With many of us at TuHS turning 16, the legal age to get a driver’s license in the US, some of us are eyeing more than just a hand-me-down Camry. So today I present five of the coolest (and subjectively best) cars for under $10,000.

Coming in hot at number 5 is a 2004-2009 Range Rover sport base. This fine SUV features either a 4.2L v8 or a 4.4L supercharged V8 making 300 to 410 hp, respectively. This is still a very modern car, with modern luxury features like heated and cooled seats with a massaging feature. The Range Rover can comfortably seat you and four other homies in style. There’s a lot of good about this car. It’s a Range Rover and it’s baller. Furthermore, you can get it with a 400hp supercharged v8. With all that said, these cars are not perfect. Reliability is a slight concern on a Range Rover, although reliability is affected by how many miles are on said car and whether it was taken care of. The suspension is also a common and expensive failure.

At 4th place comes a 2004-2010 BMW 740Li or i. The difference between an i and an Li is the Li is the long wheel base, so it’s more roomy inside but also a foot longer. This car shares the same 4.2L v8 engine as the last Range Rover, producing the same 300+hp. It has a nice full leather interior with heated and massaging seats. For around the $10,000 mark, you could get lucky and find a 500hp v12 bmw 760, which is the more expensive line of the BMW 7 series from back then.This is BMW’s premier flagship sedan with just about any features you could need. There are some common, bad repairs on older BMWs that aren’t exactly ideal, and it’s a BMW, so it’s going to head into the dealer more than once in your time of ownership.

In 3rd place is a 1990-2000 Mazda Miata. This iconic two-seater was launched as the sports car for everyone. It is light. It comes in a convertible with a hardtop option with a simple but great 1.4-1.8l 4-cylinder engine producing approximately 90-140hp. There are infinite aftermarket parts and support for this little car, and that is one of the best things about it. A rough example of a Miata can run you no more than $2,000. A nice example will cost no more than $5,000-$10,000.

There is a lot to like here for a first driver. One thing to like is insurance costs will be less than the aforementioned cars. Servicing a Miata can be done in your garage, and parts are dirt cheap and plentiful. There is only one downside to a Miata: safety and features. This car in its early version had no airbags or abs system or many luxurious features, but for what you are getting, it’s a fair tradeoff. 

Coming in at 2nd place is a 2000-2009 Mercedes sl550 v8. This fine piece of German engineering came from the factory with multiple variants of the v8 engine producing upwards of 300 hp. This car can come as a two-door convertible or hardtop. First off, it’s a Mercedes; nothing says cool and sporty like a v8 Mercedes with any features you could ever want, including heated seats and all the modern safety features. There is just one slight problem: the service costs can be a bit more than you would have hoped for, but the amount of car you are getting for the price more than makes up for its flaws.

And in 1st place: a 2009 and 2010 Jaguar xf or xf supercharged (XFR). This is the best first luxurious car you can have for under $10,000. I love these cars a lot; they look good, sound good and go good. The interior features a touchscreen, heated and cooled seats and much more. The base model comes with a 420hp v8. The xfr or xf supercharged comes with a 510 hp v8 engine from the factory! These cars and later model years have crept well under $10,000. I have stated what’s to like above, so the question to answer is what isn’t there to like? And the answer is not much. Reliability is excellent for a foriegn car with widely available parts and aftermarket service centers nationwide.