Top 15 Affordable Sports Cars of the 90s

There used to be so many sports cars on the market back in the 1990s, and although some were way too expensive for the average consumer, others were actually affordable—and fun too. A sports car didn’t have to burn rubber with a gazillion horsepower, but had to look good and handle relatively well. Unfortunately, SUVs took over the world, and those little sportsters of the 90s pretty much all disappeared. With a tear in our eye, here’s a look back at the most interesting—or intriguing—affordable sports cars when Grunge music, flannel shirts and Tamagotchis were the rage.

Acura Integra
Ask anyone to name their favourite Acura model, and there’s a good chance it would be the Integra. Sold from 1986 to 2001, spanning three generations, the Integra offered refinement, great handling and just enough power to make things interesting, without going overboard with the luxury features to keep the car’s price down to an affordable level. In 1992, our blood starting boiling with the arrival of the GS-R, which boasted a 1.7-litre VTEC engine good for 160 horsepower. The third-gen car is the most desirable with its much sportier design, quad headlights and more potent engines, notably the 170-horsepower 1.8-litre four in the GS-R, and especially the mighty Type R’s high-revving, 195-horsepower four.

Asüna Sunfire/Isuzu Impulse
Remember Asüna? It was another short-lived division of General Motors, created for the Canadian market to offer imported cars in Pontiac-Buick-GMC dealerships. The most significant model sold under the Asüna banner was the Sunfire, a near identical twin of the second-generation Isuzu Impulse. They both sported pop-up eyelids that gave the cars a mean face that we liked quite a bit. The Sunfire was equipped with a 130-horsepower, 1.6-litre twin-cam four-cylinder engine in 1991 and 1992, just like the Impulse XS. However, the very rare, 1991-only Impulse RS boasted a turbocharged and intercooled version of the 1.6-litre engine, good for 160 horsepower, along with all-wheel drive. The 1993 Sunfire, its final year of production, was equipped with a 1.8-litre four that produced 140 hp.

Eagle Talon/Mitsubishi Eclipse/Plymouth Laser
These vitamin-packed triplets rocked the affordable sports car market with they hit the market for the 1990 model year. Mitsubishi may be a conservative automaker today, but back in the day, it was the mastermind behind the Diamond-Star cars’ turbocharged and intercooled, 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine. It developed 190 horsepower in front-wheel drive versions, and 195 hp in the AWD variants. Because yes, the Talon TSi AWD, Eclipse GSX and Laser RS Turbo AWD were hot to trot with their four-wheel drivetrains. The second-generation Talon and Eclipse were just as potent when they arrived in 1995 with 210 hp, but their exterior design wasn’t as seductive. The Talon left the market in 1998, while the Eclipse survived for another two generations.

Ford Probe
The Probe was introduced in the 1980s, sharing many components with the Mazda MX-6. Although it was a stylish little sports coupe with an available turbo engine, and eventually a 3.0-litre V6, the second-generation model simply knocked our socks off with its seductive design. Especially in GT trim, which also happened to boast a 164-horsepower, naturally aspirated 2.5-litre V6. The first Probe was sold from 1989 to 1992, and the second one, from 1993 to 1997.

Geo Storm
What was once a division of General Motors created to fight the import brands with models engineering and built by foreign companies such as Toyota and Isuzu, Geo offered the cute little Storm hatchback from 1990 to 1993. It used an Isuzu powertrain and a suspension tweaked with the help of Lotus, and the uplevel GSi variant was equipped with a 130-horsepower, 1.6-litre twin-cam engine. The Storm initially set itself apart with its pop-up eyelids, which were removed for the 1992 model year. The base Storm was even available as a two-door wagon. Geo’s little sportster was mechanically similar to the second-generation Isuzu Impulse and the Asüna Sunfire.

Honda Civic Del Sol
The much-loved CRX’s replacement was the Del Sol, a two-seat, targa-topped coupe still based on the Civic. It was initially offered in S and Si trim levels, the latter getting a 16-valve, 1.6-litre engine that developed a respectable 127 horsepower. The arrival of the Del Sol VTEC and its high-revving 1.6-litre unit that produced 160 horsepower, gave the car some extra performance credentials. We liked this little topless sportster, but it didn’t quite have the charm of the CRX. The Civic Del Sol was sold from 1992 to 1997 in Canada.

