10 Fast 4 Door Sports Cars Under $30,000, Ranked By Top Speed

In the old days, owning and driving a sports car meant sacrificing all practicality and having a team of mechanics on standby. Although we have the Honda NSX to thank for paving the way for reliable supercars, it was the Germans who successfully popularized the modern-day sports sedan on the global scene. Cars like the BMW M5 and W-124 Mercedes 500E paved the way for practical performance cars that pack the luxury of a premium sedan and driving characteristics, similar to a proper sports car.

The formula has, since, evolved and branched out into different categories, which is how we got models like the Mercedes CLS, four-door coupe, or super-fastbacks like the Porsche Panamera. Many of the four-door sports cars listed below are performance versions of economy or premium models, with some of them being among the most desired driver’s cars. One thing they all have in common is that you can buy them for under $30,000, and enjoy sports car performance in a practical and stylish “outfit”.

We gathered data about the average used price of each car on the list from specialized platforms like CarEdge, CarGurus, TrueCar, and Classic.com. We took five ads for each car with various mileage (from low to high) and determined the average value. We also gathered performance data from reviews, official manufacturer websites, and databases like Auto-Data and Automobile Catalog. Models in the list are ranked from slowest to fastest.

10 Alfa Romeo Giulia

Top Speed: 149 MPH

Alfa Romeo’s first rear-wheel-drive sedan in 30 years took the segment by storm and showed German or Japanese doesn’t always need to be the answer when it comes to sports sedans. The Giulia’s nimble, rear-wheel-drive platform (with optional all-wheel drive) is paired with punchy turbo-four engines and one of the best automatics currently in production. If you look hard enough, you could find the Ferrari-powered Giulia Quadrofoglio, but if you want to avoid potentially, wallet-draining repairs, you’d be wise to stick to the four-cylinder model.

Alfa Romeo Giulia Specifications

(Sourced from Automobile Catalog)

Average Used Price: $23,343

The Giulia was also offered with a manual, but after 2017, you can only get it with the ZF8HP automatic, which frankly, isn’t a bad thing. The interior is driver-centric and spacious enough for four, albeit not as luxurious as some of the other offerings in the segment. Despite Alfa Romeo’s less-than-stellar reliability reputation, the Giulia is surprisingly trouble-free. It’s also the newest car on the list, and under $30,000 can get you a two-year-old example that’s still under warranty.

9 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X

Top Speed: 149 MPH

May 2016 saw the last Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution ever produced. After ten generations, the rally legend that gave Subaru’s Impreza a run for its money was ceremoniously put to rest after an epic Final Edition Lancer EVO. Despite all the rally prowess and being the last-generation EVO, the Lancer Evolution X is still relatively affordable, at least compared to other JDM icons. Whether it’s the GSR or MR versions of the car, the EVO packs a potent turbo-four that’s capable of a lot more with the right parts.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X Specifications

(Sourced from Automobile Catalog)

Average Used Price: $23,741

Aftermarket support is vast and many of these cars are highly-modified. The Evolution X is the only one that doesn’t come with the legendary 4G63T. Instead, it opts for the 4B11, which shares many of the same qualities as the old engine. Like the STI, the EVO is based on a boring economy car, but thanks to Mitsubishi’s rally division, it became an AWD, gravel-slaying monster.

8 Mercedes CLS550

Top Speed: 155 MPH

Mercedes successfully popularized the modern-day, four-door coupe with the CLS, and while the sleek Mercedes coupe is going out of production, the second-generation CLS is a real steel, in terms of value for money. Mercedes V-8s are, typically, praised for being torque monsters and the M278 is no exception. Moreover, it’s the first time, the CLS gets a direct fuel-injected, twin-turbo V-8 from the factory. From 2019, the CLS550 gets the new, 9G-Tronic automatic.

Mercedes CLS550 C218 Specifications

(Sourced from Automobile Catalog)

Average Used Price: $19,558

As sleek as the C218 CLS550 is, you can also get a more practical shooting brake variant, which looks just as good. This is also the last time, the Mercedes CLS can be had with a V-8 engine. The third and last generation CLS can only be had with inline-four and inline-six engines as the V-8 was made exclusive to the AMG GT.

7 Audi S6

Top Speed: 155 MPH

The C7-generation Audi S6 continues to be the brand’s mid-size, sleeper sedan. Sleeker than ever, the Audi S6 trades the naturally-aspirated, Lamborghini V-10 for a smaller V-8 with forced induction. Models from 2014 pack extra power and significantly more torque than the old V-10 while the new, dual-clutch automatic means less powertrain loss compared to the old, six-speed Tiptronic.

Audi S6 C7 Specifications

(Sourced from Automobile Catalog)

Average Used Price: $24,892

As always, Quattro, all-wheel drive is standard for the S6, and you can always get it in Avant (station wagon) form. What’s even better is the fact, that you essentially get the same engine as the RS6, but in a de-tuned state, so you are just a few parts and a remap away from over 500 horsepower.

