Many drivers don’t care about all the bells and whistles that carmakers throw at them when selling new cars. Instead, they care about one thing: horsepower. Well, they care about horsepower along with torque and a variety of other important factors in determining a car’s performance. What’s underneath the hood are the key factors in driving up a car’s price, but potential buyers don’t need to drain their bank account in order to have a high-powered ride. By shopping on the used car market, they can find deals on some classic cars.
Edmunds Inside Line recently listed some models that performance junkies should keep an eye out for when looking for deals on the used car market. According to the website, all of these cars can be found for less than $10,000, though most of them retailed for much more than that.
BMWs are world-renowned for their engineering standards, as well as their price tag. Fortunately, there are a host of used BMW‘s that can be had at a steep discount. The news provider recommends the 740i and 740iL E38 models from 1995-2001. Drivers who want to turn heads will be happy to know that this car was selected as James Bond’s ride of choice in “Tomorrow Never Dies.” Looking under the hood, its easy to see why the superspy preferred the 740i.
This machine boasts a V8 with 282 horsepower. If that’s not enough, drivers should keep their eyes peeled for the rarer V12-powered 750 models, which ups the ante to 322 horses. Of course, the 7 series is just one used BMW that drivers can find among pre-owned vehicles. They can also find deals on 5 series or the 635i.
If you want a great car but don’t need all those horses, take a look at the 1999-2000 Honda Civic Si. Its 160-horsepower 1.6 liter inline four engine might not turn heads as much as the BMW, but it makes up for that in handling. For years, Honda used a wishbone front suspension that some say gave their cars a unique feel. These Honda Civic Si models were the last Hondas to use the suspension, and are highly sought after by those who feel the new Hondas don’t handle as well as they used to.
Delving even further back into last decade are the 1990-1996 Nissan 300ZXs. These precursors to the famous Nissan 350z models offer comparable performance at a decent price. They might be difficult to find without a ton of mileage on them, but they are worth it if one pops up.
The ideal version of these cars are the twin turbo ones, although those can be even rarer. However, the used market has downgraded the value of features like the convertible roof. If drivers are lucky enough to find a used Nissan 300ZX twin turbo 2-seater convertible with decent mileage, they could have a world-class car (the model won numerous top 10 car in the world awards at the time) for a fraction of the cost.