The Best {modern & affordable} Sports Cars In America

What's a sports car? When we started composing this list, we thought we knew the answer. But the more cars we looked at, the more we realized that no single yardstick applies.

Can a sports car have back seats? Well, a Porsche 911 has backseats, and we don't know anyone who would deny that that's a sports car. Then again, those are very puny backseats, more there to keep insurance costs down than to carry the average six-footer.

Does a sports car have to be fast? Well, yes and no. Ever been in a go-kart? Whip one around a figure-eight track and you'll practically lose your eyeballs from the g forces, but throw it into a straightaway and it'll take that lawnmower engine ten years to get you between points A and B. Still, a go-kart is a blast to play with, and so we'd say that a sports car has to be quick enough to be amusing but not necessarily jet-like in a straight line.

Can a sports car be practical? Hell yes. Think of the classic British and Italian sports cars of the 1950s and '60s, like Alfas and Fiats, MGs and Austin Healeys. Many of these had trunks that were actually useful for weekend trips, and some even had room enough behind the front seats for briefcases and groceries. So we say that a sports car doesn't have to be useful for anything but adventures at the wheel. It need not be practical, but if it is, it can still qualify as a sports car.

Also note that we did not put the new Acura RSX or Honda Civic Si on our list. They'll likely make it next time around. But because we haven't been able to test either in time for this story's deadline, and because their predecessors are so very different (so we can't make any assumptions about how they'll handle), it made more sense to reserve judgment. Full reviews of each of these cars will appear in the next few months.

One final consideration: It may be self-evident, but Best Buy Sports Cars aren't necessarily the ones we would pick if we had all the money in the world. Wouldn't you rather drive a Ferrari than a Miata? We would, too. But money being a finite resource for most of us, there are no Ferraris--or even Porsches--on this list.

This car isn't fast. It isn't even as sexy as it was when it first came out in 1990. But drive one on a curvy road and we'll be damned if suddenly it's not 1968 again for you--even if in 1968 you were an infant.

What we mean is that on the road today there's no better translation of what it was like to own a zippy little British or Italian cloth-top. Such cars turned like tops; sung out pretty, peaky engine and exhaust noises--and broke down a lot. The Miata does the former two really positive things even better than its Euro forebears did. And, needless to say, it doesn't lie down in the road like those temperamental beasts.

The Miata has a great, torquey little 1.8-liter engine that now gets variable valve timing--an engineering trick that yields an enlarged power band. Another nice addition is an optional six-speed shifter that helps reduce noisy revs on long highway jaunts. The interior has grown sexier over time, but it's still relatively simple and ungimmicky. Just like the whole car, in fact, which is without a doubt the purest definition of a sports car sold today. Not the fastest, and not necessarily even the best value, but the car that goes where you point it as soon as the thought enters your brain and does so as joyfully and eagerly as a puppy. This car is the definition of fun.

Audi TT Coupe/Roadster ($31,200/$33,200): We like the TT with a metal top for better all-weather driving.

What's your pleasure? Personally, we like our Audi TT with a hardtop. Not only is it cheaper than the cloth-top, but it adds the right aggressive oomph to the entire line of this car's arching spine.

And it's a lot easier to go skiing if you have something to attach a rack to. Yes, we'd call this an ideal winter sports car--even without the five-grand sticker shock of quattro all-wheel drive (which also gets you an additional 45 horses over the stock 180-horsepower motor)--because it's so well balanced in nearly any road condition. And the longer travel suspension doesn't punish you nearly as much as a lot of other cars on the road do--like the Honda S2000.

Front-drivers generally don't make great sports cars, but add in standard traction control as well as stability control, and the combination provides enough taming of torque steer to keep the fun coming. The TT is also a fairly light car, so 180 horsepower is good enough for 0-60 times of around 7.5 seconds, which makes it fast enough if not quite earth scorching.

Speaking of things mechanical, this car comes with a crisp-shifting five-speed manual and--no poseurs wanted, thank you--no automatic.

Still, the thing that sells the TT is the high-styled Bauhaus interior. It makes everyone who drives this car feel cool, even if in your heart you know you're just a regular Joe or Jane.

We were driving up an inclined stretch of highway, screaming past SUVs, motor homes, and Civics. And we were doing about 70 mph--in second gear. Time to upshift now that we finally hit the 9,000-rpm rev limit. On into third, where we launched on toward 100 miles an hour. We could have kept going in this vein--the S2000 has six forward gears, and its all-too-willing 240 horsepower engine cranks out more juice per cylinder than a $169,000 Ferrari 360 Modena.

