What Car Costs Too Much?

When Chevrolet revealed the 1,250-horsepower Corvette ZR1X last week, we learned you'll soon be able to buy an American sports car capable of running the quarter-mile in less than 9 seconds, which is just crazy. Insane, even. There's quick, and then there's "running a quarter-mile in the eights" quick. It'll probably end up costing something like a quarter-million dollars, but still. That's outright absurd for a car a teenager could legally drive the day they get their driver's license. 

The news also sent me to the internet to check on used C8 prices because that's just how my brain works, and wouldn't you know it, even five years after the C8 went on sale, you still can't find them for less than about $55,000. And that's if you don't care about mileage and are only looking for a Corvette with a clean title. If you want a low-mile, nicely kept C8, you can expect to spend thousands more. They aren't entirely depreciation-proof, but they're pretty darn close.

On the one hand, we're talking about a Corvette here. You should be able to pick up a five-year-old Corvette for like half-price. Because it's a Corvette. On the other hand, however, can you really be too mad that a mid-engine sports car with a naturally aspirated V8 still costs at least $55,000? I dare you to drive a used C8 and then tell me that's a $30,000 driving experience. It just makes sense that the first mid-engine Corvette would hold its value, especially when the original base MSRP was just under $60,000.

The same can't be said for every other used car on the road, though. Some cars just don't deliver a driving experience on par with their price. Of course, plenty of us still remember what used car prices were like before the pandemic hit during Trump's first term and would say, "All of them," but that isn't entirely fair. If people weren't still getting something out of buying used performance cars these days, they wouldn't be as expensive as they are. Then again, sometimes you also just look at the price someone paid for a low-mile car that's been well-maintained, and the price is just absurd. 

Today, we want to talk about the cars you're convinced don't offer anywhere near the kind of driving experience you'd expect for the kind of money people are paying these days. Sadly, that might even include some cars we love but just can't afford anymore now that collectors have started buying them up. Or cars that were produced in limited numbers but aren't nearly as special as the price would suggest. It's fine. You can love, say, the original Acura NSX to the moon and back and still not be willing to buy one at current prices.

So, what is that car for you? What car is just straight-up overpriced? Let us know down in the comments, where you can also tell someone else all the reasons their answer is wrong.