5 Of The Coolest Cars That Have Depreciated Enough To Be Affordable Now

Over the years, there's always been a handful of cars that come out and stop us in our tracks, and we hope someday we'll be behind the wheel. But it's often the case that those cars are the ones with the higher price tags, often putting them way out of budget. While this will most likely always be the case with new cars, the natural depreciation that all cars face as soon as they leave the dealership puts many of the cars we once fell in love with within reach.

The price of new vehicles has been rising, particularly in recent months and years, with no signs of stopping. According to KBB, the average price for a new car in the early months of 2026 was $49,191, with doubts of cars costing around $20,000 still being a thing. Some cars are still relatively cheap in the low $20,000s, but those aren't exactly the ones that leave the hairs on your neck standing. Luckily, some of the coolest sports cars that were class-leading at their original price points have dropped below $20,000, providing plenty of thrills on a budget. Here's a closer look at five of these cars.

In the early 2010s, Jaguar did still have cars keeping the brand competing in the two-door performance segment, most notably with the XK. Dropping some of the luxury from the grand tourer, the F-Type was designed to bring Jaguar back to the forefront of the sports car segment, and 12 years later, you can pick one up for a fraction of its launch price.

We loved the final 2024 model in our review of the car, but that can't be called affordable by any stretch. The 2014 F-Type was a little more affordable than some of its closest rivals, originally priced at $70,345 for the base trim. Now, the car sells for an average price of $19,350, and if you've got a slightly bigger budget, $25,800 for the V8 according to KBB. While depreciation for luxury brands is often high, CarEdge reports that the F-Type only holds 24.37% of its original value, driven by factors such as reliability. Despite the fears, plenty of owners cite solid reliability with their early-year F-Types, potentially making this car one of the best steals in the two-door sports car segment. 

Looking at the specifications for the different F-Types available in 2014, the standard V6 engine produced 340 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. Pay the extra money for the V8, though, and you'll get a solid 495 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. 

In the 2000s, the sedans being produced by the various manufacturers were arguably some of the best JDMs you could buy. One of these brands was Mitsubishi, which ushered in the final generation of the Lancer in 2008, only five years after the model was introduced Stateside. The specific Lancer at the top of the pile was once again the Evolution, this time called the Evolution X. 

Being designed to gain homologation to compete in rally (where the more modern Evos made a name for themselves), almost every aspect of the car was working in harmony to provide balance that was usually reserved for two-door coupes. Perhaps the standout feature of the 2008 Evo X in particular is the all-wheel drive system, with reviewers noting how it manages to stay consistently smooth without losing grip. The car utilizes things like active yaw control and a center differential to remain as planted as possible. Under the hood of the base Evolution X GSR, the 2.0L inline-four produces 291 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque, which complemented the drivetrain well.

It's not much of a surprise to see the GSR be the more widely available trim compared to the MR, with plenty falling below the $20,000. Based on recent sales data, Classic.com gives an average price of $17,654 for the 2008 Evolution X. Some low-mileage ones can slightly cross over, though, getting into the $20,000s.

Moving over to the American cars that have become a great deal, we go to the Mustang. One of few gas-powered muscle cars still in production, it can actually be bought brand-new for a solid price of $32,640, almost $20,000 below KBB's reported price of a new car in early 2026. Still, spending above $30,000 is a hefty amount, so turning to older models that still hold up today can save you a great deal of money up front. 

Having a wide range of trims available is commonplace for modern Mustangs, so we've gone for the 2012 model year, as most variations of the pony car come in pretty cheap. For the base model, KBB reports an average used price as low as $9,625. The GT comes in at $16,400, with the Boss 302 at $18,200. The Shelby GT500 is the only one here to go over $20,000 at $26,600 on average. Even with the most affordable model, though, the pony car still looks to hold up when it comes to reliability, getting an above-average rating from RepairPal and strong user reviews in this area to boot.

The performance is expectedly where the biggest gaps between the models lie, with the standard 2012 Mustang producing a still decent 305 horsepower through its V6. The GT's V8 engine increases that to 412 horsepower, with the 302 Boss topping the list of ones that stay below $20,000 at 444 horsepower. 

One of the two-door JDMs that was at the forefront of the segment moving into the 2010s was the Nissan 370Z. Building off the curved philosophy of the 350Z, the coupe was unveiled in 2008 and ran until its discontinuation in 2020. Throughout its life, the 370Z received a few key updates, most notably a facelift in 2013. It wasn't a major overhaul, but this is still the model that we'd recommend here on a budget, looking a bit newer than the older models while still being affordable.

Another positive that the 2013 370Z has going for it is the improved reliability, resolving issues with things like the steering and oil gasket issues suffered by earlier models.  The 2012 model year also saw improvements, but you won't get the facelift with that one. The 2013 370Z had a solid starting MSRP of $33,900, but in 2026, you can pick one up for around $18,100 according to KBB. Even the NISMO trim comes in below $20,000, at an average of $19,500. 

One area where the 370Z essentially always fell behind its rivals was inside, not having the most up-to-date cabin for the segment. However, if you don't mind having a more basic style, or simply would prefer something more analog, the car's handling and 332-horsepower output are frequently praised for making it a proper driver's car.

If you want a beefier, more traditional modern muscle car on a budget compared to the likes of the Mustang, the now-extinct Dodge Challenger may be your answer. It's not like the Challenger has been off the market for ages; it was only discontinued in 2024 to make way for the new Charger, which is now Dodge's only muscle car. The new Charger is much closer to the outgoing Challenger, but the $49,995 price tag doesn't make it affordable for a new car. However, if you go back 11 years to the 2015 Challenger, you can unlock plenty of performance and style that isn't too far off the latest Dodge offering.

As standard, the 2015 Dodge Challenger produces 305 horsepower from its 3.6L V6, which can be picked up for just $13,700 on average, as per KBB. The R/T trim, priced at $16,550, uses a V8 producing 372 horsepower, with the Scat Pack getting the 6.4L engine producing 485 horsepower. Still, this trim goes for an average of $19,500, which isn't bad at all considering the power you get. Pricing for the Hellcat for this model year isn't available on KBB, but many for sale at the moment fall between $40,000 and $50,000.

To select cars for this list that can be considered affordable, we made sure that they can all be purchased for below $20,000 on average. This puts them well below the $49,343 national average reported by KBB for early 2026. We also used multiple sources to ensure consistency for the pricing.