Rear-wheel drive sports cars are just a good time. They’re typically more balanced than their FWD or AWD counterparts, and there’s not one person in this world that can’t appreciate the fun of sliding around a corner sideways. Producing RWD cars is expensive, though. Cheap RWD cars are getting hard to find. So, here are the five cheapest RWD cars you can buy new in 2023.
Chevrolet Camaro – $26,100
The 2023 Chevrolet Camaro, when equipped with the 2.0L turbocharged inline-four, is currently the cheapest RWD car you can buy new, according to Carfax. Sure, it doesn’t have a V8, but with 275 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, it’s still a good time.
Moreover, the Camaro has an independent suspension and is available with a manual transmission. Sports car enthusiasts will find that its power level, good tires, and manual transmission deliver all of the windy road fun you could desire. Better still, it gets up to 30 MPG with the four-cylinder engine.
If the turbo four doesn’t suit your tastes and you’ve got the budget, step it up to a V8. Either way, it’s a fun car to drive!
Ford Mustang – $27,770
Much like the Camaro, the Ford Mustang falls into the category of cheap RWD cars when it has a turbo four-cylinder under the hood. Comparatively, though, the Mustang is a bit spicier than the Camaro.
With 310 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque, the 2.3-liter Ecoboost Mustang can sprint from zero to 60 MPH in just 5.1 seconds. That’s only two-tenths of a second shy of the AWD Ford Focus RS.
Like the Camaro, it has an independent rear suspension and is available with a manual transmission. So, you’re in for a good time in the corners.
A casual reminder, too, that the Ecoboost Mustang makes more power than any production V8 Mustang from 1971 until the Cobra cracked 320 horsepower in 1999.
Mazda MX-5 Miata – $28,050
If you’re familiar with my work at MotorBiscuit, you’ll know that I am a big-time Mazda MX-5/Miata enthusiast. It truly set the bar for affordable sports cars in the modern era, and it continues to be a staple of spirited driving enjoyment.
Its 2.0-liter four-cylinder might only put out 181 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque, but the Miata isn’t meant for straight lines. When it comes to windy roads, it’s hard to have more fun in a stock car than you would in a Miata.
Toyota GR86 – $28,400
Much like the Miata, the 2023 Toyota GR86 is fairly low on the power output list. With a Subaru-sourced boxer four-cylinder pumping out 228 horsepower, it still falls well short of the Mustang and Camaro. However, the GR86 falls into the same fallacy as the Miata.
All folks seem to want to do is talk about how slow it is. Unfortunately, a healthy chunk of “enthusiasts” only want to draw on experience from reading zero to 60 numbers and seem to forget that corners exist altogether. Straight-line, goofy highway racing doesn’t require any skill. Driving a GR86 to its max, though, certainly does.
When it comes to cheap RWD cars, the GR86 is one of the most fun and authentic sports car experiences you can have in a new car in 2023.
Dodge Challenger – $30,940
The fifth and final entrant to the cheapest RWD cars you can buy is the Dodge Challenger. Admittedly, the Carfax list submits the Subaru BRZ first, but since it’s virtually identical to the GR86, we’ll skip it.
The first thing that comes to mind with the Challenger is typically a Scat Pack, Hellcat, or the almighty Demon. However, on the entry-level end of the spectrum, the V6 challenger offers decent punch for a reasonable price.
Admittedly, though, the Challenger hasn’t quite separated itself from the straight-line hero status the Camaro and Mustang have worked so hard to steer away from. It’s a lot heavier and much less nimble. Still, with its 303-horsepower V6, it’s a pretty spirited RWD experience.
Which of these cheap RWD car entrants gets your vote? Let us know in the comments!