23 Surprisingly Affordable Muscle Cars
If you're looking for a vehicle that’s good for the whole family, you probably shouldn’t spring for a Pontiac Firebird or Corvette Stingray. Gas-guzzling V-8 coupes, after all, aren’t exactly practical.
But if you have the means for a set of weekend hobby wheels and power is your passion, there are some mean muscle cars out there for the taking. From the classics that defined street-legal drag racers in the 1960s and ’70s all the way to the latest 2020 models, you can get yourself behind the wheel of a growling beast of a car that turns heads on the highway and intimidates at red lights for less than you might think.
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GOBankingRates examined a blend of current and old-school muscle cars that are currently up for sale and within the financial grasp of many Americans. There’s a broad range of options: some start at just over $10,000, while others go for more than $120,000. That means there’s technically something for everyone. The reality, however, is that once the cash price gets north of $45,000, muscle cars drift beyond the reach of the average Joe. Many of the cars on this list will remain pipe dreams for most people, but we’ve included some on the higher end for those with cash to burn.
Since the cash price is just one of the many costs associated with owning a vehicle, GOBankingRates calculated the true cost of owning each car over five years. This figure includes things like insurance, fuel, financing, taxes and repairs. True cost of ownership was not quantifiable for all models, however, so the cars on this list are ranked by total cash price from lowest to highest.
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GOBankingRates used publications including MotorTrend and CarMax to find examples of affordable muscle cars. Then, the pricing data was further refined using the Edmunds Inc. True Cost to Own pricing calculator for contemporary cars and sale/auction listings from Hemmings.com for classic cars.
Keep reading to learn about the Shelbys, Vettes, Firebirds, Mustangs, Caddys and Camaros that you actually might be able to afford.
You may find that it’s possible to get yourself behind the wheel of one of the coolest cars ever made with money left to spare.
Last updated: June 10, 2021
Ford Maverick Grabber 302
Year: 1971
Style: Ford 302-cu. in. OHV V-8
Total cash price: $10,250
True cost to own for five years: N/A
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AMC Hornet
Year: 1970
Style: 2 dr coupe 318-cu. in. V-8 attached to an RR833 4-speed manual transmission
Total cash price: $14,000
True cost to own for five years: N/A
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Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG
Year: 2015
Style: C63 AMG 2dr Coupe (6.2L 8cyl 7A)
Total cash price: $20,211
True cost to own for five years: $56,134
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Pontiac Firebird
Year: 1979
Style: Trans AM
Total cash price: $24,900
True cost to own for five years: N/A
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Dodge Dart GT Convertible
Year: 1968
Style: 273 V8, 4-speed transmission with Hurst Shifter
Total cash price: $24,995
True cost to own for five years: N/A
Ford Torino GT Convertible
Year: 1969
Style: 351 Windsor cu. in. V8 engine
Total cash price: $28,500
True cost to own for five years: N/A
Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
Year: 1985
Style: 4-speed automatic (5.0L 305 V8)
Total cash price: $29,900
True cost to own for five years: N/A
Ford Mustang EcoBoost Premium
Year: 2020
Style: EcoBoost 2dr Coupe (2.3L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
Total cash price: $30,412
True cost to own for five years: $45,574
Oldsmobile 442
Year: 1970
Style: 455 V-8 TH400 3-speed automatic transmission
Total cash price: $31,995
True cost to own for five years: N/A
Chevrolet Camaro Coupe
Year: 2021
Style: 1LT 2dr Coupe (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
Total cash price: $32,011
True cost to own for five years: $47,420
Ford Shelby GT350
Year: 2014
Style: 2dr Coupe (5.8L 8cyl 6M)
Total cash price: $32,812
True cost to own for five years: $59,138
Dodge Charger SXT
Year: 2021
Style: SXT 4dr Sedan (3.6L 6cyl 8A)
Total cash price: $33,311
True cost to own for five years: $50,391
Dodge Challenger SXT
Year: 2021
Style:SXT 2dr Coupe AWD (3.6L 6cyl 8A)
Total cash price:$36,694
True cost to own for five years:$49,925
Ford Mustang GT
Year: 2021
Style: GT 2dr coupe (5.0L 8cyl 6M)
Total cash price: $39,028
True cost to own for five years: $53,397
Cadillac CTS-V
Year: 2015
Style: 2dr Coupe (6.2L 8cyl S/C 6M)
Total cash price: $42,216
True cost to own for five years: $78,324
Dodge Charger R/T
Year: 2021
Style: R/T 4dr Sedan (5.7L 8cyl 8A)
Total cash price: $42,641
True cost to own for five years: $58,172
Dodge Challenger R/T
Year: 2021
Style: R/T Scat Pack 2dr Coupe (6.4L 8cyl 6M)
Total cash price: $49,712
True cost to own for five years: $63,631
Cadillac CT6
Year: 2020
Style: Luxury 4dr Sedan AWD (3.6L 6cyl 10A)
Total cash price: $55,440
True cost to own for five years: $75,364
Tesla Model S
Year: 2018
Style: 75D 4dr Sedan AWD (electric DD)
Total cash price: $57,199
True cost to own for five years: $71,674
Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
Year: 2021
Style: 2dr Coupe w/1LT (6.2L 8cyl 8AM)
Total cash price: $71,282
True cost to own for five years: $76,040
AMG C63
Year: 2021
Style: AMG C 63 4dr Sedan (4.0L 8cyl Turbo 9A)
Total cash price: $80,382
True cost to own for five years: $96,047
Lexus RC F
Year: 2020
Style: 2dr Coupe (5.0L 8cyl 8A)
Total cash price: $82,658
True cost to own for five years: $97,026
Lexus GS F
Year: 2020
Style: 4dr sedan (5.0L 8cyl 8A)
Total cash price: $91,556
True cost to own for five years: $101,937
GOBankingRates, in order to find surprisingly affordable muscle cars, looked at various auto publications from CarMax to MotorTrend to find examples of both contemporary and historically popular "muscle cars."
From these lists, GOBankingRates used the Edmunds Inc. True Cost to Own pricing calculator for all contemporary models (2015 and after) to find (1) Total Cash Price, which is the vehicle's True Market Value® (TMV®) price plus any typically equipped options, destination charge, base tax, fees assessed by your state and, if applicable, gas guzzler tax. For all historically popular muscle cars, GOBankingRates found cars listed for auction/sale on Hemmings.com and used sale price or final bid price for its Total Cash Price.
In order to be deemed affordable, each muscle car had to either come in below the average cost of a new vehicle purchase for the month of February 2021 as sourced from Kelley Blue Book or come in below the average cost of a new vehicle from its manufacturer, also sourced from Kelley Blue Book. For all contemporary muscle cars, GOBankingRates also found the five-year totals for (2) depreciation, (3) taxes and fees, (4) financing, (5) fuel costs, (6) insurance, (7) maintenance and (8) repairs. Factors (2-8) were then added to give (9) 5-year true cost to own. Depreciation costs were shown for each year while the remaining factors were only given five-year totals. GOBankingRates kept the location for the calculations constant, using the ZIP code 90245 (El Segundo, California).
The Edmunds Inc. True Cost to Own calculations use the following assumptions: -You will drive 15,000 miles per year -You are financing the vehicle using traditional financing, not lease financing -You have an above-average credit rating for the purpose of determining your finance rate -You are making a 10% down payment on the vehicle at purchase All data were collected on and up to date as of April 6, 2021.
Photo Disclaimer: Please note photos are for representational purposes only.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 23 Surprisingly Affordable Muscle Cars
