There's been a lot of press about the new Subaru BRZ and the Scion FR-S including them winning cars.com Best of 2013 Award. These cars feature amazing styling, a 6 speed manual transmission and a 2.0 liter boxer engine that puts out 200 horsepower and 151 lb-ft of torque. This drive train, combined with stiff suspension and excellent handling make this an excellent new addition to the entry level sports car market. I've had the opportunity to take a ride in the Subaru BRZ Premium edition and it is indeed an exhilarating experience.
However, I've always been a advocate for buying used cars as I've found that if one has the patience to wait a few years, they can save drastically on the sticker price of a new car. This got me thinking, what options would a prospective buyer have if instead of spending $27-34,000 on a new FR-S (depending on options and including taxes and fees), they shopped the used car market? In researching these options, I sought to find the top 3 (slightly) used cars we could buy with the same cash. While there are many options, I sought to keep the style of car as close as possible to the appeal of the BRZ/FR-S. These options are all RWD, come with an available 6 speed manual transmission, and are equally beautiful in their styling.
1) Nissan 370Z
While I set out to find three equally good options to compete with the new Subaru or Scion, far and away, the best option is the Nissan 370Z. This car is so stylish and fast, you don't even need to read on to options two and three (unless you want to spend a little less money). For $27-29,000, you could own a very low mileage, 2012 Nissan 370Z Coupe that puts out a whopping 332 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque. That's 82% more power for the same price! Not only that, but if you're willing to get a 2010 with maybe slightly more miles on it, you could afford a top-of-the-line NISMO edition that'll give you 350 hp/276 lb-ft of torque! As you can see from the picture, you're not sacrificing any on the styling either. Although the BRZ and FS-R are a bit more unique in that they are in their first year of production, that novelty won't last long and the 370Z will still be leaving them in the dust.
2) Honda S2000
The next option you might consider would be the 2009 Honda S2000. Unfortunately, this was the last year Honda made this eye-catching speedster, but you can still find them with relatively low miles and even the top of the line CR A/C 6-Spd MT model has a KBB value of $26K. A good deal for a car that sold new for an MSRP of $38,000. Although, the S2000 is slightly different than the BRZ/FS-R in that it only comes as convertible, the hard top version looks very good and it is one of the few convertibles that I would recommend over a similar coupe because it looks so natural and sexy. While this car has much less power than the Nissan, it still boasts 237 hp and 162 lb-ft of torque, about 8% more than the Subaru or Scion.
3) Mazda RX-8
It was difficult to narrow in on a suitable choice for 3rd place, as I was trying to find a car that was as new as possible and at or below the sticker price of the cars in question. I looked at cars that push more into the higher dollar, luxury class, such as BMW and Audi and while there are very good options in the price range, you would have to accept a model that is slightly older with a few more miles. I finally settled on the 2011 Mazda RX-8. Unlike the previous two options, the RX-8 does have a backseat which makes it more similar to the FS-R and BRZ. 2011 was the last year Mazda produced the RX-8, so this is the newest model you can find, but again, low mileage examples are still available. The interesting thing about this car is that while it still beats the Subaru and Scion's output with 232 max horsepower and 159 lb-ft of max torque, the most expensive Grand Touring model is only valued at under $18,000 and you can pick up the Sport model with the same hp and torque for as little as $14,000. 
Now, what if you don't have $20,000+ to spend but you'd still like to be able to keep up with the BRZ or FS-R? Check out my next blog post for comparable models under $10,000
