Sit back and imagine yourself in a car hitting 60 mph in under 5 seconds and still being under budget!
Many drivers like to go fast, yet far too many of us are hindered by a tight budget. So, we did a little research to help you narrow down your choices while balancing your budget and your appetite for speed. The prices vary because everyone’s definition of cheap is different. Likewise, the styles of cars are in a variety as well, so it should be able to feed your next need for speed while staying within your budget.
Updated March 2022: Used car prices have diminished over the past few years to an extent that we could have never imagined. While this might be bad news for individuals who want to sell their cars, potential buyers are overjoyed and can finally buy the car of their dreams without taking out a second mortgage.
In today’s world, it seems like the more money you spend the faster you can go. But, back in the day, that was not always the case, especially on the race track. In the past, the faster you went was determined by your knowledge of how a car works. Your skill and mechanical wisdom would move the car down the road faster than the next guy. When you saw the best mechanic paired with the best driver, you had a dream team.
This is a small portion of what we are looking at here. No matter the budget, you should be able to find a car here that will go from zero to sixty in under five seconds. We hope you can go fast and still have the money needed for gas. So, before you begin this list, go to Spotify and play some music. Then sit back and imagine yourself in a car hitting 60 mph in under 5 seconds and still being under budget!
Driving a Hyundai nowadays is so much cooler than it used to be, look at their Veloster N for example. The one that started the brand's performance trend was the Genesis Coupe, which not only looks sick but comes through with 344 horsepower and just under 300 foot-pounds of torque (295 lb-ft. to be exact). It tips the scale right at 3,503 pounds of curb weight, allowing it to scoot on down the road without too much weight holding it back from smoking the average car at the red light. It will only take you approximately 5.2 seconds to go from zero to sixty in this sweet ride, so next time you find yourself next to a Hyundai at a red light make sure you know your car, or you may be left seeing nothing but the taillights.
Want to go fast and be able to cruise around while still being conscious of your fuel economy? This Chrysler 300 is the car for you. This ride gets a whopping thirty miles per gallon and yet, in case you were unaware, SRT stands for Street Racing Technology. It was originally brought about to develop the Dodge Viper. So, you can rest assured that this HEMI will keep up with the best around town. It pushes 470 horsepower to the wheels and sprints from zero to sixty in just 4.3 seconds, leaving your opponents in the dust while getting your groceries home before the ice cream melts.
The Lancer is a sought-after ride for many. With its slick looks and 291 horsepower under the hood, this thing looks beautiful when it hits full stride down the highway. It not only looks good, however, it also gets good gas mileage, averaging 17 miles per gallon in the city and 23 on the highway.
The less time spent at the gas station is the more time you get behind the wheel, and if you're not on the highway, don't worry about the red-light racers. With three hundred foot-pounds of torque, you should be able to beat the majority of them off the line hitting 60 mph in 4.4 seconds. One thing Lancer Evo models are also renowned for is their aftermarket support, and usually, this leads to some crazy modified Evos.
The '90s Chevy Corvette ZR1 is one hell of a muscle car capable of quick quarter-mile times, and blistering acceleration… and best of all, they're rather affordable with good-condition C4 'Vettes costing below $30,000 on CarGurus. So, let's unravel what made the C4 ZR1 just so amazing. Aside from its fiberglass body and all-aluminum suspension setup, this Chevy came equipped with a bonkers 5.7-liter V8 that produced more than 400 hp, and an equally impressive 385 lb-ft of torque. In the real world, a skilled driver could put all its power down and achieve a 0-60 in as little as 4.5 seconds, and that's for a car released in the mid-'90s! We are truly excited to see what Chevy's top-of-the-range C8 Corvette will be able to do.
