10 Fastest American Cars Under $30,000


Most car enthusiasts like speed and acceleration. We crave the rush of endorphins from being pushed back into our seats and hearing the sound of the engine and exhaust working together to deliver the best possible performance.


For many people, this is not an everyday experience because they drive relatively ordinary hatchbacks, sedans, and pickup trucks. The American car is known for its sheer power and straight-line speed, two traits that make him perfect for drag racing. Luckily for many, this higher performance means second hand market New – relatively boring – cheaper than the price of a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. At this price, a slightly older Chevrolet Corvette with a very large V8 engine and a lot of tire-smoking potential, or a nifty and practical Ford Focus RS Hot Hatchback are available on the used market.

A fast car can easily cost over $70,000, but American cars have always offered the same speed for far less cash, especially on the used market. Here are 10 of the fastest used American cars under $30,000.

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Ten 2019 Cadillac ATS $2.0 Trillion 18,000 — 143 MPH

cadillac association

The Cadillac ATS was the model designation given to the smaller sedans and coupes within the Cadillac lineup before being renamed to the current CT4. The ATS is a pretty good luxury car available on the used market for around $18,000.

Not bad for a sporty coupe with 272 horsepower and a top speed of 143 mph. It can be fitted with a manual or automatic transmission and looks like new thanks to Cadillac’s elegant styling. A value luxury car with all the technology an everyday driver needs.

9 1993 Chevy Corvette LT1 $11,000 — 147 MPH

Corvette C4
chevrolet

The Chevrolet Corvette is a classic American sports car with beautiful lines, powerful engines and a relatively low price. Interior comfort wasn’t on par with its European counterparts, but it was enough to embarrass many Euro and Japanese rivals by brute force.

The C4 generation Corvette may not have been well liked, but it was the beginning of a new kind of ‘Vet’. 5.7 liters LT1 The V8 had enough power to push the vehicle up to 147 mph. This was as fast as a Ferrari at the time. All that power is available today for just $11,000.

8 2019 Cadillac CTS 3.6 $20,000 — 155 MPH

Cadillac CTS
Via Cadillac

Cadillac CTS is the name given to a midsize sedan that rivals the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class and Audi A6. In that regard, CTS does a pretty good job and is an elegant piece of Americana. Unlike those Europeans, caddies are much cheaper to buy.

A good CTS with a V6 will cost you around $20,000. This gives it 335 horsepower and a top speed of 155 mph. The eight-speed automatic is smooth, the ride smoothes over road imperfections, and offers the same luxury as the 5 Series at about half the price. Not bad at all.

7 2021 Dodge Challenger R/T $24,000 — 155 MPH

Dodge Challenegr RT Scat Pack - Front
Via Dodge

The current generation Dodge Challenger has outperformed both the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro for the second year in a row and is a very popular vehicle. So while the Challenger’s used price has gone up a bit, paying around $24,000 for a 5.7-liter, 375-horsepower muscle car isn’t bad at all.

The Challenger R/T comes with a smooth eight-speed automatic based on the famous ZF transmission, and thanks to a pure under-hood grunt, Dodge had to limit top speed to 155 mph. was. However, the much more powerful and expensive Hellcat version is much faster.

6 2015 Ford Mustang GT $29,000 — 164 MPH

2015-Ford-Mustang-GT-
Via Ford Motor Company

The Ford Mustang is the car that aptly started the war between muscle cars and pony cars in the 1960s and 1970s. The Mustang is now in its sixth generation, with the seventh coming in his 2024 with a completely redesigned car.

In the meantime, the S550 models are old enough to be considered bargains on the used market, with a full-fat Mustang GT going for around $30,000. The interior quality could be a little cheesy, but otherwise it’s a pure muscle car. Top speed is 164 mph.

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Five 2017 Chevy Camaro 1SS $25,000 — 165 MPH

2017 Chevrolet Camaro SS
chevrolet

Rounding out the three major muscle cars in the United States is the Chevrolet Camaro. This is the most versatile of the three, with a choice of inline 4 turbo, V6 and two V8s depending on trim. The Camaro SS has changed very little since his 2017, so paying his $25,000 for a used car instead of $42,000 is a pretty good deal.

A 6.2-liter V8 engine at the front produces 455 horsepower, all of which is delivered to the rear wheels via either a 6-speed manual or a 10-speed automatic. Regardless of transmission, the Camaro SS has a top speed of 165 mph, a mile per hour faster than the Mustang GT. secretly.

Four 2017 Ford Focus RS $22,000 — 165 MPH

ford focus rs front quarter nitros blue
ford

Muscle cars aside, the now-discontinued Ford Focus RS has a top speed of 165 mph. It has a turbocharged inline 4 instead of the big V8 like the Mustang. That’s a pretty impressive feat.

The value of this model has grown in recent years since the Focus RS was discontinued and Ford announced it would end production. There are some used RS models available for close to $50,000, but more reasonable sellers can pick one up for as little as $22,000.

3 2002 Chevy Corvette Z06 $19,000 — 170 MPH

Chevrolet Corvette C5 Z06
chevrolet

The entry into the faster cars on the list begins with the C5 Corvette Z06. It’s not as cool or good-looking as other generations, but it’s still a good car. Powering the American Brute is his 5.7-liter V8 producing 405 horsepower, all of which goes to the rear wheels.

The increased power over the C4 has resulted in better acceleration and control, but the improved aerodynamics have allowed the car, which sells for around $19,000 on the used market today, to reach an incredible 170 mph. was able to issue That’s a serious blow for the money.

RELATED: 10 fastest sedans on the market in 2023

2 2012 Chrysler 300C SRT $28,000 — 170 MPH

Chrysler 300 SRT8 parked outdoors
Via topspeed.com

Ten years after the C5 Corvette, Chrysler has done the same tricks at the same speed, but now with a big, plush sedan and an even bigger, more powerful V8. Driving the 300C SRT is his 6.4-liter V8 producing 475 horsepower.Power was sent to the rear wheels via Mercedes-Benz 5G tronic Automatic.

The 300C may not be the most aerodynamic sedan on the planet, but it still looks great, even with a top speed of 170 mph. Chrysler is selling his last hooray edition for 2023, but the slightly older model for $28,000 works just as well.

1 2008 Chevy Corvette $23,000 — 186 MPH

Front 3/4 view of C6 Corvette Coupe
favcars.com

Finally, the fastest American car on the used market under $30,000 is, as you probably guessed it, the Chevrolet Corvette. The C6 generation was also criticized, but it was great in the long run.

Powering this beast is a proven and reliable 6.2-liter LS3 V8 that puts out 436 horsepower. Power is sent to the rear wheels and thanks to engineering, it can reach 186 mph before it stops accelerating. This is faster than the C7 I replaced it with. That’s just $23,000. Not bad for American engineering.


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