5 Fun And Affordable Used Cars You Might Be Overlooking

Gasoline is nearing record highs, and there's no end in sight for the inflation crisis ravaging your bank account, but you still want to drive a fun car. Don't worry, we're all in the same boat. Whether you're buying your first fun car or you're downsizing from something more expensive, there are plenty of reasons to want cheap thrills. And if you have a fun driving itch to scratch, but not a lot of money to scratch it with, so you need to stretch your dollars in the used car market. 

In the price bracket that most normal car enthusiasts can afford, you're not going to find depreciation-proof collectibles, so don't even try to think about keeping the miles low. These are cars that are meant to be driven, and darn well should be. Get yourself something fun, pile a bunch of miles on it, and create a lifetime of memories in the process. 

This list isn't going to be populated with the standard fare, like Miatas, E30s, GTIs, or Mustangs, though — we're coloring a bit outside the lines here. These are vehicles you might've forgotten, or been overwhelmed with recommendations for, and you're just trying to do something a bit different. However, I did try to get something on this list that would appeal to everyone, so whether you're looking for a long-legged grand tourer or a compact machine for autocross or track days, hopefully I've found something for you.

The Lexus SC is one of those cars that just doesn't get enough attention, but it delivers as one of the greatest grand touring cars of the 1990s. While it was technically available with a naturally-aspirated 2JZ inline six, the better move for long road trip highway action is the 4.0-liter 1UZ V8. It drives like a dream, has plenty of power, and if properly cared for, will outlast every human being on the planet. It's not, perhaps, the fastest, the quickest, the most frugal, or the most fun to drive on winding roads. What it is, however, is an extremely competent personal luxury coupe on par with (or better than) anything coming out of Germany. 

If you want any kind of proof of the SC's accolades, a period review from Car and Driver favorably compared Japan's Sport Coupe to an Aston Martin. 

"The SC400 costs only one-sixth of the astounding $250,000 price tag of the Aston Martin we tested in May," says tester Larry Griffin. "The Lexus turns the Aston into an instant aberrational anecdote—a shaky tale told in the face of another projectile about to go ballistic for real."

The V8-powered SC400 will run a low-15-second quarter-mile, and even on outdated tire tech from the early 1990s, it was capable of 0.86g on the skidpad. It's a bit lackadaisical by 2026 standards, where even our luxury SUVs have stiff suspension and Nürburgring lap times, but that's okay. Lean all the way in to the 1990s aesthetic and get yourself a long fat tie, a Halliburton briefcase, and a phone in a bag. Leave your iPhone behind and go for a nice cross-country road trip in style and comfort. With dozens of examples currently available below $10,000, it fits the bill as affordable, even if the fun is an acquired taste. 

The earliest Porsche Boxsters, the non-S 2.5-liter cars from 1997 to 1999, are the best of the breed if you ask me. While later Boxsters got more power and a sixth gear in the transmission, they lost a little bit of the rawness of these early cars. The 2.5-liter engine makes a raucous growl, and the intake noise at full throttle is one of those things you write home about. The mid-engine dynamics and roadholding ability are difficult to beat for the money, as you can frequently find these for less than their Mazda Miata counterparts. Some of you might not want to admit it, but this is a better car than the Miata. 

The 986 isn't styled to everyone's taste, but I like it. There's something so simple and unadorned about this car that it appeals more to me with every passing year. I have had the red example shown above for a few years, and I have loved every minute spent behind the wheel of this thing. It's just so fun to drive. These early cars are extremely analog as well, lacking modern driver aids like traction control. Aside from the standard ABS, this car is only controlled by your two feet and your two hands. 

You will likely have heard of the intermediate shaft bearing failures that plagued Boxster and 996 owners for the last couple of decades. While the failures do happen and don't offer much warning, in my experience, the failures are relatively rare, and there are ways to mitigate the damage or avoid it altogether. Replacing the sealed bearing with an oiled bearing, for example, seems to be a solution. Fortunately, the overblown nature of the IMS bearing failure mode has caused a lot of enthusiasts to avoid these cars altogether, driving the price down.

