10 of the Best Sports Cars Under $75,000

The traditional definition of a sports car is a vehicle with two doors and two seats. These cars also usually expect their owners to accept a few sacrifices regarding comfort and practicality in the quest for the optimal driving experience. Such vehicles are available at many price points, but even when we choose 10 of the best sports cars under $75,000, we found many great options well below that figure — especially if we're flexible with that strict definition and include a wider variety of great performance machines. 

We know that sports-car enthusiasts will prefer that the bulk of their dollars goes toward the pursuit of performance excellence. However, not every great sports car below $75,000 will be difficult to get into, teeth-rattling on the move, and virtually impossible to clamber out of. For this kind of money, it’s not unreasonable to expect some refinement as well. Which of these cars would be top of your wish list?

Out of all these choices, the 4C is probably the most compromised. The ride is super-firm, the cabin is cramped, there’s no power steering, and every gear shift is felt. To which we say: “Hooray!” This car lets its driver know what’s going on.

Although the lack of power steering can be a pain in parking lots, it means great feel when going fast, which is what a sports car should be doing. Alfa Romeo isn’t offering the fixed-roof coupe version for 2019, just the open-topped Spider. But it's still priced comfortably below our limit, at $68,495. This includes a predominantly carbon fiber construction and a mid-mounted turbocharged engine developing 237 horsepower for an excellent power-to-weight ratio.

About $60,000 procures one of the finest, most engaging driver’s cars made by BMW — a company renowned for making fine and engaging driver’s cars. The 2019 M2 has a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engine generating 405 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. This muscle drives the rear wheels of a subcompact coupe that’s nimble, well-balanced, and eager in its responses.

Find the right airplane runway and the M2 will max out at 174 mph if the M Driver’s package is selected. It’s an extra $2,500, but that still amounts to less than our price limit and includes a day’s tuition in high-performance driving. Top speeds are rarely reached, but any hour driving the M2 is time well spent.

It’s possible to spend six figures on a Corvette, like the deliciously powerful 755-hp ZR1 — and even that’s a relative bargain. For an option that doesn’t threaten jail time whenever the accelerator is pressed but still promises thrills by the truckload, the entry level Stingray coupe (with a removable roof) starts at around $57,000, while the convertible begins at roughly $62,000.

For these comparatively modest sums, equipment still includes 19-inch alloy wheels up front and 20-inchers at the back. You also get a 6.2-liter V8 making 455 hp and 460 lb-ft, which is set into a lightweight, two-seat body. The Corvette Stingray enjoys a lot of power for its modest mass and has the handling talents to exploit it.

Easily sliding onto this list of 10 of the best sports cars under $75,000, the GT350 is a sharp, track-focused machine starting in the region of $61,500. This hot-rodded Mustang has been revised for the new model year. Its aerodynamics have been tweaked, and the staggered-width Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires are grippier than 2018’s Pilot Super Sport rubber. Ford also added dual-zone automatic climate control and an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen as standard equipment for 2019.

One thing most enthusiasts will be pleased to see again is the magnificent naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V8 sending 526 hp to the rear wheels. And purely from a visual standpoint, the “blue with white stripes” and “white with blue stripes” color schemes look awesome.

In its more expensive forms, the F-Type is a credible rival to the Porsche 911, that giant among sports cars. Under the $75,000 wire, though, we’re obliged to look at the entry-level version starting in the region of $62,000 and endowed with a still-respectable 296 hp from a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine.

That's not exactly a hardship. In either body style, coupe or convertible, the F-Type deploys a well-tuned suspension and informative steering beneath a sweetly styled body. And that smaller engine also means less weight up front. On the options list is an excellent Meridian audio system specially tuned for use in convertibles, which still sounds fantastic with the fabric top folded down.

Lexus is not renowned for making sporty cars, but the rear-wheel drive RC F premium compact coupe has the power to shift that particular paradigm: 476 hp and 389 lb-ft of torque, to be precise. Its 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 is a gem of an engine, while the rest of the car offers equipment like a torque vectoring differential. What that means is the outside wheels go around a corner quicker than the inside wheels, providing more efficient and stable behavior through fast turns.

The RC F had its suspension developed on Japan’s Fuji Speedway and Germany’s daunting Nürburgring. The brakes are sourced from Brembo, a supplier to companies like Ferrari. All this and the usual exemplary Lexus build quality costs $65,745.

Even though the MX-5 starts at a wonderfully reasonable $25,730 and comes with what might sound like a trifling 181 horsepower, it still completely deserves its spot as one of the 10 best sports cars under $75,000.

Don’t even labor under the delusion that this is some sort of “starter” sports car. The amazing thing about the MX-5’s handling is that it provides accessible thrills to the novice yet is still richly satisfying to the experienced. Some engineers who work for Mazda have an MX-5 for fun. The regular car is absolutely fine, but there’s always the option of adding a sportier Bilstein suspension, limited-slip differential, and front shock tower brace in the GT-S package.

We could have featured the Mercedes-Benz SLC, since it’s a cute two-seater with a folding hard top and its AMG SLC 43 version has a tempting 385 hp. But the company's AMG C 63 coupe comes with 469 hp and is based on a far more modern platform. This is a truly wonderful machine that can rival the BMW M4 (which busts our $75,000 budget), priced at $69,745.

Not only does the C 63 have a specially tuned nine-speed automatic transmission and adaptive suspension, but it also runs with a nine-setting traction control system based on the setup in the AMG GT3 racing car. And dynamic engine mounts are available. This car can even accommodate four occupants if necessary.

Sometimes all it takes is a quarter of a mile to know without a doubt that you've found a car to drive forever. The 718 Cayman S is a prime example. Differentiated from its non-S counterpart by packing 350 hp as opposed to 300 hp, this mid-engined two-seater has a perfect balance and such a fluid feel to its suspension that it seems to pour itself around corners. Porsche knows how to make sports cars like Stevie Wonder knows how to play keyboards.

The Cayman S is priced from $70,350, but that doesn’t leave a lot of room for the inevitable options, in which case the $57,950 entry-level Cayman might be a better call. We’d be inclined to forgo a few conveniences.

The WRX STI is a different animal from most of the best sports cars under $75,000. It’s a compact sedan. That sounds a bit ho-hum, but Subaru has been a highly successful competitor in rallying, one of the most demanding forms of motorsport. Check out YouTube videos of Travis Pastrana and Ken Block for an idea of the kind of skills required from driver and machine.

The WRX STI receives a 310-hp turbocharged flat-four engine for 2019, and it employs a standard all-wheel drive system with what Subaru calls a “multi-mode driver-controlled center differential.” It also has torque vectoring to enhance the car’s cornering abilities. Pricing starts at a mere $37,480.