(iSeeCars) – The best sports car is the Ford Mustang (coupe) based on our analysis of 12 million vehicles to assess their reliability, resale value and safety. Its overall rating of 8.5 out of 10 reflects the Mustang’s reliability, value retention and safety scores. A new Ford Mustang (coupe) costs between $30,920 and $58,185 while a used version costs between $21,887 and $81,993. This sports car can seat up to 4 people and is EPA rated to deliver up to 26 miles per gallon in mixed city/highway driving.
The Sports Car category consists of 15 models priced between $25,390 and $86,645 for new vehicles and between $18,852 and $81,993 for used vehicles. iSeeCars has sufficient vehicle data to rate and rank 10 of these 15 models based on their reliability, value retention and safety scores.
Why Should I Buy a Sports Car?
A sports car is a vehicle designed to provide an engaging driving experience on twisty road or at high speeds. Typical attributes of a sports car include strong horsepower, responsive handling, and easy maneuverability. While all sports cars are bound by their thrilling driving performance, there is diversity among the sports car segment. This guide not only lists the best sports cars, but will help you decide which sports car will best suit your needs.
What are the Best Sports Cars?
The sports cars on our list come in multiple body styles, including coupes, convertibles, or sporty hatchbacks with two doors, and are either two-seaters or have both front and rear seats. They also have a wide range of engine choices including four-cylinders, six-cylinders, or V8s. Some sports cars like the Mazda MX-5 Miata roadster have one available engine choice, a peppy 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, while other sports cars like the Ford Mustang have a diverse lineup ranging from a turbo four-cylinder to a range-topping supercharged V8.
In the past, sports cars typically included a fairly basic powertrain: a normally-aspirated six-cylinder or V8 engine with a six-speed manual transmission and a rear-wheel-drive layout. But many of today’s sports have automatic transmissions, and some have available all-wheel drive. These sports cars also have the latest infotainment features to bolster their pleasurable driving experience.
While they all thrive on the open road, the best sports cars vary in terms of practicality and function. Some have muscle car characteristics, while the smaller coupes make for worthy daily drivers thanks to their comfortable front seats, spacious cargo area and high fuel efficiency. Not all sports cars are gas-guzzlers, including the Mazda MX-5 Miata which gets impressive fuel economy ratings. Drivers don’t have to sacrifice safety for performance, as modern sports cars have an available suite of driver safety features like forward collision warning and blind spot monitoring.
What Other Vehicles Should I Consider?
Keep in mind that this list only includes mainstream sports cars, with the most affordable sports cars on the list costing under $35,000. For more luxurious sports cars that blend supercar performance with luxury sedan appointments, check out our Best Luxury Sports Cars guide that includes vehicles like the Chevrolet Corvette, Porsche 911, Porsche Cayman, Audi TT, BMW Z4, Nissan GT-R, and Mercedes-AMG GT. And be sure to check out our list of Best Convertibles if you are interested in either a hardtop or softtop convertible.
Chevrolet Camaro (coupe)
iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.5/10
MSRP: $30,920 – $58,185
Used Price: $21,887 – $81,993
MPG: 26 mpg
Horsepower: 315 – 500 HP
Subaru BRZ
iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.4/10
MSRP: $30,195 – $35,345
Used Price: $23,917 – $33,933
MPG: 22 – 25 mpg
Horsepower: 228 HP
Nissan 370Z (coupe)
iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.3/10
MSRP: $30,090 – $47,190
Used Price: $25,457 – $42,045
MPG: 20 – 22 mpg
Horsepower: 332 – 350 HP
Mazda MX-5 Miata
iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.2/10
MSRP: $28,985 – $35,205
Used Price: $22,561 – $32,776
MPG: 29 – 30 mpg
Horsepower: 181 HP
Dodge Challenger
iSeeCars Quality Score: 7.9/10
MSRP: $31,965 – $86,645
Used Price: $20,925 – $72,991
MPG: 15 – 23 mpg
Horsepower: 303 – 807 HP
Ford Mustang (convertible)
iSeeCars Quality Score: 7.8/10
MSRP: $39,020 – $51,980
Used Price: $18,999 – $42,559
MPG: 26 mpg
Horsepower: 315 – 480 HP
Chevrolet Camaro (convertible)
iSeeCars Quality Score: 7.7/10
MSRP: $36,900 – $78,100
Used Price: $19,994 – $68,666
MPG: 16 – 22 mpg
Horsepower: 335 – 650 HP
Nissan 370Z (convertible)
iSeeCars Quality Score: 7.7/10
MSRP: $41,920 – $49,500
Used Price: $25,995 – $38,754
MPG: 21 mpg
Horsepower: 332 HP
Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
iSeeCars Quality Score: 7.3/10
MSRP: $37,010 – $40,210
Used Price: $23,121 – $33,989
MPG: 29 – 30 mpg
Horsepower: 181 HP
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This article, Best Sports Cars, originally appeared on iSeeCars.com.
This article, Best Sports Cars, originally appeared on iSeeCars.com.