Sports cars
Sports cars are built for excitement rather than utility, usually pairing aggressive styling, sharp handling, and powerful engines to put a smile on your face—check out our listings of the top used sports cars below.
Best sports cars
We've compiled a list of the 10 best used sports cars with CarMax customers.
1. Ford Mustang
CarMax owner rating
2. Chevrolet Camaro
CarMax owner rating
Pros
Impressive handling Strong acceleration Smooth ride
Cons
Poor visibility Tiny rear seat Limited trunk space
3. Mazda MX-5 Miata
CarMax owner rating
Best affordable sports cars
We've compiled a list of the 10 best affordable used sports cars with CarMax customers.
1. Ford Mustang
CarMax owner rating
2. Chevrolet Camaro
CarMax owner rating
Pros
Impressive handling Strong acceleration Smooth ride
Cons
Poor visibility Tiny rear seat Limited trunk space
3. Subaru WRX
CarMax owner rating
Pros
Quick acceleration Impressive handling Precise steering
Cons
Lots of road noise Infotainment touchscreen difficult to use Cabin lacks refinement and upscale materials
Best luxury sports cars
We've compiled a list of the 10 most popular used luxury sports cars with CarMax customers.
1. Chevrolet Corvette
CarMax owner rating
Pros
This is a powerful sports car The handling is on point and the driver feels in control You can get your hands on a Corvette for a relatively attainable price
Cons
It's a pain to get in and even harder to get out of one Rear visibility is quite poor The Corvette is missing some of the latest advanced driver safety features
2. BMW M340
CarMax owner rating
Pros
Sharp handling Impressive acceleration Plenty of space in the rear seats
Cons
Steering feel is dampened, reducing driving engagement Highway driving creates lots of wind noise Divisive, aggressive grille styling
3. BMW Z4
CarMax owner rating
Pros
Pleasing cargo space for a sporty car Cozy cabin with roof up or down Plenty of deluxe passenger conveniences
Cons
Automatic transmission lacks the excitement of the six-speed manual option Body pillars limit outward visibility Lacks interior storage options
Research sports car models
FAQs about sports cars
Sports cars are cars that prioritize sharp handling and responsive acceleration. Some rely on large, powerful engines for blistering acceleration, while others shave excess weight for nimble handling. No single trait defines all sports cars beyond the idea that they should be exciting and engaging to drive.
The term sports cars most commonly refers to coupes that are built for performance. There are also sedans and hatchbacks that have been built with more power, more aggressive suspension and braking, and often with sporty design elements. Common types of sports cars include performance coupes and sedans, muscle cars, and hot hatches.
In recent years, the Dodge Challenger and Ford Mustang, both muscle cars, have outsold other sports cars in the United States. Since its introduction way back in 1989, the Mazda Miata has earned the crown of the best-selling sports car of all time. If you’re shopping for late-model used sports cars, these are likely to be the most common options
Different sports cars prioritize different kinds of fun. Some, like the Chevrolet Corvette, offer big engines and quick acceleration. Others, such as the Toyota 86, focus on lightness and agility. Depending on your preferences, either can be entertaining. With a higher budget, you can find cars that are engineered to excel at both acceleration and handling, with high performance engines and exotic materials that keep down their overall weight.
Generally speaking, sports cars aren’t well known for being able to haul a lot of cargo. Older Chevrolet Corvettes with a hatchback offer good cargo space, but if cargo is a priority you might be better served by a performance sedan or hot hatch. Cars like the Dodge Challenger or Volkswagen GTI will give you more cargo flexibility than most coupes. A shooting-brake style car, like the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo, can also offer a lot of handy space.
Learn more about different sport cars
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How we ranked these vehicles
Our "Best of" lists represent the most popular vehicles with CarMax customers. To create the Best lists, our analysts look at CarMax vehicle and sales data over a recent 6-month period and rank the top selling vehicles in order. Looking back over a 6-month period allows for the highest sample size possible while also providing up-to-date pricing information. Each list includes the specific dates used when it was generated. Some articles may include data points with lower sample sizes.
To create our "Most Reliable" lists, our analysts pull the top most reliable vehicles—in order—according to RepairPal rankings. RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2006-2020 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features. RepairPal Reliability Ratings are provided by RepairPal and CarMax is not responsible for their accuracy. Learn more about RepairPal reliability ratings.
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We hope you found this information helpful. This content is intended to inform and is not meant to provide legal, financial or investment advice. We make every effort to provide accurate information, but please verify before transacting and consider talking to a qualified professional about your unique circumstances.
Statements of fuel economy or EV range are based on EPA and other third-party estimates for vehicles when new. Fuel economy and EV range will degrade with time and vary based on age, driving conditions, vehicle history, and other conditions. See fueleconomy.gov for more info.
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