤣
But man he is pretty realistic in all honesty, especially with the C4/C3 reference 😂
I KNEW Randy was going to shout out the Volvo 740! As a long-time 240 and 740 owner, people these days would be shocked how well they handle out of the box. With a little wrenching and upgrades, they are really fun to drive and you wont lose your license taking them up to redline! Long live the turbo brick!
A Volvo wagon is on my bucket list
Heat hear!
A buddy and I had turbo wagons in college that we worked on. We drove the hell out of those cars. Used them as moving and rowing cars. Mine had nearly 400k miles when I gave it to a friend and he drove it a couple more years. Awesome fun and incredibly durable.
Can't believe no one picked Toy. MR2 Spyder True mid engine . Best handling.
Until you hit the brakes
@@gingerninjer355 not referring to braking power... I'm referring to the deadly snap oversteer that it's notorious for. RCR has a great demonstration of it in their review of the MR2.
Good call. I like those except the first gen.
@@NickSchoess Snap oversteer is nothing but driver error. It is such an easy car to drive fast.
Those were “ok” cars but not great at all
986 Boxster ftw!
S2000 are just sooooo expensive now... sad but true.
I have an 84 Porsche 944 and even though its slow, its incredibly well balanced, handles fantastic, well built and just an all around great car.
Good shit
I've got a early production 86 Turbo and i freaking love it.
My motto is "Sucking Gas Hauling Ass"
A 944 has been my dream car since I watched 16 candles about 10 years ago, I am absolutely in love with that car
My boy has 2 944 turbos, 88, n 89 tho
I wanted one so bad. I very nearly got one, but then I got a Z32 Nissan 300ZX instead. 😐
NO RAGERTS
Anyone else laugh when he said the Honda S2000 was cheap?
For real
You can still get one under $20k. That is like 40% of the average new car in the US. You can't even get a new Corolla for that price.
@@jonathanragle9838 That would be Hoovie hooptee material at that price.
It’s, middle of the road
I should have picked the S2000 haha. Cheap is relative though, and I bought that trackrat Miata for only $800. Hard to beat the amount of car for the money haha. Thanks for having me on!
The s2000 hasn’t been cheap in years. I would have not gone with that
@Steve Munguia like I mentioned, cheap is relative. To some people, $15-20k for a sports car may be considered "cheap." A decent s2k is now $15-17k+ in my area. That brings you an s2k with around 140k+ miles, some light mods, not so great paint etc. Miss the days where those numbers brought you a more pristine one, but I still think those cars are well worth the money. Not much else like it out there
Pretty much the Elise, S2000 and Miata. TR6 was a good call.
@@daveblock4061 all great options indeed
@@gingerninjer355 exactly Ginger! 😂
I had a 2002 S2000. One of my favorite all-around cars. Torque/power was low, but the fun factor was top notch.
Most of the cars recommended are not cheap at all.
Cheap is relative, most of the cars suggested are well under 20k, some under 10.
Hard to go wrong with a corvette around 10k. But my pick would be an E36/E46 3 series. RWD, manual, 6 cylinder, lots of aftermarket support.
I honestly don’t think you can argue with a c5 corvette or a ls1 camaro z28 . Even a lt1 fbody is a lot of car for the money
I'm surprised nobody said the 350Z or 370Z
I was looking for this comment.
Same , id get an 07 08 350z over any miata.
Many are now becoming "drift missles" and they have an extremely fatal flaw with the oil stick.
@@cesariojpn What exactly do you mean?
@@cesariojpn The oil dipstick sucks azz on the Z car.
987 Boxster/Cayman all the way. One of the best handling cars I’ve driven only surpassed by newer caymans and Boxsters. Imo the handling feels better than a 997.2 Turbo S, a 991.2 Turbo, and a 2015 Audi R8 v10. (Just some reference as to how good it is).
There a bit old but ‘65-‘69 Corvair. Despite what Ralph Nader said about them, they actually handle really well. They’re fun in the twisties, rear wheel drive. You can get them with manuals and they come as coups, convertibles and four doors!
my dad had a corvair monza, and it was excellent. instant heat, handled great, and was sporty.
