10 Cheap Fast Cars To Buy In 2025

People may assume that it is hard to find fast affordable cars among today’s cars on sale, with the most exciting and performance-oriented models at the top of the price bracket and only available to a select number of those who can afford them. The truth is, there are plenty of options to get behind the wheel of a quick sports car without having to pay excess amounts of money. Brands like BMW and Toyota both have cheap fast cars that don’t cost the earth.

Below, we list ten examples of fast affordable cars, both new and used. From hot hatches to luxury coupes, this category offers a surprising amount of variety.

10

BMW 230i Coupe (New)

Base Price: $39,200

Some of the most expensive cars on our list are options from German car brands. BMW is one of the few brands keeping the two-door sports coupe segment alive with the latest 2 Series Coupe. The 2025 BMW 230i Coupe comes with a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder that puts out 255 horsepower, giving the coupe a 0-60 sprint time of 5.5 seconds; the slightly quicker AWD version exceeds our price cap. With performance tires, this small BMW can reach 155 mph.

2025 models include BMW iDrive 8.5, which noticeably brings updated interior ambient lighting, alongside new optional styling packages and color choices, such as Zandvoort Blue (previously a color limited to the BMW M2 Coupe). The coupe segment may not be as strong now, but BMW still has something quick and not outrageously priced in this category.

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9

Toyota GR Corolla (New)

Base Price: $38,860

A rally car for the road, the 2025 Toyota GR Corolla hatchback offers an enticing package as one of the fastest affordable production cars available in showrooms now. With enhancements by Toyota’s GR Division, this compact is a serious rival to the Subaru WRX on and off the rally stages. 2025 GR Corollas add an eight-speed automatic transmission option alongside the standard six-speed manual – the automatic also gains launch control abilities exclusive to its setup. Based on independent testing, the manual model can hit 60 in just below five seconds.

A small torque increase to the 1.6L three-cylinder turbocharged unit also makes its way onto the 2025 models. For added handling benefits, front and rear limited slip differentials are now standard equipment.

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8

Mini Cooper John Cooper Works 2-Door Hardtop (New)

Base Price: $38,200

The latest version of Mini’s ‘pocket rocket’, enhanced by the John Cooper Works division, also makes our list of fast, affordable cars available for 2025. The two-door Mini Cooper, in both hardtop and convertible form, looks completely different on the inside and outside for its current generation, which also applies to their top-line ‘John Cooper Works’ models that represent the Mini Cooper at its prime.

While buyers are stuck with a dual-clutch transmission to enjoy this compact hatchback, the 2025 JCW 2 Door Hardtop at least brings a healthy amount of power and acceleration numbers to mark improvements over the preceding Mini JCW – especially with a torque bump to 280 lb-ft. The minimal interior will not satisfy everyone, but with features such as ‘Go-Kart’ mode that focuses attention on key performance data points, it should add up to making the latest JCW Mini a thrill to push through any number of corners when first deliveries happen later this year.

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7

2023 Kia Stinger GT2 V6 (Used)

Fair Purchase Price: $38,000

Another secondhand option for entering ownership of one of the cheapest fast cars available under $40,000, the Kia Stinger GT2 combines exciting performance with the space and luxury of a four-door fastback sedan. Depreciation has further dropped current prices for the Stinger GTs, allowing buyers who fancy a 3.3L twin-turbocharged V6 powerplant and 368 hp with rear-wheel drive (or optional all-wheel drive) for a very tempting price of just below $40k, according to the Kelley Blue Book fair purchase price value for the 2023 Stinger GT2 trim.

Adding to this, buyers will get a lot of standard equipment and cabin tech for their money’s worth – depending on the model they end up with, Stinger GTs can come with a Harman/Kardon sound system, multiple driver assistance features, a leather interior, and wireless charging. Though Kia has no current plans to introduce a successor, it still leaves those made from the 2018 to 2023 model years a very attractive prospect for a performance car.

