10 underrated enthusiast cars that are awesome to drive

Enthusiast cars should be a hoot to boot and stir our petrol-laced senses with a blend of engaging handling and decent straight-line performance. Though many marques and models reside in this niche, we examine 10 fun-to-drive machines from varying age and price points that maybe don't get the respect they deserve. 

Jaguar XE S

Don’t let that understated exterior styling fool you. The Jaguar XE S is a proper road rocket merging deliciously linear power delivery from its supercharged 3.0l V6 engine with an ultra-rigid chassis designed to carve up corners with all the precision of a surgeon. Better to drive than the equivalent BMW 3 Series but equally susceptible to rampant deprecation, the exquisite Jaguar XE S can be picked up for relative peanuts on the used market. 

Toyota Corolla Sedan 2.0 XR

There’s no way a Toyota Corolla Sedan could ever be fun to drive, right? Wrong. The 12th generation model in 2.0 XR guise is a surprisingly good thing to pilot, with a well sorted TNGA-C chassis, direct steering, excellent body control and plenty of mechanical grip. Topped off with a revvy 2.0l engine meshed to a six-speed manual gearbox with automatic rev-matching, this is a daily driver you can enjoy thrashing around winding back roads. 

Volkswagen Polo Vivo GT

Though it might be a stretch to call the Vivo GT an enthusiast car, its concept is remarkably similar to that of the original Golf GTI: take an affordable everyday hatchback and spice it up with a slightly more potent engine, lowered suspension and grippier tyres. The result is a driving experience greater than the sum of its parts and one that entertains with light footed handling and a surprising turn of pace. It’s a car you can enjoy at 10 tenths all of the time. 

Audi TT RS

People tend to look down their noses at the Audi TT as it has long fielded that stigma of being something of a “hairdresser’s car”. While this might ring true with earlier versions, the last TT RS was an absolute peach, with straight-line performance that in real world driving conditions felt quicker than what the flagship R8 offered. Partnered to the tenacious grip offered by the Quattro all-wheel drive system, few sports cars were as fast and easy to drive point to point. Even today a tidy used TT RS offers tremendous bang for your buck. 

Lexus LC500

What do you do when you tire of critics saying your cars are too boring? If you’re Lexus you launch the LC500, a sporting grand tourer that was anything but. Built with an OCD attention to detail and visually different to anything else coming out of Europe at the time, this sleek Japanese flagship similarly bucked the powertrain trend by shunning forced induction in favour of a high-revving 5.0l V8 engine offering up a skin-prickling soundtrack and exceptional throttle response. Though it can feel cumbersome through tighter corners, the distance-hungry LC500 comes into its own across faster, more flowing sections of asphalt.

Lotus Europa S

In the late Noughties Lotus released a more livable alternative to its Elise and Exige. In reality there wasn’t much more comfort to be had behind the wheel of the Europa S, and Lotus culled it after four years and 458 units built. Now rarer to find than a millennial not on social media, the seemingly forgotten coupé merges just about all the dynamic poise and purpose of its Elise/Exige stablemates with a powerful and torque-rich Opel-sourced turbocharged engine. Track one down and you’ll be the coolest person at Cars and Coffee.

Hyundai i30N

When drawing up a list of hot hatchbacks you can buy, the i30N is seemingly always the last to be remembered. Specially here in Mzansi, where GTI, R, Ti, M and RS badges take pride of place in consumer cognisance. It’s a pity the Korean street-fighter is so often overlooked, as it is a real enthusiast’s delight with a level of interactive driving precision that runs rings around its comparatively inert rival from Wolfsburg. Spec it in a sensible Polar White and it’s beautifully understated too: the ultimate hot-hatch sleeper. 

Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce

While the flagship Giulia QV would be nice, for most people in most driving scenarios an “entry-level” Giulia Veloce will more than suffice. You get an immensely capable chassis with 50:50 weight distribution, a potent 2.0l turbocharged engine, rear-wheel drive and some of the pointiest, most direct steering in the game. The cherry on top is a seating position that fits even the tallest of drivers like a glove, an embrace that makes you and the machine feel as one. It’s a pity we don’t see more of these sedans on our roads.

Nissan 370Z

The 370Z didn’t get a lot of love when it was new but in 2024, on the used market, it offers an old-school driving experience you’ll do well to beat. It’s a sporting coupé that thrives being taken by the scruff of the neck and given a good thrashing. When you do you’ll discover a playful chassis that – with the traction control off – lets you indulge in all sorts of lairy sideways shenanigans through your favourite curves. The hydraulically assisted steering is another plus as it broadcasts more feedback than modern electrically assisted systems. What’s more, a tidy low mileage example will set you back less than a new Toyota GR86.

Toyota MR2 Spyder

When it comes to affordable roadsters, the Mazda MX-5 usually walks away carrying all the kudos. Though considerably less practical, we argue the Toyota MR2 Spyder is the sharper driving tool thanks to its exotic mid-engined layout. Its steering is sharp, its movements precise and its styling exotic enough to flummox even the most experienced petrol pump attendant. Bulletproof Toyota mechanicals mean a well-cared-for example should continue to deliver years of loyal service, be it on everyday streets or at the occasional track day.