@@ralphharrison6622 yeah the Monzas were the ones to have
Always liked the Yenkos too!!! But im sure those arent cheap!
Yeah but way old.
If you go that far back. ZERO was better than a '67 Ford Mustang.
Hitch hiked from Santa Barbara boat harbor to SB campus spring break back inthe late 70s, 2 dudes picked up 4of us ,and we squeezed in the back seat, and that corvair handle like a charm ! What a classic example of a great car! Aloha!
Ed's idea of a "cheap" Sports car now cost about the same as some BRAND NEW cars... Cannot wait to see what the rest of this list is comprised of, heh! I'd speak my favorite but they're starting to rise in value as well... Casey, Randy, and Ficarra have some excellent choices though no one on the list mentioned my favorite with that 80's digital dash, T-Tops, and Pop-ups... XD
I thought Ed only liked lambop’s with the side mirror knocked off?
Just bought a 1.6 spec Miata, going to race it this year in the SCCA. Can’t wait! Nice to hear all the Miata praise here.
I love my SLK320 I picked up for $4K last year, was over $50K when new, sure wish she was a 6 Speed! Magic Mike loves his SLK32 with 348HP, I'm sure they can be had for cheep! And yes my 92 Yellow Miata was a hell of a ride back in the 2000's!
Impossible to find in 6speed..
S2000 has one of the best feeling MT transmission I have ever driven; owned one in pristine condition for 2 years; eventually sold it because it was not the best for daily driving. But chassis felt so rigid, not a slightest of flex which I cannot say about my bro’s new ‘22 Miata.
I love Miata, but I'd like to try one.
Having had both an S2000 and ND Miata I completely agree and find it a bit disappointing that the newer ND is so much worse than the S2K in chassis stiffness, particularly since it’s the newer car but I guess that X-back bone chassis that the engineers raves about really did work. The most surprising thing though is, despite having better chassis stiffness I actually find the ND2 was more fun and better to own that than S2K in almost every single way 🤔
@@jameswillard1 Great recap; I agrer on that too, revving the heck out of the engine and wait until VTEC kicks in was getting tired after a while plus ND is more comfortable for most roads. Still, if it is the pure fun factor you are looking for, S2000 is a the one for may be a 3rd car to own, not even 2nd.
another one missed is the BMW Z4's, older ones are getting cheap. although not that fast its a inline six manual stwo seater.
Something he neglected to mention is that the Volvo 7xx & 9xx series are practically indestructible, same for the Aisen Warner transmissions they put in them.
soooo a miata or a corvette... or a porsche. Im suprised nobody said a Z, personally i love my 350z! :)
What other questions should we ask the panel?
Money no object three car garage
Most over rated car!
-How do/did they practice driving? Snowy parking lots? Twisty back roads? No such opportunities and they had to suffer through Florida's straight roads and only got sporadic track days or trips somewhere else over the years to do proper driving to hone their skills and get the feel for driving? Did they get driver training?
Where they lived was sporty driving risky or easily possible without risk?
Preface it with, "Other than the Miata" and add a price limit because "cheap" is subjective. Obviously you can't redo this video in the near future, though. So I'm all for @TopiT23 suggestion. Most overrated car ever
Most underrated car!
I feel like a few have lost touch with what cheap is. Anything over $20k is off the table for ‘cheap’, really pushing $10k is hard to accept as cheap for most viewers, so that’s were the Longhorn parking lot panel set our threshold, and all four picks are perfect and right in that range! Also lots of power and fun. 4 doors can be sports cars.
I think I mentioned case of beer and a pack of cigarettes as being the price of my pick lol
I'm so glad Randy and Arne brought up the rear wheel drive Volvos! Great question and answers from the community. Would love to see more quick videos like this when Doug isn't able to get in front of the cameras. MORE DOUG PLZ!! He's GOT to have a great Corvette story with the C8s by now....