It's entirely possible that the C5-generation Corvette was the absolute pinnacle of American automotive construction. Sure, there have been faster cars built since, heck, there have been much faster Corvettes built since, but the C5 was the absolute best combination of design, affordability, and world-beating capability. There was something in the water in Bowling Green back in the mid-1990s, and the C5 could beat practically anything the world threw at it. 

The recipe here is simple, but effective. With the now-legendary LS V8 under the hood, a solid six-speed manual transmission, and smooth, low-slung fiberglass bodywork, the C5 Corvette was an incredible sports car right out of the box. Okay, so it doesn't have a nice interior, and it shares its underwhelming stereo system with every other late-1990s General Motors product, and the fit and finish are exactly what you'd expect from a Big Three product in this era, but the engineering behind the car overshadows everything else. 

Chevrolet made so many of these things that they practically litter the ground wherever you look. Peaking at more than 35,000 units per year, the C5 generation was one of the most successful sellers in Corvette history. It'll cost about $10,000 for a running project car, so if you're mechanically inclined, you could get a really good deal. The nicest collector-grade Z06 model will run you into the $50,000 range, but you don't really need to do all that. Throw some coilovers and bolt-ons at a bargain basement driver-grade car, and you'll have a track-capable machine for under 25 grand. 

It might not make a lot of sense that a six-figure odometer, eight-year-old Honda is on this list, but wait until you drive it. The Accord Sport 2.0T with a six-speed manual is one of my favorite modern daily driver candidates out there. Not only is the engine basically a detuned version of the one found in the Civic Type R, but the 10th-gen Accord is perhaps one of the best sedan chassis ever — and depending on mileage and condition, they can be had for less than $20,000. 

It goes without saying that Honda knows how to build a really good car, and this version of the Accord has long been my favorite. If you have to be a grown-up and you need space for you and your family, or to haul a couple of colleagues to lunch, you are going to want something that feels a bit mature, which is exactly what the Accord is. It's the platonically perfect mid-sized sedan, but it's fun enough for an enthusiast. 

Imagine this car with a set of lowering springs, lightweight wheels wrapped in sticky tires, a short-throw shifter, a few bolt-on power mods, and a 300-horsepower tune. With a factory rating of 252 horsepower, it's not that lofty a goal. Combine that with a car that refuses to depreciate, along with legendary Honda reliability, and you have a fun car you can count on for maybe the rest of your life. Twenty grand is a big deal, but it's a lot less of a big deal if you keep the car for another 100,000 miles or more. Buy it once, buy it for life, right?

In 2026, you can't buy anything with a blue oval for under $30,000. Just over a decade ago, however, the diminutive jellybean Fiesta ST would set you back just $21,000 from the dealership. These days, a well-used Fiesta ST can be had for under $5,000, and the nicest examples in the world can still be had for under $18,000. I don't know if I'd pay up for a cherry unit, but at the low end of the market they're an absolute steal of a deal. And we couldn't make this list without including a hot hatchback, right? 

If you're looking for something that can hustle on a back road, rock an autocross, or keep up with much more expensive machinery at a track day, this is a good choice for most. It doubles as a utilitarian daily driver, with city car dimensions for easy parking, and a relatively fuel-efficient four-cylinder under the hood. Stay out of boost, and you might see near 40 mpg in steady-state cruising. That's pretty respectable. 

While the Fiesta ST ended here in the U.S. for the 2019 model year, they still had enough tech and speed in them to keep a modern enthusiast sated. This is one of those cars that you'd be perfectly happy with for over a decade of fun driving. The interiors aren't penalty boxes like most hot hatches can be, especially with the optional Recaro seats, but it's worth pointing out that they certainly aren't as comfortable as, say, the Lexus SC. If you're looking to rack up a ton of miles, or you live in a city with particularly rough roads, this one might not be for you.