Fastest Mercedes Benz Cars Under $20,000.

Remember when a great honking V8 Mercedes-Benz would set you back more or less $100,000? Thanks to a wonderful thing called depreciation, you can now get all that AMG performance and power for a fraction of the price.

Most buyers interested in a V8 Benz are looking for two things: luxury and power – the ability to reach 60 mph as quickly and as comfortably as possible. Today, you can do all that for just $20,000, and in this list, we’ll show you ten affordable Mercedes-Benz models to buy for sheer power.

In order to bring you accurate information, the data used to compile this article was sourced from Mercedes-Benz. We researched the used car marketplace using sources such as J.D. Power, Cars.com, and Classic.com to find the most powerful Mercedes-Benz models with an average purchase price (or good condition value) below $20,000. 0-60 acceleration times come from Mercedes-Benz and Car and Driver’s tests. The vehicles on this list were sorted from the least powerful to power output.

10 W204 Mercedes-Benz C350 V6: 302 HP

Price And Specs

The Mercedes-Benz C350 Reaches 60 MPH IN 5.3 Seconds

For around $13,000 in good condition, you can get yourself a well-kept Mercedes C350. Yes, it isn’t the legendary W204 C63 AMG, but the C350 is the next best thing. For people who want a high-performance Mercedes but don’t want all the expensive issues that come with owning a W204 63, this is the most powerful small sporty saloon of the era.

In the C350, you get a 3.5-liter V6 (as opposed to BMW’s inline 6). The C350’s V6 may not be as earth-shattering as a V8, but it makes a memorable sound, especially considering how unmemorable it is as a car. This V6, with its 302 horsepower, propels the C-Class to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds and gives you some drama while getting there.

9 W202 Mercedes C43 AMG: 302 HP

Price And Specs

The Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG Has A Top Speed Of 155 MPH

The original C43 AMG, the 1999 C43 was Mercedes’s first entry in the small sports sedan segment, and for its time, it stood out. Firstly, the sticker price is what probably stood out for most people, which translates to about $87,000 today. If you could afford this, you got a lot for the money too. In today’s market, neither the acceleration nor the power seems that impressive. In context, that was about the same as Audi’s RS2, which was co-developed by Porsche.

8 C218 Mercedes-Benz CLS 400: 329 HP

Price And Specs

The C218 CLS 400 Is Electronically Limited To 155 MPH

The CLS 400 is probably the most sensible car on this list. While you get a healthy amount of power, you’re not sacrificing anything economy-wise. Driven carefully enough, you can push nearly 50 mpg out of your CLS.

From a performance standpoint, it was impressive. With a 3.5-liter V6 producing 354 pound-feet of torque, the CLS 400 was able to drag itself to 60 in 5.1 seconds. With its torquey V6, the CLS 400 is good for both low and mid-range power delivery, making it a good long-distance cruiser.

7 Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG: 355 HP

Price And Specs

The Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG Launches To 60 MPH In 4.3 Seconds

However, if you don’t fancy a land yacht, there is this: the SLK 55 AMG. This was essentially an SLR for someone who couldn’t afford an SLR. Don’t be fooled. While the SLK is a lot smaller than anything else so far on this list, it can’t be considered a roadster in the same way as something like a Miata could.

This is due to the SLK just being too heavy in comparison, weighing in at 3395 lbs, which is about the same as a 2023 GR Supra. It gets even crazier when you remember the SLK 55 is almost 20 years old. However, the SLK 55 AMG is a bargain that gives you almost supercar performance, for a low price. With its 355 horsepower being channeled through the rear wheels, the SLK was the fastest among Mercedes-Benz cars over the quarter mile at the time.

6 W203 Mercedes-Benz C55 AMG: 362 HP

Price And Specs

The W203 C55 AMG Has A Naturally-Aspirated 5.4-Liter V8

But what if you don’t mind having a Mercedes with an average interior if it means you can have the car that started the German horsepower civil war? Well, that would make the C55 AMG the perfect car for you. The C55 is a lot of car for very little money.

The 5.4-liter V8 under the hood of the C55 AMG is the cheapest way to get a modern AMG-tuned V8. With that, you have a luxurious leather interior, with heated seats, heated wing mirrors, and lumbar support, combining comfort and high-performance driving.