Arnr brought up a front wheel drive one though, however these are two of the only cheap ones I heard of here other than a Miata, where the hell will you find a 911 under 10k that runs? You can't, trick question
@@that_camo_bronco_guyyou can’t, but the guys saying you can get a boxter under 10k are right
A neighbor of mine who knows I'm into cars, asked me about a cheap, fun little car for a weekend toy. I suggested a Miata. He's not really a car guy per se, but after speaking with him for a little while, it's the right car for him.
It’s a shame the Nissan 350Z wasn’t mentioned ONCE but a Lancer Evolution was considered …
As an Aussie I would have to say that a Holden or HSV Ute with the V8 motor would have to be an awesome vehicle. RWD, manual gearbox and (depending on what you can get in budget) power to burn from the big V8. Plus its a vehicle in a style that will likely never exist again (car body with a rear tray).
😂😂 "rear tray" 🤣🤣 I just watched donut n James was just saying "oh sorry last episode I said holden was a truck with a bed, not a bed, rear tray" 🤣🤣🤣
Damn, I'm glad no one mentioned the E46, keep the prices low till I can afford at least 3 of them XD
Right! I love videos like this but they're super effective at driving up prices
1993 Miata here.
Hands down most fun car. I've owned muscle cars, street rods, but there's something special about s Miata.
Nothings cheap now. 2 years ago you could by a nice manual Corvette for 10k. Same car is at least $15k. C5 2004 and newer are like $20k
E36, straight 6, longitudinal engine, RWD, 50/50 weight distribution, just as God intended.
C4 corvette is the answer lol
'90-'97 Nissan 300zx (Z32)
I got mine for 3 grand, put another 4 into it. Midnight Purple, sounds great, looks great, super fun, and gets attention everywhere I go. I absolutely love it.
The amount of Miata compared to boxter is appalling. The Porsche boxter is incredible and you can find them well UNDER 10k
986 boxter s with good tires handles like a dream.
S2000 owner here and I was ecstatic to hear Ed start off with that considering I have always enjoyed every car in his collection, so looks like we may have a similar styles lol def not in clothes style though 😂
Everything said about the Volvos is 100% right. I bought a pretty rough 95 850 turbo wagon and it’s still fun being fwd
The Answer is Always Miata - ok, I admit I love other cars too.
The Porsche Boxster 986 is the RX-7 Killer of the Posh. Similar weight, similar stock-performance and probably just as expensive to maintain and drive, naybe cheaper, than an FD. My honest opinion
Glad to see the TR6 getting a mention.
Same. I wanted one very badly as my first car. They were a little too expensive in 1979! Note that he said, "well sorted." I usually see them in pretty trashed condition these days. Sad.
It's about as much fun as can be had. Finicky though.
Lexus is300 especially if you can find a non-abused manual. 4 doors, super reliable, and still so much fun to drive. They still look cool also 🤘
Looks cool is a matter of opinion, ha!
@@JK-g62 It's good for a daily.
not to mention the sc300 (or 400). about as close as us normies could get to owning a supra without going into debt
There were a ton of good answers here. But I stand by my decision. Even if Doug called C4's "junky" right before me 😂
Racing gets expensive fast, so whatever you get make sure you can afford the tires and a good amount of maintenance/repais depending on car, track time and type of racing. Otherwise you will have a fun car that you can’t afford to race much. So for me, even if it is a second car, get a Miata. I accidentally fell in love with them. I’ll be in my vette, and Miata’s will still turn my head bc they are so much fun. So many good choices in this vid though.
My opinion based on personal experience, the Chevy Cobalt SS Turbo. Those things are an absolute blast. Yea they're fwd, but if you're looking for a drift car there are many more options. For a straight up driving car, definitely the Cobalt. Dirt cheap, you can get upwards of 300-350whp without doing a full engine build, they handle great, look great (imo), just all round a fun time.
Go back to the basement
@@KA-om9oz Who ever said I left?
Evos are not cheap at all they cost as much as a new car now
That's adsatly what I thought no way is any generation cheap and they certainly drink like an alcoholic on a night out. Top gear I'm English in the days when it was the best motoring comedy journalism in the world. Clarkson had an 8 Fq360 doing 4 mpg on a track. At the time on track a Lamborghini Gallardo was doing more.