Yep, that's right, we're featuring a full-blown German luxury sedan on the list of quick, affordable cars. The second-generation Audi S8 wasn't your average sluggish and sloppy limousine, no, it made use of a naturally-aspirated 5.2-liter V10 straight out of the Lamborghini Gallardo and put out 444 hp, as well as 398 lb-ft of torque. Thanks to Audi's impeccable Quattro all-wheel-drive system, its 4,300 lb curb weight was no burden when it came down to acceleration, therefore the S8 could sprint to 60 mph from stationary in just under 5 seconds. CarGurus has a multitude of different S8 models for sale, but we'd recommend going for one with lower miles, like this one, to avoid buying a money pit.
The Chevy Camaro drives as awesome as it looks. According to Chevrolet, "The exterior of 1LE has been carefully designed with a performance-first philosophy that combines striking looks with aerodynamic prowess." This beautiful beast was made for the track and still manages to keep you at ease on the inside with comfort in mind as all its power slams the driver and passenger back into their seats. It pushes 455 horsepower to the rear wheels, enough to burn plenty of rubber, and take you from zero to 60 mph in only 4.1 seconds.
This Mustang GT is certainly premium. With 460 horsepower and 420 foot-pounds of torque, it will blow by every day burners on the street all day long. It only weighs around 3700 pounds and is as aerodynamic as they come stock.
This beast will roar from zero to 60 in just above 4 seconds, which is faster than the base 5.0 GT. That is pretty quick off the lot. They must want you out of the dealership before you have time to think about your decision. Whatever the case, if you are on a budget, love speed, and want a Mustang, then this is the model for you.
This sweet-looking little car is designed in a way that you just know it must be fun to drive. It only has a 4-cylinder engine, but it pumps out 305 horsepower while getting 23 miles to the gallon on the highway.
This whip will hit 60 mph from a stop in just 4.7 seconds, which is cooking for such a little car. Whether you are into drifting or beating the average sedan off the line, this will be a ride you should test drive. Stop by your local Subaru dealer today, but not before you finish this article. On a side now, now is the best time to buy a WRX STI since Subaru has confirmed the STI badge is from now on extinct and will be replaced by an electric counter-part.
Luxe is right. This ride is clean and sleek. Its features are some of the best-looking designs out there. The Q60 definitely keeps it clean but still has the potential to ride dirty in the fast lane. What is that like? Here's what to expect: with 300 horsepower and 295 foot-pounds of torque, it will hit sixty from a stop in 5 seconds flat. Infiniti never lets down on the design of the interior, either so you know it will be a comfortable ride comfort as you take it off the lot. Your next Sunday drive should be in this Infiniti.
Who knew a little 3-liter V6 could be so much fun? With a price tag so low and stats so high compared to the price range, why not go with this one? It also gets 29 miles to the gallon on the highway. Nothing is better than cruising down the highway and not needing to stop for gas every other exit, yet still being able to put your foot on the pedal and feeling that breeze blow through your hair. The Infiniti Q50 3.0t Luxe hits 60 from zero in only 5 seconds, just as quick as the Q60, and the whiplash definitely won’t hurt with its comfort-inspired seats on the inside.
Who knew a Volvo would make the list? It may be a little pricier in comparison to the other entries on our list, but this wagon can keep up with the rest of them. It pushes 302 horsepower, so it can definitely still hold its own.
According to Car and Driver, the Swedish wagon will go from zero to 60 in around five seconds, while still getting the kids safely to school. It also has a surprising towing capacity of 3,500 pounds. So, if you ever need to burn rubber while taking the boat to the ramp or even if you have nothing to tow, just know you have options.
Honda may get a bad rap because they can't decide whether to make commuter cars or sports cars, but in reality, the fact is that out of all the car brands, they last the longest. It is between them and Toyota, and both have really been stepping up their game. This ride even looks sick, however, it has 306 horses of power that get those wheels rolling. It only has a 2-liter four-cylinder engine which gets around 28 miles per gallon on the highway, but that doesn't stop it from pushing itself down the road though. This one will hit sixty in an impressive 4.9 seconds, a big plus for an affordable car.
