Automobiles were new inventions in the early 1900s, but pioneer American and German automakers were already testing the limits of their early cars. One of the earliest performance-oriented cars was the 1900 Tatra Rennzweier – a racing vehicle propelled by a 9-hp Benz engine. The Rennzweier only had a top speed of 50 mph, but considering that many of the vehicles at that time were still pulled along by horses, the Benz-powered Tatra Rennzweier was already considered very fast. The "race" to build the quickest, fastest, and most nimble cars began, and in 1914, the Vauxhall 25hp "Prince Henry" Sports Torpedo debuted as the first true sports car.

Today, the desire for the most "fun to drive" cars is still alive in a car community dominated by crossovers, SUVs, and pickup trucks. Even as they cruise along comfortably in their family-friendly rides, many practical car buyers still long for a sports car that's practical enough to be driven daily, yet sinewy enough to burn rubber on the open roads. Of course, there's always a budget constraint to consider. If you're looking for an affordable sports car under $20,000 today, your only option is the used car market. Do take caution, however, because finding the cheapest sports cars on the lot is less than half the trouble. For prudence's sake, Kelley Blue Book (KBB) reminds us that vehicle reliability is one of the most important considerations in the car-buying journey.

So with these factors considered, we've put together a list of some of the best cheap sports cars that you can buy used for under $20,000. We've also included their review scores and reliability ratings to help you make the best decision.

9 2001 Honda S2000

KBB Fair Market Price Range: $19,573 - $23,484

Produced from 1999 to 2009, the Honda S2000 was Honda's 50th-anniversary celebration model. Inspired by the 1960s-era S-series Honda roadsters, the Honda S2000 derived its moniker from its FC20 engine's 2,000-cc displacement. This engine was special: cranking out 124 horses per liter of displacement, the Honda S2000's FC20 powerplant has one of the highest specific power outputs from any naturally aspirated production car engine ever built. For comparison, the 2023 Corvette Z06's modern, high-revving flat-plane crank V8 only produces 121 hp per liter of displacement. Moreover, the legendary Lexus LFA's beautiful howls only translate to 117 hp per liter.

The 2001 Honda S2000 achieved a stellar 4.9/5 consumer review rating from both KBB and Edmunds. Moreover, carcomplaints.com tells us that the 2001 Honda S2000 is one of the least problematic model years in the nameplate's decade-long production run.

Performance

8 2011 Mazda RX-8

KBB Fair Market Price Range: $7,690 - $10,611

Produced from 2003 to 2012, the Mazda RX-8 was the last of Mazda's rotary-powered production sports cars (although this can change with the possible launch of the Mazda RX-9 sometime between 2026 and 2028). Using a naturally aspirated 1.3-liter rotary engine (13B-MSP RENESIS), the Mazda RX-8 produced almost 240 hp during its final production years.

J.D. Power has no quality and reliability rating for the Mazda RX-8, and JDM fans prefer its predecessor, the RX-7, due to styling and reliability issues. However, carcomplaints.com tells us that the latter model years – including the 2011 Mazda RX-8 – have the least amount of buyer woes.

Performance

7 2017 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth Convertible

KBB Fair Market Price Range: $15,616 - $17,755

All-new for 2017, the Fiat 124 Spider is a compact sports car based on the Mazda MX-5 Miata. However, the Italian Fiat 124 Spider distinguishes itself from its Japanese counterpart through a 1960s-inspired exterior and a Fiat-built powerplant. Whereas the Miata thrives on a precise and responsive naturally-aspirated engine, the Fiat 124 Spider uses a 1.4-liter turbocharged I4 engine that delivers 160 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque for the Classico and Lusso trims. The 124 Spider Abarth trim gets 4 extra horses due to a less restrictive exhaust system.

The 2017 Fiat 124 Spider received an "average" 75/100 quality and reliability score from J.D. Power, but it took home a very impressive 4.9/5 consumer review score from KBB.

Performance

6 2013 Nissan 370Z (Z34) Coupe

KBB Fair Market Price Range: $18,721 - $21,436

The 2013 Nissan 370Z is the 5th model year of the iconic Z-Car's 6th generation (Z34). With a lineage that goes back to the celebrated Nissan Fairlady Z (Japan market) and Datsun 240Z (US market) of the 1960s and 1970s, the 2013 Nissan 370Z has a performance-oriented DNA. Standard across the 2013 Nissan 370Z lineup is a naturally-aspirated 3.7-liter V6 powerplant that delivers 332 hp (350 hp for the NISMO variant) and 270 lb-ft of torque (276 for the NISMO).

