Each year, it gets harder and harder to find a new sleeper by the old definition. That definition being a car that doesn’t look fast, but goes like hell and will surprise the heck out of a sports car in a straight line. Back when engine swaps were a lot easier, people would buy base models and upgrade the engine with something bigger purely for the fun of it.
Now, though, engine swaps are much more costly and automakers want their cars to look fast, whether they are or not. Then, we have all-electric vehicles democratizing horsepower and delivering instant torque. Thankfully, that doesn’t mean you can’t find something that blends into traffic or doesn’t get much of a second glance, but surprises people when the hammer is dropped.
We considered any and all current offerings which comply with the standard rules of what a sleeper is for this article, and have ranked our favorites according to price, with the cheapest appearing first.
Basic Specs And Pricing
Starting Price
$35,900
Power
290 horsepower
Torque
311 lb-ft
0 to 60 MPH
5.4 seconds
The Hyundai Sonata N-Line gives sporty appearance package vibes, and it’s definitely not an N car. But, it’s hilariously quick with its 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and eight-speed wet clutch dual-clutch transmission. The dual/wet clutch is the secret weapon, and helps the Sonata N-Line knock out 60 mph in 5.4 seconds. That’s not spectacular in a world where supercars are laying down sub-three-second times, but it is for $35,900 in 2025.
Basic Specs And Pricing
Starting Price
$37,890
Power
250 horsepower
Torque
320 lb-ft
0 to 60 MPH
5.6 seconds
More of a traditional sleeper than something with a sporty trim is the Mazda 3 Turbo. It sits in the class where a 1.5-liter turbocharged economy engine making under 190 hp is the normal, but the Turbo version has a 2.5-liter turbo engine making 250 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque. It doesn’t have a trick transmission, but it’s just 0.1 seconds slower than the Hyundai Sonata N-Line with a 0-60 mph time of 5.6 Seconds – a full second quicker than the more aggressive-looking Honda Civic Si.
Basic Specs And Pricing
Starting Price
$46,195
Power
422 horsepower
Torque
400 lb-ft
0 to 60 MPH
3.4 seconds
It’s cute, it’s small, it’s a Volvo. But, the Volvo EX30 will hit 0–60 mph in just 3.4 seconds. That’s wickedly quick, but also deliberate on Volvo’s part. The little SUV has 422 hp with 400 lb-ft of torque backing it up, going to all four wheels. By definition, the Volvo EX30 nails being a sleeper. It’s a cheerful looking small EV made by Volvo, but it will outrun a 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera or Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing to 60 mph.
Basic Specs And Pricing
Starting Price
$50,300
Power
320 horsepower
Torque
446 lb-ft
0 to 60 MPH
5.0 seconds
The smart move for a sleeper Kia EV6 is the annoyingly named Light Long Range RWD trim. For $50,300, it comes with the same 320 hp and 446 lb-ft of torque as the Wind and GT-Line models, and hits 60 mph in a rapid 5.0 seconds. While it’s angular and doing the EV sharp creases thing, it doesn’t look like it’s going to be anywhere near that quick. Unfortunately, the EV6 GT comes with lime-colored brake calipers showing through, and makes it hard to describe as a sleeper. Switch them out for something dark, though, and it takes a knowing eye to spot the difference from an EV6 GT-Line.
Basic Specs And Pricing
Starting Price
$55,600
Power
365 horsepower
Torque
376 lb-ft
0 to 60 MPH
4.8 seconds
The Genesis G70 has been embarrassing fast cars for a few years now. It looks like a nice premium sedan for people that want to drive something in that category that isn’t German. What it does in 3.3T trim, however, is lay down the sort of power people expect from a BMW M3. The G70 3.3T has a twin-turbo V6 instead of the standard four-cylinder single-turbo engine, and makes 365 hp with 376 lb-ft. Genesis says 0–60 mph comes in 4.8 seconds, but it looks like the brand has taken a leaf out of BMW’s playbook and is sandbagging. Most independent testing has the G70 in twin-turbo V6 form (with all-wheel-drive) at 4.5 seconds – just a few points slower than a BMW M3.
Basic Specs And Pricing
Starting Price
$67,900
Power
456 horsepower
Torque
N/A
0 to 60 MPH
4.3 seconds
The Audi A6 e-Tron is sleek, but it doesn’t have any of the badging or sporty trim you’ll find on an S6 which is often touted as a sleeper. It looks like a nice premium sedan, but pick the quattro (all-wheel-drive) version with its dual-motor powertrain, and you have 456 hp at your disposal and hit 60 mph from a standstill in 4.3 seconds – just 0.2 seconds slower than an entry-level BMW M3. If you want to play with M3 owners at the dragstrip, the S6 e-Tron will pop 60 mph in 3.7 seconds.
Basic Specs And Pricing
Starting Price
$70,990
Power
1,025 horsepower
Torque
1,198 lb-ft
0 to 60 MPH
2.5 seconds
If you want to stun someone off a stoplight, go nuts and spend $115,900 to do it in a truck. The Rivian R1T comes with 1,025 hp and 1,198 lb-ft for a 0-60 mph time of 2.5 seconds. It’s the kind of speed that can embarrass supercars, but you could also do that in the tri-motor version which will hammer out 60 mph in 2.9 seconds with its 850 hp. Even the dual-motor version is blisteringly quick, eating up 60 mph in 3.4 seconds. For $70,990, the Dual Standard trim will burst a lot of bubbles with a time of 4.5 seconds.
Basic Specs And Pricing
Starting Price
$72,300
Power
375 horsepower
Torque
369 lb-ft
0 to 60 MPH
4.4 seconds
It’s expensive, but the Mercedes E-Class, specifically the E450, looks like it’s just a comfortable sedan to waft around in. However, it has a turbocharged straight-six engine with a mild hybrid making 375 horsepower, with 369 lb-ft of torque backing it up. All the torque is available starting at just 1,800 up to 5,000 rpm, while the horsepower comes on full between 5,800 and 6,100 rpm. It all adds up to a quick 4.4 seconds from a standstill to 60 mph, which is 0.1 seconds faster than a non-Nismo Nissan Z with its twin-turbo V6.
Basic Specs And Pricing
Starting Price
$108,200
Power
518 horsepower
Torque
461 lb-ft
0 to 60 MPH
4.9 seconds
If you really want to give someone a shock at the stoplight, do it in an SUV. Even better, do it in a British SUV that’s main association is with off-road ability. The V8 version of the Land Rover Defender is also supercharged, making 518 hp with 461 lb-ft of torque. It weighs a lot, but will still grip hard off the line and hit 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. It’ll match up with a Toyota GR Corolla, Honda Civic Type R, and smoke a Subaru WRX. Plus, it can drive up mountains and across deserts.
Basic Specs And Pricing
Starting Price
$249,000
Power
1,234 horsepower
Torque
1,430 lb-ft
0 to 60 MPH
1.89 seconds
Can a $249,000 electric car that looks like a spaceship be a sleeper? Sure, it looks fast, but all luxury electric cars are fast. However, take a Lucid Air Saphire to drag strip, and it’ll show you a 0-60 time of 1.89 seconds. Let that sink in. That’s quicker than it took for you to read the words “let that sink in.” It will also do zero to 100 mph in 3.9 seconds. That’s probably a full second faster than it took you to read how fast it gets to 100 mph. And that’s in a car with 18-way power sports seats with four-zone climate control and four-zone climate control as standard.
Sources: Lucid, Volvo, Audi, Rivian, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, Genesis, Mazda, Land Rover, Kia.
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