5 Cheap Sporty Sedans For Students, Salvage King Specials

5 Cheap Sporty Sedans For Students, Salvage King Specials

Salvage King suggestions for people with a tight budget, five affordable sporty sedans you can buy if you're a student.

1- Subaru Impreza WRX

The first car on the list is the Subaru Impreza WRX.  It's one of the sportiest sedans you can buy, and they make an excellent choice for pretty much any demographic. The full-time AWD system makes them suitable for snowy and rainy situations. The way it handles around corners makes it a perfect candidate to go for a spirited drive. The 2L boxer engine provides great gas mileage making it a great daily driver.

20MPG City and 27MPG HWY.  Keep in mind you can get the earlier version with the controversial budget front for much less, but our goal was to keep the cars on this list as modern as possible.  Everything from the exterior that screams sportiness to the same theme going on inside the cabin.

The semi bucket rally type sports seats, leather-wrapped momo steering wheel, and a simplistic layout, a non-complicated interior makes everything driver-focused and easy to use. Of course, the highlight of the Subaru WRX is the driving experience. Let's be honest people who purchase this car are for one reason only because of how it drives. Rally prepped Subarus have always existed in other parts of the world like Japan and  Europe, but see when the car was introduced here in the States; it changed the game. The AWD system and rally tuned suspension provide stability and plenty of grip on any road you desire to take it on. The suspension, along with its 4-liter boxer can take a serious beating, which should allow you to extend your fun sessions.  Performance-wise the 2L turbocharged four-cylinders produce 227HP and 217lb-ft of torque, which is enough power for twisty roads. While the WRX is not really known to be a straight-line car, it actually performs quite well in its stock form. A sprint from 0-60 happens in just under 6 seconds, which is pretty quick, even in today's standard.

That's pretty slow by today's standard here in the US, but honestly, if you're looking to take a car like this to the track, vehicles with the fastest accelerations don't always win.

The Impreza WRX is a win because of the endless amount of aftermarket parts available for this platform.  And since this car has been around for over a decade, you can search up WRX builds and find thousands for inspiration. Body modifications, wheel setups, tunes, aero, you name it.  The best part is that you can find them for as low as 4900$.

2- Acura TSX

The second car on the list is the Acura TSX.  As many enthusiasts may already know, the TSX is based on the European Honda Accord; unlike the Accord we received here in the US, it was smaller, narrower, and sportier,

making it a much more fun car to drive.  Essentially Acura needed to fill their gap between the Acura RSX and the Acura TL, which is why the TSX became a thing.

It also satisfied those that we're fans of the Integra sedan, something that the successor  RSX didn't offer, as they only had a two-door variant.  The TSX was supposed to be the car that competed with BMW's 3 series and Audi A4, but we think it fell a bit short.  For one, it came with a fwd system, and the driving dynamics weren't quite up to the level as those competitors. That said, Acura TSX is an excellent car; 6-speed manual versions were pretty much bulletproof, customization options were plenty.  In fact, from the factory, it came fully loaded with only one option being available, a $2K  navigation system.  Everything else came standard.  Perforated leather seats that were heated, dual-zone automatic climate control, sunroof, hid's, 360watt music system, you know all of that.  Performance-wise you get a 2.4L 4 cyl V-Tech engine that produces 200HP 166lb-ft of torque.

It does feel like you get a bit more power out of the TSX once Vtech kicks in.  Handling wise it's a bit heavy for its size, but surprisingly responds pretty well around turns.  In summary, this is one of those cars that looks quite conservative when kept in stock but can stand out from the rest with a few modifications.

Gas mileage is also quite impressive, 22mpg city and 29mpg hwy, making this not only a  great daily driver, but since it's essentially honda, reliability shouldn't be a concern in the long run and on higher-mileage models.

3- Volkswagen GLI

The 3rd car on the list is the Volkswagen GLI.  yes, the Volkswagen GTi with a trunk.  Well, not exactly, but pretty close.  Sure it shares the same powertrain as the GTI, but if one doesn't have that hatch look and doesn't handle as well around the twisties.  But that's okay because chances are you're more likely to find a GLI unmolested, unlike the GTI, and at a better price too!

