They say hindsight is 20/20. In this case, that hindsight takes us all the way back to the mid-2010s, a period which turned out to be a golden age of automotive bargains that most of us were simply too cash-strapped to capitalize on. Whether these vehicles have vanished from production entirely or quietly climbed to prices that are now out of reach, these are the cars we should have grabbed when we still had the chance. You didn't need a crystal ball to recognize their potential. You just needed money — which the Great Recession had a particularly cruel habit of making scarce.
This list covers the full breadth of the automotive world: cars, trucks, and SUVs spanning virtually every segment, so there's something here to make every enthusiast groan with regret. As we come to terms with the missed opportunities of the past, let's make a commitment not to repeat those same mistakes in 2026 — and spare ourselves from writing this exact same article all over again in 2036.
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2009–2014 Acura TL SH-AWD
Around 2010–2011, Acura was going through a difficult stretch. The brand shed a staggering 19 percent of its market share in 2011 and recorded its worst sales year ever. And yet, it kept producing genuinely compelling vehicles engineered to go the distance.
The Acura TL was one of those standouts. It was ultimately replaced by the TLX in 2015 — a solid car in its own right, and admittedly far more attractive than the TL's divisive "Power Plenum" grille. But the TLX arrived exclusively with an automatic: a nine-speed in the first generation, and a 10-speed in the current one. The TL, on the other hand, offered a six-speed manual — and you could pair it with what many consider the finest regular-production Acura ever built: the TL SH-AWD. At a time when manual transmissions were increasingly being relegated to base trims, finding one mated to an all-wheel-drive system was virtually unheard of. The SH-AWD also brought 305 horsepower to the party, a 19-horsepower improvement over the outgoing TL Type-S.
Best estimates put total production of the manual SH-AWD at around 3,500 units, though Acura has never published a sales breakdown — meaning the actual figure could be even lower.
Read our Overview of the Acura TL
2008–2013 BMW M3
Some things in life are simply guaranteed: the sun rises in the east, the IRS always finds you, and the BMW M3 will inevitably become too expensive for most people to afford. It's a pattern that has played out with every single generation of BMW's legendary performance sedan.
There was a time when an E30 M3 could be had for $25K. That ship has sailed. There was a time when an E36 M3 sedan was priced below a Civic. Ancient history. These E90/E92/E93 M3 sedans, coupes, and convertibles are sitting right at the floor of the depreciation curve — and the opportunity to act may not stay open much longer. Once enthusiasts collectively recognize just how extraordinary these cars are, prices will move fast. And extraordinary they are: this was the only M3 ever powered by a V8, a magnificent unit producing 414 horsepower. It was also the first BMW to offer a dual-clutch gearbox as the automatic option, in the form of Getrag's outstanding seven-speed M-DCT. Even the heavier E93 Convertible could reach 60 mph in 5.1 seconds. Motor Trend once declared the E90/E92/E93 M3 "the greatest all-around car in the world."
When that verdict was written, the M3 carried a $57,000 sticker. Today, you can find one for less than half that. Hunt down a low-mileage example with a thorough service history and you may find it outperforms your 401(k) over the next decade — while delivering one of the most rewarding driving experiences the modern era has produced.
Read our BMW M3 Buying Guide
2011–2014 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon
Every automotive journalist knows the archetype: the car that the press unanimously loves and the buying public unanimously ignores. In the 1990s, it was the Nissan Sentra SE-R — celebrated in every magazine, passed over at every dealership. The phenomenon is thoroughly documented and endlessly frustrating.
From 2011 to 2014, Cadillac produced the CTS-V Wagon, and it might as well have arrived from the factory stamped "Auto Writer Spec." Everything about it was right: 556 horsepower, rear-wheel drive, a six-speed manual transmission, bold aggressive styling, a practical midsize wagon body, and — critically — it was available in brown (officially listed as "Mocha Steel Metallic"). The automotive press was unanimous in its praise. Buyers were unanimous in their indifference.