The price tag of this BMW shocked us. Its price may be too high for some budgets but is actually not bad for a car that goes from zero to sixty in just 4.3 seconds.
It also gets a surprising 32 miles per gallon on the highway and 21 in the city. It not only looks sweet but has some sweet specs: It pushes 330 foot-pounds of torque to the wheels and just makes a great car to ride in. With four doors you can take the family anywhere, and with 326 hp at your disposal, you can make it a fun journey too.
This just looks like it should have the word "golf" in its name. In all seriousness, this is a pretty cool little hatchback. It brings both a decent dose of horsepower and fuel mileage mixed with good looks at a decent price. It has 292 horsepower and gets 29 miles to the gallon on the highway. It will reach sixty miles an hour in a quick 4.2 seconds, while it still has four doors, yet remains small enough to really whip around a curvy road.
The Mitsubishi 3000GT was far ahead of its time with a modifiable exhaust note, active aero, and twin-turbocharged V6. But the VR4-variant is where the true magic lies, since this one came with all-wheel drive and a power upgrade that resulted in a total power output of 320 hp. All of these technological marvels definitely contributed to its 3,700 lb curb weight, but somehow this 6-speed stickshift '90s Japenese icon could pull off a 0-60 in as quick as 4.7 seconds.
Kia is the last brand you'd expect to be on this list, but as we conducted research across the web, somewhere deep in cyberspace, we discovered possibly the greatest Kia of all time.
This car has a V6, 3.3-liter engine pushing 365 horsepower and really punches a sting when you line it up to go from zero to sixty. A sprint to 60 mph comes in at 4.8 seconds to be exact. Kia has been stepping up its game and making some cars that are redefining all the presuppositions about its brand. Well, in all honesty, we believe the Stinger paved the road for all of Kia's new enticing cars, like the K5.
Audi is always on our lists when it comes to solid manufacturers. They seem to always build that car that everyone likes but few know much about, and the S3 is the perfect example thereof. The S3's turbo-four produces 292 horses, weighs in at just under 3500 pounds, so it can glide down the road, and will get 22 miles to the gallon in the city and 28 on the highway. It is no Camry when it comes to gas mileage, but it's a preppy Audi with Quattro all-wheel-drive, which results in a zero to sixty time of 4.6 seconds.
This one is our personal favorite and not simply because we're in love with the Ford Focus, mainly because of Focus' history. Who would have ever begun to imagine that a stock Focus would ever make a list of cars that go zero to 60 in under five seconds?
The Focus's affordability aspect has always been attractive but the speed aspect, not so much. However, the RS-version exceeded everyone's expectations; it rolls with 350 horsepower and a matching 350 foot-pounds of torque. The RS takes its little four-cylinder EcoBoost engine and hit 60 in just 4.7 seconds. So, the next time you think of messing with a Ford Focus, think again.
The Dodge Charger Scat Pack is the Charger to get if you want to be quick out of the gate. It produces 485 horsepower to carry its 4,400 pounds down the road, and pushes 475 foot-pounds of torque to the wheels, so you cannot just beat everyone off the line, but also smoke the tires when you win. That celebration burnout is always the best burnout. It also gets 15 miles to the gallon in the city and 24 miles to the gallon on the highway, which is not bad for a Scat Pack that will go from zero to sixty in 4.2 seconds.
The aforementioned Charger is not the only Dodge available with a Scat Pack, their muscle car, the Challenger, comes available with it as well. Its 6.4-liter V8 will push 485 horsepower past every other stock car in the neighborhood, and that includes some Italian exotics like the Lamborghini Huracan. It has a 6.4-liter V8 that will not only get up and go, but also gets 24 miles to the gallon on the highway.
Expect worse in the city just like any other car, but the Challenger is a cool enough ride to handle the small drop in gas mileage. This Scat Pack will set you back in your seat, and if you hit the pedal just right, in 4.3 seconds you'll be going 60 mph.
