With the influx of SUVs taking over supermarket parking lots, plus the arrival of space-age EVs that look like they were beamed down from the moon, it’s easy to forget the humble BMW 3-Series. This small, relatively affordable sedan (and coupe and convertible) has long been a byword of stylish motoring, whether it’s a humdrum diesel model or an ultra-focused homologation version made in just a handful. The 3 Series is a special car for normal people, and one that most of us would be happy to be seen in, whether it is a brand spanking new 2025 model, or just a roughed-up 20-year-old runabout – they aren’t called icons for nothing.
These days, the 3-Series isn’t quite as everyday as it once was. BMW has filtered down the range to offer just a 225-horsepower 330i model and the M340i, which features the legendary 382-hp turbocharged B58 inline-six. The base car starts from $47,125, which puts it against some very interesting used sleeper cars.
All prices for this article are from Classic.com and Hagerty.com. The pictures are for illustration only and may not always relate to the exact model year. HotCars took the base price for the 3-Series and looked for sleepers from 2000 onwards. The results are in order of cheapest first.
The C5 Audi RS6 arrived in America for 2003 as a sedan, rather than an Avant wagon like in other markets. While we may take wildly powerful performance sedans for granted these days, the RS6 was a trailblazer in that department – and its stats still stand up today. This four-door has all-wheel-drive and a twin-turbocharged 4.2-liter V8 engine under the hood that is good for 450 horsepower. On top of that, the RS6 sends all that power to all four corners via a 5-speed automatic transmission. As a result, the sedan can hit 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and cover the standing quarter mile in the mid-12 seconds. The RS6 only lasted until 2004. Expect to pay on average $18,198 for a 2003 model, says Classic.com, which means you can get two for the price of a new base 3 Series.
One of the mightiest super sedans of the 2000s, the W211 AMG still makes for an incredibly desirable car. The E55 AMG features a tuned chassis, subtle body kit, and a supercharged 5.4-liter V8 engine. Later AMG E-Classes looked meaner, but this version still very much flies under the radar, making it one of the all-time stealthiest sleepers. For the mid-2000s, the power was eyebrow-raising, pushing out 469 horsepower (not to mention 516 lb-ft of torque). This is enough to propel the AMG Benz to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds. Expect to pay $22,784 for a 2006 model, says Classic.com.
Pontiac may have started the whole muscle car craze in the first place, but it sadly had to shut its doors in 2010 due to the economic downturn. But before this iconic brand disappeared, it left one reminder of how great its muscle cars were. When the G8 GXP arrived in 2008, it came fitted with a Corvette-derived, 415-horsepower 6.2-liter LS3 V8 in its snout. Along with all the exec toys a middle management exec could expect, the GXP had incredible poke that was enough to stay up with a new V10-powered BMW E60 M5. The hottest G8 has 415 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque, making it good for a 60 mph sprint in 4.5 seconds and running the quarter-mile at just over 13 seconds at 109 mph. Expect to pay $24,700 for a Pontiac G8 GXP in good condition in 2025, according to Hagerty’s Valuation Tool.
Somewhere around the 2000s, Cadillac decided it was no longer going to just make cars for people to drive around Miami wearing Hawaiian shirts. The result was the V cars, a series of high-performance models that jumped right into the cage with the German super sedans for a proper bare-knuckle dust-up. Caddy didn’t disappoint either, especially with the second-gen CTS-V sedan, which was a bit more polished and could be bought with a manual gearbox. Power comes from a supercharged 6.2L ‘LSA’ V8 engine that pushes out 556 horsepower and 551 lb-ft of torque. The rear wheels put that power into the asphalt via a 6-speed Tremec manual transmission. Expect to pay $34,250 for a late 2013 model, says Classic.com.
The Lexus IS-F arrived as a rival to the BMW M3 in 2007. This being the 2000s, when everyone was stuffing as big an engine in their performance models as possible, it made sense for the small Lexus sedan to be powered by a 5.0-liter V8 engine. The car also comes with an 8-speed automatic ‘box, but this does also feature a manual mode with paddle shifters for those of us who like being part of the cog selecting process. The car may be downplayed on the outside in a way only Lexus knows, but underneath it is an old-school muscle car monster. With 416 horsepower on tap, the Lexus can hit 60 mph in a heady 4.2 seconds. Expect to pay on average $34,648 for a 2012 model, says Classic.com.
The Audi RS3 channeled the spirit of the ur-Quattro, and not because it was incredibly capable. Arriving in 2015, the RS3 has a turbocharged five-cylinder (just like the original), but this time it was a 2.5-liter. This mill is good for a pounding 362 horsepower, and when combined with traction to all four wheels and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, you have one of the most breathtakingly quick hatchbacks cross-country. A 2016 model now costs $37,411.
The first-generation Bentley Flying Spur arrived for the 2006 model year and was one of the British brand’s early models under VW. These sleeper sedans are brimming with luxury and are powered by a crushing 552-horsepower 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 engine, with all-wheel drive and a 6-speed automatic transmission. The sprint to 60 mph will take around 4.5 seconds, and the Flying Spur will keep going until 200 mph. These cars are bargains these days, with even later 2010 models having an average used price of just $39,522.
If you are looking for a new-ish sleeper for not a lot of cash, look no further than the 2021 Kia Stinger. The Stinger is a mid-size fastback that looks a little bit like an Audi A7, and comes equipped with a potent twin-turbocharged V6 in the nose. This unit generates 365 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque, with a choice of either rear or all-wheel drive. This upmarket Kia will hit 60 mph in approximately 4.7 seconds. Used values are very affordable, with a 2021 model costing just $36,500, says Classic.com.
The S8 (D4) arrived for the 2012 model year fitted with a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine, rather than a Lamborghini-based 5.2-liter V10 that was under the hood of the previous version. Along with the new engine, Audi also carried out tweaks to the suspension and chassis to handle the extra performance. The D4 S8 has to be one of the best used performance car bargains of the last few decades. Considering this model was around $100,000 new, you’ll only need, on average $44,750 for a 2017 model in 2025 – that’s a lot of car for the money.
BMW decided to tone down the M5 a little when the F10 version debuted for the 2012 model year. Gone was the bonkers F1-inspired V10 of the previous model, replaced by BMW’s S63 engine. This may only be a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8, but it is incredibly potent. The eight-cylinder pumps out 553 horsepower and 502 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and the 4300-pound luxury Bimmer will hit 60 mph in 3.7 seconds. Expect to pay $45,450 for a last-of-the-line F10 M5.
Sources: Classic.com; Hagerty.com
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2007/2008 BMW Alpina B7, $20k, 500 supercharged hp. Nuf said. 
