10 Cheap Sports Cars That Are Easy To Repair
As gearheads, the urge to jump into a sports car during the summer months is almost irresistible, they make the perfect garage toy for drop-top cruising, back road blasts and just generally enjoying something that’s totally driver-focused for maximum enjoyment.
Quite often though, these more specialist cars can prove troublesome, especially when scouring the used car market for a bargain, but is it also possible to make sure it’s a reliable car, as well as an enjoyable one? Of course, it is! By shopping around and choosing tried and tested brands, such as the 10 handpicked models below, you can get a trusty sports car that will be a doddle to repair, should anything go wrong in the first place.
10 The Honda S2000 Is An Ultra-Reliable Sports Car
Japanese manufacturers such as Honda are world-renowned for making totally reliable and easy-to-repair cars, so it’s no surprise that the handsome S2000 is a greatest hit with gearheads and sports car enthusiasts the world over – thanks also to the sublime VTEC engine that will keep on screaming all the way to 9,000 rpm!
According to ‘Your Mechanic’ online, the average annual spend on maintenance on a typical S2000 sports car is only $628, which we think is certainly reasonable for a scintillating 240-hp sports car, and a lot less than you can expect to spend on some costly European counterparts.
9 There’s A Reason The Miata Is So Popular
Without a doubt, the Miata was always going to feature on this list. Simply put, this is the world’s most popular sports car, and with so many sold, the internet is full of ‘how-to’ guides on all maintenance and repairs that a Miata may need. This makes repairing and working on one yourself an approachable task, and much less daunting than a more unusual or less-popular car.
With so many produced, over a million to put a number on it, the parts availability and aftermarket support is second to none, with many companies choosing to specialize solely in the maintenance, repair, and parts supply of these cheerful little roadsters.
8 The MGB Is A Back-To-Basics Classic Sports Car
One way to ensure your new-to-you sports car is easy to repair is by going down the classic route. Vintage favorites like the simple MG B are always a lot simpler to repair, as everything is nuts-and-bolts mechanicals rather than electrical components which need specialist tools to diagnose. So if you hear a clunk from underneath, or notice something looks out of place and worn under the hood, don’t be afraid to get the tools out and have a go yourself – classic cars like the MG B are easy to work on and often have great access to the oily parts too.
While the MG B isn’t the fastest sports car in the world, with a humble 95 hp 1.8-liter engine, it’s more than enough to enjoy as a sports car thanks to the low-slung seating position and minimalist interior, meaning there’s nothing but the driving to focus on!
7 German Reliability Doesn’t Cost A Fortune With The Audi TT
One way to ensure a car is easy to repair is by buying one that hardly breaks down in the first place – which is why we recommend buying from a reputable and reliable brand, such as Audi, who is well known for over-engineering their cars to last a lifetime.
The original Audi TT is one such car, and apart from a few common issues like failing coil packs, they are bulletproof sports cars that won’t need to visit the workshop for much more than regular maintenance and servicing. Grabbing one of these will give you a great chance of enjoying sports car ownership without having to get your hands dirty too often.
6 The BMW Z3 Is A Modern Classic That Won’t Break The Bank
Time for another German favorite, and this time it’s the stylish BMW Z3 – a sports car that is growing ever-more favorable within the car-loving community, especially now as they appreciate into modern-classic status.
The range-topping M examples, available in both coupe and roadster form, and proper little sports cars with E36 M3 running gear, which are fortunately ultra-reliable engines, developing 325 hp. So not only is it a proper sports car with blistering performance, but it’s also from the era in which BMW built their cars to last, so as long as routine maintenance and servicing are kept on top of, you won’t need to spend much at all in repairs on one of these.
5 Daihatsu’s Copen Is Entry-Level Topless Fun
Maybe though, you are after something with a unique charm and perhaps aren’t so interested in outright performance. Well, the quirky and diminutively-proportioned Daihatsu Copen could be just the baby sports car you’ve been looking for!
The earlier models of these were true Kei cars with a 68-hp 0.6-liter turbocharged engine, and as all Kei cars do they have a great following of enthusiastic owners. This means that the used car market has many well-loved and properly cared-for enthusiast-owned examples for sale. Pick carefully, and you can easily pick up a well-maintained example that doesn’t want for anything.
Due to the fact these cars share a lot, of not all mechanical parts with budget-friendly commuter cars from the brand, parts are cheaper than most other car brands, and therefore repairs will rarely cost more than those of a little hatchback or commuter.
4 The Lotus Elan Is A British Classic Worth Owning
If you prefer something more traditional, then perhaps a typical British sports car like this short and stubby Lotus Elan could be the answer. But act quickly, as prices are having been steadily rising in recent years, no doubt due to the increased demand for the much more expensive ’60s Lotus Elan models.
Although this Lotus can be more costly to repair than other more mainstream cars in this list, it’s very unlikely to break the bank, thanks mainly to the fiberglass bodywork, meaning you won’t have to fork out for welding and bodywork bills, which so many British sports cars do suffer from.
Also, because Lotus favors small engines and lightweight chassis design over more powerful and advanced engines, you’ll be pleased to know that regular maintenance and simple repairs under the hood should prove significantly cheaper than other more complex sports cars of the period.
3 The Smart Roadster Is An Unusual But Budget-Friendly Choice
The Smart Roadster is similar to the aforementioned Daihatsu Copen, in the sense that it is a baby-sports car with humble performance figures but bags of character, and offers low-slung open-top driving fun.
Thanks again to sharing the engine with more mainstream models, like the Smart ForTwo city car, the Roadster is dirt cheap to maintain and just as cost-effective when it comes to repairing too – as most parts can be had from salvaged city cars that share the same parts.
So if you’re less about the performance, but still want plenty of smiles-per-mile from your sports car experience this summer, you may want to add a Smart Roadster to your list.
2 The Abarth 124 Spider Is A True Sports Car
The chances are, however, that you’d like your sports car to pack a bit of a punch in addition to having bags of character. If this describes you, then it’s best to look over at Italy for a seriously fun European sports car.
The Abarth 124 Spider shouts as you push it long from a quad-pipe exhaust system, which lets everyone know you’re out in a serious little sports car, especially when coupled with the rakish styling and matte black bonnet.
Abarth has moved on leaps and bounds with the popular 124 Spider, and it now rates highly with a 4 out of 5 star rating given by consumers on ‘Your Mechanic’, so you can expect reasonably priced repair bills and sensible maintenance packages.
1 A Toyota GT86 Is The Perfect Reliable Coupe
If it’s reliability and sensible repair bills you want from your sports car though, it really could only be a Japanese offering that takes the crown, and the GT86 fits the bill perfectly. The same goes for its Subaru twin, the BRZ.
CarBuyer has accumulated 21 customer reviews on this handsome coupe, with an overall rating of 4.9 out of 5 being the result, which speaks volumes coming from verified customers themselves! What’s more, the rev-happy 2.0-liter engine delivers a punchy 200 hp, which is more than enough in a simple and fun-focused RWD sports car like this.
When coupled with Toyotas’ world-famous reputation for reliability, buying a GT86 really is a no-brainer decision when considering a cost-effective used sports car in 2023.