Honda Prelude
We loved the Preludes of the 80s, but the two generations that were sold in the 90s, including number four (1992-1996) and number five (1997-2001) were speedier machines. The fourth-gen Prelude SR (Si in the U.S.) was equipped with a 2.3-litre four that produced 160 horsepower, while the SR-V (VTEC in the U.S.) boasted a high-revving 2.2-litre four with 190 hp. Once again, four-wheel steering was available. The last, fifth-gen Prelude admittedly started to get expensive, and was equipped with a 2.2-litre four-cylinder engine that produced 200 horsepower. Its handling was simply amazing, especially in top-shelf Type SH trim.

Mazda MX-3 Precidia
The stubby little MX-3 immediately charmed us when it hit the scene back in 1992. Also called the Precidia in Canada, it was resolutely sexy in GS trim with its aerodynamic body kit. While the base RS made do with a modest 1.6-litre, four-cylinder engine, the GS boasted a melodious little 24-valve V6 with a displacement of 1.8 litres and 130 horsepower. It was sold here until 1996.

Mazda MX-5 Miata
Leaving such a remarkable little sports car off this list would’ve been unthinkable. The MX-5 Miata was introduced as a 1990 model, and quickly won the hearts of enthusiasts with its British roadster styling, its peppy 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine (116 horsepower) and its affordable price. The 1994 model year introduced a 1.8-litre four with 128 horsepower, which made it even better. The Miata was light, it was nimble, it was simple and it was fun. And still is. Come to think of it, it’s the only model in this list that is still on the market today.

Mazda MX-6 Mystere
As is the case with the Ford Probe, the second-generation Mazda MX-6 got us drooling with its seductive new styling. Called the MX-6 Mystere in Canada, Mazda’s affordable sports coupe was available with a 130-horsepower, 2.0-litre four and a rev-happy, 2.5-litre V6 that delivered 164 hp. The sportiness of the previous-generation MX-6 GT was gone, along with its optional four-wheel steering system, as the MX-6 LS leaned more towards luxury than sportiness. The second-gen MX-6 arrived on the market in 1993 and left in 1997.

Mercury Cougar
There were many memorable generations of the Cougar over the course of history, and the eight-generation model probably wasn’t the most fascinating one. Still, it was sold from 1999 to 2002 as a small, front-wheel-drive three-door coupe with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine (125 horsepower) or a more potent 2.5-litre V6 (170 hp). With its very European design, the last Cougar had nothing in common with the seven previous generations, many of which were two-door land yachts with vinyl padded roofs and gas-guzzling V8 engines. Maybe a different name would’ve made the Cougar more popular. Then again, maybe not.

Nissan 240SX
A sports car with terrific handling characteristics and a lively engine at a rock-bottom price, that’s what the 240SX was. Sold as a coupe and a hatchback from 1989, and as a convertible a few years later, Nissan’s affordable sports car is still highly desirable today for its rear-wheel drivetrain, perfect for drifting. Its 140-horsepower, 2.4-litre engine was just right, and the car even offered four-wheel steering for a few years in addition to a power increase of 15 hp. The second-generation 240SX was introduced in 1995 in coupe format only, and wasn’t quite as desirable as the first gen. It quietly departed in 1998.

Nissan NX
We like the Pulsar NX sold in the 80s, but its replacement was a much more attractive car. The NX1600 had a modest, 110-horsepower 1.6-litre four, but we were especially polarized by the NX2000 and its 140-horsepower, 2.0-litre engine—along with its aerodynamic add-one and T-bar roof. The NX handled brilliantly, despite its economy-car roots. It was sold from 1991 to 1993 before being replaced by the Sentra-based 200SX.

Toyota Celica
As the Supra reached for the stars in terms of size, power and price, the Celica remained Toyota’s affordable sports car. The fifth-generation car, sold from 1990 to 1993, was just as desirable as the fourth gen, its most potent version being the Celica All-Trac Turbo, which boasted 200 horsepower and an all-wheel drivetrain. And just like its predecessor, it was sold as a coupe, a hatchback and a convertible. The sixth-generation Celica that was offered from 1994 to 1999 traded its forebears’ pop-up headlights for a quartet of round projectors, and was a pretty attractive car overall, even if the sportiest version was the GT-S with a 135-horsepower, 2.2-litre four.

Volkswagen Corrado
We’ll qualify the Corrado as an affordable sports car, but it was admittedly more expensive and upmarket than the Scirocco it replaced. Initially sold with a supercharged 1.8-litre four when it hit the market in 1989, boasting 158 horsepower, the Corrado G60 was quick and handling beautifully. The Corrado VR6 with its 179-horsepower, 2.8-litre narrow-angle V6 arrived for the 1992 model year, with even more straight-line performance to match its dynamic abilities. The Corrado left the market in 1995.