Best cheap fast cars – performance cars on a budget
If you buy right and do your research, you can bag a brilliant performance car for as little as £3500. Here are our top second hand picks
In today’s world of £92k Audi RS3s and £100k+ base Porsche 911s, it seems like obtainable performance cars are becoming increasingly thin on the ground. Just a few years ago there was a vibrant selection of affordable icons, from the Hyundai i20 N to Ford’s Fiesta ST and the brilliant Toyota GR86, but almost all have fallen by the wayside as manufacturers look to minimise emissions and maximise profit margins. However, if you're willing to buy used, there's still a tempting selection of second-hand evo favourites available on the market – and we've gone in search of models that can be bought, maintained and enjoyed relatively cheaply.
Set yourself an upper limit of £10,000 – about £5k less than a new Dacia Sandero – and you’ll find everything from V8 bruisers to lightweight roadsters, with top speeds in excess of 150mph and 0-60mph times beginning with fives and sixes.
We’ve trawled through the classifieds to pick a range of models that start from just £2500, and cover a wide range of performance and practicality considerations. This isn’t a buying guide, but where appropriate you’ll find links to cars we’ve covered in more depth elsewhere.
Consider it more of a shopping list – a selection to tempt you when you want to park something a little more exciting alongside your family wagon, or if you’re ready to take the plunge into ownership of your first proper evo car.
Top ten cheap fast cars 2026
- Renault Sport Clio 172
- Mini Cooper S (R53)
- Toyota MR2 (Mk3)
- Ford Fiesta ST (Mk7)
- Volkswagen Golf GTI (Mk5)
- Porsche Boxster S (986)
- Mazda MX-5 (ND)
- Renault Sport Megane 265
- Mazda RX-8 R3
- Nissan 350Z
Renault Sport Clio 172
While not ‘fast’ in the way some other cars on this list might be, a car as small as the Clio packed with a 170bhp 2-litre engine isn’t what you might call slow, either. Early phase 1 172s are rare these days (easily identified by their softer styling and 15-inch OZ wheels), but phase 2 cars are plentiful and inexpensive – you can pick one up for as little as £3500.
The 172 (and later 182) doesn’t just excel on track though, as they’re equally at home on B-roads. A basic 172 takes barely longer than seven seconds to hit 62mph and there’s good feedback from the controls. Desirable Cup versions are lighter (1011kg) with less kit (there was no ABS) and are even better to drive.
> Renault Sport Clio 172 review
Mini Cooper S (R53)
The original BMW Mini has become something of an icon in its own right, and in Cooper S form, it's one of the best affordable hot hatches you can buy. 168bhp might not sound like a lot in today’s world of 400bhp+ mega hatches, but when it’s pushing just 1140kg, the results can be rather exciting. Particularly with the kick of a supercharger under your right shoe.
Early R53 Cooper S’s have a raw edge to them compared to later cars; they feel smaller and less grown up, and sometimes a little uncouth in terms of their ride quality. The flip side is that the R53’s four-square, roll free cornering stance gives it a pugnacious attitude and sense of fun that can be addictive. Plentiful supply on the used market makes them very affordable, too – just £4000 will bag you a decent example.
Toyota MR2 (Mk3)
Most people gravitate towards the Mazda MX-5 when looking for a circa-£5k roadster, but the truth is, Toyota’s third-generation MR2 is a more satisfying driver’s car when compared to the NB MX-5. It feels tauter, more agile and more keyed into the road, and it’s hard to think of anything that matches its back-to-basics thrills for the money.
The MR2 is packaged tightly around its mid-engined layout, leaving you with a tiny front boot area; its Achilles heel as an everyday sports car. But if you can get past that, the purity of the driving experience is wonderful – the MR2 treads lightly across the ground on relatively skinny tyres, encouraging the driver to use every drop of power from its 1.8-litre engine to pick apart the road. There's talk of the MR2 being revived to do battle with the MX-5 once again at some point in the future, but for now, a used Mk3 is a very solid bet.
Ford Fiesta ST (Mk7)
Ford axed the Fiesta ST in 2023, but fear not – the hot hatch hall-of-famer is still in plentiful supply on the used market, and presents fantastic value in Mk7 form. A tidy ST will set you back around £6k, and makes for a brilliant everyday hot supermini and potential track car to boot.
A gutsy 1.6-litre turbo engine characterises the ST, giving it the classic ‘small car, big engine’ feel and the ability to surprise some purpose built sports cars. To drive, the Mk7 is a hoot, with a sharp front end that bites into the road and sometimes has the rear swinging around to follow it. Its damping is well judged too, providing excellent control without shattering into every bump and crevice in the road. For what the Fiesta lacks in cabin quality and badge kudos, it more than makes up for by being so richly rewarding to drive.