Over its production run, only 514 of these wagons were built with the manual gearbox. Delete the sunroof and the numbers become even more striking: just 180 manual examples without one, plus 206 automatics. The rarest configuration of all — Stealth Blue, manual, no sunroof — exists in exactly two units. Today, a low-mileage example of that car could fetch around $70,000. Thanks to its extreme scarcity, the CTS-V Wagon has held its value with remarkable stubbornness. Consider yourself warned.
Read our Overview of the Cadillac CTS-V Wagon
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2010–2013 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport
The C6 Corvette has bottomed out on the depreciation curve, and from this point there's really only one direction for values to travel. If you missed your chance to buy one new in 2010, the window is still cracked open — and remarkably, you can find one today for roughly the same $57,000 MSRP it wore back then.
For the buyers who got one new, the Grand Sport was a serious piece of kit — provided you chose the manual transmission (and honestly, why would you choose anything else?). You got a hand-assembled LS3 engine with a dry-sump oiling system and launch control. The Grand Sport package also added wider fenders, staggered-width tires, Z06-sourced brakes with cross-drilled rotors and six-piston front calipers, lightweight forged aluminum wheels, a fully revised suspension, and a transmission cooler.
Expect to pay roughly twice what a standard C6 coupe commands for a low-mileage Grand Sport in excellent condition — but the premium is well earned. These cars will hold their value more effectively in the long run. If a C6 Grand Sport has been on your radar, the moment to pull the trigger is now.
Read our Chevrolet Corvette Buying Guide
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2006–2014 Honda Ridgeline
The Honda Ridgeline has always been an easy punching bag. It shares its platform with the Pilot. It has no low-range transfer case. It's considerably smaller than your average Truck Nutz-sporting, coal-rolling Ram 3500 dually. Critics have never let it forget any of that. But here's the reality — it does exactly what it was designed to do, and it does it exceptionally well. For anyone living in the suburbs with a two-car garage, it fits the lifestyle perfectly.
Talk to anyone who has actually owned a Ridgeline and you'll hear the same story: it handles everything a Honda-owning homeowner throws at it on the weekend without complaint. Nobody's pulling a horse trailer with it — but hauling recycling to the dump and loading up on Turf Builder at Lowe's? It's in its element. The interior is more comfortable than any other midsize pickup on the market, particularly in the rear seat, and no competitor has ever matched the clever in-bed trunk for sheer practical ingenuity.
These trucks routinely roll past 200,000 miles while still towing trailers through demanding terrain. They're substantially better than their spec sheets suggest, and the used market has finally brought prices down to genuinely sensible territory.
Read our Honda Ridgeline Buying Guide
2009–2015 Jaguar XFR
A used Jaguar — the automotive equivalent of gas station sushi. Could be magnificent, could be a catastrophe. But if you're going to take the leap on a pre-owned Jag, the smart play is to either go all the way back to a Series I E-Type or choose one from an era when Jaguar actually had its quality act together. That's precisely where the XFR lands, hailing from the period when Jaguar operated under Ford's Premier Automotive Group umbrella and build quality actually meant something.
There's nothing exotic about the underlying architecture — the XFR rides on the same DEW98 platform shared with the Ford Thunderbird, Lincoln LS, and Jaguar S-Type. What elevates it is what lives under the hood: a 503-horsepower supercharged 5.0-liter AJ-V8 Gen III engine that transforms what appears to be a dignified executive sedan into something genuinely ferocious. The only external hint of its true intentions were those massive (for the time) 20-inch wheels. Eleven pounds of boost turned this composed, elegant cruiser into what Car and Driver called "sensational" — praising the smooth automatic transmission and the surprising comfort despite stiffer springs and low-profile rubber.
Significant depreciation has slashed the XFR's original $80,000 asking price to less than half. Today, you're choosing between this and something like a Ford Edge. Choose wisely — and budget for an extended warranty either way.
