I have been driving a 1998 Acura RL for the last 3 years, it was my first car but it has 302,000 miles and everything is starting to break now. I have been looking to buy a new car but there is an overwhelming amount of cars out there all with so many different types of problems, and I know they will all have something but I don’t know what to be looking at. I am looking for a used car with
-Under 90k miles
-Somewhere around 2014-2018
-At least 200 HP
I have looked into Mustangs, Camaro’s, Challengers, Chargers, BMW’s, Acura, and some Hondas.
I really want a sporty car, I am willing to spend up to $18,000 and have found all of the above in that price range. Please give me some recommendations!
I went to the auto show and crossed just about every manufacturer off the list except maybe Buick and Acura-just for me and my purposes. I think your best best would be if you can find a nice Acura or Honda that you like. I’m not fond of Fiat-Chrysler at this point. Gonna get rough out there in the next few years so settle in.
I am guessing that you might be under 25 years old . If so then you better check what full coverage insurance will cost you on a’ Sporty Vehicle '.
Of your list I say Mustang .
4 Likes
Well , I am really conservative so spending 18000.00 for a vehicle and 120.00 a month for insurance as a student just does not make sense especially at these uncertain times .
2 Likes
You are right, also a reason I am here looking for recommendations. I was just giving some ideas as to the type of cars I was looking at or interested in to give an idea on what to possibly recommend something similar to.
Test drive a few and see what you like, from past responses a mazda might be fun, not sure of model names.
You will get a better price point with 150k miles and under 10k and save the $ for a few repairs on a quality used but sporty civic or accord.
1 Like
Yeah, me too! Stay away from a manual transmission. They can be more of a problem in the 2013 up Mustangs with V8’s. Not a problem with the V6 - different transmission, but expect to pay $1500 or more to replace the clutch at 100K or so.
1 Like
If you register the car in your parent’s name, you can save a ton on insurance, even if you are listed as the primary driver. You might contact your insurer to see what the cost of different cars would be given your specific usage. There are also sites online that provide insurance costs when you tell then what car, your annual mileage, and a few other items. Small cars tend to be more fun to drive. You might look at a Honda Civic instead of a Honda Accord, for instance. A Civic will not have 200 HP, but it is a lot lighter than a Mustang and Camaro. Think in terms of power to weight before you test drive cars. The two cars of mine that I enjoyed most were an Austin America and Porsche 914. Neither was all that quick, but the handling was superb.
3 Likes
Don’t look for horsepower numbers. They’re essentially meaningless.
NASA owns a vehicle with 5,000 horsepower, and it tops out at 2mph.
Figure out what you want out of the engine. Towing a giant trailer? Horsepower is less important than torque. Winning drag races? Look at the 0-60 and 1/4 mile times, not horsepower. Don’t pass up a car you’d like just because it has 195hp. 
2 Likes
Why do you need 200HP or better? Are you planning on racing? Half that will get you where you need to go.
One of the most fun car’s I’ve owned was a 122 HP Saturn Coupe. Reasonably quick, very fun to drive and 38+ mpg on the highway. SCCA club raced it for 5 years. Drove it on street between races - still road legal, cats, factory muffler and all.
3 Likes
If your living situation allows you to install a home charger or you can charge at work or school, why not consider a used EV, specifically the Chevrolet Bolt. There are a few on the market for around $20K, a bit over your target, but consider: much cheaper to operate (about a third the price of a comparable ICE considering cost of power, maintenance, etc.) and no more oil changes, timing belts, tuneups, and, best of all. fossil fuel! Decent range. I know a few owners who are very happy with them. Why buy obsolete technology if you can avoid it? That could be a big “if”, but just saying…
10yrs old-200hp means 4cyl. 200+ hp means v8-v6. There are no 10+yr old 200+ hp 4 cyl non turbo motors.
If you’re lucky you might be able to find a Scion FR-S. Sporty, 200HP, decent gas mileage. Not great as an everyday ride but that’s not really what you’re looking for, is it? They’re rebranded Subarus so set aside some cash for engine work.
The OP specified 2014-2018. That’s not 10 years old.
I’d stay away from anything German made used… SUPER expensive to maintain. I’d go for either: Camaro 2012 and up depending on the budget or Acura TLX 2015 and up. Depends what kind of look you want. Camaro won’t be good for a family. TLX is sporty and more practical, depends if you do a lot of road tripping. Also look into Lexus IS 250 2014 and up