Here are five great used sports cars you need to welcome into your heart

Let’s be real: a soccer mom (or dad) SUV is no sports car, and a pickup truck may have the power, but it’s big, bulky, and cumbersome. A sports car needs to be lean, mean, and a genuine fighting machine. This is why these nimble and fast cars are the most fun on the road, but of course, none of us will dare to speed or break the law, right?  The only issue with getting a sports car is usually the price, especially the recent trend of dealers putting those ridiculous markup prices on our favorite new cars. So say, “screw the new car market,” and consider this crop I’ve compiled to be the best used sports cars you need to look at.

Mazda MX-5 Miata

What’s hot?

• With over 35 years of production, you are bound to find that perfect one
• You can easily modify, fix, and race these cars as parts are readily available
• The perfect “momentum car”

What’s not?

• Piss poor boot space or interior luggage space versus rivals
• May be underpowered to some, especially for the price of later-year cars

You do not need a tire-shredding behemoth of a sports car to have fun. Instead, a lightweight and (debatably) underpowered car can be even more fun. By getting an MX-5 Miata, you open yourself to 35 years of multiple generations offering different needs for different drivers. You can get the original NA model with pop-up headlights or the latest generation with all the fancy technology to help you drive faster. You can even get highly modified Miatas that can outperform anything on a track or for drifting. That is why a Miata is always the answer to any car question you need. 

What models to get:

I personally recommend the “NB2.5” Mazda Miata, which is the facelifted second-generation model of Miata. It comes in either a 1.6-liter engine or the 1.8-liter VVT engine. There is also the rarer Mazdaspeed spec of the car, which comes with a 1.8-liter  turbo engine, but these are quite pricey. Our editor insists on the high-revving, actually-kind-of-fast ND2 Miata, with it’s 182-horsepower screamer of an engine.

Ford Mustang

What’s hot?

• You get the iconic pony badge of the Mustang that comes with a lot of horsepower. 
• It is an affordable option for a sports car. 

What’s not?

• The automatic or dual shifting is somewhat lazy and slow compared to rivals. 
• The Mustang is a heavy sports car and doesn’t handle hard corners like other sports cars. 

Often considered the first pony car, the Mustang is the face of American sports cars. Sorry, Corvette. The 5.0-liter or Coyote engine in most modern Mustangs offers that rich V8 sound no other engine configuration can beat, and later suspension advancements over the S197 and S550-generation cars lead to some seriously compelling track cars, i.e. Boss 302, GT350, Mach 1, etc. As Mustangs aren’t too expensive and are undoubtedly popular, it attracts a “special” crowd unfamiliar with coping with such performance. This leads to its infamous reputation, which is nothing the discerning Acceleramota reader should be concerned with… Uh, right?

What models to get:

2005 to 2014 “S197,” or the fifth generation of Mustang, is the most value-packed generation to get used to. It has a retro redesign that Ford brought out with the 5.0-liter Cotoye engine. It is also easy enough to get spares and modify to how you want the car to be, thanks to the near-infinite aftermarket support.

Toyota GR86, Toyota 86, Scion FR-S, Subaru BR-Z (they’re all the same, dang it)

What’s hot?

• Lightweight chassis helps with handling and keeps fuel consumption down (double win!)
• The predictable, forgiving handling makes it a perfect beginner’s car to learn HPDE driving

What’s not?

• May be underpowered to some, especially first-generation 2.0-liter cars
• Interior has little storage space for your handheld items

Toyota and Subaru, from the start, wanted to make a lightweight, affordable sports car for people to enjoy, and boy, did they fulfill that goal to perfection. Well, almost perfection. The Toyota GR86, also known as the Subaru BRZ or Scion FR-S in older generations, has the perfect blend of chassis stiffness and compliant suspension to make it easy for people to drive these cars to their limit without hurting daily drivability. However, the flat-four engine is nothing too special, at least not without a bit of tinkering. With only 200 to 205 horsepower and that infamous torque dip that forced owners to somehow drive around it, the 86 sometimes feels like it’s missing something when you put your foot down. 

What models to get: 

The latest generation of 86 and BRZ that came out for 2022 is probably the best version to get, if not the cheapest. With a bump in engine displacement, you get 228 horsepower. Plus, you get the nicer interior and more aggressive styling. Just mind the oil starvation and RTV issues if you’re a track rat.

Porsche 911

What’s hot?

• Multiple flavors to choose from, with convertibles, full-on track cars, and cushy daily drivers
• Flat-six engines that sound glorious 

What’s not?

• Not cheap to maintain, meaning you will pay a lot for services and parts
• They all look damn near the same, if that bothers you

Standing as one of the most recognized cars in the world, the Porsche 911 a real head-turner and a treat to any enthusiast. The unique flat-six howls will make anyone envious of your car, and the high performance bar is tough to unseat with any of its rivals. These German sports cars are almost too good to be true as the handling and power are perfect for the road. The competition of the 911 can not compare to them. The only major issue with the Porsche 911 range is that it can be too confusing sometimes, initimidating the unitiated with their littany of models and niches and with many generation models looking nearly identical. Plus, you also have to worry about the Porche purists who hate everything that is not factory spec. 

What models to get:

My opinion on which Porsche 911s to get is the 997 or the 996. These models are reliable enough, as the 996 was the first 911 to have a water-cooled engine, but it doesn’t look the greatest. That is why the 997 is the better option; you get a more traditional headlight arrangement with all the improvements, such as the 3.8-liter flat six producing 325 to 345 horsepower from just the base Carreras.

Dodge Challenger

What’s hot?

• More horsepower than you ever need to need in higher trims
• Classic muscle car design with modern comfort

What’s not?

• The stigma. Don’t look at me like that. You know.
• Can be a handful for amateur (and overconfident) drivers 

This all-in-your-face American icon from Dodge is brute power, rude, and unapologetic. Why do you need to worry about fuel economy or your neighbors when you can blitz most traffic in a straight line? Pick your pison: You can fake it with the 3.6-liter V6 Pentastar Challenger or raise hell with a supercharged Hemi making 797 horsepower in the Hellcat Redeye model. Either way, this is one of America’s last hoorahs for producing pure, distilled hooliganism that its community wants instead of an electric muscle car with fake sounds, which is just cringe to think about. Fingers crossed the next one has can continue its lineage with spicy Hurricane-powered variants up its sleeve.

What models to get:

My personal pick is the 2015 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack on the basis that they’re literally everywhere, and you snag a fairly nice configuration rocking 485 horsepower for relatively not that much dough.