Hey, let’s face it — nobody ever said “Cool minivan,” right?

But you don’t need Lamborghini money to roll up in something that turns heads. In this solo episode of Cool Cars with Chris, I’m giving you 7 of the coolest used cars you can buy in 2025 for under $20,000 — and I’m not talking about boring commuter boxes.

These are the kinds of cars that make strangers say, “Now that’s a cool ride.”

Whether you're into American muscle, sleek Japanese coupes, or refined daily drivers with serious street cred, this list hits all the marks: looks, performance, reliability, and wow factor — without blowing your entire savings account.

We’re covering everything from Chevy Corvette C5s to Mustang GTs, Dodge Challengers, Toyota 86/Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ, and even a Nissan 370Z (yes, I owned one — and I’ve got stories). Plus, I’ll break down the pros, cons, hidden gotchas, and what to look for when buying each one used.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• What makes a car truly cool in 2025

• My top 7 picks for used cool cars under $20K

• Real-world buying advice (from someone who’s owned a few of these)

• What to look out for: clutches, carfax reports, sketchy mods & more

• • Why you don’t need a Hellcat to get noticed

  
  

  Featured Cars:

  • Chevrolet Corvette C5 (1997–2004)

  • Scion FR-S / Toyota 86 / Subaru BRZ (2017–2020)

  • Infiniti G37 Coupe (2009–2013)

  • Chevrolet Camaro (2010–2015)

  • Dodge Challenger (2015–2018)

  • Ford Mustang GT (2011–2014)

• • Nissan 370Z (2009–2020)

  
  

  🚘 Perfect For:

  • Car lovers on a budget

  • First-time buyers who still want performance

  • People who want cool daily drivers without a car payment

• • Anyone searching best used sports cars 2025, cool cars under 20k, or affordable cars that don’t suck

  
  

  👉 CoolCarsWithChris.com – Show archives, Social Media, Videos, and more!

  
  

  00:00 – 🏁 Intro: Why Cool Cars Don’t Need to Be Expensive

  01:33 – 🤔 What Makes a Car “Cool” in 2025?

  03:36 – 💸 Can You Really Get a Head-Turner for Under $20K?

  04:08 – #7: 🦅 Chevrolet Corvette C5 (1997–2004)

  09:13 – 🔧 C5 Corvette: What to Watch Out for When Buying Used

  09:27 – #6: 🌀 Scion FR-S / Toyota 86 / Subaru BRZ (2017–2020)

  15:51 – 🚗 Why the FR-S Platform Is a Budget Performance Gem

  16:15 – #5: 🎩 Infiniti G37 Coupe (2009–2013) – Grown-Up Power

  22:00 – 🧰 G37 Buying Tips – What to Check & What to Avoid

  23:10 – #4: 🐝 Chevrolet Camaro (2010–2015) – Bumblebee Vibes

  28:03 – 😬 Camaro Cons: Poor Visibility & Cheap Interior?

  29:24 – #3: 💪 Dodge Challenger (2015–2018) – Retro Muscle

  34:13 – 🛑 Watch for Ex-Rental Damage & Big Maintenance Costs

  35:17 – #2: 🐎 Ford Mustang GT (2011–2014) – Pure Pony Power

  41:52 – ⚠️ Mustang Warnings: Insurance, Mods & Clutches

  42:04 – #1: 🥇 Nissan 370Z (2009–2020) – My Personal Pick

  49:07 – 🔍 What to Inspect Before Buying a Used 370Z

  52:08 – 🎉 Final Thoughts & How to Get in Touch

  Cool cars, used cars under 20k, best used cars 2025, affordable sports cars, cheap cool cars, budget car build, car buying tips, car podcast, auto enthusiast, fast cars for cheap, car guy life, muscle cars under 20k, first car ideas, used sports cars, car culture 2025, car reviews 2025, fun cars for less, best cars under 20k, car shopping 2025, gearhead approved, cool car club, project car goals, fast and affordable cars, cars that turn heads, Cool Cars with Chris

  #CoolCars #UsedCarsUnder20k #AffordableSportsCars #CarBuyingTips #FastCarsCheap

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

Are EVs actually cool… or just overhyped appliances with torque?

In this episode of Cool Cars with Chris, I sit down with my good friend Courage (yes, that’s his real name — we get into it) to talk all things EV in 2025. From Tesla drag strip dominance to battery drama, we unpack the truth behind electric vehicles today.

We cover the real pros and cons of EV ownership, including:

• 🔋 Battery life and charging cycles

• 🏁 The insane speed of even the “boring” EVs

• 📉 Range anxiety and road trip nightmares

• ☀️ My dream for solar-powered hoods (Tesla, call me)

  
  

  And yes — we count down the Top 10 Best-Selling EVs in the U.S. for 2025. Some will surprise you. Some will offend your car guy soul. Some… are Teslas (duh).

  🚗 Topics We Hit:

  • EV vs gas car convenience in real life

  • What makes an EV fun (or not)

  • The F-150 Lightning's party trick that might backfire

• Courage’s EV rental experience (spoiler: range anxiety is real)

  The EV we’d actually buy (if we had to)

• 
  

  Whether you're team gas, team electric, or just here for the jokes — this episode has something for every kind of car fan.
  👂Hit play and let’s get into it.

  
  

  Cool Cars with Chris

  
  

  00:00 – 🎙️ Intro: Are EVs even cool?

  00:27 – 🧔🏾‍♂️ Courage is back! Name origin + childhood stories

  02:18 – 🧔🏾‍♂️ Why Courage thinks his name helped him stand out

  03:18 – ⚡ EVs in 2025: Hype or hassle?

