By Will Estell
If you consider yourself an automobile connoisseur of any depth, it’s almost certain you could probably guess the cars that would make up a list of this title, simply based on common knowledge of what is and isn’t a real sportscar and what does and doesn’t make economic sense for the average person to daily drive.
You wouldn’t, for example, populate a sports car list such as this with the likes of modern-day Camaros, Mustangs, BMW 4 series coupes or Audi A5 Cabriolets—though all of those are great vehicles in their own right, and some I’ve even owned and appreciate. However, those all fall into the GT (Grand Touring) category, and even with brute power and only two doors, they aren’t really sports cars.
At the other end of the spectrum, as much as I can appreciate the more exotic makes, you can’t include anything made by Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Lotus or a host of other makes on this list. Mostly because even as true sports cars they can’t be had for the $50,000 ceiling here, and even if they could I couldn’t—with good conscious— suggest anyone try to daily drive anything that has $25,000, 15,000- mile service requirements or (insert used $30,000 Maserati’s here) has a high probability of developing a new problem on the roundtrip to Fresh Market or Starbucks.
In Part 1, we take a look at three tried and true sports cars that are both priced accordingly and have a reliability record that leads to the makings of a great daily driver that won’t break the bank or live at the shop.
Chevrolet Corvette
Since its introduction in 1953, the Corvette has been known as America’s sequential sportscar. For the purpose of this list we’ll talk about the C7 iteration of the Corvette, which ran from 2014 to 2019, first rolling off the Bowling Green assembly line in September of 2013. The C7 (for 7th generation) boasts a sports car chassis, a drivetrain that provides supercar performance, and offers a standard of reliability that allows for it to be driven daily, with very basic routine maintenance.
The C7 came standard with a 6.2-liter V8 and either a 7-speed manual, or 6 (2014) then 8-speed automatic transmission. At just 3,347 lbs., the C7 has a great power to weight ratio that trumps many way more expensive, and less reliable, sports cars, while still being relatively easy to find for under our $50,000 limit here—usually with relatively low miles too, as many original owners didn’t buy them as their only car.
Porsche Boxster and Cayman
Those who know sports cars are well aware of what you get with most any of the sportier ventures from Porsche. Sure, they’re not a bargain to buy new, and the maintenance cost can be quite extravagant for some of the more problematic years. However, a Boxster or Cayman handles like a dream, drives like a sports car should, and, if you buy the right car, can give years of dependable daily service.
Having owned several vintage Porsches from 70’s and 80’s Targa’s to four 914’s, to a 924S and 944S, I’m more of a fan of the classic, air-cooled cars. However, for this list we’re going to be going a little newer—and more affordable—than those classic 911’s and 914’s. I believe the third generation (981) of the Boxster/Cayman twins (the Boxster a drop top, the Cayman a fixed roof), gives the most bang for the buck for everyday driving in a Porsche that can be had under our $50,000 price range.
The 981 version was available new from 2012-2016 and features the then newly improved 2.7 liter flat 6, with your choice of the 6-speed manual, or Porsche’s 7-speed PDK automatic. The hotter S variant carries a 3.4-liter powerplant. There were other hot editions, too, including a GTS derivative, but those are likely to still be outside our price ceiling given here.
The 981 cars brought new 911 derived styling, a 40% more rigid chassis, and the same great handling and precision that we’ve all come to expect from mid-engine engineering and weight distribution. These cars are relatively dependable and can rack up past 150,000 miles easily when maintained correctly. There is a downside though, as most any in-depth engine repair (more than oil changes, basically) that any Boxster or Cayman could ever need, requires actually dropping the engine from the bottom side in order to access for repairs. This means you want to buy a really good, mechanically sound car that’s been driven and maintained.
Come back next month for Part 2 as we look at five more great sports cars under $50,000 to drive daily.
Will Estell is a writer, media entrepreneur, occasional actor, and coastal real estate professional with over 600 published magazine features in an array of genres. Over the past 25 years Will has been instrumental in founding 12 new magazines from concept to fruition, while also serving as editor for numerous others. Originally from the backwoods of rural Mississippi, Will is a father of three who splits his time between Destin and Navarre, along with his wife, ABC 3 news anchor, Laura Hussey Estell. Will is a regular contributor to Life Media’s publications, and in his free time likes to play with cars—real ones.
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