Camaro, Corvette or even challenger should be the answer
Crown Vic for the winning sleeper. One time I was headed home, forgot the speed limit, saw my street at above legal speed. Found out why you can't outrun one. Kept my lane, small tire squeal, tossed the passenger in the back seat all the way across the car. He said "it would be a cold day in hell" before he rode with me again. He was true to his word. I still have that car.
Miata's an obvious choice, but an RX8 with a good engine can be had for cheaper and is pretty much a Miata with a little more power and better handling. If you really want to save money you can get a blown one for dirt cheap and rebuild the engine and you'll have a really solid car for around $4000 at least where I live.
Best answer yet. Yes, I'm a RX-8 owner ;)
I've driven an s2000, Miata MX-5, and RX-8. I'll take the RX-8 hands down! It has more power, better handling (especially with PS4S tires), a 9500rpm redline, and room for four passengers. It's been my daily driver for 7 1/2 years. They are under $10K, but just make sure you get the Series II (2009-2011) for much better reliability.
Guess I'm an old fart, but to me "sports car" means a roadster or, at the very least, at least a 2 seater convertible, so quite a few of those entries would not qualify.
for me it's the American tuner triplets: Chevy Cobalt SS, Ford Focus SVT, or Dodge Neon SRT4. they're cheap as dirt, drive pretty good, and theirs aftermarket parts to fix most common problems that they have.
They look so damn ugly though.
I want doug to review his kitchen pantry as a corvette owner. Anything in that character would have me in stitches.
Gonna hold off until we hear from Jason Cammisa
Casey speaks the truth! 944 all the way!
How about a 190e? Multilink rear suspension, came with manuals and a variety of engines. Plenty around, super reliable, plenty of aftermarket.
I owned a 2006 Crown Vic police car and I now own a 2013 Dodge Charger. These cars were very cheap and honestly they’re the most fun cars I’ve owned. Also the Volvo s70 turbo and the 2001 Hyundai Tiburon were sleepers 👌🏾🔥
I'm glad to see someone mention the Tiburon. I helped a buddy fix his several years ago, and it was awesome! The 2.7 paired to the 6-speed really well
@@Cjbarker2 bro that was literally my first manual car. Did a lot of modifications to it but sadly I had to give it up after highschool. I got too tall for it 😂😂
Back when I was in college, an early 90s Lancia Delta HF Integralé might've made this list at only £4,000 - £18,000. Then Top Gear and Fifth Gear did episodes on them and their value skyrocketed over the next few years - now the same ones can be seen for around £80,000 - and that was a few years ago I last checked!
I'm surprised nobody mentioned the Miata!
LOL
I was really starting to worry no one was gonna say the Boxster S. They are quite a few low mileage, sub-15k out there nowadays.
Yep, just got to make sure the bearing has been changed.
Don't be taller then 6ft. If you are taller you won't fit in it. Your knee will hit the steering wheel every time you release the clutch.
That said, he 3.2S is a peach, great brakes, a LOT of grip and it has a 6sp gbox as well.
@@jfv65 if Ed can fit in and drive a Lambo, even his manual LP-640, I'm sure it can be done. I fit fine in a Boxster S , 6ft and normal leg:torso ratio, but definitely need the top down to put a helmet on.
I'd love to have an S. A Cayman would be nice too.
@@missioncreekstyle3814 0% chance I could wear a helmet in a Cayman. If I wasn't going to track it at all, it's even more reason to have a convertible for a canyon carver.
Next Car Trek: If the MX5 is apparently more or less the best affordable sports car, which generation/version is the best?
NA1 or ND2 in my opinion
It all depends on what you're looking for.
Mr2 Spyder. Better power than a Miata. You sit down with a really well thought out seating position, hear the raspy 4 banger behind you, and it just feels like it was built to be a sports car from day one. Handling is very good on dry pavement without much bias for oversteer or under steer. The only time to watch out is in the rain. A wet road will rapidly snap the rear end out under hard turning. Overall, great car though!
