10 of The Most Underrated Cars Ever Made

Not every vehicle gets the love it deserves. With so many automakers in the marketplace around the world, we are constantly receiving new, innovative models that aim to make an impact on consumers. While some rise to the challenge and eventually become icons, others crash and burn and are soon forgotten. However, there’s a middle ground of vehicles that never quite achieved the success of their rivals despite offering plenty to like, often fading away with a few fans but lacking recognition.

Underrated gems are what we like to call them, and we’ve picked out 10 of the very best in hopes you’ll give them another look. These are nearly all sports cars that were canceled for one reason or another thanks to being overshadowed by competitors. Some were too expensive, too complicated, or not powerful enough, but as used time capsules they represent an entirely different opportunity for those interested in performance at a great price. These are some of the best-kept secrets in automotive history (well, in the last 30 years at least), so keep these in mind the next time you’re looking for something unique for your next ride.

1 Volvo 850 Turbo Estate

The Volvo 850 Turbo was a key model in changing Volvo’s image from a maker of safe, practical cars to one that could also offer performance and excitement. Powered by a 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-five engine delivering 222 horsepower, the 850 Turbo combined solid acceleration with Volvo’s hallmark safety and reliability. Its boxy design hid a surprisingly agile chassis, and the car offered a comfortable, well-appointed interior that very much leaned toward luxury. Though it was overshadowed by the sportier T-5R and later R variants, the 850 Turbo was the much more accessible model and offered sleeper performance in a fridge-like package. They’re getting hard to find these days, but if you can find one for the right price, you’re in for a treat.

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2 Cadillac CTS-V (First Generation)

Before Cadillac’s performance sedans became fire-breathing monsters, the company had a dream of building a performance brand that would rival the best automakers in the world. Building off the company’s rebranding into the 21st century, the first model to receive the newly coined “V” treatment was the CTS, and the company didn’t hold back. Fitted with the LS6 out of the C5 Corvette Z06, the company married the engine to a six-speed manual, revised the chassis, and gave it a host of aesthetic upgrades to enhance performance and looks. It was an impressive first effort and foreshadowed the models to come, and yet you never see many first-gen CTS-Vs these days. We know it isn’t the best-looking or most modern vehicle, but it’s a four-door sedan with a great naturally aspirated V8 under the hood and a manual transmission at your disposal, making it a rare vehicle indeed.

3 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4

The Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 was a technological tour de force when it was introduced in the early 1990s, but it never received the same appreciation its contemporaries did. Going up against the likes of the Toyota Supra Turbo, Nissan 300ZX Turbo, and Mazda RX-7, the Mitsubishi (and the Identical Dodge Stealth R/T Twin-Turbo) was a bit of an odd duck as it was heavier, plusher, and offered AWD. This made the model more of a grand tourer as opposed to a sports car, and it’s often been forgotten about because of this, but we feel it’s easily one of the coolest cars of the 90s, especially the versions with the pop-up headlights, and it presents itself as a unique option if you’re looking to buy yourself a JDM icon.

4 Ford Taurus SHO (Second Generation)

The Ford Taurus SHO (Super High Output) was a groundbreaking vehicle when it was introduced in 1989, and was given an update in 1992 that improved looks, and handling, and offered a little more power if that’s what you wanted. When the car was first introduced, it really did shock the world, as it quickly became the quickest car you could buy for less than $50,000. 220 horsepower may not seem like much now, but this was back when Mustang GT’s were only making 5 hp more out of their V8s, and the second generation has the benefit of an automatic transmission (if that’s really what you want) and looks that have aged much better than the following generation.