Needless to say, the car is an absolute blast, so long as you don't mind high revs and are willing to relearn a few driving techniques. That's because maximum torque doesn't kick in until 7,500 rpm, and if you shift at this moment of highest propulsion with all that power pushing you through a turn, you suddenly get the same effect you'd have if you hit the brakes. That is, all the momentum stops, the car steers more sharply and you have to back off the steering just as you engage the next gear. It's a little queasy-making, but you get used to it. In fact, you get to like the buzz that comes with driving this little rocket around and come to quickly love its direct steering, excellent brakes, and tenaciously grippy 50 and 55 series tires.

What don't we like? The snubbed snout that deters from the otherwise uplifting lines of the car and the plain Jane interior that works but lacks panache. But for $32K this is a cheap speed-freaks drug, one that is fast enough to get you to 60 miles per hour in 5.5 seconds and keep on going and going and going.

If you missed out on the original Toyota MR2s, my, what a car you missed. These were fun, cheap and, with their engines mounted behind the driver but in front of the rear axle, had just the right toplike quality to twist through arced stretches of highway at the exact limit of adhesion--as long as you kept the hammer down and didn't let up on your nerve.

When the MR went away, so did a very fun car, but thankfully Toyota resurrected it and even improved it in the process. The new MR Spyder is still not a true convertible, with an arrangement more like that of the old Porsche 914, but it makes up for that by being a bit more enclosed, so even in winter you can drive with the top down but the windows up and stay perfectly comfortable.

The MR is very, very light, weighing only 2,200 pounds, which means expansion joints and potholes can rock your world a little more than is pleasurable, but the car is really quite stable, with a ground-hugging mien. Steering is sharp, and the 138-horsepower motor is powerful enough, with the torque curve and the transmission set up to keep the juice coming. There's very little storage space in the MR Spyder, so no trips to Home Depot. But if you just love to drive, you have to toss a coin to choose between this car and the Miata.

The screaming acid-red gauges and cross-stitched wheel--not to mention the hardly sedate seats--team up to make sure you know the SE-R isn't a humdrum sedan.

We can't tell you very much about the Sentra SE-R Spec V; we'll run a full review in September, when they untie our tongues. But we test-drove this screamer recently at Laguna Seca Raceway in California, and we will divulge that we were exceedingly impressed. Stats? 180 horsepower, 180 foot-pounds of torque, and although it's still a front-wheel-drive car, a mechanical limited-slip differential equalizes wheel slip and gets power to the inside wheel in a tight turn, so even if there's lift caused by a shift in weight, the engine will keep pulling in the direction you're steering. If you like going fast around corners, you won't be disappointed.

We can also tell you that the car has very comfortable seats, a bad-boy racing interior, a real trunk big enough for runs to Costco, and you can get it with an amped-up 300-watt Rockford-Fosgate audio system. There are other goodies, too, like a six-speed manual transmission and 17-inch wheels and tires.

We think this car will be an absolute steal when it comes out later this year, and it will be faster when going to 60 miles an hour than a lot of other cars on this list. How much faster? We can't say. Nissan would cut us off from their supply of really neat toys, and then we couldn't tell you, uh, sort of, about them.

Although we haven't driven the new 2002 Golf GTI yet, we'll tell you about the 2001 models to explain why we like these cars so much. First, the distinction: At present, you can get a 2001 GTI GLS or GLX. The GLS gets a 150-horsepower 1.8-liter turbocharged engine, the same high-revving job that comes in the lovely Audi A4, but for a lot less dough. The GLX has a six-cylinder V-6 putting out 174 horsepower. However, that bigger engine doesn't grind up the road that much faster (0-60 mph for the GLS is about eight seconds and only about 7.5 for the GLX), and since it runs $3K more this year, we'd stick with the sweet four....

Then again, we'd stand pat and wait until this fall, when VW unleashes a 1.8-liter four with 180 horsepower (the same juice cranked out by the same engine in the more expensive TT), or an optional four-valve, 201-horsepower V-6 engine with a six-speed manual transmission.

All things being equal, we expect the new GTI to fly with either motor, with 0-60 times well below seven seconds. And we already like the tight steering and MacPherson strut suspension on this car, not to mention the strong brakes and standard traction control and electronic differential locking that take a lot of the squirreliness out of this short-wheelbase car.

