Ten of the Most Fun Cars to Buy Used

A lot of times, shoppers want something fresh, fun, and exhilarating to take out onto the road, even if it’s just for daily errands. Having a great vehicle to drive that feels comfortable and fun can completely change how you feel about traveling to your destination, brightening your mood and increasing your sense of gratification. So that’s what we’re highlighting: economical vehicles that are actually fun to drive. 

When you visit a used car dealer like ourselves to shop for your next vehicle, you can pick out something that’s not just practical but is a vehicle that appeals to your sense of style and will maximize your driving enjoyment. So here are the top ten used cars you should consider if you want something as fun as it is practical for your next ride.

#1 – Toyota Camry SE Nightshade

Just because you need a daily driver doesn’t mean you have to settle for something boring. The complete opposite of “boring” is the Toyota Camry SE Nightshade. The Nightshade treatment of the Camry has been around since the 2020 model year. It comes with unique interior fabric, black or bronze finish aluminum alloy wheels, dark exterior accents, and a sophisticated exterior body color. 

You can get a used Camry SE Nightshade in front- or all-wheel drive, so you can prioritize either fuel economy or stability based on your preferences. However, with a sporty 2.5-liter 4-cylinder and an aggressive look, the Camry SE Nightshade gives you all the reliability and practicality of a typical Camry but with a more menacing flair that’s perfect for those who want a daily driver with an edge to it.

#2 – Honda Civic Hatchback Sport

With a stylish, aerodynamic profile, plenty of cargo capacity for its size (up to 46.2 cu.ft. of space, thanks to the hatchback design), and available turbocharged powertrains, the Honda Civic Hatchback Sport is highly practical, functionally convenient, and as the name implies, very sporty. The tenth and eleventh generations of the Civic Hatchback have a striking look, so if you wanted a reliable four-door hatchback that still retained the cool factor, a used model from the newer generations is the way to go. 

The Sport trim, in particular, gives you all of the standard amenities you need for daily driving, with cloth seats, the Honda Sensing safety suite, wireless connectivity for smartphones, and remote access. Everything you need from a worthwhile daily driver, including turbocharged gusto and the stability to nimbly navigate around town, is packed soundly into the Honda Civic Hatchback Sport.

#3 – Chevy Colorado Z71

Nearly every driver out there who wants a good daily driver will need it to serve multiple purposes. One of the best trucks on the marketplace that not only serves a practical purpose but also offers some fun aspects is the Chevy Colorado. Specifically, the third generation’s Z71 trim is what you’re after if you want something that ramps up the fun factors beyond just the standard equipment you get on a Crew Cab Colorado. 

You can still perform all your daily driving and work-related tasks with the Colorado Z71, but it also comes with standard four-wheel drive, recovery hooks, a drive mode selector, a lifted suspension, all-terrain tires, and great towing capabilities for its size. So, if you want to tow a camper, boat, or other vehicles to a recreation site, you can. Its off-roading prowess also means that, after a long week of work, you can head off the beaten path with the Colorado Z71 and really enjoy the performance and durability that it offers for outdoor adventures.

#4 – Jeep Wrangler Willys

If you’re looking for a good used midsize SUV for your daily driving, errands, and outdoor excursions, there’s really no better vehicle for the task than the Jeep Wrangler. However, if you’re looking to save money on a used Jeep for sale but still want undercarriage protection, mud-terrain tires, locking differentials, rock rails, reinforced shocks, and the legacy-inspired grille from the original Jeep model, then the Wrangler Willys is the way to go. 

This trim offers more equipment than the starter trims, cool decals, and open-air customization with its removable doors and roof for the warmer seasons, and yet it doesn’t have the price tag of the upper-end trims. So you can use the Wrangler Willys for a lot of your daily driving, but you can also venture off-road comfortably, making this a great pick for those who want something fun, capable, and muscular without spending too much.

#5 – Hyundai Santa Cruz SEL Premium

Easily one of the sportiest-looking compact trucks on the market, the Hyundai Santa Cruz is a very recent addition to the light-duty truck market, having only made its debut with the 2022 model year. However, it packs a real punch in terms of offering great fuel economy for its size while also providing you with the utility to tow up to 5,000 lbs and seating for up to five people across its four-door Crew Cab design. Shopping for a used Santa Cruz SEL Premium is a great way to go if you want a lot of basic creature comforts and utility in one package. 

