If you flat out love cars and driving , you like nothing better than taking your sports car out for a spin on a glorious, summer day . Sure, they may not be too practical, but you’re looking to have a good time, not take trips to the home improvement store . There is no question that cars have gotten much better in recent years. They are faster, handle better, and are more reliable than ever , putting to death that old stereotype of the oil dripping sports car with a bad electrical system leaving you stranded in the middle of nowhere .
Driving a budget oriented car can save you a bundle , and still give you plenty of fun. Something else you’ll want to do is call your car insurance provider to see how much they will ding you for the premiums. Lower insurance cost is one of the primary reasons to buy a used sports car over something a bit newer. You’ll realize the truth to that the second you wander to an agent’s office to inquire about insuring your new BMW or Mercedes , and see the unmitigated joy on their face. No more worrying about buying that new boat they’ve always wanted !
Make sure you compare car insurance rates, because different insurers will price different combinations of vehicles and drivers differently. You may save quite a bit of money by doing this. Use only top rated car insurance companies. After all, you’ll be be paying them a solid amount of money, and you want them to be there when you need them and not hassle you over your claim. You should be able to get cheap auto insurance rates for you new sports car and use the money you save to put gas in it all summer long!
Although there is no question that the new sports cars and sports sedans are better, they are also out of reach for many enthusiasts, price wise . With that in mind, here are the best used sports cars you can buy, on a budget that will leave plenty left over for gas.
Mazda Miata MX-5
Mazda’s Miata has been a runaway hit since it first hit the U.S. marketplace in 1989 as a 1990 model. Since then it has cemented it’s reputation as the reliable Japanese sports car with the soul of a Lotus. After all, it does look an awful lot like the Lotus Elan of the 1960’s. Fortunately, it handles like a Lotus, but will allow you to get a 100,000 trouble free miles and more, a claim the Lotus could never make.
Your best bet is to locate a nice one that is 1994 or newer. 1994 is when Mazda swapped the somewhat anemic 1.6 liter engine for an upgraded 1.8 liter mill and made dual airbags standard. Dual airbags are a nice feature on a car this small. On the performance front, you’ll also get larger brakes, and if you’re lucky enough to locate a car with the ‘R’ package , it will have performance suspension, although the car with the regular suspension handles pretty darn well, too.
You should be able to get a 1994 Miata for around $2,000 – $2,500, with newer versions going for progressively more. Not only will you save money, the Miata gets fantastic gas mileage, so when gas prices go back up, you’ll be ready.
Toyota MR2
Toyota may be enduring some well publicized troubles now, but the 2nd generation MR-2, produced from 1990 to 1996 was a great, little sportsa car (no, it’s not really Italian, but it does look vaguely like something that rolled out of Modena) . It looks like a Ferrari, the Turbo version goes like stink, the car handles decently, and there are performance upgrades aplenty for it. That explains it’s cult like following.
If you can get a 1993 or newer car, do it. The post 93 cars benefited from a revised rear suspension and other tweaks that made them much better cars to drive hard. . There are plenty of performance parts available for the turbo that will make it every bit as fast as the best modern sports cars , and you can make either the turbo or the base car handle and stop very well.
The popular Toyota 22R powers the base car, just like in your sister’s Celica, while the turbo model enjoys the 2.1 liter four also found in the Celica All Trac Turbo. Companies such as TRD, Greddy, and HKS still supply you with all the extra performance your budget allows .
Owners have typically rave reviews for them, such as:
“…of all the cars I have driven in my lifetime I keep the MR2 because every time I get behind the wheel, I have fun.”
In theory these cars start at about $3,000 for the turbo version, but it is rare to find one at that price point, as nice examples seem to get snapped up fairly quickly, or are priced far higher.
Nissan 300ZX Turbo
This was one of the highest performing sports cars of the 1990’s, and they are still pretty darn fun to drive by modern standards. They lost their variable valve timing in 1996 due to cost cutting efforts , but the 1995 version should do you just fine. There are a plethora of performance parts available for these cars . 400hp is but an exhaust, an intake, and a chip away, and you can do plenty to increase the capabilities of the brakes and suspension as well .
Even in stock form, they are comfortable, fast, and easy to drive for miles . The non-turbo is still quick enough to be a lot of fun, and the car looks ahead of it’s time enough to fool some people into thinking it is much newer than it is. If you can get a well maintained turbo version, do it, because the extra power and other upgrades make it a better sports car.
A good maintence is critical, and can often spell the difference between enjoying the car for years, and bad mouthing it every forum you can find . It is essential that the timing belt has been replaced, because if the belt should fail, the engine will be reduced to a pile of scrap metal. A 2+2 version of this car is available is you have to take along more than yourself and a passenger, but limit the extra passengers to small kids , because there isn’t much room back there.
You should be able to grab a decent 1990’s 300 ZX starting at about $2,500. It won’t be perfect at that price, but it will be fun to drive. Expect to pay $7,500 or more if you want to be driving a turbo. People still really want these cars , as is evidenced by prime turbo examples fetching over $10,000, 15 years after they were produced.
If you want to save coin and still have a smashing time, getting a used sports car is a fantastic way to do it. Make sure you get one that has the proper maintenance records, and shows it was kept by a loving owner. That is great advice when buying any used car. It is even more important when looking at a sports car, as they may have been owned by someone who used them for their intended purpose, hard driving, as often as possible.
These sports cars will give you more laughs than any piece of machinery has a right to. In fact, you may find yourself wanting to hold on to them until they virtually fall apart. There is nothing wrong with that, though. You could certainly find worse ways to while away the weekend than flying through the hills in a sports car .
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