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6

Subaru WRX Sedan Premium (New)

Base Price: $35,750

The latest version of Subaru’s rally-bred sedan also makes our list of the fastest budget cars that can be purchased from showrooms today. The 2025 WRX Sedan continues the traditional Subaru formula of signature all-wheel drive, a flat-four Boxer turbocharged engine with the option of a CVT automatic and a standard manual for this latest iteration of the Subaru WRX. Though the enhanced Subaru WRX tS model makes its debut for the 2025 model year brings features like more powerful brakes, STI-tuned electronically adjustable dampers, exclusive 19″ alloy wheels and Recaro front seats, it is priced above our budget of $40,000.

The 2025 Subaru WRX Premium at the bottom of the range meets our budget, but it still brings an available six-speed manual and 2.4L turbocharged flat-four that can achieve 0-60 mph within a range of under six seconds.

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5

Hyundai Elantra N (New)

Base Price: $34,350

The Hyundai Elantra N easily makes its case as one of the best performance compact sedans on the market. The Elantra sedan has been transformed top to bottom by Hyundai’s ‘N’ performance division, featuring more functional aero features, an upgraded 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder engine, and various chassis/drivetrain enhancements to make this Korean sports sedan a formidable opponent to the likes of the Honda Civic Type R, Volkswagen Golf R, and Toyota GR Corolla.

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4

Mazda 3 2.5 Turbo Hatchback (New)

Base Price: $33,450

Though the 2025 Mazda 3 hatchback currently doesn’t have a ‘Mazdaspeed’ variant as previous generations have done, the 2.5 Turbo Hatchback offers a suitable alternative with sporting qualities of a hot hatchback – offering a 2.5L turbocharged four-pot that pushes out 250 hp and standard all-wheel drive. Though a manual transmission is not available on the turbo models, the six-speed automatic transmission offers paddle shifters for engaging manual gear changes through corners at any degree of speed. 2.5 Turbo Mazda 3 hatchback models start from the Carbon Edition for 2025 that carries over from the previous model year, allowing buyers to include Zircon Sand Metallic with blacked out trim pieces to enhance the sporty character of this hatchback.

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3

Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk8 (New)

Base Price: $33,000 (estimated)

The car that started the ‘hot hatch’ revolution back in the 70s, Volkswagen’s Golf GTI, has always been associated with starting the wave of some of the fastest cheap cars available to the mass public. The Golf GTI has existed for more than eight generations now, and the recipe of a turbo four-pot linked to FWD has been the same since the Mk4 version. However, the 2025 model sticks with a dual-clutch automatic transmission only; based on the 2024 version’s performance tests, expect a 0-60 time of under six seconds. Pricing for the 2025 GTI has yet to be published, but it is expected to start at around $33k.

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2

2021 Honda Civic Type R (Used)

Current Resale Value: ~ $32,000

Though it may not seem that old, the previous-generation Honda Civic Type R offers a great mix of performance and practicality at below $40k. Kelley Blue Book states this model has a current resale value of just over $32k. The FK8 Generation Type R, produced from 2017 to 2021, provided an exciting new recipe for the Civic Type R nameplate in the US market, which had previously only been obtainable in markets abroad.

Placed above the Honda Civic Si for North America, this iteration of the Civic Type R featured a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder with Honda’s i-VTEC technology, capable of producing 306 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, all sent to the front through a standard six-speed manual transmission. Based on independent tests, it’ll match the newer GR Corolla to 60, with a time of just under five seconds. In other words, with enthusiasts in mind, the 2021 Civic Type R represents a good buy as one of the cheapest fast used cars today.

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1

Ford Mustang EcoBoost (New)

Base Price: $31,920

The latest generation of the Ford Mustang Coupe also makes our list of cheap fast sports cars below $40,000 – specifically the entry-level models equipped with Ford’s 2.3L turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder. Not only does it offer a fairly affordable entry point into Mustang ownership, but the EcoBoost engine pushes out decent performance numbers – with 315 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque on tap.

2025 Mustang EcoBoost models can come in either a two-door coupe or open-top convertible – though unlike the Mustang GT, these models are limited to an automatic transmission. Regardless, the EcoBoost Mustangs still make for a very alluring rear-wheel-drive platform for buyers on the market today.

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Sources: BMW, Hyundai, Volkswagen, Toyota, Mazda, Ford, Kia, MINI, Kelley Blue Book, Car and Driver