Cars Under $25,000 Salt Lake City UT
Top 10 Most Powerful Cars Under $25,000
Top 10 Most Powerful Cars Under $25,000 By Alison Lakin, Associate Editor 
Gas mileage, be damned! Sometimes, the number one reason to buy a car is because of its horsepower. You want that V-8 and enough torque to make weekend drives worth living for. But cars with gobs of power tend to have a few too many dollar signs for most people’s pocketbooks. Luckily, there are still a number of cars that can dance off the line with the best of them for a budget-friendly price. Here are DriverSide’s top 10 most powerful cars under $25,000.
1. 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 - $25,000
Highlighting Hyundai’s shift toward rear-wheel drive domination is the highly touted and incredibly good-looking Genesis Coupe. This car marks the first of three Hyundais on this list; how they manage to keep the prices so low on cars that deliver this level of power, we’ll never know. The 306 horsepower, however, we completely understand.
Drivetrain: 3.8-liter V-6, six-speed manual, six-speed automatic, 306 horsepower, 266 lb-ft of torque
MPG: 17/26 manual, 17/27 auto
2. 2010 Chevrolet Camaro - $22,995
As Hyundai takes a step into the future with its sleek coupe, Chevrolet has chosen to look back to good ol’ days with its new edition of the classic Camaro. But don’t think for a second that this is the one you coveted back in 1969. With an estimated 300 horsepower, this muscle car really has the brawn to move fast for a budget price.
Drivetrain: 3.6-liter V-6 engine with six-speed manual or automatic transmission; 300 horsepower, 273 lb-ft of torque, rear-wheel drive
MPG: not yet rated
3. 2009 Mazda Mazda6 - $24,800
Fresh off a major redesign, this Mazda sticks true to its racing roots. Not only does it sport a large 3.7-liter engine and 272 hp, but it looks real nice too. Mazda says they used Japanese influences when designing the interior – there’s a definite zen-like feeling to it all. Though, as long as it keeps pushing out this kind of muscle, it could get inspiration from a garbage truck for all we care.
Drivetrain: 3.7-liter V-6 engine, six-speed automatic transmission, front-wheel drive; 272 horsepower, 269 lb-ft of torque
MPG: 17/25
4. 2009 Toyota Camry LE V6 - $24,215
A Toyota Camry, huh? Bet you didn’t expect to see this one up here. You’d be surprised though: When coupled with Toyota’s powerful V-6 engine, the Camry does a bang-up job of combining the easy functionality of its most popular sedan with actual drivability. Like the Mazda 6, we’d love a manual option, though for 268 horses we’ll keep quiet.
Drivetrain: 3.5-liter V-6 engine, five-speed automatic transmission, front-wheel drive; 268 horsepower, 248 lb-ft of torque
MPG: 19/28
5. 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX - $24,995
Just scraping under the $25,000 mark is the all-wh...