Ford Mustang
The old American pony car has entered a new generation that’s quite a bit different. It’s lighter and has an independent suspension, which helps the Mustang actually attack turns and not nose-dive like crazy. The regular V-6 model is pretty good and cheap, while the EcoBoost is slightly better, but comes at a fairly steep price increase. For cheap power, the GT with its monstrous V-8 is a great deal, if you can afford the cost.
Like with past versions of the Mustang, the current generation can be customized a fair number of ways out of the factory. There’s also a whole cottage industry that makes modifications for Mustangs, so you can make the car genuinely yours.
Chevrolet Camaro
If you’re going to throw the Mustang on a list of fun cars, not including the Camaro just wouldn’t be right. The current generation of the muscle car is arguably more potent and capable than its favorite rival. Of course, people will argue about that for hours, so we’ll just leave it at that.
The great thing is the Camaro is also relatively cheap, if you go for the base model. The price climbs quickly as you add a more potent engine and other upgrades, but the overall value is still there. In the end it just depends on how much you want to spend and get in return.
Dodge Challenger
Might as well round out the three big American muscle cars right now with the Challenger. MOPAR folks get bent out of shape if Ford and Chevy are featured in a list like this, if Dodge gets snubbed. The Challenger is a legitimate performance car for a relatively budget-friendly price. This is especially true with models that pack a Hemi V-8. Of course the Hellcat version is the most insane type of Challenger you can get, and is an incredible value.
Beyond just performance, the Challenger is probably the best daily driver modern American muscle car. It’s not too harsh, the interior is surprisingly spacious and you can get quite a few creature comforts if you go with certain models/options packages.
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