Read our Jaguar XFR Test Drive Review
2010–2013 Mazda Mazdaspeed3
Most of the cars on this list carry price tags that remain out of reach for many buyers even after years of depreciation. The Mazdaspeed3 is the magnificent exception — a genuine performance car that almost anyone can afford today.
The Mazdaspeed3 was Mazda's turbocharged interpretation of its popular 3 five-door hatchback, and it delivered the kind of thrills that had absolutely no business being available at its price point. Under the hood sat a turbocharged 2.3-liter inline-four producing a hilariously entertaining 263 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque.
Mazda first introduced the Mazdaspeed3 in 2007, but the second-generation model that debuted in 2010 brought meaningful refinements: revised ECU mapping for a more accessible power delivery, wider gear ratios from second through fifth in the six-speed manual, a standard Torsen limited-slip differential, beefier stabilizer bars, and wider rubber. The functional hood scoop channels cold air directly to an intercooler mounted just below it. For under $10,000, you're looking at a car that dispatches 0–60 mph in 5.2 seconds and covers the quarter mile in 13.9 seconds at 102 mph. The value proposition here borders on absurd.
Read our Mazda Mazdaspeed3 Buying Guide
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2009–2014 Nissan Cube
Yes, the Cube. It's quirky, unconventional, and was never really conceived with the American market in mind — and that's precisely what makes it so appealing, in the same way the Pike Factory Nissan Pao, S-Cargo, Figaro, and Be-1 have cultivated their devoted followings. If Japanese automotive culture resonates with you at all, these asymmetrical little wagons possess a charm that defies easy explanation and proves impossible to ignore.
Nissan produced three generations of the Cube, but only the final one ever made it to U.S. shores. The second-generation model, built between 2002 and 2008, was arguably the most characterful of the three — with a more expressive face than the third-gen car that eventually arrived here in 2009.
The timing of that U.S. launch couldn't have been worse: May 2009, right as the economy was in freefall. Sales were predictably dismal. While Kia was moving the Soul in enormous numbers on the strength of a clever, memorable marketing campaign, Nissan barely promoted the Cube, and it quietly faded into obscurity — never cracking 23,000 units even in its best year. The fan community, however, remains passionate and tightly knit, keeping the Cube's spirit very much alive.
Read our Overview of the Nissan Cube
2008–2009 Pontiac G8 GXP
The Pontiac G8 GXP is doubly collectible: not only is the car itself gone, but the entire Pontiac brand vanished along with it, which makes owning one feel like holding a genuine piece of automotive history. And yes, we're bending the rules slightly here — the G8 technically ceased production in 2009 — but given how many examples sat on dealer lots well into 2011, we're comfortable making the exception.
The G8 GXP was a car enthusiasts claimed they desperately wanted. A rebadged Holden VE Commodore from Australia — the only country on earth as devoted to rear-wheel-drive V8 sedans as the United States — it had the credentials to back up every bit of the hype. The GT was already impressive with its 361-horsepower 6.0-liter V8, but the GXP went further: 415 horsepower from a Corvette-sourced LS3, paired with a Tremec six-speed manual transmission.
The GXP was a legitimate tire-shredder. It could reach 60 mph in 4.2 seconds and run a 13-second quarter mile straight off the showroom floor. Across two model years, Pontiac sold just 1,829 G8 GXPs before closing its doors for good.
Read our Pontiac G8 Buying Guide
2006–2012 Porsche Cayman S
The Cayman S is a better car than the 911. There, we said it. It's more engaging to drive, more practical in everyday use, and you don't need a tech billionaire's bank account to own one. Anyone with reasonable credit can get behind the wheel of one of these machines for roughly what they'd spend on a well-equipped Camry. Take the kids to school. Bring the dog. Bolt on a set of winter tires and point it toward the mountains for a ski weekend. The Cayman S handles all of it without hesitation — and without keeping you up at night worrying about future resale value.