6 Subaru WRX STI

Top Speed: 155 MPH

The Subaru WRX STI needs no introduction. Since the late 1990s, the STI badge has been the peak-performing version of Subaru’s road-going rally car. The fourth-generation STI is well within the $30,000 price range and while the WRX STI is based on the boring, economy version of the Impreza, the two cars feel completely different. Different suspension and chassis settings, accompanied by a bonkers body kit and most importantly, the EJ25 boxer engine, are everything that makes the STI a proper rally machine, that you can drive on the road.

Mercedes CLS550 C218 Specifications

(Sourced from Auto-Data)

Average Used Price: $24,980

The STI’s signature, burbly soundtrack is courtesy of the engine’s unequal-length intakes and while you gain a bit of power by changing to equal-length headers, many enthusiasts choose not to, for the sake of keeping the signature boxer soundtrack. Even more impressive is the fact, you can drive the STI in all weather conditions, and carry four people with luggage on board.

5 BMW M3 E90

Top Speed: 155 MPH

While BMW is best known for its iconic inline-six engines, the M3 E90 stands out as the only M3 to ever feature a V-8. The naturally-aspirated S65 engine is, essentially, the M5 E60’s S85 with two cylinders. While it shares many of the same problems, it also shares its rev-happy characteristics and top-end power.

BMW M3 E90 Specifications

(Sourced from Automobile Catalog)

Average Used Price: $26,069

Many BMW enthusiasts were worried that the E90 wouldn’t be able to improve upon the E46 M3, but those trepidations were put to rest. The E90 chassis is as balanced as the E46’s, but with the added V-8 power and more spacious (and better-executed) interior, the E90 is a complete performance package, which you can also daily-drive.

4 Porsche Panamera S/ 4S

Top Speed: 155 MPH

Porsche Panamera is the closest you can get to a four-door Porsche 911. Under $30,000 will get you a facelift model of the first-generation Panamera S/ 4S. This is a big upgrade over the base model as it comes with a naturally-aspirated V-8 engine – essentially, the same engine as the Panamera Turbo, minus the twin turbochargers.

Porsche Panamera S/4S Specifications

(Sourced from Automobile Catalog)

Average Used Price: $27,408

The Panamera follows the “function over form” philosophy, and while many would make fun of its “hunchback”, four tall passengers can comfortably sit in the ultra-luxurious cabin. Moreover, there is an Executive version, which is 150 mm longer than the standard Panamera S. Despite being classified as a sedan, the Panamera is one of those cars that are, secretly, hatchback, which makes it even more practical, despite being the most athletic proposition in the segment.

3 Mercedes C63 AMG

Top Speed: 155 MPH

The 204-series C63 AMG is one of the AMG models that define the term “German Muscle car”. The mad engineers at AMG took the smallest rear-wheel-drive Mercedes sedan and shoved their M156 V-8 engine. This also happens to be the first V-8 developed by AMG from the ground up, and it’s the last naturally aspirated, Mercedes V-8. For this reason alone, the W204 Mercedes C63 AMG is going up in value. A dry-sump variation of the same engine, called the M159, powers the SLS AMG, so you essentially get a supercar engine in a luxury sports sedan.

Mercedes C63 AMG W204 Specifications

(Sourced from Automobile Catalog)

Average Used Price: $27,534

The C63 AMG’s gnarly soundtrack is matched only by its appetite for rear tires and thirst for premium fuel when you mash the throttle, which you will be doing a lot. Although generally reliable, the C63’s M156 engine has very tight tolerances, which means you need to keep strict maintenance intervals to keep the mill running flawlessly.

2 Lexus IS-F

Top Speed: 170 MPH

Lexus has always been a great example of dependability in the luxury car segment. The same philosophy carried over to the brand’s first, high-performance, V-8 sedan – the IS-F. Introduced for the 2008 model year, the Lexus IS-F became a more reliable alternative to the German performance offerings in the segment.

Lexus IS-F Specifications

(Sourced from Automobile Catalog)

Average Used Price: $27,186

The 2UR-GSE engine features direct injection and loves to rev. The ride quality is a bit firm on earlier models and the interior isn’t the most spacious in the segment, but on the plus side, the IS-F is built solid and is one of the brand’s few offerings that can be called a proper driver’s car. As this is Toyota’s luxury arm, the Lexus IS-F retains its value extremely well even at 15 years old.

1 BMW M5 (F10)

Top Speed: 190 MPH

The enigmatic BMW M5 E60 was finally replaced for 2012, with the much more reliable F10 generation. Make no mistake, you are still in for expensive repairs and maintenance costs, but the BMW F10 M5 is a lot easier to live with. The Bavarian mid-size sedan is a proper Autobahn missile despite having two cylinders less than the E60 M5. The two turbochargers positioned in the “V” more than makeup for the downsizing.

BMW M5 F10 Specifications

(Sourced from Automobile Catalog)

Average Used Price: $27,278

For under $30,000, you will have a hard time finding an M5 Competition, but even the base M5 packs supercar-rivaling performance. Moreover, the F10 M5’s S63 engine is underrated although according to a PP-performance dyno graph, published in an m5board.com thread, only by about 20 horsepower. Still, the BMW M5 F10 is supercar-quick, and with generous aftermarket support, it’s capable of a lot more.

Source (Average Used Car Price): CarEdge, CarGurus, TrueCar, and Classic.com.