Cheap Cars That Look Expensive: Options Under $20k

Carlos Kirby
· 4 min read
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Used cars
are great for the wallet and they don't have to be boring. In fact, there are plenty of fast cars for cheap, and some are surprisingly powerful and reliable, too.
Hot Cars
gives a detailed list of the 25 most affordable cars starting under 20K. Here are some of the best cheap cars that look expensive. 
If you’re looking for stylish autos that won’t break the bank check out these cars.

Cheap cars that look expensive: 2010 Lexus IS 350 C

Starting at a price tag of around $13,000, the Lexus IS 350 C is a great option for folks who want to save some money. Since it's a Lexus, customers should feel very comfortable sitting in the car,
Not only is Lexus known for its luxury, but it's also known for safety. As such, a Lexus can provide comfort both physically and mentally. On top of that, Lexus is well-known for its reliability.
As such, even though it may be a decade old, this Lexus should have plenty more miles in its future. More importantly, though, it's a pretty quick car.
Road and Track
said that the IS 350 C had a 3.5-liter V-6 engine. This allowed it to get about 306 horsepower. Overall, it could go from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.5 seconds, and it had a top speed of about 141 mph.
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The Chevrolet Corvette C5

MORE: Chevy Teased the 2023 Corvette Z06 and Fans Are Already Drooling
Corvettes are some of the best looking cars of all time. The Corvette is in its eighth generation now, but customers can get a cheaper Corvette if they shop for a much older generation. A C5 can start at about $16,000 if folks look for one made before the 2003 model year. 
Despite being almost two decades old, the C5 is still a Corvette, and it's still very powerful. Like Road and Track said, it still came with a 5.7-liter V-8, though its power output improved with its age and trim. For example, the 2002 Corvette Z06 got 405 horsepower, a 60 horsepower improvement over the standard V-8 from the 1997 model year.
Thanks to its rear-wheel drive and lightweight design, it was very fast, too. A Z06 from 2001, according to Road and Track, could go from 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, and it could top out at 171 mph. 

Cool affordable cars: 2008 BMW M3 

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The BMW M3 is one of the more popular BMWs and one of the best looking cars under 20k. It is also one of the best cheap cars that look expensive on the aftermarket. 
Like Hot Cars said, despite being from the 2008 model year, the M3 can still start at about $20,000. This relatively high price tag for a used car shows just how in-demand the M3 is.
That's not surprising, since the M3, despite not being a true sports car, can compete with them anyway. It had a 4.0-liter V-8 that got about 414 horsepower, and this allowed it to go from 0 to 60 mph in about 4.6 seconds.
However, like Road and Track said, it's limited to a top speed of about 161 mph. Despite that, the M3 made up for it by being very agile on the road. This allowed the Beemer to go fast, handle well, and most importantly, be easy on the wallet. 
To be clear, though, the M3 was slower than true high-end luxury cars, such as a Mercedes. However, taken together, the BMW M3 was a great, fast car for under $20k.
Buying cheap cars that look expensive can be a challenge, but so is getting cheap insurance quotes. That's where
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