  04:12 – 🏁 Drag racing Teslas and EV performance

  05:20 – 🎧 The hidden costs of making EV batteries

  06:50 – 🔋 Battery tech, charging cycles & the recycling problem

  08:02 – 🎧 How long do EV batteries really last?

  10:35 – ⚡ Why charging to 100% is bad for EVs

  12:11 – 🚙 F-150 Lightning and power backup features

  13:45 – 🎧 EV vs gas car convenience

  14:33 – 📉 “Range anxiety” is real

  15:17 – 🚗 Courage’s Tesla rental story

  16:07 – ⚡ EV driving feel & one-pedal braking

  18:09 – ⚡ Are EVs fun to drive?

  20:00 – 📉 Long drives & charging station gaps

  21:53 – 🎧 EV road trip planning headaches

  22:38 – ☀️ Chris’s dream: Solar panels that actually charge your EV

  23:47 – 🔄 Range extenders and hybrid tech explained

  25:13 – 🔄 Are hybrids actually the best of both worlds?

  26:47 – 🔊 Fake engine noise on EVs – cool or cringe?

  27:54 – 🚨 PSA: Stop parking your Tesla at gas pumps

  28:40 – 🎧 What car guys *really* hate about EVs

  30:14 – 🏙️ EVs for city driving vs long hauls

  31:28 – 💡 Grid strain, infrastructure, and the future of EVs

  31:41 – ⚡ Top 10 Best-Selling EVs of 2025 (countdown starts!)

  33:35 – 🛻 Tesla Cybertruck – hate it or love it?

  34:56 – 🇰🇷 Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the performance EV scene

  38:07 – 🐎 Is the Mustang Mach-E a real Mustang?

  39:26 – 🇺🇸 Chevy’s SUV-heavy EV lineup

  41:52 – 🚗 Tesla takes the crown: Model Y & Model 3

  44:14 – ✅ Wrap-up: Would we buy an EV right now?

  
  

  #ElectricVehicles #CoolCarsPodcast #CarPodcast #EVPodcast #AutoTalks #EVs2025 #ElectricCars2025 #TopEVs #EVTrends #BestEVs #EVPerformance #EVBatteries #RangeAnxiety #BatteryTech #EVCharging #TeslaModelY #Model3 #Cybertruck #FordLightning #MustangMachE #PodcastEpisode #NewPodcastDrop #CarTalks #PodcastForCarLovers #CarGuysUnite

  
  

Buckle up — because this one’s equal parts hilarious and horsepower. Chris and Courage share the real stories behind their failed driving tests (yes, more than once!) before building their ultimate 3-car garages — with one big twist: they can only pick from a single car brand.

Chris goes all-in on Ford, dreaming up a Shelby-powered garage full of trucks and muscle cars, while Courage flexes with a sleeper-spec Infiniti lineup. The two debate used BMW headaches, underrated V8 SUVs, and whether anyone actually needs 4WD.

If you love car talk with personality, this one’s for you.

Highlights:

• Real stories from failed driver’s tests 🚦

• Building dream 3-car garages (Ford vs Infiniti showdown)

• The rise & fall of Nissan’s golden era

• Underrated performance SUVs & luxury sleepers

• Why 4WD gets used twice a year

• BMW buyer beware talk — what to avoid

🎙️ Hosted by Chris Smith & Courage
📍 More at coolcarswithchris.com

• 
  

  00:00 – 🎙️ Intro: Courage Returns & Why Driver's Tests Still Haunt Us
  00:40 – 😬 First-Time Pod Guest Nerves & Car Guy Talk
  01:12 – 🚗 Getting Our Licenses at 16 (Sort Of…)
  02:12 – ❌ Chris Bombs the Written & Driving Test
  04:22 – ❌ Courage’s “No Turn on Red” Fail
  06:13 – 📵 Phone Use on the Road & Traffic Frustrations
  07:42 – 📸 IG Car Clips, Cop Chases & Ghost Corvette Lore
  09:05 – 🚘 The 3-Car Garage Challenge: One Brand Only
  10:27 – 🛻 Chris Builds His Ford Dream Team (F-150, Shelby, Bronco)
  14:31 – 🧱 The Garage Problem: Big Trucks, Small Spaces
  19:49 – 🧠 Courage's Infiniti Picks (G37S, Q70 V8, QX80)
  25:25 – 📉 The Rise & Fall of Nissan + Underrated Infiniti Era
  29:02 – 🚙 SUV Invasion: Santa Cruz, Maverick & Hyundai’s Strategy
  33:07 – ⚠️ BMW Buyer Beware: Used Euro Car Warnings
  35:35 – 💸 Would You Pay $40K for 3 Cars? We Would.
  37:16 – 🏎️ Grocery Getters That Could Smoke You
  39:00 – 🔒 Hidden Truck Features: Safes, Sunroofs & Stuff We Never Use
  42:07 – 🌲 Chris Finally Uses 4WD… Twice
  45:51 – 🌐 Wrap-Up & Visit coolcarswithchris.com

  
  

  #CoolCarsPodcast #DrivingTestFail #DreamCarGarage #FordVsInfiniti #CarPodcast #FordF150 #ShelbyMustang #InfinitiG37 #InfinitiQX80 #CarEnthusiast #UsedBMWProblems #CarTalkPodcast #TruckLife #GarageGoals #CarGuyStuff #AutoFails #CarCulture #SUVLife #PerformanceCars #CarMods #DrivingStories #GearheadLife #CarDebates #NissanZLife #CarBuyingTips