These Fun, Affordable 21st-Century Cars Aren’t Classics…Yet
Every so often, I engage in a particularly futile and depressing ritual—I shop for cars that I’ve foolishly let go. They’re cars that could have been feasible 10 years ago, but not today. I’ve been priced out of the market for virtually all of them. And while the market might be settling down at the moment, there are few signs of an out-and-out retreat to pre-pandemic pricing. Among cars from the 1970s through the early 1990s, there are precious few bargains. But go a little bit newer, where there’s even some depreciation yet to be done, and the picture gets more enticing. I’m talking cars from the 2000s to 2010s that are getting older, but still aren’t considered any kind of “classic” or “collectible” yet. Here are some highlights.
Fiat 500 Abarth
The 500 Abarth is the closest thing to a real hot hatch that Fiat has ever offered in the U.S., a market that is sadly short on real hot hatches. There were more interesting varieties of the Punto and Ritmo, but those were Euro-only cars that frankly weren’t very good compared to competition from Renault, Peugeot, VW, and Ford. As for the 500 Abarth, although it first arrived here in the early 2010s, the 160-hp pocket rocket feels more like a 1990s hot hatch. It’s crude, the ride is choppy, and a 10 year-old Fiat probably wears more like a 20 year-old VW. But it’s loud, analog-feeling, and fun. Most importantly, it’s cheap. Around $8000 to $10,000 buys one with under 50,000 miles. That’s tons of fun per dollar in a package that offers an old school driving experience in something that’s new enough to have most contemporary features and conveniences.
MazdaSpeed3
Back in the days of the Zoom Zoom tagline, Mazda fielded the incredibly entertaining MazdaSpeed3. Offered from 2007-13, it’s a four-door hatch with 263 hp and 280 lb. ft. of torque. It’s exactly the kind of car enthusiasts and auto journalists beg manufacturers for, but rarely head to a dealership and actually buy. Everyone who tested a Speed3 back in the day found the car fun, especially those of us who were entertained by the torque-steer. Car and Driver wasn’t, comparing driving the car to a game of tug-of-war. But, affordability and perfection don’t often go hand-in-hand, so for $10,000 to $12,000 at current prices you could do far worse than the powerful and practical Speed3.
C5 Corvette
If hot hatches aren’t your jam, there’s always the bargain Corvette of the moment, the 1997-2004 C5. While some variants, most notably the Z06, sailed beyond true affordability in the last several years, a base manual C5 with somewhere between 75,000 and 100,000 miles can still be had in the $13,000 to $15,000 range. That’s a huge bargain for what was an utterly clean sheet design, one of the few in Corvette history, and more performance than almost anything in this price point. Interiors are standard 2000s GM, but livable. And the styling, over a quarter-century after it was introduced, is aging quite nicely.
2003-08 BMW Z4
The 2003-08 Z4 is a bit like the C5 Corvette in that it wasn’t universally loved when new, but is aging well. Available in 2.5- and 3.0-liter six-cylinder forms, the Z4 was larger and more practical than its predecessor, the Z3. Its odd surface detailing and Kamm-tail also look better now than they did 20 years ago. The Z4’s list of maladies is well-known at this point—the VANOS variable valve-timing system can give trouble (it’s often the solenoids), as can the cooling system. These are pricy repairs, but with nice cars available in the $9000 to $12,000 range, if you budget $2000-$3000 to sort things out, these can still be a compelling deal in semi-modern convertible German sports car.
2005-2014 Ford Mustang
You could argue that the 2005 Mustang was the first one to really look like a Mustang since maybe 1973. The brilliant Sid Ramnarace-designed S197 Mustang managed to look the part without being foolishly retro, a hard balance to achieve. Special editions, and certainly the Shelby versions of the S197 are not cheap, but a lightly optioned V-8 coupe or convertible is still one of the best cheap V-8 pony cars out there. Being a Mustang, there are always plenty on the market to choose from at any given time, and a decent manual transmission car can be had in the $12,000 to $14,000 range.
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Just purchased a 2002 Mercedes-Benz SLK230 Kompressor conv. for 10,000 bucks CAD great car 139,000 km looked after, fun to drive as a second car as it only for sunny days.
I’ve thought about and tested all of these cars and the only one I seriously considered was the Mustang.
The FIAT and Mazda are cool in their own way and sort of fun to drive, but the former feels like a collection of parts generally headed in the same direction while the latter is still more well made Japanese econobox than anything special.
I’ve driven every generation of Corvette and always end up with a Porsche; ‘Vettes just feel big. Especially the C5. And there’s that crap interior.
Now the Mustang, that one always tempts me. The unsettled rear suspension makes me think “Poor Man’s 911.” Which I regard as a good thing. Another crap interior but for reasons unclear less bothersome than the C5’s. And lots of room and cheap and easy to maintain. What holds me back is it’s too wide to comfortably fit in my narrow garage. But I can probably work around that and maybe some day I will.
Oh yeah, the Z4. OK, I lied, I’ve never really thought about one since I actively disliked my Z3 and felt the same about the Z4 my co-worker regularly gave me rides in.
