15 Cars You Didn't Expect to Love

Ignoring its big wing and fancy wheels, the Cobalt SS looks like a pretty run-of-the-mill economy car, but it has some serious performance under the hood. It came with a supercharged engine, then later a turbocharged engine, both of which made over 200 horsepower. Here's a 2006 model you can own today.

The Cobalt SS remains a fairly underrated choice in the world of cheap used performance cars. It provides plenty of fun on track, and parts can be had for cheap. If you want to drive something different, the Cobalt is the car for you. This one's for sale right now for under $7000.

The Honda Fit is a light, nimble car as-is, but it truly shines when specced with a manual transmission and Honda's stiffened HFP suspension.

How can something so unfortunate-looking be so great to drive? Well, that's the case with the 986-generation Boxster. Porsche dumped all of their genius chassis engineering into a mid-engine layout for the masses, and this car was the result. It's too bad about the headlights, really.

The looks might not be for everybody, but Toyota's quirky old-school Land Cruiser tribute is surprisingly competent off-road. Plus, it has round headlights. How many modern cars can you think of have those? This one has a manual transmission, and it's for sale right now.

Chances are Chevy won't be bringing back the Fiero, and that's a shame. With the mid-engine Corvette on the way, it would make sense to come out with a cheaper, more accessible variant and give it the Fiero name.

You really wouldn't expect to see anything with a Saturn badge on it be especially exciting to drive, but then the Ion Red Line came along. Sporting a supercharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder and some funky rear-hinge doors, the Red Line was actually pretty cool.

The 330i ZHP is often overshadowed by the more powerful, more capable M3. But if you're looking for a sporty four-door BMW that can do it all, it's hard to go wrong with this upgraded E46 trim.

Ford killed the V6 Mustang for this year's 2018 refresh, and that's a shame. We love how it drove, and we don't think you should discount it just because the V8 exists.

The ATS-V may be taking all the headlines, but let's not forget about the 2.0T. It still has that fantastic chassis and those great looks, but with a lot less weight in the nose.

Everybody talks about how great the E39 M5 is, but there's another gem in the E39 lineup that's worthy of praise: the 540i. With a V8 engine and an available six-speed manual, they're still a blast to wheel around, and sound great.

Shocked to see a Camry on this list? So are we. But the optional V6 makes over 300 horsepower, and that Toyota reliability means you'll never have to worry about breaking something down the line.

The Lexus LS400 may not sound like a dream car to some, but the combination of comfort, stately looks, and ultimate reliability make for one seriously appealing package-especially considering you can find them on Craigslist for under $10,000 all day long. Here's one with just 114,000 miles on it for $4000.

Mazda hasn't made a Mazdaspeed version of the latest-gen Mazda3, but it turns out the base car is still really fun to drive.

The Legacy has always been overshadowed by the smaller, more popular Impreza WRX and 2.5RS trims, but it still remains one of the best cars in Subaru's lineup.

The EG hatch was simplistic and light in its design, which made it extremely fun to toss around. Sure, it didn't have big power or especially stunning looks, but for the price, it's hard to find a better driving experience.