Filed under: Car Buying, Time Warp, Etc.
Such a deal: Ten 300-hp used cars under $10K
300 horsepower. Not too long ago, that was a number to brag about. Nowadays, minivans edge close to that number, making 500 or even 600 horsepower the new 300. While the proliferation of big horsepower might scare the beejeezus out of average drivers, car lovers see it as an opportunity to get a musclebound automobile at a fire sale price. If you've got a need to have the latest, best stuff, then the idea of picking up 300 still-exciting horsepower under the hood of something interesting from the last two decades might not do it for you, but the idea that you can get 300 horsepower for less money than an Aveo has a real appeal to us. Next Autos has whipped up a list of what they think are some of the better options in the sub-10K marketplace that pack the magic triple-hundred rating. We agree with some of the picks, one we've even singled out in the past as a Future Classic, but as is the case with any list, opinions will vary. One thing to bear in mind when contemplating the purchase of some of these cars is that while the price of entry might be pleasant, service costs can add up to monumental sums. Not that maintenance costs would stop us from being suckers for the roar of enraged pistons and the firm shove of hundreds of horsepower. Hit the link to see if the list is right on or full of beans.
[Source: Next Autos/Winding Road, Photo: Edmunds]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Avinash machado 9:24AM (11/20/2008)
My favorites are the BMW and the Jag.
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slotownbrian 9:25AM (11/20/2008)
The 600SEC? 850i? This article should be called "cars that will cost you $10,000 a year to keep running". I think the Lexus and Corvette are the only ones I wouldn't worry about firebombing my checking account.
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Eddie 9:31AM (11/20/2008)
I bet the Jag is the worst of all. My Grandpa and Uncle had 98 Jags (xj8l and xk8). The xj8 was in the shop 8 months of the 2 years he owned it.
JayP 9:33AM (11/20/2008)
Camaro, Lightning and the Vette are borderline.
Maintenance on the rest- you're not saving anything.
There's no such thing as a cheap Porsche. BTDT.
416Hammy 9:36AM (11/20/2008)
A cheap 928 is like a free kick in the head.
ckm 11:10AM (11/20/2008)
@eddie:
Actually, I have an XJR and it's been fine. There have been a few odd problems (like the seat controller going bad), but nothing unexpected on a 10 year old car. It's more reliable than a lot of other cars I've owned (everything from Audis to Hondas).
The '95-'97 Jags were some of the best cars the company ever built and are almost on part with Japanese luxury cars, much better than Germans.
Alex 12:06PM (11/20/2008)
I have to agree with ckm. I have a '98 XJR I have not have any expensive repairs. The only reason the car is expensive for me is because my insurance is high (i was a bit of a hooligan in my youth). The one thing Ford did right when they bought Jaguar was get rid of Lucas Electronics. I really has been a very reliable and immensely fun car.
tekd 4:51PM (11/20/2008)
Yeah, not only are some of the cars already maintainence drains, you're going to have a heck of a time trying to find a 1996 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo that hasn't been abused to death.
If you actually managed to find a mint condition, low mileage, unmodified 1996 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo it's going to cost you a LOT more than $10K.
There's one on ebay right now going for over 25 grand and it hasn't even met the reserve yet. I have no idea where they got the idea you could get an unabused 300ZX TT for anything even close to 10K.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280285232733
Even a low mileage 1990 goes for more money than that:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270303866123
Any 300ZX TT you can get for under 10 grand is probably going to need everything from new turbos to a new engine and that'll get really expensive really fast.
Seriously who made this stupid list?
DJ 9:32AM (11/20/2008)
Unfortunately, most of thses cars are at least 10 to 15 years old, as mentioned above, very expensive to maintain, high mileage and not the best for everyday drivers. A great option for just a couple of grand over $10K is the 2005/06 Chrysler 300C. You get 340HP, a lower mileage car and last gen Mercedes E-class components.
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Mobius_1 9:35AM (11/20/2008)
NextAutos/Winding Road make some quite meaningful top ten lists, and they are usually quite a good read.
Btw, why would anybody buy a new Mustang/Camaro/Challenger/etc now? I would just get the Vette and the F150, and have leftover change to buy new tires and petrol.
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416Hammy 9:38AM (11/20/2008)
If I'm paying $10K for a used Camaro, it better come with a free mullet.
Ditto for the 'Vette... except I want a free wax-job for the bald-spot I'll need to shave into my 'do to get the deal.
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LloydChiro 10:04AM (11/20/2008)
I might pay $10K for a C5 vette, but it better be the Z06 version.
Will 9:44AM (11/20/2008)
I have a 2001 cadillac sts with 300hp. Those are selling well under 10k now. The comfort is great and the acceleration isn't bad. 0-60 in 6.5. The maintenance isn't bad either but you might be better off getting a 300C.
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LloydChiro 10:02AM (11/20/2008)
The STS is a nice car. You can drive in comfort, and slip under the suspicious eyes of the law when you want to take things a little faster. That would be on my short list for a 300hp
LloydChiro 9:57AM (11/20/2008)
I can't believe the author was being derogatory toward the Mercedes' styling. I love that big coupe, and I would love to own one, although I'd get the V8 version. I guessing the V8 is a little cheaper to maintain.
The Porsche, BMW, and the Jag: Endless black hole of money dumping, but all beautiful cars.
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Deofol 10:02AM (11/20/2008)
NextAutos site is S L O W for some reason.
They lost my interest anyway after they changed the format from what used to be a great site. "The Winding Road" Now, it's just trash IMO.
Cheers AutoBlog for keeping things simple and informative.
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LloydChiro 10:05AM (11/20/2008)
No kidding. In the time it took me to go through that list, the DOW dropped like 300 points!
tenchi71 12:11PM (11/20/2008)
@LloydChiro
In today's market, that's not saying much. 300 points could drop in a blink of an eye.
GW 10:05AM (11/20/2008)
I've owned a couple twin turbo 3S cars ('95 3000GT VR4 and '94 Dodge Stealth RT/TT). Great cars, but they always had something wrong with them. Too many useless gadgets that always broke. They have no resale value, so they sell for next to nothing and get trashed by 16yr old kids. A shame, since they are beautiful cars (especially the 2nd gen '94+ models).
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beanspants 10:42AM (11/20/2008)
i agree with others that you'd have to be a wealthy fool to buy any of the cars on that list. Maintenance nightmares, the lot of them.
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