The wind in your hair, the song of the engine as it reaches redline, the satisfying brake-blip-shift of heel-and-toeing your way through a canyon — whatever your reason for falling in love with sports cars, there’s something to love on this list.
Here are 10 of the best used sports cars you can find right now for less than $20,000.
1. 2018 Mazda MX-5 Miata
The best-selling sports car the world has ever known is always a good choice, and with a $20,000 budget, you can get a nicely equipped, reasonably new one. The 2018 Mazda MX-5 Miata is fantastic to drive, inexpensive to own and operate, and surprisingly comfortable. Look for the Club or top-spec Grand Touring models on our budget.
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2. 2014 Nissan 370Z
The 2014 Nissan 370Z’s mix of throaty V6 power, rear-drive dynamics, and classic sports coupe handling is a connoisseur’s blend of the best traits of an affordable sports car. Look for the Touring trim level in coupe form, or, if you prefer top-down driving, consider the Roadster.
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3. 2019 Subaru BRZ
With its flat boxer 6-cylinder engine, the 2019 Subaru BRZ’s center of gravity is impressively low, yielding great cornering dynamics. The BRZ’s suspension tune is also road trip-friendly, proving you don’t have to get beat up to have great handling.
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4. 2015 Chevrolet Camaro
While the Camaro was once relegated to straight-line feats of might, the fifth-generation Chevrolet Camaro changed that, putting a focus on handling, and the 2015 model — the last of its generation — took the Camaro to its performance peak. Look for well-equipped SS models fitted with the 426-horsepower V8 on our budget.
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5. 2018 Ford Mustang
Like the Camaro, the Mustang was once a lumbering relic of the Muscle Car era, but it, too, has found new life as a corner carver. The 2018 Ford Mustang best fits our budget in 310-hp, 2.3-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder form, in EcoBoost Premium trim, in your choice of coupe or convertible.
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6. 2008 Porsche Boxster
One of the best-handling vehicles available at any price, and the only mid-engine option on our list, the 2008 Porsche Boxster’s steering feel is revelatory, especially if you’ve only ever driven nose-heavy front-engine cars. Sure, maintenance will be more expensive, and this is the second-oldest car on this list, but it’s also one of the most rewarding to drive.
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7. 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
Like the Boxster, the 2005 Chevrolet Corvette faces more issues of age than most of the vehicles on this list, but if that’s not a deal-breaker for you, the Corvette’s light weight, low height, big power (400 hp), brisk acceleration, nearly 200-mph top speed, and excellent handling make it the highest-performance vehicle on this list.
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8. 2012 BMW Z4
A long hood and a cabin near the rear axle give the 2012 BMW Z4 the proportions of an earlier era, despite the technological tour de force just under the sheet metal. Look for fully loaded sDrive35is models on our budget unless you need a manual transmission — the top-spec model was offered only with a dual-clutch automatic.
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9. 2018 Subaru WRX
Although not a traditional sports car at all, the 2018 Subaru WRX nonetheless belongs on this list because it is one of the only all-wheel-drive (AWD), turbocharged, manual-transmission vehicles you can buy these days that isn’t a pickup truck. That translates to four-season fun for those in winter-weather climates, high-speed action in the dirt for just about everyone, and phenomenal acceleration and performance on the street.
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10. 2019 Volkswagen Golf GTI
Like the WRX, the 2019 Volkswagen GTI is an unconventional sports car, but it is considered the original hot hatch. In the under-$20,000 realm, it’s either this or a luxury coupe or convertible a decade older with double the maintenance and running costs. For our $20,000, the top-spec Autobahn should be just within reach.
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Best Used Sports Cars Under $20,000
- 2018 Mazda MX-5 Miata
- 2014 Nissan 370Z
- 2019 Subaru BRZ
- 2015 Chevrolet Camaro
- 2018 Ford Mustang
- 2008 Porsche Boxster
- 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
- 2012 BMW Z4
- 2018 Subaru WRX
- 2019 Volkswagen Golf GTI