In fact, the GTI reminds us a lot of the old BMW 2002. Drive it straight and it feels bigger and more stable than it is, but throw it into a curve and it's all grins. And this car has a real backseat (that folds flat to hold larger objects), with a useful hatch for easy access. Now that they're adding more horsepower, it's only going to get better.

Best Car For A 16-Year-Old Trapped In A 40-Year-Old Body

Ford SVT Mustang Cobra ($29,205)

Let's see, 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds; good old American V-8 with 317 foot-pounds of torque and 320 horsepower. Oh, and don't forget the 150 mph top speed. All for under $30K! Those are the kind of numbers that scare Corvette owners, especially when they've forked over $50K for the privilege of hitting 60 mph a mere half-second faster.

Then again, we aren't happy with the pedal arrangement, the steering, the stiff shifter or the cramped cockpit of the Mustang, so Corvette owners really are getting a lot more for their money.

The Cobra is a road-sizzler, a muscle car from bygone days. It sounds brash because it is. Nothing is especially light or smooth. It goes hard and strong, but if you're looking for refinement you're shopping in the wrong part of town. It's like showing up at the WWF and expecting guys to bow sumo style before smashing each other in the head. It ain't gonna happen. But that's what Mustang fans love about their cars--especially this one.

One more thing: Ford finally cured the floaty back end of the Mustang. In the Cobra it gets an independent rear, one that doesn't bounce all over the highway. This baby's still a mean customer, just not as mean to the driver.

Although the Cobra gets better seats than stock, they're still just American buckets.

As we said in our test drive of the WRX, this is not a pretty car. We've heard from a lot of people who've defended the way it looks, and all we can say is there's a lid for every pot.

Nonetheless, the virtues of this car have won over even our shallow aesthete hearts, and when you factor in cost, there's really nothing not to like about just how well it goes about its business at bargain-basement prices.

Look at it this way: You get a growling 16-valve, 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that delivers a six-second 0-60 time, and you get Subaru all-wheel drive. The Sentra and the new VW GTI on this list might get you close to that 0-60 time for the same money or even a few dollars less, but the all-weather cornering grip of the Subaru gives it a serious edge.

And, like those cars, the Subaru is almost sedate when you aren't pushing it, with a real backseat and trunk that are useful if you aren't planning to go to the test track today. The fit and finish of the interior, the quality of the transmission (shifting is notchy) and the suspension at the limit all reveal econobox-in-sports-car-clothing tendencies, but if what you want is speed, grip and not-another-BMW looks, you gotta get a WRX.

When BMW first came out with its Z3 with a buzzy four-cylinder engine, we were unimpressed. And when they later overwhelmed it by stuffing a big six-cylinder engine under the hood without first upgrading the chassis, we were petrified. Then BMW finally figured it all out and came up with the rip-snorting M Coupe, a car that had a fantastic engine and an excellent suspension, so you could go like hell and also feel the traditional safety that BMWs have always been known for.

That technology and drivability have both trickled down now to the far more affordable Z3 Roadster, and even with the smallest in-line six, there's still 184 horsepower available, and 0-60 times of under seven seconds are readily at hand. More to the point, however, the Z3 is so much less darty than it used to be, it might as well be another car entirely. Although this may be the most relaxed sports car in our mix, it's hardly sloppy, and with excellent steering and a far more refined rear suspension, the Z3 now drives like a proper racer, albeit not as rigidly as the M Coupe.

And even if this car isn't going to blow the doors off of the Toyota MR Spyder, the Nissan Sentra or the WRX, it looks like something an adult would drive, so you don't have to drive something different when it's time to head out for a night on the town.

Sure, sure, we gave the trophy to the most expensive "best buy" of the bunch. That might seem like cheating, but not when you consider that the real competition here isn't the riffraff running around at $25K, but Porsche 911s, BMW M3s, and even Ferraris. Put in that context, the Vette is a steal, and even though it's about to get even faster, with a 405-horsepower motor replacing the present 350-hp unit in the car we tested, it's only likely to get a few grand pricier.

So, what makes it such a bargain? The car gushes style, with big, sexy lines that don't say anything but "American, and damn proud of it." It's outrageously fast and yet easily controllable, so even a 16-year-old high on Coca-Cola and pimple medicine could figure out how to turn in sub-five-second 0-60 times. And it also stops well, with some of the best brakes in the business. Add to these attributes the ability to hang on in a turn better than just about any car this side of $150K, and you are talking about a real winner, any way you slice it.

