Can't afford a six-figure sports car? These automakers are still making fun, affordable models

The sports car market may be shrinking, but there are still options out there for budget conscious drivers.

Dave Coleman, an engineering manager for Mazda, can list plenty of reasons why more Americans should get behind the wheel of the diminutive MX-5 Miata ($29,530).

Coleman takes his to the airport -- "Buy luggage that has a soft side and put in the trunk, it's bigger than you think" -- and successfully navigates California commuter traffic among the SUV and truck leviathans. Plus, at 6'2, he's proof that tall individuals can squeeze into a Miata without feeling crunched inside.

"There is so much boring stuff in our daily life ... so much of daily driving is not fun," Coleman told ABC News. "Sports cars are an attainable way to enjoy your life. You can push the envelope with a sports car."

Coleman said the capable Miata, which has been around for 35 years, has earned its reputation as one of the top sports cars because of its affordability, lightness and buoyant personality. It's also one of the few sports cars on the market that has been able to withstand consumer trends, which haven't been favorable to two-seaters.

"You can drive the car at the limit without going so fast that you can't see through the corner," he said. "The suspension is supple and soft and made for bumpy roads -- you can easily drive it in traffic. It's tuned for backroads, not the track. We sell as many as we build."

U.S. drivers may lust over sports cars, but few can afford to have one. Sports cars cost more on average, drawing in wealthier buyers who likely have more than one car in the garage, according to Tyson Jominy, vice president of data and analytics at J.D. Power.

Sales of sports cars have been steadily declining since their peak in 2005, making up just 1.1% of the current U.S. auto market, Jominy noted.

"Sports cars are not very practical," Jominy told ABC News. "To have one compromises your lifestyle. As a former Miata owner, it's fantastic to get pizza in, but you can't fit the pizza box inside. I love the Miata and hope and pray it has a great future but there are major trade-offs to be in a sports car. You need excess funds to afford these vehicles."

He added, "People still want to have fun, but the practicality and cost preclude people from buying sports cars."

Fewer Americans may be choosing sports cars but Joe Bellino, the Mustang brand manager, said the "iconic" Ford sports car and its manual transmission will be here for "the long haul."

Bellino noted that the Mustang (starting price $31,920) dominated the U.S. sports car segment in May, accounting for 62% of sales. The summer months will help boost sales even more, he said, adding that the brand is seeing strong interest from women, especially in the track-focused Mustang Dark Horse.

Whether buyers chose the coupe or convertible, Bellino can attest that the Mustang has more than good looks and performance to keep drivers happy. He drove one every day after college and loved it.

"We have the big infotainment screen, the limited slip differentials, heated seats, ventilated seats, heated steering wheel, plenty of truck space and adjustable drive modes, plus the Co-Pilot360 technology comes standard on all models," he told ABC News. "You're not losing anything, you're not sacrificing with a sports car."

U.S. drivers who are seeking a sports car for $50,000 or less can also test-drive the Toyota GR86, Subaru BRZ and Nissan Z. Though not viewed as traditional sports cars, the BMW 230i coupe, MINI JCW 2-door and GR Corolla are all relatively affordable and can be gratifying on twisty roads and local chicanes.

The Chevy Camaro, a former competitor in the space, was retired in 2024, though Mark Reuss, president of General Motors, seemed open to the possibility of its return.

"That formula of beauty and little bit of functionality and fun is really important," he told ABC News. "If we were to bring back the Camaro, that piece of it is really core."

Vinay Shahani, senior vice president of U.S. marketing and sales for Nissan, said sales of the Z have been "fantastic" since its relaunch in 2023, noting that buyers get a lot of performance for the price.

"We still have a sports car in the lineup when other car companies have walked away from those type of vehicles. It puts us in a positive situation, especially with the enthusiasts," Shahani told ABC News. "Very few car companies offer a manual transmission, 400 horsepower sports car that starts in the low $40,000s. It's a formula that doesn't exist at very many car companies."

Tony Quiroga, editor-in-chief of Car and Driver, said the site's readers are constantly asking for more articles about affordable sports and performance cars, evidence that there is pent-up demand. Quiroga, however, said he feared these cars could disappear from showrooms in the future as the market shrinks.

"Coupes are a hard sell ... everyone wants a practical shape like an SUV," he told ABC News. "The customer has shifted. The performance space moved into electric cars."

Quiroga said the exploits of driving a sports car, especially a gas-powered one, cannot be replicated in an SUV or crossover.

"It's a little bit of theater and passion ... the whole driving experience is different," Quiroga said. "There's magic to an internal combustion engine. Drivers want to hear the engine and shift the gears themselves. Supercar makers understand this."

Rory Carroll, the former EIC of Jalopnik and co-founder of Alloy mag, acknowledged that building sports cars today versus 20 years ago is a "really hard business case for a lot of automakers." He's still not convinced sports cars will eventually cease to exist.

"I disagree with the premise that people don't want to buy them," he told ABC News. "I feel a responsibility to recommend these cars ... and I am grateful for these companies that have invested in the segment."

Carroll, who called the Miata "one of the all-time great cars," said every driver should have an opportunity to own a sports car, if only for a few years. He took out a bank loan in his 20s to buy a used Porsche 911, a decision that taught him "so much" about driving.

"You can't do it forever -- you will age out of a sports car," he conceded. "It may not be the smartest decision you can make on paper, but owning a sports car is a life experience too few people are having. You will never regret buying a sports car."

Coleman, the Miata engineer, said he takes his car to the mountains every weekend, driving "the wheels off this thing." Everyone can have that same experience, he argued.

"What makes the Miata unique is that it's focused purely on being fun to drive. It's not a performance car," he said. "The design is classic -- it will look good in another 25 years. It's crazy that you can have that much fun and it cost almost nothing."

Ferry Porsche, the scion of Porsche AG founder Ferdinand Porsche, famously said, "The last car built on Earth will surely be a sports car." We'll see if he's right.