Most car enthusiasts think "practical performance car" is an oxymoron. You are either having fun or have room for the family with no compromise on the horizon. But fear not, for Doug DeMuro thinks differently, and his latest video dives into seven cars that supposedly deliver excitement and practicality in one vehicle.
We're skeptical. A burger with everything on it can be agreeable to all but satisfying to none because they lack sauce. Finding a car that can not only get you to soccer practice, fit in that small parking place, and make the journey fun is incredibly rare. But we're willing to give his list a fair shake.
Starting with the cheapest option, DeMuro champions the Ford Focus ST. "I love hot hatchbacks in general," he says, "but I have specifically always loved the Focus ST for a couple of reasons." His main selling point? It had more power than the GTI of its era and steered better than other hot hatches. These points are all true, and it is a beloved car within the enthusiast community, but there is a big but after it. These things are ten years old now, and finding one that hasn't been beaten to death by previous owners is getting harder. Not to mention, while these cars were reliable stock, when modded, that reliability took a sharp turn into the repair shop every other day. Sure, you can snag one for around $10,000, but good luck finding a clean example at that price.
Moving up the price ladder, DeMuro suggests the VA-generation Subaru WRX STI (2015-2021) in the high-$20K range. This one makes more sense to us. You get sedan practicality, AWD capability, and the legendary STI drivetrain. These cars have hit a sweet spot where they're not depreciating much further, but they're still accessible. Fun to drive, reliable, and has more than enough space. The only downside? No more hatchback option, which hurts the practicality and cool argument slightly.
The Acura Integra Type S gets DeMuro's nod as a more refined alternative to the Civic Type R. "The Integra Type S really allows you to have a more muted version of that same experience," he explains. This pick actually intrigues us. It's basically a Type R for people who want to be able to look at their car with respect in the morning rather than embarrassment. Used ones are already dipping into the mid-$30K range, and unlike the Focus ST situation, these are still relatively new.
But not all of these suggestions are hits. The Range Rover Sport SVR sounds great on paper - 575 horsepower, genuine performance SUV capability, good looking, and luxury appointments. But it doesn't seem to belong on this list, as the only way this one is practical is if you don't care about repairing it when it inevitably keels over. Yes, you can find them in the $40K range now, but the potential repair bills could double that investment quickly. When it works, it is a good sport SUV, but the ratio of working to being in the shop is concerning, to say the least. DeMuro acknowledges the reliability concerns but brushes them off too easily.
The wildcard pick is the Porsche Taycan Turbo. DeMuro's reasoning makes sense: "This is a 670 horsepower car that's only four or five years old with a 150 sticker when it was new that is now pretty findable for around $60,000." The depreciation on these has been brutal, which creates an opportunity for buyers. But you need to be sure that your city has the charging infrastructure to make this car practical. If you need to go 20-40 minutes out of your way to charge it, is it still practical?
What we appreciate about DeMuro's approach is his focus on cars under $100,000. He avoids the obvious luxury-performance SUV territory where people can have it all because they can pay for it all.
The emphasis on manual transmission in his first three picks shows he understands his audience, even if it excludes some buyers who cannot use their left foot. However, his shift to automatics for the SUV options demonstrates he's actually thinking about real-world usability.
DeMuro's list isn't perfect, but it does highlight an important point: the sweet spot for practical performance cars exists in that $15K-$60K range where you can get legitimate performance without exotic car maintenance schedules or payments. The Focus ST and WRX STI represent the accessible end, while the Integra Type S and Taycan show what's possible when you stretch the budget.
The Range Rover inclusion is ambitious to say the least. Selling it as affordable only accounts for the front-end costs and not the tsunami of maintenance bills following the purchase.
What DeMuro gets right is recognizing that usability doesn't have to mean boring. The cars on his list genuinely deliver driving thrills with real-world capability. Whether they're actually "cool" depends on your perspective, but they're certainly more interesting than another crossover.
The reality is that true practical performance cars require compromise, and DeMuro's picks acknowledge that while trying to minimize the pain points. Some work better than others, but the concept itself isn't flawed - just the execution in certain cases.
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