There is an excellent crop of small, fuel-efficient cars on the market that combine good quality, fun driving and savings at the pump. One would be sensible for your commute.
But wait, have you seen the price of gasoline? It's so cheap that you can have what you really want: a car with a big V-8 engine. Just think of that burbly sound and raw power under the hood. No, these cars may not be as good for Mother Earth as a little four-banger, but when are you going to get this chance again to afford it? However, you may be able to pay for the fuel, but no new V-8-powered car is in your budget. Not to worry, there are still plenty on the used-car market for less than $12,000.
Sensible
Does it have a Hemi? You bet the Chrysler 300C does – or at least it was available on the top models. The large sedan was a hit when it was introduced in 2005 and uses a chassis derived from Mercedes, which was partnered with Chrysler at the time. The 5.7-litre V-8 with 340-horsepower gives muscle-car performance in a burly package of which Al Capone would approve. The interiors of these first-gen models – which you'll find up to around 2007 in this range – weren't high on quality or design, though, and fuel economy was poor even for a V-8. The SRT-8 versions were crazy powerful, but good luck finding one in this price range.
Controlling the might of a V-8 would be easier with an all-wheel drive system such as Audi's quattro, especially in snow. It's A6 sedan was available with a 4.2-litre, 335-horsepower V-8 and is one of the newer used German cars you can find (up to 2006) with an eight-banger at these prices, especially with AWD. Featuring impeccable fit and finish, especially the interior, it has room for four to be coddled with its firm-yet-supple suspension. You'll just have to deal with the baffling, early-generation MMI infotainment system, but it does have decent reliability and just one recall for a headlight issue.
From Asian shores, we can find a V-8-powered car focused more on comfort than performance. The 2006 Infiniti M45, the first year of a redesign, may be hard to come by, but its 4.5-litre engine delivers excellent performance. The cabin is so quiet you may not fully enjoy the aural delights of the V-8 – but you'll be surrounded in a luxurious and spacious cabin, along with plenty of mod-con features typical of a high-end sport sedan. Reliability was so good it's rated as a "good bet" with Consumer Reports, with recalls for air bags and a concern about a stalling engine.
Indispensable
It's hard to find anything that would beat a Ford Mustang GT for affordability and the fun-to-drive factor. You'll find a retro-styled version around 2007 with a tire-smoking 4.6-litre V-8 under the hood good for 300 horsepower. Sure, it still had the solid rear axle, but a stiff, modern chassis makes for sporty handling yet also a ride soft enough for a daily driver – plus, seating for four. These were good for reliability and only had a few recalls for air bags and a minor problem with the reverse gear indicator. If you're lucky you might even find a convertible.
Questionable
In 2005, General Motors dropped a 5.3-litre pushrod V-8 into a front-wheel-drive chassis that was already outdated and called it the Pontiac Grand Prix GXP. We were told it would run with the likes of BMW. That wasn't just an exaggeration, it was outright laughable. It's quick in a straight line, but handling wasn't German-like; to get a more sporty drive, engineers had to put smaller tires on the rear to cut down on understeer. Found up to 2008, the last year of the Grand Prix nameplate, it's best left to the dustbin of GM's history.
Like us on Facebook
Add us to your circles
Sign up for our weekly newsletter