I’ve been daily driving a Miata in Canada for 1 1/2 years I still smile whenever I get to drive it. You really can’t go wrong with one
AS a Mazda MX5 NC owner living in the Scottish Highlands -it's the perfect car for some pretty well perfect roads maybe if I lived in the US a corvette would be my choice but here and now MX5 every time
Hey Collin! It was running a Miata through the Highlands which made it my choice. The Highlands is one of the most beautiful places in the world and full of delightful people. Thanks for watching!
@@christophermichaels th-cam.com/video/5eW0KsImRm0/w-d-xo.html - not my video BUT I drove all these roads last summer - usually early on a Sunday mornings - the best car weather and road combination
Back in the day I would have said the Datsun Z series, but that was then, and nowadays yer lucky to find one intact, let alone running.
Like the S30 Chassis? You're right. You will need help finding one, especially a 240Z. They are also much more expensive than many of these cars now! I'd love to have another. Mine was a rust bucket. The 1975 280Z is the one to get in California, as it's the last that requires smog. You can swap engines in one, many choose a V8, but I like to keep it JDM. Usually a more powerful Nissan engine. I have a 300ZX N/A Slicktop set up for the track. I have been to Laguna Seca and Thunderhill. Great car.
@@missioncreekstyle3814 Duder definitely has a point about the Volvo 7xx & 9xx series though! Surprisingly fun to drive and there's SO MUCH you can with them using FCP Euro
Not to mention moar reliable than your average track car because, yaknow, older Volvo!
NO BMW Z3 ?!?! WHAT WTF.
Miata. Always more fun going fast in a slow car than slow in a fast car.
Definetly a Birkin or a Caterham any lotus 7 replica. Shove whatever motor you have lying around it and have a blast. Mine had a 2.0 16V turbo charged opel motor. Parts are cheap just shove in whatever parts you have lying around the workshop. My business partner had one with a 1.6 Ford engine out of an estcourt. Blew the bugger up and just for kicks threw in a 1.9 tdi engine out of a diesel vw polo.
Gotta love a diesel Caterham though.
I went for a VE Holden SS Ute, 6 litre LS, 6 speed manual, big brakes etc and the biggest boot (trunk) of all the cheap sports cars.
98-02 F-body... Huge aftermarket, nice T56 six speed and an aluminum LS from the factory, decent suspension,and can be built from mild to wild, for any discipline you enjoy
Miata enthusiast here, so you know my answer!
But my younger self would have said DSM, they were cheap, plentiful and fast. Now they are harder to find a good one
Dodge stratus 2001, all Mitsubishi with dodge badges
2005 Holden VZ Sv6, $4000 handles like a dream, got an alright kick, easy to modify, comfortable
Any holden is great when I was living in Australia I had a Brock commodore and an old S5000 that I paid two trailer loads of manure for. I believe they have both rocketed in price.
The ve has a better chassis, give one a go, I literally just sold my vz for one
My 1990 firebird formula with the ws6 package for 4k$ was the best car purchase I've ever made fun wise
Best cheap sports car, Nissan 370Z good power and reliability.
This was a hard question to answer, since cheap fun cars are my specialty. I would go back and say the MK1 GTI
There was a commercial for those back in the day which featured one running on a 90-degree bank on some test track in Germany and I’ve liked them every since.
The 1st gen IS300 was my Miata. Koni’s & sticky tires made that car a riot!
Wow, this list was a great surprise! 🚗💨 It's amazing to see how affordable options can pack so much fun and performance! 😍
Had a bored out 69 mgb that was fun to drive but had lots of flex in it but for pure fun nothing beats a shifter kart. My 80 cutlass Supreme with a medium built 350 was a great cruiser at 90 mph.
A c5 z06 is my somewhat affordable dream sports car but the c7 manual gets me harder faster than anything.
Shifter karts arnt road legal sadly..
EDIT: YES John Temerian!!!!
Porsche 996. Got mine for $15k a few years ago. Hasn't cost me hardly anything to own and enjoy it for these last few years. A blast to drive!!! Sold my first one with 180k miles and the buyer (last I heard) was over 200k miles. Bulletproof cars once you sort the IMS. Buy a warm-climate car, if you can, to avoid bore-scoring issues.
