{"id":520419,"date":"2010-04-08T11:16:41","date_gmt":"2010-04-08T15:16:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ridelust.com\/?p=42947"},"modified":"2010-04-08T11:16:41","modified_gmt":"2010-04-08T15:16:41","slug":"mr-frugal-presents-eight-hoonmobiles-that-won%e2%80%99t-break-the-bank","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/520419","title":{"rendered":"Mr. Frugal Presents: Eight Hoonmobiles That Won\u2019t Break The Bank"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A while back I ran a piece on the ten least expensive new cars to insure. As you\u2019d imagine, none of them were even remotely entertaining to drive. So is there no hope for a car enthusiast on a budget? RideLust feels your pain, so I\u2019ve researched eight 2010 models that are guaranteed to amuse without costing you an arm and a leg.<\/p>\n

<\/span>First, I looked at insurance costs for all 2010 models (based on a national average, for a 40 year old male with no points on his license). Next, I looked at which ones were entertaining to drive, then assigned a completely subjective \u201cfun to drive\u201d score from 1 to 10. I looked at the MSRP. Finally, I calculated the five year cost of insurance plus the purchase price; once I had all this data, I sorted the winners in the order I liked best.<\/p>\n

8. Chevrolet Camaro SS<\/h3>\n

\"2010<\/a><\/p>\n

MSRP: $32,000.00
\nAnnual insurance: $1,445.00
\nFive year cost: $39,225.00
\nFun factor: 8<\/strong><\/p>\n

I like the new Camaro well enough, even if it is hard for anyone over five foot eight inches tall to get in or out without smashing their head. What put it in last place was simply the high purchase price and limited options for driving at 100%. If you\u2019ve got to have one, get the stick; the slushbox costs you 26 horsepower and feels sluggish off the line.<\/p>\n

7. Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works Package<\/h3>\n

\"2010<\/a><\/p>\n

MSRP: $29,500.00
\nAnnual insurance: $1,360.00
\nFive year cost: $36,300.00
\nFun factor: 10<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Mini Cooper may well be the most entertaining front wheel drive car on the planet, and it is one you can drive at 10\/10s every time you get behind the wheel. The JCW version makes 208 horsepower, good enough to launch the Mini to 60 in around 6 seconds. Handling is very good right out of the box, and strong aftermarket support allows you to tune the car as your taste and budget allows.<\/p>\n

6. Ford Mustang Convertible<\/h3>\n

\"2010<\/a><\/p>\n

MSRP: $27,500.00
\nAnnual insurance: $1,371.00
\nFive year cost: $34,355.00
\nFun factor: 6<\/strong><\/p>\n

So how can a Mustang convertible only score a fun factor of 6? Sadly, we\u2019re talking about the fuel-hungry-but-anemic 2010 V6 model here, the one with 210 horsepower and a city rating of 18 mpg. Still, it\u2019s a Mustang and it\u2019s a ragtop, and there are plenty of ways to add a bit more scoot and tighten up the handling. In stock form you won\u2019t keep up with a 2010 Miata on a racetrack, but you can still enjoy those sunny days in style.<\/p>\n

5. Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T Track<\/h3>\n

\"2010<\/a><\/p>\n

MSRP: $27,500.00
\nAnnual insurance: $1,421.00
\nFive year cost: $34,605.00
\nFun factor: 8<\/strong><\/p>\n

Just in case you\u2019ve been living in a cave for the past few years, the Genesis Coupe is the new ride to have for the tuner set, and with good reason. The 2.0 liter turbocharged motor puts out 210 horsepower, which drives the (proper) rear wheels and gets the car to 60 in around 6.5 seconds. It\u2019s rated at 21 mpg city, 30 mpg highway so it won\u2019t eat you out of house and home. It\u2019s damn comfortable (unless you\u2019re sentenced to the back seat, which counts as cruel and unusual punishment), it\u2019s stylish and it\u2019s backed by one of the industry\u2019s best warranties. Unless you\u2019re a badge snob (in which case you wouldn\u2019t be reading this list anyway), you really need to drive a Genesis Coupe if you\u2019re in the market for a two door ride.<\/p>\n

