Cheap thrills are the order of the day as we pick the 10 best affordable drivers’ cars to buy this year
In a world gone mad with demand for big SUVs and heavy electric cars, it’s easy to forget that driving can actually (say it quietly)… be fun.
Sure, it doesn’t always seem like a laugh-a-minute when you’re festering in a two-hour traffic jam on a drizzly Monday morning trying to get to a job that drains your very life force. But combine a twisty road, some tunes and a sports car, and maybe – just maybe – you can fall in love with driving all over again. And find a new job while you’re at it. Life’s too short to be unhappy at work.
Luckily you don’t need to spend big to have a lot of fun in a sports car, either. Nearly new and used sports cars have already done most of their depreciation, meaning you can jump in as the second or third owner without breaking the bank. Here are our 10 favourite cheap sports cars, with options to fit most budgets.
Mazda MX-5
We’ll start with the iconic cheap sports car – a car that boils down the vitals of sports car design until all you’re left with is a whole lot of fun for not much money. The Mazda MX-5 is a lightweight machine with a simple 1.5- or 2.0-litre engine that sends power to the back wheels. Oh, and there’s a convertible roof, so as you’re enjoying the feeling of balance and power down a country road, you can breathe in the scenery or any nearby cow fields. Trust us – once you’ve driven an MX-5 and felt its manual gearshift vibrating away in your hand on every gear change, you’ll be hooked. Just take it steady in the wet. The MX-5 is a reliable companion for driving fun, and because it’s a light car, it won’t cost a fortune in brakes and tyres. The only downside is the lack of cabin space for tall drivers, and a small boot.
Read our Mazda MX-5 review or shop MX-5s at Motorpoint
BMW 2 Series
We’ve got to applaud BMW for sticking with rear-wheel drive and powerful engines for its latest 2 Series coupe. But, as it’s still a bit too expensive for a ‘best cheap sports cars’ list, we’re highlighting the previous-generation ‘F22’ model. A long bonnet, pert backside and sweeping curves are classic sports car design cues, which is backed up by a perfect 50:50 weight distribution, rear-driven wheels and multilink rear suspension. There are normal petrol and diesel engines, plus convertibles, and all are great fun to drive. At the top of the range is the M240i or, if the budget allows, the swole M2 is one of the best drivers’ cars of recent times.
Shop used BMW 2 Series cars for sale
Toyota GR Yaris
A Yaris by name, but not by nature. The GR letters – Toyota’s Gazoo Racing motorsport division – signify that this is a completely different beast to the hybrid Yaris that your elderly neighbour might drive. A 1.6-litre turbo engine provides 257hp – huge in a car so small – and there’s four-wheel drive, for a 0-62mph time of just 5.5 seconds. The GR is not a car to drive slowly; it’s always keen to go fast and attack twisty roads. Used GR Yarises are stubbornly holding onto their initial value, but the cheapest ones are now dipping below £25,000 and you’re almost guaranteed a decent amount back when you sell it. If you can bear to get rid of it.
Shop used Toyota GR Yaris cars for sale or read our Toyota GR Yaris review
BMW Z4
Yes, it’s another BMW, but given the Munich legends make some of the best driver’s cars on the planet, they get a pass. The Z4 then, is a convertible two-seater, with a folding metal roof that allows for similar roof-up refinement to a proper coupe. Best off dropping it down whenever possible and enjoying the Z4’s luxurious interior, heated seats and excellent infotainment system. Even the entry-level 2.0-litre petrol engine in the Z4 20i has 200hp – enough to get you from 0-62mph in 6.6 seconds, and while the driving dynamics aren’t as precise as a Porsche Boxster’s, the BMW won’t break the bank to buy or run.
Shop for a used BMW Z4
Abarth 595
Time for the first hot hatch on our list. It's a fast-feeling, noisy petrol car with limited practicality and firm suspension. The Abarth 595/695 feels like it has too much power for its own good, and a short, stubby stance that makes it as agile as a champion ice skater. And, as soon as you fire up its rorty 1.4-litre engine, it feels race-ready – even if the racetrack is otherwise quiet suburban streets. Unlike some more serious sports cars, it's fun at low speeds, with the sort of instant shove you get from many electric cars. Unlike many other sports cars, however, the 595 is fantastically affordable.
Read our Abarth 595 review and shop for a used Abarth 595
Audi TT
Truly one of the automotive greats, the Audi TT will be replaced by an electric crossover when it bows out. And that’s not very ‘Tourist Trophy’, is it? This generation of TT will be remembered for its fantastic interior, with its plush materials, snug feel, snazzy air-con controls and its digital dash – which gives the driver full control and keeps the rest of the dashboard free of distracting screens. The exterior is just as stylish, while this latest TT brings a more engaging driving experience than any TT before it. With between 200 and 400hp on tap, all TTs are quick, too.
Search for a used Audi TT for sale
Ford Fiesta ST
Another hot hatch, but also one of the most fun cars you can buy at any price point. The now-discontinued Fiesta ST has about 200hp from a 1.5-litre engine, and it just feels as if it wakes up every morning, downs a couple of catering-size Monster energy drinks and wants to headbutt a wall. It feels alive in corners, angry on the way out of corners and will even get a little bit sideways if you indulge in a bit of mid-bend braking. It’s a hooligan and it will get you in trouble – so it’s a classic hot hatch then. Naturally it’s also practical, with a decent boot for a small car, reasonable running costs and useable back seats. If we won the lottery, we’d still buy a Fiesta ST on the way to the Porsche dealership.
Make sure to also check out the Hyundai i20 N, which has broadly the same set of attributes and an unstoppable sense of fun.
Read our Ford Fiesta review or search for a used Ford Fiesta ST
Ford Mustang
Perhaps you don’t want the scalpel-like precision of an M2 and would rather a hammer-like experience with brute force and lots of noise. Get a load of the Ford Mustang GT and its 5.0-litre V8, which kicks out around 450hp – and its rear end if you get carried away. The Mustang might’ve been honed on America’s drag strips and boulevards, but modern ones aren’t just a simple point-and-squirt noisemaker – they’re very handy when the going gets twisty too. If you can put up with the Mustang’s thirst, you really could use it everyday – it is a Ford, after all, so it gets all the must-have mod-cons from Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to heated seats and cruise control.
Find a used Ford Mustang for sale
Mini Convertible
Pair the humble Mini with a fold-down fabric roof and a powerful petrol engine, and you have the perfect recipe for a junior sports car. Just imagine how good the Mini Convertible will feel with the roof down on a sunny summer's afternoon on a twisty B-road. We'd pick either the Cooper S or the full-on John Cooper Works versions for maximum driving fun – and the latter for the maximum power and noise. Choose the engaging manual gearbox or the easy, slick auto – both are great and suit the Mini down to a T. Or an M…
Shop for a used Mini Convertible
Toyota GT86/Subaru BRZ
This pair of Japanese sports cars were developed together and share a lot of similarities. The Toyota GT86 and Subaru BRZ have hardtop roofs but are otherwise quite similar to the MX-5, because they prioritise lightness and fun over outright performance. So, while their 200hp output is matched by a Ford Fiesta ST these days, the Toyobaru twins have rear-wheel drive and just the two seats. They have even used the same skinny eco tyres as the Toyota Prius to make sure you don’t have so much grip that it’s not exciting.
Alternatively, there's the newer (but rarer) Toyota GR86, which is more powerful – answering a common criticism of the GT86.