The 2006–2012 Cayman S delivered 276 horsepower and offered buyers the choice of a six-speed manual or a five-speed Tiptronic automatic. The genuinely delightful seven-speed PDK transmission wouldn't arrive until the next generation, which is unfortunate — but it does nothing to diminish how rewarding these cars are to drive. They stay truer to the spirit of the original air-cooled 911 than the actual 911 does today. Critically, this generation retains hydraulic steering, delivering a level of tactile feedback and road feel that the electric setups introduced in later models simply cannot replicate. Pure, honest, and genuinely thrilling. Don't let this one slip through your fingers.
Read our Porsche Cayman Buying Guide
The Cars We Wish We'd Bought 10 Years Ago FAQs
What kind of used cars are considered future classics worth buying today?
Future classics tend to be vehicles that were underappreciated or undersold when new, leaving them undervalued on the used market before enthusiasts collectively recognize their worth. Cars like the E90/E92/E93 BMW M3, the Pontiac G8 GXP, and the Cadillac CTS-V Wagon all fit this profile — limited production numbers, exceptional performance, and prices that haven't yet caught up to their significance. The window to buy these cars affordably can close quickly once the broader market wakes up to them.
Which of these underrated used cars offers the best value for under $10,000?
The Mazda Mazdaspeed3 stands out as one of the most accessible performance bargains on the used market, with examples available for under $10,000. It delivers 263 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque from a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder, hitting 60 mph in 5.2 seconds — performance figures that have no business being available at this price point. The second-generation model from 2010–2013 brought meaningful upgrades over the original, including a standard Torsen limited-slip differential and revised ECU mapping for better power delivery.
Is the Pontiac G8 GXP a good used car to buy as a collectible?
The G8 GXP is doubly collectible because both the car and the entire Pontiac brand are gone, making surviving examples a genuine piece of automotive history. Only 1,829 GXPs were ever sold across its two model years, and it came equipped with a Corvette-sourced 415-horsepower LS3 engine paired with a Tremec six-speed manual — capable of reaching 60 mph in 4.2 seconds. That combination of scarcity, performance pedigree, and brand extinction makes it a strong candidate for long-term appreciation.
What should I know before buying a used Jaguar XFR?
The XFR is one of the more reliable used Jaguars you can buy because it was built during the era when Ford's Premier Automotive Group oversaw the brand and quality control was meaningfully improved. Under the hood is a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 making 503 horsepower, which turns what looks like a stately luxury sedan into something genuinely ferocious — all for well under half its original $80,000 asking price today. That said, budgeting for an extended warranty is still a wise move regardless of which used Jaguar you choose.
What Makes CarGurus Best Cars Guides Different?
Most car-shopping websites publish lists of the best cars across a variety of categories, with recommendations generally driven by editorial expertise. Here's what makes ours different: In addition to the insights and verdicts of our team of car-testing experts, our best cars guides take into account other factors that we know matter to buyers-real owner experiences and current market value.
Our expert reviewers are among this country's most trusted automotive journalists, also writing for publications including US News and World Report, Edmunds, Digital Trends, J.D. Power, and Car & Driver. They put each car through real-world testing and create detailed reviews of performance in a range of categories, from practicality and driving manners to cost-effectiveness and safety.
We also analyze hundreds of thousands of used car listings on CarGurus.com to track which models consistently offer the highest percentage of best deals relative to how many are listed for sale. Then we factor in reviews from owners-people who actually live with these cars every day. Our proprietary Best Cars algorithm then creates a final Overall CarGurus rating combining expert scores, user reviews, and the percentage of listings that have earned the Good or Great Deal rating. This multi-pronged approach reveals not just which cars excel on paper, but which ones deliver satisfaction and value when you're ready to buy.
The CarGurus market data used in this guide was last updated in July 2026. Values were accurate at time of publication and should be used as a guide only.
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