Sports car thrills: Market full of quick, agile vehicles

From the editors of Consumer Reports

Among sports car coupes that are fun to drive, it’s hard to beat the Toyota Celica GT-S. It offers similar agility and performance as the BMW M3, but at a much cheaper price.

In a sports car, we look for quickness, agility and responsiveness to a driver’s steering, throttle and braking inputs. Comfort, convenience and fuel economy are important, but less so than with regular cars.

We’ve tested several fun-to-drive sports cars that are reasonably priced. The Ford Focus ($17,000), Mazda3 ($18,000) and Subaru Impreza WRX ($25,000) sedans blend sporty performance with the practicality of four doors and a usable rear seat. Among coupes, it’s hard to beat the Mazda RX-8 ($31,000) or Toyota Celica GT-S ($25,000) for fun driving.

If you want a two-seat convertible, consider the Mazda Miata ($25,000) or Toyota MR2 Spyder ($24,000). All these cars handle with agility and are easy to live with.

If you’re looking for more high-priced thrills, the $56,000 BMW M3 — the high-performance version of the reliable 3 Series coupe — may launch you on your way. Based on recent tests, it and the $51,000 Audi S4 sped to the top of our sports-car ratings. (We can’t recommend the Audi S4 because its standard version, the compact A4, has below-average reliability, as determined by our subscribers’ real-world experiences.) Both finished ahead of our previously top-rated sports car, the capable and reliable Subaru Impreza WRX STi, which is about $20,000 less expensive.

Although the BMW M3 and Audi S4 differ in character and driving behavior, their overall test scores — compiled from more than 45 individual evaluations — were a virtual tie. A third high-performance version of a regular-production car, the $51,000 Cadillac CTS-V also achieved an excellent overall score in our recent tests. Like the Audi, however, its standard version (the CTS) has shown below-average reliability, preventing us from recommending it.

The M3 is virtually a racecar that feels most at home on a track, but it’s not the easiest car to drive smoothly in normal conditions. Its 333-hp, 3.2-liter inline six-cylinder engine delivered the quickest acceleration (5.1 seconds from 0-60 mph) in our four-car test group, which also included a $33,000 Pontiac GTO that scored notably lower overall and is too new for us to assess its reliability. The M3 provides strong brakes and excellent handling, and has impeccable interior fit and finish. Although it’s a two-door coupe, the car seats five and has a usable trunk.

Cadillac’s CTS-V incorporates the same 400-hp V8 that’s found in the Chevrolet Corvette Z06, a six-speed manual transmission (there is no automatic option) and a sport-tuned suspension. Handling is agile and precise, and the engine sounds exhilarating. The interior quality, however, doesn’t befit a $50,000 car.

Some control stalks, switches and cubbies are not as substantial as we’d expect for this price, and there are some confusing controls. While most of our drivers found a comfortable seating position, some were bothered by the seat-mounted safety belts.