There comes a time in many of our lives where we wind up filled with the desire to park a sports car in our driveway. For some of us, it comes in retirement; for others, in middle age; for others still, the moment we first clap eyes on some sleek machine on the street and lose ourselves in the thought of driving it.
Still, as many a spouse, partner, parent and financial planner has made clear, a sports car is a terrible investment. While they may not depreciate quite as precipitously as some vehicles, they certainly don’t hold their value (unless you’re playing in the rarefied air of million-dollar exotics) — and they certainly don’t serve as well for everyday tasks as a sedan, station wagon or SUV, let alone a pickup truck or minivan.
Still, the siren song of the sports car can only be avoided for so long. So in order to try and let you fill that need for speed without blowing through your entire 401(k), we’ve rounded up 10 cars — new and used alike — that’ll give you your sports car fix for less than $30,000.
2021 Chevrolet Camaro 1LT 1LE*
ChevroletOkay, so technically, the full sticker price of the Camaro 1LT 1LE comes in at $30,995. But, if you leave off destination, it’s $30K on the dot — or, to look at it another way, GM’s frequent discounts mean you can often knock this down below the magic $30,000 mark. (As of this writing, a $1,500 discount brings it down to $29,495.)
That said, even if you have to breach the $30K barrier by a hair to grab it, the Camaro 1LE is worth it. The basic Camaro is already a stunningly well-rounded performance car for the money, even in basic turbocharged inline-four form; 275 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque are more than effective, especially when hooked to a six-speed manual; add the 1LE’s myriad performance parts (the Camaro SS suspension, heavy-duty cooling, 4-piston Brembo brakes up front, beefy summer tires, etc.) and you have an all-American autocross crusher.
