In lots of ways, 2023 is a golden age of automotive performance. In the 1990s, 290 horsepower was muscle car territory, now you can get that in a Hyundai Sonata. A Tesla Model S Plaid can rocket to 60 mph at speeds only Formula One and NHRA drag racers enjoyed a generation ago. In this environment, however, traditional sports cars have become a rarified breed, and affordable ones even more so. In 2021, dedicated enthusiast cars starting at under $55,000 made up only 1.2% of the new vehicle market, according to Motor Intelligence Data.
If you count pricier premium sports cars the numbers get a little better, but not much. Buyer preferences for SUVS and trucks and the improved performance of all cars are partly to blame, but there are other factors in the decline of sports cars from their 1960s and 1970s heyday too. Growing income inequality, traffic-clogged roads and changing tastes all play a part. Always aimed at younger buyers, many debt-laden Gen-Zers can’t afford to own an impractical sports car “just for fun,” and an increasingly large number of them would rather go off-roading.
But there’s still a place for traditional sporting machines, and manufacturers know that these cars have a cultural and reputational impact beyond their sales numbers.
For our list of the Best Sports Cars of 2023, we prioritized the cars that had the best value-per-dollar ratio in terms of fun, style and features. Technically, we could call these the “best affordable sports cars,” but given that there are now so few, we’ve lumped in purist traditional roadsters with affordable muscle machines and the more affordable entries in the larger sports car class like the Toyota GR-Supra.
We had a few requirements: these cars could only have two doors, and they had to be rear- or all-wheel drive. Sorry “four-door coupes,” and hot hatches, we’ll find another list for you. We also capped the list to vehicles with a starting price of under $55,000, which is a towering amount of money for a first-time buyer but roughly the traditional cutoff between “affordable” and “luxury” in this class, with inflation factored in.
No fewer than five of these cars start at less than $30,000, and while enthusiasts might have balked at a four-cylinder Mustang in the Radwood era, none of these cars is a poor performer. For more on how we rate cars overall, see our methodologies below the list. As supply chain delays have made some models hard to get, our list still contains a mixture of 2022 and 2023 models, but aside from the GR-Supra’s new manual transmission and the “last call” editions of the Dodge Challenger, few of these cars get any major changes for 2023.
- 2023 Ford Mustang The Best Performance Bargain On The Market
- 2023 BMW Z4 Luxurious, Comfy and Fast, But Not Cheap
- 2022 BMW 2 Series Keeping The Classic Bimmer Flame Alive
- 2022 Dodge Challenger A Classic Rocker Full Of Power Chords
- 2023 Nissan Z An Unadulterated Slice Of Old School Sports Car Fun
- 2023 Toyota GR-Supra Living Up To The Legend
- 2023 Toyota GR86 Lots Of Fun At A Low, Low Price
- 2022 Subaru BRZ $30,000 Of Pure Driving Joy
- 2022 Mazda MX-5 Miata The Purest Sports Car, And Delightfully Evergreen
- 2022 Chevrolet Camaro Dynamite To Drive, But Let Down By Its Interior
- 2022 Audi TT A Hot Hatch In Sports Car Clothing
METHODOLOGY
We sorted our sports cars primarily by their dollars-to-fun ratio, but overall performance and practicality were also serious considerations. A sports car be lots of fun on a track, but if it costs the earth and isn’t easy to live with, those demerits can make them unpleasant companions. Depth of features for the price, particularly modern active-safety equipment, was another factor in how we ranked the cars.
To qualify for the list, each sports car could only have two doors and the model’s starting price had to fall below $55,000. Almost all of the vehicles on this list start even lower, so this could easily be a list of “the best sports cars for under $50,000” if the Z4 and TT were shown the door. While $50,000 was once the threshold between “affordable” and “luxury” sports cars, with recent inflation rates factored in, we’ve set the bar a little higher.