The GLI transforms the boring Jetta most are familiar with into a car that can be a joy to drive, and the best part is that it can take a beating. A lot of the Jetta Gli's out there you can find with the Autobahn package includes a few goodies, including the 400watt Fender sound system, which I was very impressed with.  Sitting in the front seats, listening to high quality, it feels like you're in a concert.

The soundstage coming from the perfectly proportioned speakers was unreal.  Some things that separate the Jetta GLI from the regular Jetta include the inclusion of the independent sport-tuned suspension, a better-looking interior that includes a flat-bottom steering wheel, and the outside looks much sportier.  And, of course, can't leave out the TSI turbocharged 2 L engine that produces 200HP and 207lb-ft.

4- E90 BMW 335i

4th car on the list is the E90 BMW 335i.  It features a timeless design, loads of luxury features, it handles like a dream, and oh yeah, it comes equipped with a highly tunable engine; in fact, it may be one of the easiest engines to get power out of in the modern era, and for cheap too!  $100 gets you 100HP on a stock engine.

These cars have become so obtainable over the years thanks to depreciation, and man, do you get a lot for the price.  Earlier models are definitely more troublesome than the later ones because of several weak points, but once you address those fragile parts, the inline-six engine can be very dependable.

Only 2 major things broke, the hpfp, which was replaced for free under a BMW recall, and the electric water pump after 70K miles, which I ended up paying out of pocket.  Other than that, just regular maintenance as you would expect from any performance car.  The reason the sedan version is desirable is one; you can find them cheaper, they are more practical, allowing you to haul your family around and at the same time being a nice weapon for spirited driving.  Also, it's pretty much a sleeper.  It looks almost the same as the less powerful 328i version, but why lies inside are the real deal.

It comes equipped with a turbocharged inline 6 engine that produces 300HP and 300lb-ft  of torque. And man, do you get that power very early in the powerband.  At around 2400 RPM you have access to all the torque.

Turn traction control completely off, brake boost, and you're flying.  Okay, so we wouldn't recommend any of those kids. The Interior looks excellent, especially with the sports package that includes bolstering adjustable seats with thigh support; they really keep you hugged around hard corners.  Definitely the most car you'll get for the price on this list.  You find them for as low as 3K and sometimes even lower than that.

5- Dodge Charger R/T

5th and last car on the list is the Dodge Charger R/T. Yes, not really sporty, but more so a big RWD sedan with a massive engine up front, which can somewhat be sporty. It has great power to dollar ratio.  Even when it was first released, it only went for 30K, which was a bargain back then for over 300HP  and 300lb-ft.

And now the deal is even sweeter as you can find them pretty cheap. You see, this car can be fun but in a very different type of way. It's big, heavy, but it can surely burn rubber even if it only came equipped with an automatic transmission. It can easily lose control and feel at times uncontrollable can be lots of fun within an enclosed road. This is the car you'd buy if your spouse told you a mustang is too impractical; well, this one is very practical with plenty of room for basketball players and a massive trunk for groceries while having massive Hemi under the hood.  The Charger R/T came at a time where there was this thirst for those 1960s and 1970s  muscle cars; essentially, this was a way to bring modern classics to the modern era.  Did it work out that way, though?  Or was it just a failed plan to bring back an iconic nameplate for the sake of sales?  4doors vs. two doors hmmm...  Well, that is for you to decide.  I will say this, the charger R/T provides the worst fuel efficiency, obviously, but to combat that, the Hemi engine can deactivate 4 of its cylinders when it doesn't think it needs to conserve fuel.  But honestly, if you're in the market for a car like this one, then you probably don't give to squats about fuel consumption.

It comes equipped with a 5.7L Hemi V8 that produces 340HP and 390lb-ft of torque, making it the most powerful car featured on this list.  0-60 happens in just 5.6 seconds if equipped with the Road track package. Yeah, a little confusing. Essentially you get a 10HP bump and sportier suspension tuning.  But yeah, if you want a straight line machine that handles corners like a boat, then this might be the car for you.  You can find them for just under 5k!