Exploring the Top 5 Affordable Drift Cars Under $5000: A Comprehensive Guide to Making a Wise Purchase — AcrylDrift (2024)

In all honesty, drifting is by no means inexpensive. The secret to successfully entering the drifting world is to do so on the smallest financial and operational budget possible. The more time you drift, the more money you spend on tires, components, repairs, and event costs. Obviously, the most expensive initial investment you'll make to begin into drifting is your drift car. How can we reduce this cost, improve your drifting experience, and keep our overhead costs low? To begin with, you decide on the ideal rear-wheel drive platform with lots of power for under $5,000 to base your affordable drift vehicle on.

This is a list of the top sub-$5k drifting cars from the 1990s to the early 2000s!

My personal favorite on this list is the Nissan 350z. In actuality, the images above are of my 350z from a drift competition. For $3500, I was able to get this one with 180k miles. One of the best drift vehicles under $5,000 available now is the Nissan 350z.

Drifters have been switching to the 350z as a less expensive and occasionally better alternative to the 240sx as its price climbs as a result of scarcity and rising demand. Prices have already started to change and increase.

This vehicle will likely become a future classic and be remembered mostly as a drift vehicle comparable to the 240sx.

The Nissan 350z has all the necessary attributes to be a competitive drift vehicle. However it's possible that my favorite aspect of the 350z is how easily it can be converted from the factory into a drift-ready 350z drift missile.

S13 and S14 Nissan 240sx ($5,000+)

Allow me start by wishing you luck in your search for a Nissan 240sx that is priced at $5,000 or less. The 240sx is on my list because it's feasible, but don't get your hopes up because it's improbable you'll find one in good shape for that price. For $3,000 I purchased one with a blown head gasket with different color fenders.

With that said, I would highly suggest you to buy one if you can locate a good one for that amount. These are already masterpieces and will undoubtedly increase in price, even without including drifting. Before it's too late, get one.

Yet there's a good reason why these cars are so pricey. With nearly ideal weight distribution, low curb weight, straightforward mechanics, and an engine bay that can accommodate a range of motors, these cars make great drift vehicles. You've probably seen people squeeze big engines into small vehicles like the Miata powered by a Hellcat. Yet, the S13 has enough space that you won't need to custom fabricate driveshafts and motor mounts or cut holes in the hood (style points for doing it though). You can fit engines like the LS3 or VQ35DE in there for a more dependable, stable powerband if you slightly lower the mounts. If you want something really wild, you could always opt for an SR20DET; these engines can reach close to 500 mph with bolt-ons, or you could simply turbocharge the aforementioned LS3.

In Japan, the 240SX debuted first as the Silvia just as drifting took off in the 1990s. Due to timing, people fell in love with the chassis' agility and fluidity right away, along with its almost perfect 55-45 weight distribution. And in America, it sported a 2.4-liter, zippy 4-cylinder engine that was borrowed from a truck and supplied reliable power for effortless drifting. Since the S13 hasn't been produced since 1994, fewer and fewer of them are available each year. Although only about 200,000 S13s were initially produced, these vehicles frequently drifted and eventually crashed. The few remaining S13s (and even fewer stock ones) can sell for astronomical sums of money.

So, let's assume you take one and want to modify it to make a drift car. Given how great a chassis this is for doing so, you're in luck.

Nissan's S-chassis vehicles contributed to the development of modern drift culture. They handle much sharper than the majority of the other cars on this list since they are light and simple to manage. Their somewhat lengthy wheelbase improves drifting stability and angles.

There are a ton of 240SXs with extreme modifications and engine swaps at drift events across the world.

BMW E36 ($1,500 to $4,000)

The phrase "factory ready-to-drift" perfectly describes the BMW E36. You only need to weld the differential to turn one into a drift car if it has a straight-6 engine and manual transmission. You might be able to recoup some of your costs if you decide to gut the interior. These engines are slightly more potent than the ones found in Miatas, which makes going sideways simpler. The fact that these engines are virtually indestructible is their true treasure. These engines can withstand the punishment that drifting places on them because of their excellent construction.

For what you receive, these automobiles are also quite affordable. It's actually arguably the greatest affordable drift car under $2,000 on the market right now. Worldwide sales of E36s in the millions have caused their value to fall to a level that is ideal for turning them into drift missiles. The E36 is a great drifting vehicle, and with to its nearly 50:50 weight distribution, it is equally predictable going sideways in a turn as it is going straight. The naturally aspirated inline-six has the durability to survive repeated misuse.

BMW E46 330Ci ($2,000 to $4,500)

Since I could have stated the E46 M3, which is one of the best cars BMW has ever produced, I know that a lot of your ears perked when I heard BMW E46. We have the next best option because, unfortunately, that would cost too much to include on this list. The 330Ci is the more inexpensive choice, but there is one significant difference. Only 0.2 liters separate the 330Ci's 3.0-liter inline-six from the M3's. It still provides excellent power to the back wheels, and if you add a turbo, you can easily outperform the E46 M3 figures.

You can also reduce your insurance costs by a few bucks without that M3 badge. The 330Ci will look fantastic in that flawless slide because to its sporty appearance and powerful engine. Nice. If you require a daily driver, the luxury of a BMW nevertheless shows through with copious amounts of leather and high-quality materials.

And even while it might not be the world's most dependable vehicle, it will be among the most accurate and reasonably priced drifters you can purchase. For only $4,800, we discovered a 330Ci with 135,000 kilometers and a manual transmission. That is a seriously fantastic deal on a vehicle with low miles!

The top-of-the-line 330 versions of the E46 did receive a 3.0 liter engine, the M54B30, which in the US generates 225 horsepower and 214 ft/lb of torque (235 horsepower and 222 ft/lb of torque for ZHP vehicles). While the 2.8 liter M52B28 in the E36 328 produced 190 horsepower and 207 ft/lb of torque.

Mazda Miata MX-5 ($2,000 to $4,000+)

With one of these engineering marvels, you can't go wrong. One of the most adaptable vehicles on this list is arguably the Mazda Miata MX-5. Everyone may enjoy a Miata thanks to its lightweight design and compact 4-cylinder engine. Want to float? Order a Miata. Want to start following a vehicle? Order a Miata. The Miata has you covered even if you require a lightweight chassis for that sick off-road build.

But let's go more slowly. Why does the Miata make an excellent drift vehicle? Well, that physique is to blame. It is extremely light and well-balanced. How thin? 2,100 pounds light, and if you want to strip it down, remove the door panels, the A/C, and everything else, this thing weighs less than 1,700 pounds. Light is that.

The Miata is a wonderful base to start with if you're just beginning your drifting experience. It is the ideal learner drift car because it is challenging and harsh.

The same feature that makes the Miata enjoyable to drive also makes drifting challenging. It excels at gripping the road because it is its intended purpose.

Despite the fact that some aftermarket components can make your Miata drift more readily, if you can drift a Miata flawlessly, you can probably drift just about every other car on this list as well. That will improve your drifting.