Our overall rating methodology has expanded from five to seven categories for 2022 and remains the same in 2023.
For 2023, our rating categories are:
1. Performance
2. Fuel Economy
3. Safety
4. Infotainment
5. Comfort & Room
6. Cargo Space & Storage
7. Style & Design
Overall: 100 points
- Performance (15 points) The Performance score is a subjective assessment of a vehicle’s handling, braking, acceleration, ride quality and other qualitative performance measures such as horsepower, torque, zero-to-60 time and top speed. Towing capability for trucks and SUVs also is considered. Performance of the vehicles is compared against the identified competitive set. While driving, reviewers look for attributes relative to the expectations set by the manufacturer and by consumer expectations.
- Fuel Economy (15 points) The Fuel Economy score is based on the combined mpg estimate for the entire model lineup and how that figure measures against the identified competitive set. The mpg estimates are based on EPA data or the manufacturer if no EPA data is available. Hybrid and plug-in electric variants within a lineup that significantly lower their overall average will not be included in the comparison unless the competitive set also have hybrid or PHEV variants. Scoring for pure electric vehicles will be based on kilowatts consumed per 100 miles and the comparative mile per gallon equivalent, or MPGe.
- Safety (15 points) The Safety score is based on crash test results from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Vehicles not yet rated by either agency receive zero points. Also included in the safety rating are points awarded for certain advanced driver-assistance safety features offered as standard equipment on the base trim. There are nine safety features Forbes Wheels considers mandatory for the standard offering: forward emergency automatic braking, forward collision warning, automatic high beams, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic warning, adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning or one its higher-level variants, lane keeping assistance or lane centering. Vehicles must have at least four of these in their standard offering to receive points. Vehicles that offer a Level 2 self-driving system, (a combination of adaptive cruise control and lane centering) are eligible for a bonus point.
- Infotainment (15 points) The Infotainment score is based on points awarded for certain features offered as standard equipment on the base trim. Forbes Wheels identifies certain features that are growing in popularity and therefore have been adopted by both premium and mainstream automakers. Some of these features include a minimum 7-inch touchscreen (or premium vehicles that use a rotary knob, touchpad or other mechanism to control a non-touchscreen display), wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a customizable, digital driver information display or instrument panel and at least 2 USB ports. Additional points are awarded for popular features that haven’t been widely adopted in mainstream vehicles such as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and wireless charging capabilities.
- Comfort & Room (15 points) The Comfort & Room score is based on points awarded for the reviewer’s assessment of the vehicle’s comfort, ergonomics and overall interior feel as well as effective use of space. Points also are awarded for the measurement of rear-seat legroom and how it compares with the identified competitive set. Vehicles that offer a segment-best legroom in either rear seat or optional third row are eligible for a bonus point.
- Cargo Space & Storage (15 points) The Cargo Space & Storage score is based on points awarded for the reviewer’s assessment of the vehicle’s large and small cargo spaces (as well as small-item storage) and how well they serve their purpose and effective use of space. Reviewers also consider innovative storage solutions and flexible loading features. Points also are awarded for the cargo space measurements for rear cargo hold or trunk and how it compares with the identified competitive set. Vehicles that offer a segment-best cargo or trunk space are eligible for a bonus point.
- Styling (10 points) The Performance score is a subjective assessment of a vehicle’s overall styling and design, inside and out. Reviewers also consider the configuration of the interior and how well the design plays into the function. Build quality also is a consideration.
Why You Can Trust Forbes Wheels:
The Forbes Wheels team is committed to bringing you unbiased, unvarnished information about new and used vehicles, automotive accessories, the vehicle buying process and the fast-evolving technology in today’s automobiles. Our vehicle and accessory reviews are backed by decades of experience and a team of dozens of veteran automotive experts from all walks of life. We create our rankings using published, data-driven methodologies and our direct experiences. While we sometimes participate in manufacturer-hosted events, we also independently source and test vehicles and accessories.