4. Volkswagen GTI<\/h3>\n

\"2010<\/a><\/p>\n

MSRP: $26,000.00
\nAnnual insurance: $1,406.00
\nFive year cost: $33,030.00
\nFun factor: 8<\/strong><\/p>\n

The original hot hatchback is still one of my personal favorites. Sure there are quicker cars out there, and there are cars at the same price point with better handling. Somehow, nothing seems to deliver quite the same feel and solid build as the VW. A huge aftermarket can supply any kind of go-fast parts you\u2019d ever want, but the stock GTI is plenty enjoyable to drive as is. Think of it as the thinking hoon\u2019s commuter car of choice.<\/p>\n

3. Mazda MX-5 Miata<\/h3>\n

\"2010<\/a><\/p>\n

MSRP: $26,000.00
\nAnnual insurance: $1,290.00
\nFive year cost: $32,450.00
\nFun factor: 10<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are two kinds of people who buy Miatas: those who want a perfectly balanced sports car with just enough power to make things interesting, and those who want a cute convertible. Fortunately for us enthusiasts, the little old ladies buying Miatas outnumber the hoons by at least 5 to 1; therefore, insurance companies view the Miata as a 2 liter, four cylinder economy car. Just don\u2019t tip them to the fact that it\u2019s got it\u2019s own racing series, or that with a few afternoons turning wrenches you can embarrass cars costing 3x as much in the twisties. If you still think a Miata is a chick car, then you\u2019ve never driven one at speed; do so, and I guarantee it\u2019ll change your perspective.<\/p>\n

2. Mazda Mazdaspeed 3<\/h3>\n

\"2010<\/a><\/p>\n

MSRP: $24,000.00
\nAnnual insurance: $1,480.00
\nFive year cost: $31,400.00
\nFun factor: 8<\/strong><\/p>\n

Just look at the numbers: 263 horsepower, with a zero to sixty time of 6.1 seconds. Vented front discs that are 12.6 inches in diameter, with rears that are 11 inches. A limited slip differential and a 155 mile per hour (governed) top speed, all for under $24,000.00. Sure, the new styling was penned by an anime artist on a bad acid trip, and the interior is guaranteed to induce motion sickness while you\u2019re parked, but who cares? You\u2019d be hard pressed to find a better bang for the performance buck, and the Mazdaspeed 3 can handle anything from daily commutes to weekend track days.<\/p>\n

1. Honda Civic Si Sedan<\/h3>\n

\"2010<\/a><\/p>\n

MSRP: $23,500.00
\nAnnual insurance: $1,480.00
\nFive year cost: $30,900.00
\nFun factor: 8<\/strong><\/p>\n

My real preference is for the more attractive two door coupe, but the sedan is significantly cheaper on insurance. If you\u2019ve never driven the new Civic Si models, go do so immediately. Like the Miata, they make you feel like a much better driver than you probably are. The six speed gearbox in the Civic Si models is among the best in the industry, and is nearly as good as the gearbox in the S2000 (which, as everybody knows, is handbuilt by God himself). Are they small? Yes, they\u2019re small. Are they high strung? Yes, you need to wind them up to make power. Will you have every modded Civic and Acura within a 100 mile radius want to dice with you light to light? Sure, but that\u2019s part of the fun. The Civic Si is one of the few cars that can be socially respectable and hoonable at the same time. The neighbors won\u2019t bat an eyelash if they see one in your driveway, so don\u2019t let on that you bought it because it\u2019s a blast to drive.<\/p>\n

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A while back I ran a piece on the ten least expensive new cars to insure. As you\u2019d imagine, none of them were even remotely entertaining to drive. So is there no hope for a car enthusiast on a budget? RideLust feels your pain, so I\u2019ve researched eight 2010 models that are guaranteed to amuse […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2161,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-520419","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/520419","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2161"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=520419"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/520419\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=520419"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=520419"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=520419"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}