Volkswagen Golf GTI (Mk5)
Even when it launched back in 2004, the Mk5 Golf GTI wasn’t the most exciting hot hatch on the planet, nor the fastest. But it was – and remains – one of the very best Golf GTIs of the breed. evo’s Henry Catchpole summed it up after running one for a year: ‘The beauty of a hot hatch is that it can carry five people, do a trip to the Continent, swallow the shopping and still entertain if you decide to take the interesting way home from the shops. And none does it better than the Golf.’
There’s no shortage of used GTIs on the market, but equally, there are plenty of leggy examples out there. Around £6500 will get you into a Mk5 with sensible mileage, making for an ideal daily hot hatch that covers all bases with performance to spare. Edition 30 models are available for £1-2k more, coming with a 227bhp engine rather than the standard 197bhp unit.
> Volkswagen Golf GTI (Mk5) review
Porsche Boxster S (986)
evo first drove the 986 Porsche Boxster S way back in issue 011, and gave it the full five stars straight off the bat. It’s not too difficult to see why; while the regular 986 was down on power compared to its rivals, the 3.2-litre S took power from 204bhp to 252bhp and torque from 181lb ft to 225lb ft. Big increases, and enough for 161mph flat out, with a 5.9sec 0-62mph sprint.
Today they’re temptingly affordable too – you can get a tidy manual S for £7k – thanks in part to concerns about the longevity of Porsche’s early water-cooled flat-sixes. IMS bearing failure is the most notorious fault, but find one with the remedial work carried out and you’ll get a sweet mid-engined chassis and plenty of performance for the money.
> Porsche Boxster S (986) review
Mazda MX-5 (ND)
It might be well over three decades since the original Mazda MX-5 arrived, but the current ND model follows firmly in the wheel tracks of its forefather in terms of philosophy. Despite coming loaded with modern tech and safety equipment, the ND is less than 100kg heavier than the original, and nails the basics of a great roadster. We were reminded of that when we tested the newly updated ND at evo Car of the Year 2024, where it shared the podium with the McLaren Artura and Porsche 911 S/T.
It’s not a precision driving tool in the way that a Toyota GR86 is, but there’s plenty of fun to be had in the MX-5’s rear-drive balance, the quality of its gearshift and sense of lightness. £9000 can secure a 2015 MX-5 with the smaller 1.5-litre engine, and while its 129bhp output is modest to say the least, the raspiness and rev-hungry nature of the engine makes it a joy to use (unless you’re planning on going anywhere fast, of course).
Renault Sport Megane 265
Renault Sport has dominated the hot hatch scene throughout the years, and while the Megane RS that arrived in 2009 didn’t garner the same iconic status as its predecessor, it’s still a hoot drive. Seriously fast too, particularly in 265 form. With a 261bhp 2-litre engine it gets to 62mph in six seconds flat, and has a chassis that makes extracting all that performance a joy.
The Megane RS is highly entertaining on both road and track, particularly in Cup form. Early 265 Cups just about squeeze below £10k, and you’ll struggle to find a more competent and engaging hot hatch for less.
> Renault Sport Megane 265 review
Mazda RX-8 R3
There’s no denying it, buying a second-hand Mazda RX-8 can be a ticket to a world of pain. Issues with the Wankel engine (primarily rotor tip wear and resulting low compression) are well documented and widespread, which means big bills – and sometimes the need for a full engine rebuild – aren’t uncommon.
However, if you’re after a practical, quick, engaging coupe that can double up as a track car with a few mods, we’d tentatively point you towards Mazda’s four-door coupe. Specifically the later R3 model, built from 2008 and coming with styling and interior upgrades, improved suspension, fabulous Recaro seats and importantly, an extra oil injector port in the engine to keep those apex seals lubricated. It’s a cracking car to drive – the naturally-aspirated engine is short on torque but beautifully smooth on its way to a 9000rpm redline, and the chassis is taut, communicative and a perfect learning tool for rear-wheel drive car control. Just make sure to get an engine compression test – and look for solid maintenance history – before you buy.
Nissan 350Z
The Nissan 350Z seems to have gone under the radar in recent times. Whether it’s the fact that many of them tend to be (poorly) modified, or the fact that the slightly bloated looks aren’t for everyone, Japan’s V6-engined coupe/muscle car probably isn’t at the top of many people’s used car wish list. That’s a shame, because it offers an awful lot of performance, charisma and fun for not a lot of cash.
The 350Z is more of a brute than a Porsche Cayman (or the Mazda RX-8 you’ll find elsewhere on this list), but there’s still sophistication and genuine ability to be enjoyed. The 3.5-litre V6 has a wonderful, bassy note and 276bhp to call upon, while the chassis is composed over bumpy roads and as playful as you’d want – and expect – from a rear-drive Japanese sports car. It’s a characterful driving experience in what is quite a distinctive car as a whole. Great value too, with £10k buying a decent example.
