Many people treat cars like appliances, but that doesn’t mean you need to. And yes, you can even own a car that fun, fast, and plenty powerful if you need to buy on a budget. There are good sporty cars out there in Canada today for less than $10,000. You won’t drive home with the latest safety features, great fuel economy, or up-to-the-minute technologies. But you will enjoy your commute and those weekend drives on winding roads.
A lot of the information out there online about buying cheap, fast, and fun cars is based on the used car market in the United States. A $10,000 budget doesn’t go quite as far in Canada. As a result, there are a few cars from automakers we don’t recommend on this list because your odds of finding one worth buying are very slim. We’ve left Audi, BMW, Porsche, AMG models from Mercedes-Benz, Nissan’s Z cars, supercars like Ferrari, and even the original Toyota Supra off this list. You may find cars from some of these brands for less than $10,000 in Canada, but they either won’t be very sporty or they’ll almost certainly be in poor condition with high odometer readings.
Don’t lose hope, though: there’s still plenty out there. A sub-$10,000 sports car can be a great investment in your own happiness, especially as a first car for an enthusiast. Pack your patience and check out our list below of the fast and cheap cars you can buy in Canada for $10,000 or less. These models don’t necessarily represent the fastest and most performance-oriented out there, but they do offer plenty of bang for your buck.
We verified the availability of each of these cars across Canada for $10,000 or less at time of publication via the CarGurus used vehicle listings. Prices and demand may change without notice. Before you agree to buy any used car, be sure to check out our guide to protecting yourself when making a used vehicle purchase.
The Best Cheap Fast Cars in Canada 2025
- Infiniti G35 Coupe
- Ford Mustang
- Mazda MX-5
- Hyundai Genesis Coupe
- Subaru Impreza WRX
- Honda Civic Si
- Dodge Charger
- Fiat 500 Abarth
- Mazda RX-8
- Volkswagen GTI/Volkswagen Golf GTI
- Chevrolet Corvette
- Chevrolet Camaro
Infiniti G35 Coupe
Through the mid-2000s, the Nissan Skyline performance car was rebadged and sold in the United States and Canada as the Infiniti G35 sedan and coupe. The front-engined, rear-wheel-drive coupe got an extra hit of power – 280 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque from the 3.5-litre V6 to be exact – and a little more for those with a manual transmission. This is a sleeper hit, and there are plenty of examples on the CarGurus used vehicle listings priced below $10,000. You may also find some decent used Infiniti G37 sedans or coupes kicking around, which have a slightly larger 3.7-litre V6 engine generating up to 330 hp.
Research the Infiniti G35 Coupe
Ford Mustang
America’s original muscle car hardly needs an introduction, though the idea that one could be had for a steal may take some buyers by surprise. Most of the sub-$10,000 cars on today’s used market in Canada are either from the fifth generation (model years 2005 to 2014) or later Fox-body units. You can bag a fifth-gen Mustang with a V6 engine and horsepower in the low 200s for less than $10,000 without much hassle. Dig a little further, and you might find a few fourth-generation Ford Mustang GTs fitted with the 4.6-litre V8 engine in the same financial ballpark.
Mazda MX-5
This darling of the affordable two-seat roadsters remains attainable on the used car market. One caveat, though: demand for older MX-5s is going up, and they’re getting much harder to find for less than $10,000 in Canada. We’ve left it on this list, though, because a) it’s not impossible, and b) most people will think of it as a given. Expect to end up with a third-generation (NC) car when working with a $10,000 budget. You should have plenty of choice between manual and automatic transmissions. Although it’s never been a horsepower tour de force, the MX-5’s small and light profile makes it the very definition of a fun and sporty car. Be sure to search both for “Mazda MX-5” and “Mazda MX-5 Miata” for best results. Mazda doesn’t officially use the term Miata in Canada for new models anymore, but it’s still common in the U.S. and on the used vehicle market.
Hyundai Genesis Coupe
Long before Hyundai gave its luxury car division the Genesis name, the Hyundai Genesis Coupe was winning over a group of devotees. A variety of trims levels were offered with this rear-wheel-drive sports coupe, along with a pair of engines – initially a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 210 horsepower and 235 pound-feet of torque, and a 3.8-litre V6 with 306 hp and 266 lb-ft. Later models received some significant power bumps, too. Most of the Genesis Coupes you’ll find on the used market today are high in kilometres, but these owners know what they have. The vast majority are priced at what CarGurus identifies as fair market value, which is the $8,000 to $10,000 price range.
