2024’s 13 Best Budget-Friendly Sports Cars

Many people want to feel the power and speed of a sports car. Thanks to their power, agility, and prowess, sports cars provide some of the best thrills life can offer. However, that performance often comes at a price, but there are sports cars on the market that defy that convention.

This list contains 13 sports cars you can pick up on a lower budget in 2024. We've included a mix of new sports cars and some you can buy on the used car market. All are selected based on speed, performance, how they handle things, and their value for money.

Toyota GR86

Toyota GR86
Image Credit: Toyota.

Dollar for dollar, the Toyota GR86 is one of the very best sports cars available in North America. Not only does it have 228 horsepower (hp) and 184 lb-ft of torque from its 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, but it also starts at just $29,300. This makes it one of the few sports cars available for under $30,000.

Toyota currently sells three trim levels: the standard GR86, the Premium, and the Trueno Edition. All are gearhead's dream, with Toyota providing a manual transmission across each trim, which is becoming a rarity on a sports car. The GR86 is undoubtedly a modern classic.

Toyota GR Supra

2019 Toyota Supra GR
Image Credit: Alexander Migl – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0/WikiCommons.

We apologize for including another Toyota on this list. While its retail price is higher than the GR86 at $56,250, the GR Supra has become one of the most popular sports cars on the market.

Power for the Supra comes from a single-engine option for 2025. This 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine produces 382 hp and 368 lb-ft of torque. Toyota only recently launched a manual transmission Supra, which is one of the most comfortable sports cars on the market. Toyota will eventually electrify the Supra, so we should enjoy it in its current form for as long as possible.

Subaru BRZ

Subaru BRZ
Image Credit: Subaru.

Technically, we have already discussed the Subaru BRZ. The BRZ is Subaru's version of the Toyota GR86, which both companies developed through a partnership. As a result, the BRZ has the same four-cylinder 228 hp engine as its Toyota counterpart.

The BRZ offers different styling; however, arguably, the Subaru is more radical-looking than the Toyota. However, the BRZ is slightly more expensive, with an MSRP of $30,195. Both are excellent sports cars, providing exceptional value for money, outstanding comfort, driving feel, and power.

Mazda Miata MX-5

2023 Mazda MX-5 Miata
Image Credit: Mazda North American Operations.

Sure, it might be the dull and obvious choice; however, there are still good reasons for the Mazda MX-5 to be a brilliant budget sports car. It's still an absolute joy to drive, just as it was during its 1990s debut. The MX-5 still looks excellent, and it's not become bloated and oversized like many other modern cars.

The MX-5 is reliable, too, and comfortable enough to go on longer-distance trips. Plus, with a starting price of just $28,985, it won't break the bank. With so many variations made, there are plenty to choose from on the used car market for even less money.

Alpine A110

Alpine A110S
Image Credit: Alpine.

Because it's not as big a name as Toyota or Mazda, the Alpine A110 is often overlooked. It doesn't help that the car is not yet available in America, although that is set to change. However, the A110, arriving in 2017, is an exceptional sports car, with power rising to 296 hp in the latest A110 S version.

The A110 isn't just a great-looking car; it is exceptional to drive, too. The mid-mounted engine and double wishbone suspension are generally reserved for supercars. Yet they allow the A110 to feel truly at home on twisty roads, ensuring its place in sports car greatness.

Morgan Super 3

Morgan Super 3
Image Credit: Morgan.

The gorgeous Morgan Super 3 leans more on the expensive side of things when it comes to sports cars. With a price tag of over $40,000, it's a lot of money to pay for what is, in reality, just a toy. But that hides the fact that the 118-hp Super 3 is an absolute joy to drive.

The Super 3 has a lot of personality and possibly the best execution of the three-wheel layout we've ever seen. Plus, it has lots of character and comes with endless customization, creating a ton of personality. Budget-friendly? Debatable. But lots of fun? A resounding yes.

2024 Ford Mustang

2024 Ford Mustang GT
Image Credit: Ford.

Although the 2024 Ford Mustang might officially be a muscle car, it offers enough performance to classify it as a sports car. Making it even better, the standard EcoBoost Fastback starts at just $31,920. The latest Mustang is a brilliant performance car with up to 500 hp available with the Coyote V8-powered Dark Horse.