C5 Corvette is the best bang for your buck. Find a well sorted R title version, toss on C6 Z06 shocks and sway bars and whatever exhaust you want, put the targa top in the trunk area and cruise it all over reliably. Plus you can work on it yourself.
I'm English so we don't have the Miata , MX-5 we do have , 5 or 6 years ago you could have a good 1 for £1500 not now. But you can have a reasonable NC for £2500 or a good 1 for £3000 . A good NB £2000 . They are by far the cheapest over here. The 850 Volvo was mentioned we didn't get an 850 called the Turbo , however we got 3 versions with the same Turbo.just each model had more power . We had 850 T5 , T5R and R. T5 had 230, T5R 245 and R 260ish. They are not cheap anymore but all fantastic a rough T5 can be found for £5000 upto at least £15,000 for a nice 850R. The 850R Mike Brewer bought 1 when wheeler dealers was in the states. Back In 2018 he sold it for $14000 so about £11000 back then. They definitely have a cult following here in Europe but they certainly aren't cheap.
$10k is better spent on C5 Corvette or a GT86.
I have no idea why people recommend modern muscle cars.
I love that Ed has dragonfruit on his shirt. Only CarTrek guy who could pull that off. :)
Im really surprised no one mentioned the BMW 1 series. Can be easily modified. Can be had with or without turbo. 50/50 weight ratio. And damn cool looking.
Plus its a simple BMW not full of electronics. Its a back to basics model.
I love mine!
A 370z is another decent car
Mini Cooper S. I drove one. Had to get rid of it because of interest rate. I would buy one in a heart beat though. That being said my next car is GOING to be a mustang.
How about the Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo? With bolt-ons, you can make double the stock horsepower. A challenge to work on, but it looks sexy (IMO). I have an NA. Even cheaper and easier to work on. Not featured in Fast 'n Furious - so not as popular. :-) Trust me, it's a proper driver's platform.
"What is the best cheap sports car, and why is it the Miata?"
I'm surprised no one mentioned 350z. RWD + manual 3.5 liter V6. Good handling and lots of fun. Massive tuning potential and aftermarket parts availability.
Hmm MG midget, early rx-7, mx-5, and last and awd minivan
Ficarra’s TR-6 FTW!
What about Slk or Z3 ????
C5 Corvette has to be my favorite car that I have ever owned. A good runner up for this list is the Nissan 350/370Zs. I like driving those. For the experience, the 1988 Fiero GT/Formula is a good, fun car. If it something to beat on. Get a Dodge Charger Pursuit Hemi. You can awd or rwd. They are better than an R/T with upgraded brakes, stiffer suspension, and better cooling. A strut bar will give you a surprising boost in handling. Mainly in the slalom.
Third gen Camaros, the market tops around 20k and decent running driving cars are around 5k fun lots of aftermarket parts, you can't go wrong
986 Boxster S over Miata. In every way.
I agree with so many different opinions in this video. Just swapped ATSV big brakes on to a C5 corvette for track use. Super cheap big brake mod.
all terrible terrible choices. wouldnt pick a *plot spoiler: 90% say miata
- chevy ss/PPV/pontiac gto/pontiac G8
- ford/chevy/dodge van yes not a sports car but nobody expects to be blown away by a VAN.
- ford T bucket
- mazda 626
- BMC mini
I’m veryyyy surprised an e36 was only mentioned once. Definitely a superior car compared to everything else mentioned
I think of my 325is as a better looking, better sounding BRZ with better windows and worse crash protection.
It’s the Honda S2000 with a bullet and it’s not even close.
If there’s a better manual gearbox in the industry I don’t know what it is.
Fame at last for my MX-5! Definitely the best car for Scottish roads.
I think Tom Clark sounds like he knows what hes talkin' about with the e36. Wish I would have kept the 330ci for a track car. It was in great shape.
Peugeot 505 turbo. Like $800, get the head redone with magnaflux, good to go RWD