Undeserved Disregard
I bet you weren’t that different from me growing up. My bedroom was cluttered with all the typical stuff you’d find in a boy’s bedroom. Legos on the floor, posters of athletes on the wall, and what boy’s room wouldn’t be complete with a few model cars and posters of them as well. Truth be told, I would always keep good care of my model cars, but I’d still play with them just like all my other toys. Little did I know or care back then that I probably should’ve just let them on the shelf and kept them from getting fingerprints all over the paint. But seriously though… how was I supposed to resist the allure of a Pontiac GTO judge, or the jagged lines of my black Lamborghini Countach, or even my 1995 Mustang GT? Even if they were just models…
They were cool and they looked fast. In retrospect, I notice something now that I didn’t back then. I didn’t pick out all the model cars that I had on my shelves, but the ones that I did pick were always the eye-catching ones. I saw the BMW M3 on the shelf, but not the 335i. I remember seeing all the Porsche models for sale, but there weren’t any Boxsters. Kids and adults alike want the more popular, more reputable cars. They want the cars that look faster, the cars that everyone else wants. And why shouldn’t they? I did!
The reality is that there’s a huge crop of cars that end up getting snubbed for one reason or another. Perhaps they provide less performance than their higher trim level sibling. A car might be overlooked because there are just so many “better” options.
Here’s my list of the top ten cars that are actually pretty good but are also just disregarded for one reason or another:
Ford Mustang V-6
Go ahead, roll your eyes, and get it over with, because this is just about the most stereotypical car in this category that I can think of. Even people that aren’t “car people” know about this one. The truth is that the V-6 is overlooked just because a V-8 is available. The V-8 provides better options and more performance at a reasonable price. So why would you buy a V-6? The V-6 is still tunable, it’s even more affordable than the V-8, and they are available everywhere, even when the V-8 isn’t. You can buy one for a little around $20,000 with incentives and rebates. In any other car with a V-6 engine and over 300 horsepower, that would be good. Somehow, the Mustang just doesn’t cut it even with all of that… it should. Unfortunately, the V-6 is being discontinued, but they will still be available used.
Hyundai Genesis Coupe
I’m going to go here again… I own a Genesis Coupe with all the options and the 3.8 liter V-6 engine. I also go to quite a few car shows and events. One of the cars that doesn’t show up a lot that probably should be a little more popular is the Genesis Coupe. It’s true that the car is a bit heavier than it should be, but 350 horsepower, a track-tuned suspension, and a rear wheel drive setup is a great recipe for a great sports car. The Genesis Coupe is a competent car at worst and a fantastic sports car at its best. Go ahead and get a Camaro, Mustang, or 370Z… all those are great cars, but you could also get the Genesis Coupe for less and really get a lot more than you thought.
BMW 335i
The BMW M3 is a phenomenal car. Nobody can really argue that. Another thing that nobody can argue is the price of an M3. Not just the initial price of buying the car, but also the upkeep. The M3 is reasonably reliable, but if something does go wrong, you better have the cash to fix it. With that in mind, the 335i is a healthy alternative. It may not quite look the part to a true enthusiast, but its straight six engine producing 300 horsepower does just fine for itself. It also has a more robust setup for handling than a regular 3 series BMW. A 4.6 second 0-60 time speaks loudly for the 335i, but so does about $20,000 less of a price tag than it’s M3 brother for not too much less performance.
Porsche Boxster/Cayman
The Porsche 911 is definitely the most desirable between itself, the Cayman, and the Boxster. To be fair, I don’t believe that people who really know the capabilities of the Cayman and Boxster think they’re underrated. Rather, they’re just kind of lost in the shuffle when talking about Porsche as a brand. I think they’re lost in the shuffle when it comes to sports cars in general. The Cayman was actually in the running for the Motor Trend Driver’s Car of the Year this year… and it came in second! That’s how good it is, but for whatever reason none of us talk about it as much as we should. That goes for the Boxster too.