5 W204 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG: 451 HP

Price And Specs

The W204 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Has A Throaty NA 6.2-Liter V8

Earlier in the list, we had the car that started the German horsepower wars. This was the car that summed up the golden era of horsepower wars, alongside the E90/92 M3s. After a shaky, and poorly-reviewed W203 generation C-Class, the W204 was the start of Mercedes returning to form with the C-Class. Inside, things improved. You got nicely bolstered and heated leather seats and updated interior features, but none of that is why anyone bought one of these.

The W204 C63 was an out-and-out muscle car. That V8 brought a truly deafening noise, an ability to shred tires, and even more so, an ability to beat nearly anything off the line. Mercedes had to limit this car to 155 miles per hour; however, unrestricted, it can reach 186 mph – as fast as an Aston Martin DB9. It’s quicker to 60, too, taking just 4.1 seconds according to Car and Driver’s testing.

4 W211 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG: 469 HP

Price And Specs

W211 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG Was The Quickest Mercedes-Benz When It Debuted

Despite featuring the same 5.4-liter V8 you’d find in the C55, the E55 pushes out about a hundred more horsepower due to being supercharged and intercooled. According to Mercedes-Benz, the E55 reaches 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds – as fast as its more powerful sibling, the R230 SL55 AMG.

To make it more opulent than the C55, you get a few upgrades in the E55. Again, similar to most AMGs of the period, the E55 was basically a land yacht with a savage V8. It was heavy and had all the luxury of the Ritz, and in the early 2000s, 4.5 seconds to 60 mph was almost supercar territory. Classic.com quotes the average sale price for these at just under $20,000.

3 C219 Mercedes-Benz CLS55 AMG: 469 HP

Price And Specs

The C219 CLS55 AMG Is A $8,000 Performance Car Bargain

Despite being extremely affected by depreciation, the CLS55 AMG has everything you could ever want in a car: all the comforts of a full-sized luxury car, a large boot, five seats for all the family, the graceful looks of a long swooping coupe, and a 5.4-liter supercharged V8. The latter will take it to 60 mph faster than the Porsche Cayman of the same model year.

The first-generation Mercedes-Benz CLS was the perfect car in its era, and it still is. The CLS 55 is essentially a luxurious muscle car. It has the power and acceleration you would expect from a Ford Mustang, with all the features, class, and build quality you would expect from a full-sized Mercedes executive sedan. The CLS is a land yacht with a massive V8 at the front, weighing in at 4232 lbs, but the 469 horsepower means you won’t need to worry about sluggish acceleration.

2 R230 Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG: 491 HP

Price And Specs

The R230 Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG Boasts A Supercharged 493-HP V8

You might remember the SLK from earlier in this list. This is somewhat like that but adds a load of luxury features, inflated and stretched it, and gave it 160-ish more horses under the hood. The SL55 is easily one of the coolest Mercedes AMG models ever made.

The R230 SL55 AMG was special: heated mirrors, heated seats, headlight washers, a phone, Sat Nav, and a whole 235 liters of trunk space. With that, you also got the same massaging and lumbar supporting seats that could also heat up. One last thing about the interior was the sheer amount of legroom you got. It might not be the fastest way to get to 60 in a Mercedes for under $20,000, but the SL55 carries on the 300SL’s heritage, being fast, luxurious, and beautiful.

1 C216 Mercedes-Benz CL63 Coupé: 563 HP

Price And Specs

The C216 Mercedes-Benz CL63 Launches To 60 MPH In 4 Seconds Flat

Enter the Mercedes CL63 AMG. When new, the CL63 AMG was Mercedes’ flagship coupé and would set you back a shade over $100,000. You can consider this a high-performance bargain if you can pick one up while they’re still cheap.

For less than the price of a 2021 Jeep Renegade, you can get yourself 563 horsepower worth of Mercedes. The CL really is the perfect combination of luxury and performance. The beautiful wooden dashboard and push leather seats juxtapose the sporty AMG paddle shifters and aggressive performance-focused dials. The CL63 AMG is a land yacht, and for $20,000 it is one worth buying.

Sources: Mercedes-Benz, J.D. Power, Car and Driver, Cars.com, Classic.com