The base models of the Mustang still produce 315 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque, so they are hardly slow. Like the most popular version of the new Mustang, the Mustang GT provides 486 hp and 418 lb-ft of torque from its Coyote V8. At the top of the tree will be the upcoming Mustang GTD, set to produce 800 hp.

BMW Z4

BMW Z4
Image Credit: BMW.

BMW's styling has been criticized extensively over the last few years. But we can't argue with their cars' performance, and the Z4 is once again one of their strongest offerings yet. Arguably, the Z4 is better to drive now than ever, and so is its evolution.

The range starts with the 194 hp version, but next up, we have 255 hp, while the range-topping 3.0-liter straight-six turbo has 335 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. BMW added a manual transmission at the start of 2024, and despite all the criticism of its designs, the current Z4 is one of BMW's best-looking offerings.

Subaru SVX

Subaru SVX
Image Credit: Subaru.

The Subaru SVX was introduced when the Japanese manufacturer was looking to reinvent itself. It wanted to prove that it could produce a sleek, fast sports car, and the result was the radical SVX. Thanks to its elegant shape, coupe body style, and fighter-jet-style canopy, the SVX is a futuristic machine.

Upon its launch in the early 1990s, the SVX sat at the top of Subaru's range. Power came from a 3.3-liter boxer-six engine, producing 231 hp, and even came with all-wheel drive as standard. As the SVX is still underappreciated, their value has not yet peaked.

Porsche 944

Porsche 944
Image Credit: Porsche.

Amazingly, there was a time when Porsche thought its flagship model, the 911, wouldn't last long. To compensate, Porsche first developed the 924 and then the 944, one of the best sports cars of the 1980s and 1990s.

Porsche evolved the 924s platform for the 944, producing multiple versions, including the 944 Turbo with its 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-four. The standard 944 produced 208 hp at its peak, while the 944 Turbo peaked from 1989 to 1991, making 247 hp. Remarkably, Porsche was left eating humble pie, with the 911 outlasting the 924 and the 944.

Autozam AZ-1

Autozam_AZ-1
Image Credit: By Tennen-Gas – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0/WikiCommons.

When is a sports car not a sports car? Surely, when it's a Kei car? Well, nobody told Mazda that, with the Autozam AZ-1, one of a generation of Kei cars that had real sports car credentials. The AZ-1 was perhaps the wildest of the bunch, partly thanks to its brilliant gull-wing doors.

The AZ-1 initially began as a Suzuki project until the Japanese manufacturer abandoned it in favor of the Cappuccino. Mazda then took over the AZ-1 project, and under the hood, it had a 657 cc F6A DOHC 12-valve turbo I3 producing 63 hp. The AZ-1 was fun, nimble, and great-looking, making it an exceptional sports car.

Suzuki Cappuccino

Suzuki Cappuccino
Image Credit: Suzuki.

The project Suzuki went on to pursue definitely deserves mention. Like the AZ-1, it is still relatively affordable on the used car market. Early models had the 657 cc F6A DOHC turbo I3 under the hood, with later ones having the K6A instead.

Suzuki pursued a more conventional design after it handed the AZ-1 project over to Mazda, but the Cappuccino was no less good-looking, and it was just as enjoyable a car to throw around. The AZ-1 and the Cappuccino proved that sports cars did not have to be loud or particularly big.

Honda Beat

Honda Beat
Image Credit: Honda.

Honda also threw its hat into the ring regarding small Kei car sports cars. Its offering was the Honda Beat, a symbolic vehicle for Honda as it was the last personally approved by Soichiro Honda before he passed away in 1991. What his team produced, however, is one of the best cars of the 1990s.

The Beat had a sleek and refined exterior design, with a 656 cc E07A MTREC I3 under the hood, good enough for 63 hp. The Beat revved to an impressive redline of 8,500 rpm, and the manual transmission made it a dream on tight, twisty roads. For now, the Beat remains an affordable, quirky sports car.

Author: Henry Kelsall

Henry is a freelance writer, with a love for all things motoring whether it be classic sports cars, or Formula 1 racing. He has freelanced for over eight years now, mostly in automotive matters, but he has also dabbled in other forms of writing too. He has a lot of love for Japanese classics and American muscle cars, in particular the Honda NSX and first-generation Ford Mustang. When not writing, Henry is often found at classic car events or watching motorsports at home, but he also has a curious passion for steam trains and aviation.

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