The 2013 Nissan 370Z received an "average" 79/100 overall score from J.D. Power, a 4/5 consumer review rating from KBB, and a 4.5/5 consumer review score from Edmunds.

Performance

5 2011 BMW Z4 Roadster sDrive35is

KBB Fair Market Price Range: $19,360 - $22,493

The 2011 BMW Z4 is the 3rd model year of the nameplate's 2nd generation, which was the first BMW Z series model to feature a retractable hardtop. This Z4 generation (2009 - 2016) was produced exclusively in Germany, and it was the last batch of pure BMW Z4s that had zero association with the Toyota Supra.

The range-topping sDrive35is trim of the 2011 BMW Z4 drew 335 horses and 332 lb-ft of torque from BMW's N54 engine – a 3.0-liter twin-turbo I6 powerplant that's considered one of the best forced-induction mills that the German carmaker ever built.

The 2011 BMW Z4 earned a "best" 91/100 driving experience rating and a "great" 81/100 overall score from J.D. Power. Moreover, the 2011 BMW Z4 also garnered a 4.7/5 consumer review rating from Edmunds.

Performance

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4 2019 Subaru BRZ Premium Coupe

KBB Fair Market Price Range: $18,931 - $21,152

The Subaru BRZ is one of the 2 products of the Toyota-Subaru collaboration project for a compact sports car, the other product being the nearly-identical Toyota GT86. For the 2019 model year, the Subaru BRZ drew power from a 2.0-liter boxer-4 engine that produces 200 hp (205 for M/T) and 151 lb-ft of torque (156 lb-ft for M/T) to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in a decent 6.4 seconds for the manual-transmission version.

Although it didn't receive any quality and reliability rating from J.D. Power, the 2019 Subaru BRZ is one of the few model years of the nameplate that had zero complaints recorded on carcomplaints.com (the other zero-complaint model years were 2020 and 2021). Moreover, the 2019 Subaru BRZ also received a laudable 4.6/5 expert review score from KBB.

Performance

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3 2018 Chevrolet Camaro LT Coupe

KBB Fair Market Price Range: $19,192 - $21,989

Next on our list is the Chevrolet Camaro - one of the most popular yet most affordable sports cars that brawl against the Ford Mustang. One step up from the base LS trim is the Chevrolet Camaro LT Coupe, and for 2018, it uses a 3.6-liter, naturally-aspirated V6 engine that generates 335 hp and 284 lb-ft of twist, enough to achieve a 0-60 mph sprint time of 5 seconds flat.

The 2018 Chevrolet Camaro received a "great" 85/100 quality and reliability rating from J.D. Power and a respectable 4.4/5 expert review score from J.D. Power.

Performance

2 2018 Toyota GT86 GT Black Coupe

KBB Fair Market Price Range: $19,040 - $21,579

The Toyota GT86 debuted in 2013 as the descendant of the Toyota AE86 Corolla, more popularly known as the Hachi Roku in the JDM racing scene. True to its lineage, the 2018 Toyota GT86 remained a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive (FR) sports car that offered very decent power (200-205 hp, 151-156 lb-ft) from a naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter Subaru boxer-four engine. With a light body, a low center of gravity, and a 53/47 front-biased weight distribution, the Toyota GT86 can either cut the apex or drift sideways around it – depending on which racing style the driver wants to use.

The 2018 Toyota GT86 did not receive a quality and reliability rating from J.D. Power, but it also did not receive any complaints according to carcomplaints.com. KBB expert reviews for the 2018 Toyota GT86 returned a decent 4.6/5 rating.

Performance

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1 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata

KBB Fair Market Price Range: $20,132 - $22,449

The MX-5, commonly known as the Miata, is Mazda's 2-seater darling of the lineup. With its lightweight body, agile steering, precise acceleration response, and a near-perfect 50/50 weight distribution, the 2019 Mazda MX-5 makes the most out of its 2.0-liter I4 engine (181 hp, 151 lb-ft) to give drivers a truly exhilarating experience behind the wheel. Okay, the 2019 Mazda Miata is just a hair above the $20,000 budget, but we'll be remiss not to include it because it's the 30th anniversary model year, and it squeezes out 26 more horses from the same engine compared to its 2018 predecessor.

The 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata received a "great" 86/100 quality and reliability score from J.D. Power and a very respectable 4.7/5 consumer review score from KBB.

Performance

Best Sports Cars Under $20,000 For 2023