In particular, the SEL Premium of 2023 comes standard with the 10.25-inch HD touchscreen and accompanying features such as wireless smartphone connectivity, advanced safety aids, and the model’s more powerful turbocharged 4-cylinder. So, if you want a compact truck you can rely on for day-to-day travel, nimbly navigating tight urban spaces, but with the extra gusto and cabin features to make the ride more enjoyable, the Santa Cruz SEL Premium is the way to go.

#6 – Dodge Charger GT

There really is no better way to have fun getting to a destination than in a powerful Dodge sedan, and a used Dodge Charger GT is the best way to do it while saving money doing so. The Charger’s GT trim is a step up from the base SXT, yet it still doesn’t come with the gas-guzzling HEMI the brand is known for. With its specially tuned Pentastar V6, you have an estimated 19 MPG in the city and up to 30 MPG on the highway, which is pretty good for a high-performance midsize sedan. 

You get ample trunk space at up to 16.5 cu.ft., roomy seating for up to five people, and, of course, the GT trim’s lush standard features. This includes lots of sports-centric flair, such as the hood scoop, aggressive front fascia, and rear spoiler. If you want a fun, performance-driven used car that is actually useful for daily driving, you really can’t go wrong with the exhilarating Dodge Charger GT.

#7 – Subaru WRX Premium

The always-all-wheel-drive Subaru WRX is a turbocharged compact sedan that made a name for itself in the rally scene and actually managed to translate well into a well-rounded consumer-grade compact sedan. While it lacks the size and passenger volume of the Dodge Charger, the WRX does have excellent all-wheel-drive stability, superb traction control, and responsive cornering, making it perfect for navigating rainy and snowy seasons, all thanks to its rally-tuned roots. 

Plus, the WRX has relatively low annual maintenance costs and great reliability, so this is a compact sedan with plenty of performance that’s built for the long haul. The inclusion of features like Subaru’s patented EyeSight Driver Assist safety suite and a robust interior with easy access to the trunk (thanks to the fold-down rear seats) makes the WRX Premium an extremely convenient compact sedan for solo drivers and short-range commuters alike.

#8 – Jeep Compass Trailhawk

Larger than the Jeep Renegade and smaller than the Jeep Wrangler, the Jeep Compass is a compact SUV that provides you with just enough space to seat a small family across its two rows and just enough cargo capacity for typical errands. You can overcome the more mundane feeling of a generic SUV by shopping for a used Compass Trailhawk, which can be quite pricey when bought brand-new; a used model offers all the great features the brand is known for but at a much lower price point. 

So you get the Trailhawk’s iconic lifted suspension kit, all-terrain tires, tow hooks, skid plates, and decals. However, you still have all of the standard attributes that make the Compass great, such as Uconnect, driver assistance features, and a practical and cozy interior. The turbocharged powertrain, Trail Rated off-roading capabilities, and terrain management mean you can carry out your grocery shopping one day and rock-crawl the next. It’s a fun little compact with plenty of rugged functionality, all while maintaining a good sense of practicality.

#9 – Kia Soul Turbo

The Kia Soul Turbo combines responsive handling, excellent driver visibility, and a surprising amount of interior capacity for its subcompact size. As the trim states, the Soul Turbo comes with the turbocharged 1.6-liter 4-cylinder, giving you peppy performance while surprisingly managing an impressive 32 MPG on the highway. Unfortunately, the Kia Soul Turbo trim was discontinued after the 2022 model year. 

On the upside, you can find used Kia Soul Turbos for extremely low prices. Since it’s one of the top trims, you get most of the Soul’s best qualities, including remote accessibility, the full safety suite, heated seats, and the best infotainment options this subcompact SUV has to provide. Its broad versatility and comfort make it a superb option for daily drivers, commuters, and even small families.

#10 – Hyundai Elantra N-Line

The Elantra N-Line is a step below the Elantra N, a high-performance iteration. The Elantra N-Line provides great turbocharged performance, larger brakes, larger wheels, and more aggressive styling, all without greatly sacrificing its amazing fuel economy. You get the Hyundai SmartSense safety suite, N-Line sports seats for contoured comfort, and a touchscreen with full connectivity and smartphone integration. 

It’s that nice cross-section between responsive performance, great styling, and tons of interior amenities. The combination of amazing features tucked into an affordable package is what makes the Elantra N-Line such an excellent choice and is well worth considering for those shopping for a used commuter vehicle that is fun to drive.

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