But if we’re talking BMW’s of the Z4’s general vintage, I’d nominate instead my current ride. a 335 convertible. Looks cool with the top up or down and the retractable roof adds practically for parking anywhere. Great sounding six and maybe the last of the Beemers that steers like a real BMW. I have an M Sport which makes for 8 out of 10 handling and the auto box is just fine, but the one I’d recommend if I were writing a Hagerty article is the one I wish I had, a manual 335is. Even a clean low mileage is is attainable for less than $20K and that’s a bargain for what you get if you leave out the cost of maintenance. Which you shouldn’t because it’s going to be a lot more than the $2-3K postulated here for the Z4 (about which I am extremely skeptical). The way I look at it is my 2011 335i looks better and drives better than a current 3 or I guess 4 series convertible and costs less than leasing a new one. A bit. And maybe in 10 or 15 years will start rising in value.
I owned a Z4. Great car. The real maintenance issue is the motor for the convertible top. It sits in a well behind the driver. If the car is ever out in the weather, that well fills up with water and destroys the motor. I replaced it myself, but it’s a big job. The entire top has to come off. The long-term fix is to replace the motor and remove the silly rubber flap thing that BMW put on the drain so that water that gets in the well actually drains out. The other issue is a potential binding in the electric power steering when hot soaked. BMW narrowly avoided a recall on that one. The real fix is to replace the steering column, but there are other fixes you can search up to pretty much take care of the problem.
Don’t forget the early 2000’s Jaguar S-Type. My 2003 had a V6 with a 5 speed manual. With the Corvette like aluminum independent front and rear suspension it would take the curves at almost any speed you wanted. For those with a few more dollars to spend they also offered a V8. I can imagine it was a really great upgrade. And there was even a supercharged version of the V8 as well!!! Last time I looked these cars were VERY affordable. But make sure you get the manual transmission. You’ll be glad you did.
Count me as another vote for the Boxster/Cayman. One friend of mine has a 25 year old, red Boxster, with 100k. Gorgeous car, with a lovely sound. They are wonderful cars to drive as well. Another guy I know has a 2003 911, with 700k on the clock. Definitely not as good looking as my friend’s Boxster IMO, but it’s been a great car.
https://www.hagerty.com/media/car-profiles/how-do-you-get-a-porsche-turbo-to-647000-miles-its-all-about-seat-time/
The Fiat 500 Abarth conversion was introduced in 1958. My neighbour bought a new one at the time.
That was a completely different car: air cooled, 499cc, 2 cylinder rear engine car. The Abarth version was a picnic to drive, even with only 21 hp…it only weighed 1100 lbs
I’m surprised NOT to see the Honda S2000 mentioned here.
I appreciate your list but in my opinion the Mazda Miata should be on every list. During Covid i was bored and bought a 2006 Miata. I wanted to get out and have fun on back roads. Very obtainable, fun and bullet proof. I wanted a basic fun car with the least amount of electronics as possible. I bought a one owner, garage kept 6-speed for less then some of my buddies pay for nice wheels. They even comment that i have the least amount of money in my car and twice the fun.
like!
Somehow, the two Mazdas and the Mustang don’t strike me as future classics. They are just not good pieces of automotive style. The Mustang doesn’t hold a candle to the Mustangs of the ’60s, and the Mazdas have goofy faces that while inoffensive, are not going to wow people a decade or three from now.
If that Corvette becomes a classic, it will be on the strength of its fun to drive quotient rather than it’s appearance, which is mediocre for Corvettes. Google a 1960 Corvette, and any of a bunch of other years, and you’ll see what I mean.
Even the BMW Z4 is not the best of its kind, although it’s certainly the best of this set of cars, with the Fiat at #2.
You might be stuck in the 1960s, but a much larger swath of the population isn’t. Style is subjective. I look at a ’60s mustang or Corvette as intriguing, but a novelty. And a way overpriced one at that.
I bought my 2003 50th anniversary Z06, Black/Black for 50k (brand new of course) and the local dealer wanted 10k over sticker. No way was I going to pay 10k over sticker so I called in a favor from Corvette Mike and he got a dealer back east to sell and ship here in CA on a courtesy delivery ($500) for sticker price. I have under 5000 miles on the car and it’s still only worth 25k? Not that I want to sell it, my son will likely end up with it but hard to believe it’s still half price so that’s a bargain in my book for whoever wants this sleeper of a race car.
YAWN!
I think my 1983 El Camino looks as good as any of these cars. (drives like a car hauls like a truck)
There are companies doing 3D printing now for ’90s Mercedes which have terrible factory plastic and not great factory support.
Stretch for a C-6. Keep it for five years and you’ll be thanking me.
The Saturn Sky Redline is a great bargain that surprises even the most skeptical. What’s more…it’s sure to be a collector’s item in the next 5-10 years.
@Glenn Fors, I almost agree with you on the Saturn Sky Red Line. However, I think 5 years might be too soon. Maybe in 10 years people will think more highly of them. I have one myself, but for whatever reason, most of the general public seems to have completely missed the fact that they even existed from 2007-2009 along with the Pontiac Solstice GXP and GXP Coupe. I also have a 2009 Solstice GXP Coupe and most uninformed people think it is a current or near current model. I really wonder if values of these almost unknown cars will increase much at all. 🙁
Oh, and by the way, it also seems that when most uninformed people figure out that the Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice manufacturer is no longer in business, they become very much less interested. That seems to give these care the “cootties” . LOL!