Chevrolet Camaro 4-cylinder
We’ve covered the V-6 Mustang, but putting a 4 cylinder engine in a muscle car just seems like sacrilege. Maybe so, but at least for the Mustang, the 4 cylinder turbo has some street cred because it can be tuned really easily. The 4 cylinder Camaro has no such street cred. It doesn’t get half the attention that the EcoBoost Mustang gets, but it’s just as fun and affordable while not sacrificing economy. Its also not like you can’t put any go faster parts on the Camaro either. I’m not a fan of the Camaro but after driving one, I think I’d give it a good hard consideration. I think you might too.
Toyota Camry XSE
I know that I’ve put the Camry on another list recently. It’s on the list of cars that look good but don’t really stack up to the façade. As much as that’s true, it’s also more of a steal than you think. The top-of-the-line V-6 version of the car does look great, even though it doesn’t quite stack up to the best. It’s still a surprisingly good performer for being a Camry. Another thing that I mentioned in that list is that the Camry is getting better with each year. It’s going to keep getting better, and you might like to give it a try. It might pleasantly surprise you!
Ford Taurus SHO
I happen to think that the Ford Police Interceptor is pretty cool, but Ford is adamant about the Interceptor not being a Taurus. The Taurus SHO is a Taurus, but it’s one that’s pretty cool. It’s about the closest you can get to buying a police Interceptor without actually getting one… says Ford. The SHO is on every single “sleeper” car list that you can find, except ours. It probably should be on our list. It has a 365 horsepower V-6. Coupled with an optional performance package that tightens everything up, and it packs a serious punch… almost like the Police Interceptor. Anyway… the SHO just doesn’t sell very well. For those who want performance and have a family, it’s perfect, but you’d think more people would be jumping to get one.
Lexus RC F
Ever since the Lexus LFA came out in 2011, the world saw what Lexus could do. Since then, Lexus has been determined to break free from the shackles of humdrum driving experiences and an everyday commute that’s a little less interesting than hearing someone recite pi to the 500,000 decimal. Their solution was a radically new design language and the introduction of the “F” models. Even though the IS-F was introduced back in 2006 as the first “F” car, they’ve been on a tear ever since. The perception hasn’t worn off yet, and the RC-F is perhaps the most punished for it. Too much weight is the main issue in just about every “F” car, but other than that, they really aren’t that bad. The naturally aspirated V-8 engine in the RC-F sounds phenomenal and the car looks fast. The issue is that it puts itself directly in the crosshairs of the BMW M4, Mercedes C63 AMG Coupe, and Audi RS5, and who wouldn’t want one of those over a Lexus? The RC-F is competent enough to pit itself against any of its German counterparts and hold its own.
Jaguar F Type V-6
The V-8 F Type is the best sounding car in the world. So why would you buy the V-6 version? There’s quite a few reasons. For starters, the V-6 still sounds fantastic. The car still has the option of a manual transmission. Jaguar also has the ability to make some of the most beautiful car designs in history, including the F Type. Along with a lower price tag, all of those things make the V-6 Jaguar a viable alternative to the V-8. The majority of automotive journalists even hint that the V-6 could have walked away with the prize between the two, making the V-8 completely unnecessary. I’d that’s pretty good.
Honda Accord V-6 Coupe
Honda and Toyota suffer from the same disease. Maybe Honda a little bit less so than Toyota, but they both come with the “boring to drive and painfully reliable” stereotype. For the most part, that’s true. Only their true “sports” models are the fun ones. The Accord gets pulled in with the Camry here. The V-6 option is really not that bad, but it still has a long way to go to be a true performance sedan. The Accord Coupe is a bit more playful than the sedan. It’s one of the last of its kind, and in fact, Honda is discontinuing the Accord Coupe for 2018. But… you can still get one used, and miracle of miracles, you can have one with a six-speed manual transmission! The Accord coupe isn’t hardcore by any means, but 5.5 seconds to 60 miles per hour and about 270 horsepower at your disposal should give you enough reason to appreciate it just a bit more than you do now.
The benefit of owning one of these cars is that, because nobody else really owns them, you get to tell the world about why more people should. There’s always going to be underappreciated cars in the world. There’s going to be overrated ones as well. In our opinion, these are the most underappreciated, so maybe you should go and try one out… you might like it more than you ever realized.
–SWF
