Best Used Sports Cars Under $50,000

Best Used Sports Cars Under $50,000



 

If you’re in the market for a used sports car with a budget around $50,000, you know that you have quite the selection to choose from. Here we will highlight some of the cars that we feel are the best ones in the price range. All of these cars are very fun to own and drive, some of them with incredible performance for the price, and some that will also hold great resale value in the future. Of course at the end of the day it all comes down to your personal preference and taste, but this may shed some light on a car you've been looking into, or give you an idea of some other options to consider. 
 

  • Corvette z06 (C5 & C6 generations) - Both the C5 & C6 Corvette z06 are incredible cars, offering unbelievable performance for the price, quite possibly the best performance for the money you can find in a used sports car. Best of all, every one of them was built with a Manual transmission. The 405 horsepower c5 z06 is now in the mid 20k range, with higher mileage cars falling below $20k. While the 505 horsepower c6 z06’s are now in the 30k range, with very low mileage cars selling for around $40k, and higher mileage cars around $30k and sometimes high 20’s. Either one is a remarkable car for the money, and probably won’t go much lower in value in the years to come so it’s a safe purchase. They are also known to be very reliable. Honorable mention goes to the amazing C6 Corvette ZR1. These supercharged monsters are starting to fall into the 50k range. You can probably pick one up for right at $50k if it isn’t a super low mile car. Any of these 3 Corvettes are great bang for your buck.  

 
  • Cadillac CTS-V (2009-2015) - The CTS-V is an perfect combination of power and luxury. With a 556hp supercharged Corvette engine planted in a Cadillac luxury sedan. These cars have come down in value to a price point that is quite a bargain for what you get. The earlier years of this generation can be had for high $20’s to low $30’s depending on the miles. While the later model years with lower miles are around $40k. Either way you go, that gets you a lot of car for the money. 

 
  • Porsche 911 - There are several 911 options to choose from in this price range. We focus on the 997 (2005-2012) Carrera S, the 996 (2001-2004) 911 Turbo, and any Air-cooled 911.
    • The 997 generation of the 911 Carrera S is another incredible car in it’s price range. It comes in many different configurations depending on what you’re looking for; Rear wheel drive, All wheel drive, Coupe, Cabriolet.  However, the purist will recommend that you go for a Rear wheel drive Coupe with a Manual transmission. This is a true sports car, with a 3.8L Flat 6 engine mounted above the rear wheels, and beautiful Porsche interior. The early years came with 355hp, while the 2009 to 2012 came with 385hp and a slight facelift to the exterior. These cars are phenomenal to drive, handle amazing, and are great value at their current price point.
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    • The 996 generation has been pretty overlooked in the Porsche world, due to the odd shaped headlights, the IMS bearing problem, and the fact that it was the first water-cooled 911. Because of this, values on the 996 are the lowest of any 911 generation, and the 911 Turbo of this generation has become quite a bargain. The Turbo also has a different engine than the standard Carrera, so the IMS bearing is not an issue on these cars. The 996 Turbo came with 415hp 415tq (or 450hp with the X50 performance package) and All Wheel Drive. The cars have bottomed out in value and started to go back up, making them a good investment as well. Nice manual coupe versions with decently low miles can still be found for under $50k, but maybe not for long. 
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    • Air-cooled 911s have sky rocketed in value over the last 5+ years, but there are still plenty of good ones to choose from for less than $50k. It may not be a low mileage concours car that you find for that price, but you can still find a great car and it will be a blast to drive. Excellent handling, purist sports cars, with that lovely air-cooled sound, and no driving aids to take away from the driving experience. The 964, 993, or any of the 70s and 80s 911’s are great cars for under $50k if you find a nicely kept one. 
 
  • Acura NSX - The NSX is another car that has become collectable and prices have gone up, but it is still possible to get a decent one for under $50k. They are incredible handling cars that are a engaging and fun to drive, and were way ahead of their time when they released in the early 90s. These cars still look exotic and special today. They also make for a safe investment as prices are on the rise, and you get the added benefit of Honda reliability and maintenance costs. The manual transmission cars are more valuable and more fun to drive, and can still be found for under 50k. It will likely be a higher mile car in that price range, but with Honda reliability, it should not be an issue.
 
  • Nissan GTR - The GTR has been sold in the United States now since 2009. And because of the fact that Nissan has produced a lot of them, and not really changed the cars much since 2009, values of the early cars are now falling under $50k.  With the GTR, you get Nissan reliability, combined with legitimate supercar performance. The 2009 GTR came with an underrated 480hp which took the car from 0 to 60 in close to 3 seconds flat, and the horsepower has been slowly going up with each model year since. Just be careful of the fragile transmissions that the 2009 model came with. Either look for a newer model year, or a 2009 with a records of a new updated transmission. 
  • BMW M3 / M4 (2014+) - The BMW M4 (2 door version) and M3 (4 door version) has recently come into the $50k range. The cars come with a 425hp twin turbo inline 6 engine, and are loaded with features and options. They are fast and handle great, with all the options and comforts you could ever need in a car. They are a huge step up from the previous generation M3 in performance and luxury. These will likely continue to fall a bit in value as the miles get higher and newer M generations come out, but even where they’re priced now in the 40’s, they’re an excellent car for the money and you can probably find one that is still under factory or extended warranty. 
  • Porsche Cayman S (Third generation) - The Cayman S is another incredible sports car. These are a true enthusiast car, with perfect mid-engine balance. Available in both PDK and Manual transmission.  The third generation is the best looking Cayman produced yet, and they are incredible drivers cars, perfect for track days and canyon carving. A 2014 Cayman S with about 20k miles can be purchased for $50k right now, and being that they’re so new, you can probably find one with a CPO warranty or extended factory warranty. 
  • Shelby GT350 (2016+) - The newest iteration of the legendary GT350 is certainly the best one yet. These are legitimate track cars, an absolute night and day difference over previous generations of the modern Shelby Mustangs, and the high revving flat plane crank v8 is one of the best sounding engines in any car on the market. Now that the initial hype of the release of this car has passed and the cars are more available, prices have come back down to earth, and they can be purchased below $50k. And you could potentially get one for less if you hold off until the new GT500 is released, which could hurt the values of the GT350 further.