Funnest 4 Cylinder Cars Under $20k?

[MyBaddBrah]

Any year. Post some fun ones you can think of. These are usually cars with usable power on the road.

[TurkBrah]

are you looking for something sporty? if not, kia forte is surprisingly fun

edit: if lookin to buy brand new. If used IDK.

[Beararms]

08-10 Cobalt SS. These are the only years they made them in turbo models.

I had one and it was a ton of fun. Had a GM tune with some bolt ons and was in the 300hp/330tq range. Only downside was the damn torque steer but from a roll it was a rocket.

If I ever get my finances straight again I will look for one as a daily/fun car. Got around 30mpg too if I wasnt in boost all the time lol.

[bsmit107]

Picked up a 2003 Subaru WRX with a bunch of mods (basically Stage 2) for $3500 about 2 months ago.

For me, historically being a V8 guy.....its fun, like a little go-cart. Not real fast, low to the ground, manual, light and will take turns as fast as you're comfortable.

Wife had a 2008 Civic SI 6 speed for about a year....it was fun. She paid like $7k for it back in 2015

[textgod]

there is only 1 right answer here: Honda S2000

[MyBaddBrah]

there is only 1 right answer here: Honda S2000

They're over 20k for a 20 year old car. The ones below are pushing 150k miles.

[JayJ350]

there is only 1 right answer here: Honda S2000

A nice S2K is way out of the 20K price range, you would be stuck with a high mileage beater if you went for that.

The much better and far more obvious answer here is a Mazda MX5 Miata. You can easily get a nice one for under $20K and it's about as fun to drive as anything, plus they are super reliable and very cheap/easy to work on.

[textgod]

A nice S2K is way out of the 20K price range, you would be stuck with a high mileage beater if you went for that.

The much better and far more obvious answer here is a Mazda MX5 Miata. You can easily get a nice one for under $20K and it's about as fun to drive as anything, plus they are super reliable and very cheap/easy to work on.

lol at Miata being better than an S2K, cheaper and easier to find sure, but there's an obvious reason for that.

You can find reasonably clean AP1's with under 150K for under $20k, even in the postCovid market. and there is a reason they hold their value so well, ask Miata owners who bought new how their resale is looking.

there is only 1 right answer to the question "what's the funnest 4-cylinder car under $20K?" and that's a Honda S2000. if you don't agree, you haven't owned or driven one. who was 9K redline

Miata MIGHT be the answer for someone asking "what's the funnest 4-cylinder car under $10K?" wouldn't be my answer here either but that's a more reasonable argument for the Miata

[KilaByte]

Golf R if I had to stick with a 4 banger

[ymer]

Golf R if I had to stick with a 4 banger

-Under 20k
-Golf R

pick KilaByte can't read.

[JayJ350]

lol at Miata being better than an S2K, cheaper and easier to find sure, but there's an obvious reason for that.

You can find reasonably clean AP1's with under 150K for under $20k, even in the postCovid market. and there is a reason they hold their value so well, ask Miata owners who bought new how their resale is looking.

there is only 1 right answer to the question "what's the funnest 4-cylinder car under $20K?" and that's a Honda S2000. if you don't agree, you haven't owned or driven one. who was 9K redline

Miata MIGHT be the answer for someone asking "what's the funnest 4-cylinder car under $10K?" wouldn't be my answer here either but that's a more reasonable argument for the Miata

Sorry but that's a real low IQ take, any cheap S2K isn't going to be worth bothering with unless you're looking for a track day car. You can actually get a clean MX5 that will run well and drive great as an every day driver. They are also a lot cheaper because they sold a whole lot more of them and they have been around for decades longer, and they still make them and produce parts for them as well. It's a fantastic car and only an idiot would try to dismiss their capabilities as a sports car.

[Jax05]

-Under 20k
-Golf R

pick KilaByte can't read.

He didn't say it'll be a low mileage


I think this under $20k thing is pretty established so far, but basically anything with 4 cyl turbo, unless it's Honda then you can go 4cyl n/a

GTI or Focus ST is a pretty good option in a sense that you can buy one with very reasonable miles under 20k and get some decent power out of it without doing ton of work.

Honda K-series cars if you want to do some work and boost it.

BRZ/FRS/Toyota 86 if you want a fun RWD that's not a Miata or S2k. There's also Ecoboost Mustang if you don't care what people think.

[KilaByte]

-Under 20k
-Golf R

pick KilaByte can't read.

