The 300-hp rear-drive coupe that costs less than a used Civic Si

Looking for a used performance car that's cheap to buy can be a bit daunting at times. There isn't too much choice available if you're on a real budget. What you do find that's the best value-for-money is usually within one particular type of car. But there is one used sports car bargain that's started to become a serious contender to the status quo.

Hot Hatchbacks Are Usually A Good Budget Performance Choice

Usually, if you take a look at the used market, the best value-for-money performance cars are front-wheel drive Hot Hatches. These cars provide a fantastic balance between performance, practicality and usability. You can genuinely have one of these as your only car, and many who own them do. A couple of the best affordable options out there are the EP3 Honda Civic Si and the Mark V Volkswagen Golf GTI. These have been the standard-bearers for value-for-money hot hatches for a reason. They're both affordable and easy to buy, they're both reliable and inexpensive to maintain, and they both deliver great performance.

Some Proper Sports Cars Have Become Incredibly Good Value For Money On The Used Market

As great as those front-wheel drive hot hatches are, we're now at the point where used rear-wheel drive sports coupes are starting to become incredible value for money. While they're not as practical or as suited to daily driving as hot hatches, they make up for that in being better to drive. One of those sports coupes in particular is a car that's a real favorite of enthusiasts all over the world.

The Nissan 350Z Is A Rear-Wheel Drive Sports Coupe That Out-Bargains Front-Wheel Drive Hot Hatches

Out of all the super-affordable rear-wheel drive sports cars out there, the Nissan 350Z has to easily be one of the best. Created as a replacement for the 300ZX, the 350Z was an absolute hit when it came onto the market in the early 2000s. It's not hard to understand why. It looks good, it's fantastic to drive, and it's built entirely on proven, rock-solid Japanese engineering. Part of that proven Japanese engineering involves it being built on Nissan's Front Midship platform. This is the same platform that underpinned the Infiniti G35. With DNA shared with one of the best supercars of the 2000s and 2010s, it's no wonder that the 350Z is so good!

It Has One Of Nissan's Best Engines

A big part of why the Nissan 350Z is so great is its engine. It uses two different variants of Nissan's VQ35 engine (the VQ35DE and VQ35HR). This 3.5-liter V6 produces anywhere from 287–306 hp and 268–274 lb-ft of torque. The higher power outputs come from the VQ35HR, which was used in the more track-focused Nismo version. This higher-powered variant could also rev to a redline of 7,500 rpm! That's not as high as the power output can go, either. As you'll soon see, the VQ35 has almost unlimited potential for modifications...

The VQ35 is far from exclusive to the 350Z in terms of premium and performance cars. The Infiniti G35 (which was based on the same platform as the Nissan 350Z) also used it, as did the Infiniti M35 & M35h, FX35, and QX4. It was also the largest engine option in the second generation of the Japanese-market only Nissan Stagea. That's only a small fraction of all the cars that have ever used the VQ35. But it still shows that this engine is so well-regarded that Nissan was happy to use it across all sorts of different models.

It's Got Better Performance Than A Typical Hot Hatch From The Same Era

Thanks to that fantastic power output, the Nissan 350Z has better performance than the usual bargain hot hatches. The Mark V Volkswagen Golf GTI only makes 228 hp, while the EP3 Honda Civic Si makes do with just 205 hp. That extra power gives the 350Z much better acceleration than either of those hot hatches. 0-60 mph takes just 5.4 seconds, it has a drag-limited top speed of just over 155 mph and it can do a 1/4 mile in 14.1 seconds at 101 mph. In comparison, the EP3 Honda Civic Si takes 8 seconds to do the same 0-60 mph sprint, and does the 1/4 mile in 16.2 seconds at 86 mph.

It's Now Become Incredibly Cheap

What really makes the Nissan 350Z a hot hatch killer isn't just its performance. It's also how cheap it is on the used market. You can pick up a base model example for around $12,930. On the top end of the scale, the 350Z Nismo can be yours for an average of around $27,921. It's not unheard of, either, for 350Z coupes to sell for as little as $7,425! That's a lower price than you'd typically find any used front-wheel drive hot hatch for. The EP3 Honda Civic Si has an average used value of around $10,223, and the Mark V Volkswagen Golf GTI has an average used value of around $12,129.

What To Look For Before Buying A Used Nissan 350Z

There's a reason the 350Z is so affordable today, and it isn't because it's a bad sports car. Many have simply lived hard lives. Most standard models have spent years accumulating modifications, seeing track days, or even surviving minor crashes, so buying on condition is far more important than buying on price.

Watch for gallery gasket problems on HR-powered cars, oil-burning DE and Rev-Up engines, worn manual transmission synchros, aging suspension bushings, failed window regulators, weak hatch struts, electrical issues, and rust on cars that have spent time in harsh climates. Find a straight one that's been cared for instead of endlessly modified, and it'll reward you with years of reliable V6 thrills.

Why The 350Z NISMO Is Worth The Extra Money

Within Nissan's performance hierarchy, few badges carry as much weight as NISMO. Short for Nissan Motorsports, the division has spent decades turning already capable cars into sharper, track-focused machines, much like BMW's M division or Mercedes-AMG. That philosophy was evident when the 350Z NISMO arrived for 2007, transforming Nissan's already capable sports coupe into a factory-built track special instead of simply giving it a more aggressive look.

Every U.S.-spec NISMO came equipped with the 306-hp VQ35HR, the most potent engine available in the 350Z lineup and offered only with the six-speed manual. Rather than chasing a bigger horsepower number, Nissan focused on improving every other aspect of the driving experience. Each NISMO chassis was shipped to Autech Japan for additional hand-welded seams that increased structural rigidity, while Yamaha-developed body dampers helped control vibrations and improve stability. A unique suspension tune, functional Super GT-inspired aerodynamics, Brembo brakes, forged RAYS wheels, a NISMO exhaust, and a serialized plaque on the center console completed the package.

With only 1,607 U.S. examples produced over two model years, the 350Z NISMO has become increasingly desirable among collectors. Its rarity, factory-engineered upgrades, and connection to Nissan's motorsports heritage have helped it command a noticeable premium over standard 350Z models, making a clean, original example one that's well worth preserving if you're lucky enough to own one.

It Has Near-Unlimited Tuning Potential

Perhaps the biggest factor that makes the Nissan 350Z so much more appealing to enthusiasts than a typical front-wheel drive hot hatch, though, is its tuning potential. The VQ35 engine is a strong and dependable unit, and many tuners have taken advantage of that. There are aftermarket parts and kits that can do everything from mild ECU tunes to turbocharging, boosting the power up to crazy levels beyond the standard factory output. 350Z builds with over 400 hp at the wheels are not uncommon. The modifications don't stop at power, either. It's easy to get transmission, suspension, and differential upgrades for these cars too, boosting their drivability and handling as well as their power.

Sources: Bring A Trailer, Car & Driver, Classic.com, Honda, Nissan, Volkswagen