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Motor1
Business
Jeff Perez

Affordable Sports Cars? In This Economy?

Remember 2013? What a time to be alive. Scion and Subaru had just launched the FR-S and BRZ sports cars—fresh off a partnership built around the boxer engine. These were the first true modern challengers to the long-unmatched Mazda Miata, and like the Miata, they hit the market with price tags aimed at everyday enthusiasts.

Back then, the original Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ twins started at just under $25,000. The third-generation NC Mazda Miata was slightly cheaper at around $23,000. You also had front-wheel-drive darlings like the Honda Civic Si (~$22,000), Volkswagen Golf GTI (~$24,000), Ford Focus ST (~$24,000), and Mazdaspeed3 (~$24,000) to choose from—all competitively priced for the segment.

While some of those models have since disappeared, new contenders like the Hyundai Elantra N and Toyota GR Corolla have cropped up in their place. Meanwhile, the Toyobaru twins, GTI, Miata, and Civic Si are still around—but each has grown in size, sophistication, and, most notably, price.

The term "affordable sports car" is less applicable today than ever before. The days of sub-$25,000 sporty cars are long gone, and even the most basic economy cars now barely sneak in under $25,000.

Of course, there are a few different factors at play here—the biggest being relentless, soul-crushing inflation. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, $25,000 in 2013 is equivalent to roughly $35,000 in 2025 money. It should also be mentioned that the average price of a new car in the US still hovers at around $47,000—that’s up from about $31,000 in 2013, which represents a $4,000 premium when adjusted for inflation.

Even though average wages have increased recently, narrowing the inflation gap, many of these "affordable" sports cars are aimed at younger buyers. And the sad reality is, many of those buyers simply can't afford them. A young adult working an entry-level job, potentially at the current $7.25 minimum wage, wouldn't be able to get into a Subaru BRZ or Volkswagen GTI without taking out a predatory 84-month loan. Those 84-month auto loans, by the way, just recently hit an all-time high.

Tariffs have also pushed prices higher. Back in May, Toyota acknowledged that tariffs would result in increased US prices. Volkswagen echoed the same sentiment before announcing price hikes for its 2026 lineup. And a Cars.com study from July suggested that tariffs could all but kill cars under $30,000—though, that remains to be seen.

Prior to President Trump’s tariffs, imports from Japan were taxed at around 3 percent, while goods coming from South Korea were just under 10 percent, generally speaking. Now, with tariffs at 15 percent for both countries, our favorite affordable sports cars are squarely in the crosshairs for price increases. For some, those hikes are already here.

A young adult working an entry-level job ... wouldn't be able to get into a Subaru BRZ or Volkswagen GTI without taking out a predatory 84-month loan.

Subaru recently announced 2026 pricing for the BRZ, and it’s not good news. The base Premium trim is gone, meaning the entry point is now the Limited model—starting at $37,055 with destination. It’s a growing trend in the industry as a whole: automakers ditching their thriftiest model for a pricier base with more features. Even if that means the entry MSRP goes up.

Toyota isn't immune either. When the first GR Corolla launched in 2023, its $36,995 starting price undercut its key competitor, the Volkswagen Golf R. A very reasonable price tag for a hot hatch with 300 horsepower. Now, though, the GR Corolla's base price has ballooned to $42,495 in just three years. That's not cheap, but it's still a lot better than a base Golf R, which goes for over $50,000 these days.

The Ford Mustang was also one of the cheapest ways to get into a muscle car, with the base V-6 model starting at around $23,000 in 2013. Now, you can't get into a base Fastback (now with a four-cylinder engine) for less than $33,000. Adjusted for inflation, that's nearly a 10 percent price increase. And while the Mustang tops this chart, it isn't alone:

Model Previous Price Current Price % Increase (Adjusted for Inflation)
Ford Mustang $22,995 (2013) $33,915 +9.7%
Toyota GR Corolla $36,995 (2023) $42,495 +8.4%
Volkswagen Golf R $34,795 (2013) $50,730 +5.1%
Subaru BRZ $26,245 (2013) $37,055 +1.8%

But that's not to say that every affordable sports car has skyrocketed in price. In fact, a handful of others are actually slightly more affordable to start when adjusted for inflation. 

Take the Toyota GR86, for example. Toyota's boxer sports car retains its base trim for 2026, making it $5,000 cheaper than its cousin, the BRZ—essentially the same car with fewer options. In fact, of all the "affordable" sports cars mentioned here, the GR86 has one of the steepest price drops when adjusted for inflation: 8.8 percent.

It's not the only one. The Mazda Miata is still the most affordable sporty car in America, with a starting price of just $31,065 for 2025. Even though the GTI is nearly a $35,000 car these days, that's about 2.1 percent below inflation. Meanwhile, the Honda Civic Si and Hyundai Elantra N remain affordable:

Model Original Price Current Price % Increase (Adjusted for Inflation)
Scion FR-S / Toyota GR86 $24,930 (2013) $31,535 (2026) -8.8%
Mazda Miata $24,515 (2013) $31,065 (2025) -4.7%
Volkswagen GTI $24,790 (2013) $33,670 (2026) -2.1%
Hyundai Elantra N $32,925 (2022) $35,595 (2026) -1.1%
Honda Civic Si $23,305 (2013) $32,190 (2026) -0.4%

Ultimately, affordability is a sliding scale—but lately, it only seems to move in one direction: up. While many of these cars aren’t outrageously expensive compared to what some automakers are charging elsewhere in their lineups—and many of them are truly still affordable—it’s disappointing that a genuinely fun, sporty car under $25,000 is now a thing of the past.

And sadly, we'll likely never see it again.

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