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...ckType=listing
https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...ckType=listing

[MyBaddBrah]

Ideally I want it to be under 75k miles. So the car will be cheaper. Under 20k and under 75k. The original MSRP will be lower bros.

[textgod]

Sorry but that's a real low IQ take, any cheap S2K isn't going to be worth bothering with unless you're looking for a track day car. You can actually get a clean MX5 that will run well and drive great as an every day driver. They are also a lot cheaper because they sold a whole lot more of them and they have been around for decades longer, and they still make them and produce parts for them as well. It's a fantastic car and only an idiot would try to dismiss their capabilities as a sports car.

calls me low IQ
proceeds to make irrelevant points and name call

your saying the Miata is better than the S2000 because it's cheaper and they make more of them?? FYI- that makes it a WORSE option as it will only depreciate due to mass production whereas the S2000 will continue to appreciate. I never dismissed the capabilities of a Miata, in fact I said as a cheap (under $10K) car it's a reasonable option. but the question was "funnest 4-cylinder under $20K" and the answer to that question is a Honda S2000. Like I said, you can find a clean title AP1 with under 150K for less than $20k. Plenty of daily driven AP1's pushing 200K miles and up.

I live in the car capital of the world and have owned an AP1, NA, NB, and NC Miata. My guess is, you have maybe owned one Miata and never driven an AP1. ANYONE who has driven an S2000 will confirm it's WAY more fun to drive than any Miata. TopSpeed rated it as their #1 car under $20K, regardless of number of cylinders.

[KilaByte]

Ideally I want it to be under 75k miles. So the car will be cheaper. Under 20k and under 75k. The original MSRP will be lower bros.

The second R that I posted has 44k miles

[ClivesTriceps]

>fun

> 4 cylinders

Pick one.

Also, most fun. Not funnest.

[improze]

Used Subaru STI. I paid $12k for my 2004 with a fully built block. I added Meth injection and drove that to 130k miles with next to no issues then sold it for $9k 5 years later.

[KidGogeta]

my wifes new mazda cx3 with the turbo 4 is a pretty fun ride, im imagining the hatch 3 with same motor and manual would be pretty awesome

[JayJ350]

calls me low IQ
proceeds to make irrelevant points and name call

your saying the Miata is better than the S2000 because it's cheaper and they make more of them?? FYI- that makes it a WORSE option as it will only depreciate due to mass production whereas the S2000 will continue to appreciate. I never dismissed the capabilities of a Miata, in fact I said as a cheap (under $10K) car it's a reasonable option. but the question was "funnest 4-cylinder under $20K" and the answer to that question is a Honda S2000. Like I said, you can find a clean title AP1 with under 150K for less than $20k. Plenty of daily driven AP1's pushing 200K miles and up.

I live in the car capital of the world and have owned an AP1, NA, NB, and NC Miata. My guess is, you have maybe owned one Miata and never driven an AP1. ANYONE who has driven an S2000 will confirm it's WAY more fun to drive than any Miata. TopSpeed rated it as their #1 car under $20K, regardless of number of cylinders.

Buying a 200,000+ mile car is just asking for trouble, even if it's a Honda. I mean yes most Honda's are reliable cars, but that's assuming it's a bare basics Civic being driven by a grandma to and from the grocery store. The problem with S2K's is how they are often driven by people who drive them hard, and all those cheap S2K's are going to be hard driven examples that are falling apart.

No point in buying some super-high mileage car that has been beaten up and driven hard when you can get a nice low mileage car that is comparable. Especially when that low mileage car is a Mazda MX5, a car that has become famous for how fun and dependable it is.

Just generally speaking, your advice sucks for everyone besides the hardcore track day enthusiasts who simply wants a track day car to beat the chit out of and replace parts on. If they actually want to live with the car and drive it on the street as a normal daily driver, there is no denying how the MX5 is the far better choice.

The values aren't going to be great for some hard driven S2K that is loaded with miles anyways, the only S2K's that could be an investment are low mileage examples that have been babied, and there is no way you can get one like that for under 20K right now. That said it is also generally a foolish thing to buy a car with the intention of making money off of it.

[textgod]

Buying a 200,000+ mile car is just asking for trouble, even if it's a Honda. I mean yes most Honda's are reliable cars, but that's assuming it's a bare basics Civic being driven by a grandma to and from the grocery store. The problem with S2K's is how they are often driven by people who drive them hard, and all those cheap S2K's are going to be hard driven examples that are falling apart.

No point in buying some super-high mileage car that has been beaten up and driven hard when you can get a nice low mileage car that is comparable. Especially when that low mileage car is a Mazda MX5, a car that has become famous for how dependable it is.