5 Subaru SVX

The Subaru SVX may be the poster child for underappreciated vehicles because it’s so commonly forgotten about. This pseudo-luxury vehicle was the brand’s halo model at a time when Japanese automakers were taking big swings with their vehicles, and thus Subaru wanted to create something special. Designed by the legendary Giorgetto Giugiaro of ItalDesign fame, the SVX featured a striking and futuristic design, most notably its distinctive “window-within-a-window” side glass, which gave the vehicle a concept-car look. It also had a flat-six and AWD (FWD on lower trims), making it a highly capable grand tourer thanks to an automatic transmission only. We really can’t think of another vehicle quite like it during or since, and if you get the chance to pick up a clean one, we don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

6 Lincoln LS

The Lincoln LS was Ford’s attempt to create a European-style sports sedan under the Lincoln brand, which had become a bit stale in recent years with a lineup full of large, comfortable cruisers. Utilizing a new platform, the goal was to create a model that had tight, streamlined proportions, a sporty chassis, and solid power underfoot. The two engines were both Jaguar-designed units that were modified by Ford for LS duty, and the V6 could even be optioned with a 5-speed manual available thanks to an available package. Reviews of the car’s handling and composure were good, and both engines produced enough power to make things exciting. You simply don’t see many of these models anymore, partly due to overall low sales and sub-par build quality, but they’re attractive vehicles, and if you can find one of the later models, many of the gremlins have been worked out.

7 Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky

GM’s Kappa platform twins are two attractive, engaging convertibles that need to be on your radar more. Built from former GM Executive Bob Lutz’s desire for the company to once again release a traditional sports car, the results were a combination of ingenuity and the old GM parts bin, and somehow it worked. Saturn and Pontiac did a great job of giving their models their own characters, and despite the base 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine being a bit gutless, it was still a fine starting point. Where the cars really shined was in the high-performance GXP and Red Line models that housed a turbocharged powerplant producing 150 hp per liter, but a bunch of other performance goodies that made the most of the chassis. They’re about as close to an American Miata as we’ve gotten in the past 20+ years, and they even came in a coupe version too.

8 Cadillac XLR

Have you ever wondered what would happen if Cadillac built a Corvette? Well, in the mid-2000s, the company put the idea to the test with the ambitious XLR. This hard-top convertible was based on the same Y-body chassis as the Corvette at the time and even rolled off the same assembly line in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It was meant to be a luxurious, grand touring version of the same sports car, and to differentiate it, it utilized the Northstar V8 and an automatic transmission only. While this was unique, hindsight has told us that giving us a manual, LS-powered XLR may have been the better move, but still, the Northstar was decent, and in the high-performance XLR-V guise, the engine even put its own rather respectable power. Today, the XLR is almost completely forgotten, which is a genuine shame because they are unique, pretty good-looking, and can be found in good condition for reasonable prices.

9 Buick Regal GS (Fifth Generation)

The Buick Regal GS has been an underappreciated model for years now, offering solid performance for a decent price, yet never really breaking into enthusiast circles. In 2010, GM unveiled the next generation of the high-performance GS version of the sedan, debuting the most potent version of the turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four yet paired with a 6-speed manual and AWD. Unfortunately, AWD didn’t make it to production, but the rest did, along with tuned suspension, Brembo brakes, and performance driving modes. While it wasn’t blisteringly quick, it was very capable, and the premium interior means it was nicer than the Civic Si’s and Focus STs it was competing with during its day. The following generation also offered great performance, but there’s something about this manual, FWD version that sets itself apart.

10 Chrysler Crossfire

The final entrant on this list is a collaboration between Chrysler and Mercedes-Benz that resulted in an attractive and rather capable coupe. Built on the same platform as the Mercedes-Benz SLK, the Crossfire put an American spin on the European sportscar, that while a bit dated looking today, still holds up in most areas. The base engine offered fine performance, but the real appeal was in the SRT6 version, which offered a supercharged engine and plenty of other chassis and aesthetic upgrades inside and out. Most reviews found the performance and handling of the model to be slightly better than the Mercedes version, but unfortunately, a high price didn’t help its case. Today, the models can be found on the cheap, though an SRT6 version is a bit of a Holy Grail.