Subaru Impreza WRX
If your sports car tastes lean more toward the all-wheel drive (AWD) and rally side of things, then you’ll naturally head for a Subaru Impreza WRX. Truly, an encyclopedia could be written about these, both in the differences in model years you’re likely to come across and the lists of potential points of upkeep you should expect for your investment. We could never cover it all here, so it’s worth taking the time to do your research. That said, there isn’t a vast selection of the Subaru WRX on the Canadian used market, but we were able to track down several examples priced at less than $10k, the majority of which have more than 200,000 kilometres on the odometer.
Honda Civic Si
Speaking of cars with enough history to warrant a book, Canadians will need no introduction to the Honda Civic. This compact car has been among the models built at Honda of Canada Mfg. in Alliston, Ontario, since 1988. The Civic Si and its predecessors, frequently sought out by those seeking a sporty car on a budget, come with a long list of generations and specifications. The Civic Si is sold to this day exclusively with a manual transmission, which in today’s new cars is a six-speed manual. Demand for these has gone up in the last couple of years, and prices have climbed with it. Provided you’ve got the patience and can drive stick, you should be able to eventually find a Civic Si that’s a decade or so old for roughly $10,000.
Dodge Charger
Here’s a way to own a key piece of Canadian automotive history and get a pile of power while doing it. The Dodge Charger American muscle car, Dodge Challenger two-door coupe, and Chrysler 300 sedan were built in Brampton, Ontario, from their outset until the end of 2023. Those cars are being redesigned with production moving to Windsor, so if you want one of these OG models with its brawny styling, now’s the time to shop. Challengers and SRT variants still almost never dip below a $10,000 asking price, but other Charger models do frequently. You’re more likely to get a mid-2000s car with a V6 at this price, though the occasional unit with a Hemi V8 makes an appearance on the CarGurus.ca used car listings.
Fiat 500 Abarth
The Fiat 500 hasn’t gotten a lot of love in Canada. Most of us want something a little (or a lot) bigger, and the 500 hatchback hadn’t been around for long when it was discontinued in 2019. But there are a few floating around, which means you could score an extremely fun and offbeat little performance car in the form of a used 500 Abarth. Its original turbo 1.4-litre engine produces 133 hp and up to 152 lb-ft of torque, while later versions saw some power increases. You’ll need to do some digging to find one of these front-wheel-drive hot hatches on a budget, but the occasional one drops below $10,000.
Mazda RX-8
Here’s the thing about the Mazda RX-8: yes, you can find a few for less than $10,000 in Canada, and yes, you’ll be owning a piece of automotive history if you buy one. Mazda’s rotary engines ranged from 192 to 232 horsepower and 146 to 159 pound-feet of torque throughout the more than a decade when this rear-wheel drive four-seater was produced. However, the internet is rife with reports of these engines getting expensive to maintain as they age, so caveat emptor. We’re not out here trying to discourage enthusiasts. Just be sure you know what you’re getting yourself into.
Volkswagen GTI/Volkswagen Golf GTI
The original German hot hatch has won itself fans all over the world, the positive side effect of which is that there tend to be plenty of them floating around. The most common on the Canadian used market during our research were late-model Mk5s from model years 2004 to 2009. (Interestingly, that was the only generation sold in Canada as the Volkswagen GTI standalone badge without the Golf name. Don’t worry about customizing your search for these. The term “Volkswagen Golf GTI” will bring these up, too.) Plus, prices on some Mk6 Golf GTIs on the market from model years 2010 to 2014 are now starting to dip into our $10,000 budget.
Chevrolet Corvette
It’s rare, but not impossible, to find a Chevy Corvette for less than $10,000 on the used market in Canada. When it does happen, it’s likely to be a roughly 30-year-old car with more than 200,000 kilometres on the odometer and plenty of upgrades needed. But if you have a passion for Vettes and are looking for a project, this could be a great way to dive into the wonderful world of classic Corvette ownership.
Chevrolet Camaro
Speaking of the Bowtie, you may also be able to pick up a Chevrolet Camaro muscle car for less than $10,000. You’ll almost certainly need to settle for a V6 in this price bracket, but there’s still a chance you’ll pick up a reasonably priced example. If your heart is set on a Camaro, we suggest moving now. It’s being discontinued in its current form, and that’s likely to create a spike in interest. Our search on the CarGurus.ca used car listings turned up a couple of examples of the fourth-generation Camaro, which ran from 1993 to 2002 and was built at GM’s now-defunct Ste-Thérèse Assembly Plant in Quebec alongside the Pontiac Firebird. You’ll also find fifth-gen Camaros produced from model years 2010 to 2015 at GM’s Oshawa Assembly in Ontario.