Just generally speaking, your advice sucks for everyone besides the hardcore track day enthusiasts who simply wants a track day car to beat the chit out of and replace parts on. If they actually want to live with the car and drive it on the street as a normal daily driver, there is no denying how the MX5 is the far better choice.

Do you even reading comprehension?

- Never said to buy a 200K mile S2K
- Thread is not asking for most reliable, it's asking for most fun

You clearly have never driven or owned any of the cars you are discussing. The MX5 is not "famous for being dependable"- it's "famous" for being a cheap RWD roadster. This will be my last response to you, stay cute in that Mazda brah.

[JayJ350]

Do you even reading comprehension?

- Never said to buy a 200K mile S2K
- Thread is not asking for most reliable, it's asking for most fun

You clearly have never driven or owned any of the cars you are discussing. The MX5 is not "famous for being dependable"- it's "famous" for being a cheap RWD roadster. This will be my last response to you, stay cute in that Mazda brah.

There is no way you can afford anything besides a high mileage, beaten up, hard driven S2K for less than 20K. That is simply a fact of the car market, as is the fact that hard driven, high mileage examples will never be the collectors items that low mileage babied examples have become. The S2K isn't some highly rare car, they produced a lot of them for a long time, it's just inflated because they have become such a favorite track day car thanks to it's high-revving engine, light weight, and RWD.

That said the MX5 is also a track day favorite for a good reason. A new MX5 is an objectively better car to purchase over an old S2K, and the older MX5's are objectively better purchases as well for anyone who is simply after a fun car on a budget.

You really need to move on from the S2K in this discussion, it's not the right car for this guy in this situation.

As for what I have driven, I have actually owned a 2000 S2K for about 10 years and I presently own a NA Miata.

[brah.sensation]

Evo X

[DoragonKingu]

Evo X

^^Any Evolution
Hyundai Veloster Turbo
Hyundai Genesis Coupe
Ford Focus ST

[JayJ350]

^^Any Evolution
Hyundai Veloster Turbo
Hyundai Genesis Coupe
Ford Focus ST

Hard to recommend an Evo to anyone who isn't an enthusiast willing to do a lot of work, those turbo Mitsubishi engines are notorious. The Newer cars like the Hyundai and Focus probably aren't bad though, you could probably pick one up for rather cheap with relatively low miles.

[elterrible987]

calls me low IQ
proceeds to make irrelevant points and name call

your saying the Miata is better than the S2000 because it's cheaper and they make more of them?? FYI- that makes it a WORSE option as it will only depreciate due to mass production whereas the S2000 will continue to appreciate. I never dismissed the capabilities of a Miata, in fact I said as a cheap (under $10K) car it's a reasonable option. but the question was "funnest 4-cylinder under $20K" and the answer to that question is a Honda S2000. Like I said, you can find a clean title AP1 with under 150K for less than $20k. Plenty of daily driven AP1's pushing 200K miles and up.

I live in the car capital of the world and have owned an AP1, NA, NB, and NC Miata. My guess is, you have maybe owned one Miata and never driven an AP1. ANYONE who has driven an S2000 will confirm it's WAY more fun to drive than any Miata. TopSpeed rated it as their #1 car under $20K, regardless of number of cylinders.

Theres pros and cons to everything. Hes saying miatas are everywhere and you can get one with way less miles on it. If you spend 19,999 on an s2000 and it needs fixing up because its got a way more miles on it then is it really under 20k. He is just giving you the trade off with a miata.

[KilaByte]

Hard to recommend an Evo to anyone who isn't an enthusiast willing to do a lot of work, those turbo Mitsubishi engines are notorious. The Newer cars like the Hyundai and Focus probably aren't bad though, you could probably pick one up for rather cheap with relatively low miles.

He just posts mindless **** and hasn't driven anything close to those, just ignore him

[bigdownunder]

I really just want my Uber to be clean and comfortable. I’m not going to give you a higher rating just because your car is the ‘funnest’ one you could afford.

[iwant2beswole]

A nice S2K is way out of the 20K price range, you would be stuck with a high mileage beater if you went for that.

The much better and far more obvious answer here is a Mazda MX5 Miata. You can easily get a nice one for under $20K and it's about as fun to drive as anything, plus they are super reliable and very cheap/easy to work on.

bought my 19k miles s2k for 23k 2 years ago, feelsgoodman



I think OP missed the s2k boat though if he wants to keep it under $20k.

[Azzurri]

I'll throw in the Mini Cooper S or John Cooper Works.