Looks like a cross between an Audi and a Porsche. It appears (to me) many of the designs in the late 80's and through the 90s of Nissan, Mercedes, BMW and others followed the lead of Audi (check out the year/models between them).

IMO Audi is still in front design-wise.

I'm still driving this as my fun car/occasional use. 1989 Mazda, the Rotary Rocket. Modified as follows: complete Mind Train exhaust system including header, no cat. Eibach front and rear sway bars. Tokico front struts, and rear shocks with Eibach spring kit. K & N filter and Racing Beat plug wires. Horsepower is slightly over 200. Almost more than this old guy can handle.

The minimum requirements for a sports car are: a two-seater open to the air.

Open to the air means convertible or roadster, a convertible having roll-up windows and a somehow putdownable top, while a roadster is anything with less protection, such as no top, or having removable side-curtains.

This means that Targa's, T-tops, sedans, coupes, vans, and SUV's are NOT sports cars. They can be sports coupes, sports sedans, sport utility vehicles, but they are sports cars only on the supercharged keyboards of advertising copy writers.

By that definition then, an MG (or any other) convertible with its top up is not a sports car? Obviously, I'm thinking your definition is a mite too tight. Targa tops or and or anything with a removable hard top would seem to be okay to me. T-tops probably okay, too. But I admit, there are definite slippery slope aspects to the discussion.

This means that Targa's, T-tops, sedans, coupes, vans, and SUV's are NOT sports cars. They can be sports coupes, sports sedans, sport utility vehicles, but they are sports cars only on the supercharged keyboards of advertising copy writers.

So my favorite sports car, the Porsche 356, by your definition, is not a sports car because it's a coupe? Yes, there are Roadster/Cabriolet/Speedster versions, but because one has extra sheet metal it's not a sports car? Ridiculous. What about a 911 coupe? Not a sports car? 911 Targa (the original targa) not a sports car? I think a LOT of Porsche owners would disagree with you. In my little world, it goes like this:

Sports Car (whatever brand) Sports Car Coupe Sports Car Cabriolet Sports Car Targa Sports Car T-Top

Sean

Well, I do like the C5, but there are some rather alarming aspects to its electrical system. Some of those babies get screwed up to the point they can't be kept on the road. Anecdotally, it requires a seemingly harmless/repairable electrical event and the next thing you know (subsequent to that), the computers/electrical system cannot be repaired. Period. Chevy dealers are being very quiet about cars they are being forced to buy back, repair, only to have to buy them back, over and over until they finally just junk them. (Some rodent gnawed wiring damage kicked things off for my father's '99.)

Real rednecks drive pickups

Ya got that right. It for sure ain't a sports car:

but it gets me where I want to go. Lots of times, "where I want to go" isn't exactly someplace you'd want to take a sports car...

I think some of the judgement calls in this Forbes article are pretty silly. Notably, choosing 150+ horsepower turbocharged engines with 4 cylinders and 2.0 or less liters over similar power V-6s means driving a car that's always going to be straining, and will probably not hold up very well and/or will need more maintenance.

More than about 1 horsepower per cubic inch has always been problematic, and probably always will be. (2 liters = 122 cubic inches; although it is of course oriented to boating, yachtsurvey.com has useful info in this vein)

Sir, you have my envy. Those new COBRAs are something special, all right. I've heard tell of ET's in the high 12's on stock exhaust and intakes. With cat-back Flowmasters and K&N air inlets, that goes to mid-12's, easy. Unfortunately, it's too rich for my meager Sailor's pay.

I have, however, had my eye on one of these:

2003 MACH-1. 335 horsepower, 325 ft/lbs torque. FUNCTIONAL "Shaker" hood scoop. Solid rear axle, choice of manual tranny OR automatic.

Ford's doing a lot of things to pick up the customers abandoned by GM with its killing of the Camaro and your namesake (a great performer in its own right, BTW)

"....but somehow I always come back to my admiration of Chevy's masterpiece. The Corvette is ours, it's American as apple pie, and I love that! :-)"

Can I get an "amen", brotheer?

My first car (bought just before my senior year at the USAF Academy in '76) was a '72 Corvette convertible. White. Gleaming white. You didn't get in............you strapped it on. Four speed that shifted like a hot knife through butter. The mountains of Colorado were no match for that growling 350 V8 with a Quadrajet 4-barrel. Beautiful, smokin' car..........

Lo these years and seven children later...........I'd love to have another one. Just gotta outgrow the need for my current Chevy Suburban first.:)

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