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Sports sedans are great for people who are in need of a vehicle that offers more space and practicality but are still faster than most supercars from 20 years ago. Alternatively, they are for people who like to ‘scare’ more than one person at a time.
The sports sedan steadily grew in popularity ever since BMW introduced the original M5 in 1985 – and it has remained popular until the SUV segment took over the automotive world. Automakers have slowly started shifting their performance brands into the SUV segment – including BMW – leaving the once-popular sedans to fend for themselves. Many automakers have even downsized their cars and replaced big V8s with hybrid 6- and 4-cylinder engines. BMW has even been caught testing a hybrid M5!
This being said, there are many sports sedans to choose from – especially on the used car market – featuring varying drivetrains and power outputs. The great thing is, they cost less than a new hybrid sedan. With that, here are ten of the coolest used sports sedans which are cheaper than a brand-new Toyota Camry Hybrid.
10 2007 Audi RS4 ($24,000)
The B7 Audi RS4 was a step into the future as it was the first version of the top-spec model to be available as a sedan, rather than just a wagon. Unlike the previous B5 RS4 – the B6 generation only had an S4 – the B7 had a mighty V8 under the hood.
The 4.2-liter unit was reworked from the normal 4.2, revving to a dizzying 8,250 rpm. The engine produced 410 hp and sent all those charging horses to all four wheels via Audi’s Quattro system. All models of the RS4 – including the convertible – got a 6-speed manual only. This is just a bit more exciting than a hybrid.
9 2008 BMW M3 F90 ($26,000)
Around the time the RS4 was on sale, BMW unveiled their own V8-powered monster in the form of the E92 M3. It had a 4.0-liter unit which was essentially just the V10 in the E60 M5, but with two cylinders chopped off. Unfortunately, this meant that many of the issues of the V10 carried over.
Ignoring the fact that the engine likes to eat itself, the E92 M3 was a fantastic car, and many motoring journalists called it ‘the most complete car on sale. ’The M3 produced the same 410 hp as the Audi RS4, but it had an even higher redline. It was fitted as standard with a 6-speed manual; however, a 7-speed dual-clutch was introduced for the vehicle.
8 2015 Jaguar XF Supercharged ($28,000)
The Jaguar XF was Britain’s attempt at beating the BMW 5-Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and Audi A6. It was a fantastic-looking sedan that just got better as the updates rolled out. By 2015, the XF was a well-refined luxury and sports sedan which even had a supercharged 5.0-liter V8.
The top-spec version was the XFR. However, Jaguar offered a more luxury-oriented version called the Supercharged – much like Land Rover does with their models. The Supercharged model produced less power than the equally supercharged XFR – 460 vs 503 hp – but it still had enough power to go sideways and tear up the rear tires.
7 2008 Lexus IS F ($27,000)
The Lexus IS F was the first in the line of Lexus’ ‘F’ marque and was a sedan the size of a BMW 3 Series, but with a great big, Yamaha-tuned 5.0-liter V8. It produced 415 hp and 371 lb-ft of torque, sending all the power to the rear wheels only via an 8-speed automatic.
The IS F may not have been as agile or have as good performance as the M3, but it was comfortable, fast, and extremely reliable, meaning it doesn’t need an engine rebuild every five minutes. The IS F was the first F-car and so far, the only IS version, apart from the current IS 500 F-Performance, which is a kind of IS F-Lite. Hopefully, the rumors are true and there is a new IS F on the way to continue the legacy.
6 2011 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG ($24,000)
The Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG has been the BMW M5’s biggest competitor since both of them were introduced. The E63 may have had different names over the years, but it was still a worthy adversary to the mighty M5.
The W212 was one of the best E-Class generations and the E63 AMG version was the one that showed that AMG wasn’t playing around. This model actually had two different engines – the 6.2-liter at first, being replaced with a twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter – and eventually produced 577 hp in its top-spec E63S AMG trim. Who wants a hybrid 4-cylinder when there is a twin-turbo V8 out there for the same price?
5 2013 BMW M5 F10 ($28,000)
Speaking of twin-turbo V8s, here is the BMW F10 M5. It was the first turbocharged M5 and was fitted with the S63 4.4-liter – which is still in production today, just much better. The F10 M5 took a bit of time to get used to with the turbos, but it still had all the same M5 characteristics, so it was fast, quick in a straight line, comfortable on long journeys, and practical enough to serve as a family car.
It was also still a complete hooligan on a track, beating proper sports cars in terms of lap times and shredding its rear tires when the traction control was turned off. It was one of the best cars in the world at the time of production and when BMW fixed the engine issues, the later year models turned out to actually be reliable. The old adage of ‘you can never go wrong with an M5’ is just as true with the F10 as it is with any other generation.
4 2013 Audi S6 ($25,000)
The Audi S6 may not be the full RS6, but it still has most of the same hardware. Unlike with the smaller S4 and RS4, Audi decided to use the same engine for both performance versions, just slightly detuning the one to fit in with their trim hierarchy.
As a result, the C7 S6 has a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8, sending power to all four wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. The S6 puts out 410 hp and 405 lb-ft, around 130 hp and 100 lb-ft less than the full-fat RS6. Still, the S6 is more aimed at luxury, rather than sportiness, making it an excellent long-distance cruiser.
3 2009 Cadillac CTS-V ($27,500)
The Cadillac CTS was – like the Jaguar XF for Britain – the American competitor to the BMW 5 Series. It was fitted with some V6 and V8 engines, but the only one motoring enthusiasts really care about is the CTS-V.
The CTS-V was powered by a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 from the Corvette C6 ZR1. In the Caddy, it produced 550 hp and 551 lb-ft of torque. It was available with either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed torque-converter automatic. The CTS-V was a fantastic sports sedan and other than the Chevy SS, it was the last of the great American 4-door muscle cars – until the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, which is actually the last one.
2 2008 Maserati Quattroporte GTS ($24,000)
The Maserati Quattroporte was the more practical 4-door version of the big Maserati GT cars, and the Quattroporte V was one of the best. The cool thing about the Quattroporte V was that it was essentially a 4-door Ferrari. Built on the same platform as the GranTurismo, the QPV was fitted with the F136 V8 from the Ferrari F430 – but with a cross-plane crankshaft – making it the best-sounding V8 ever made.
The car also had a Ferrari transmission – ruining the driving experience a bit – which was later changed to a conventional torque converter automatic. Yes, the Quattroporte V has many problems and is needlessly complicated to operate, but none of it matters when actually driving it.
1 2008 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG ($20,000)
Interestingly, for the price of around $28,000, you could buy a brand-new Toyota Camry Hybrid which is quiet, practical, and efficient. Alternatively, there are Mercedes-Benz S63 AMGs for sale on the used car market for the same price – or even less.
The S-Class is the segment leader in terms of luxury – before getting to the Bentleys and Rolls-Royces – and the AMG models elevate the cars to performance heights that large sedans really shouldn’t be able to get to. So, the choice is either a 170-hp mundane sedan or a 520-hp fire-breathing monster that could get you anywhere you want to go in record time and in a plume of smoke. We know which one we’d choose.
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