10 Sedans That Leave The New Mustang Dark Horse In The Dust For Less
The Ford Mustang Dark Horse is one of the most compelling performance bargains you can buy new today — but it isn’t the only game in town. In fact, if you’re willing to shop the used market or consider a luxury sedan instead of a pony car, you might find something that’s quicker, more practical, and easier on your wallet. The Ford Mustang Dark Horse puts out 500 hp and 418 lb-ft of torque from its naturally aspirated 5.0-liter Coyote V8, sprinting from 0–60 in 4.1 seconds with the 6-speed manual or 3.7 seconds with the 10-speed automatic, and topping out at 166 mph — all for an MSRP of around $61,980.
While the Ford Mustang Dark Horse is a great buy if you’re looking for a brand-new sports car, your options are a bit more limited if you’re in the market for sports sedans or luxury sedans. Thankfully, there are plenty of used cars out there in those markets that deliver better performance than the Mustang Dark Horse and will cost you less to buy. Most of these sedans are powered by V6s or V8s, giving you that similar muscle car snarl that the Mustang Dark Horse has. But there are a couple here that are fully electric as well.
Maserati Ghibli Trofeo
Average Used Value: $54,888-$64,999
The Maserati Ghibli Trofeo gets a bit of a bad rap due to just how demanding the maintenance on these Italian super sedans can be. But if you’re looking for a sports sedan that’s faster and cheaper than the Ford Mustang Dark Horse, it’s worth a closer look. While most Ghiblis are fitted with a 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6, the Ghibli Trofeo steps up to a 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V8 — the same engine used in the Maserati Quattroporte GTS — producing 572 hp and 538 lb-ft of torque. That translates to a 0–60 time of 4 seconds, edging it ahead of the manual-transmission Mustang Dark Horse.
Many used examples of the Maserati Ghibli Trofeo carry asking prices above the Mustang Dark Horse’s MSRP. However, you can find one for around $54,888–$64,999. While that makes it the most expensive car on this list by a decent margin, it’s still nearly $10,000 less than a brand-new Mustang Dark Horse.
Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio (Type 952)
Average Used Value: $47,260
The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio shares a number of similarities with the Maserati Ghibli Trofeo mentioned above — both are supremely powerful performance sedans from legendary Italian marques. But the Giulia Quadrifoglio is far more celebrated, largely because it avoids many of the reliability headaches that plagued the Ghibli.
The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is powered by the same 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6 found in the V6 petrol-powered Maseratis of the era. Here it produces 503 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque, good for a 0–60 time of under 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 191 mph. The only transmission available in America is an 8-speed automatic; the six-speed manual option was reserved for other markets.
As a model that commands genuine enthusiast demand, used values for the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio have remained relatively strong. You can typically expect to pay around $47,260 for one. That said, some examples have sold for less than $30,000, so a real bargain is not out of the question.
Mercedes-Benz S 63 AMG 4MATIC+ (W222)
Average Used Value: $46,775
The only Mercedes-Benz on this list is one of the most luxurious performance sedans the German automaker has ever produced — and easily one of the most opulent performance cars of any kind. The W222-generation Mercedes-Benz S 63 AMG 4MATIC+ is built on one of the most serene and refined sedan platforms in the world, but don’t let that fool you: this is essentially a muscle car in a bespoke suit. At its heart sits a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 producing 603 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque. Combined with a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system, it rockets from 0–60 in just 3.5 seconds. The standard electronically limited top speed is 155 mph, though ticking the AMG Driver’s Package on the options list raises that ceiling to 186 mph. On both acceleration and top speed, it bests every version of the Ford Mustang Dark Horse.
Older S63 AMGs can be real bargains on the used market, and the W222 generation is no exception. You can pick one up for an average of $46,775. While that still sounds fairly expensive, the combination of performance and luxury on offer makes it serious value for money.
Audi RS3 (Typ 8V)
Average Used Value: $45,374
The Audi RS3 is quite a bit different from every other car on this list. It’s the smallest sedan here, based on a platform that’s typically sold as a 3-door or 5-door hatchback. The Typ 8V RS3 was produced from 2017 to 2020, powered by a 2.5-liter inline-5 producing 362 hp and 343 lb-ft of torque. Despite its compact dimensions, it could sprint from 0–60 in under 4 seconds — and that five-cylinder engine gave it a distinctive character that many enthusiasts still miss in newer Audis.
You can get one of these RS3s for around $45,374 these days, with quite a few examples available for just over $33,000. While it may not be the outright best value per dollar in its segment, it’s still quicker to 60 than the 2025 Ford Mustang Dark Horse and considerably cheaper to buy.
Tesla Model S P100D
Average Used Value: $41,142
The Tesla Model S P100D is one of the more polarizing choices on this list. It’s a fully electric car from an automaker that has attracted plenty of controversy over the years. But none of that changes the fact that it has become an absolute performance bargain on the used market. A P100D can be yours for around $41,142, and for that price you get a dual-motor all-wheel-drive super sedan with around 680 hp and 791 lb-ft of torque. That launches it from 0–60 in around 2.5 seconds — easily the fastest-accelerating car on this list. Top speed is a more modest 155 mph, however.
A lot of people will overlook the Tesla Model S P100D simply because of the associations that come with the Tesla brand. Many buyers also remain reluctant to commit to a fully electric performance car. But this car is incredibly good value for money, and on the drag strip it will absolutely smoke a standard 2025 Ford Mustang Dark Horse.
BMW 750i xDrive (G11)
Average Used Value: $38,850
The BMW 7 Series has been one of the benchmark luxury sedans for decades. It may not be the most opulent option in its class, but it has consistently proven itself one of the finest to drive. There has never been a full-on ‘M’ version of the 7 Series, but the 750i xDrive from the G11 generation comes close in terms of outright performance. Produced between 2016 and 2022, it was powered by a 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 — the same N63 unit found in several other BMW models — producing 450 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque in pre-facelift form, and 523 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque after the 2019 refresh. Facelifted models can accelerate from 0–60 in 3.9 seconds, putting them comfortably ahead of the manual-transmission 2025 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. The electronically limited 155 mph top speed is the one concession almost all German performance sedans seem to share.
If you want a used BMW 750i xDrive, you’ll pay an average of $38,850. That makes it another used luxury sedan that delivers serious performance and refinement relative to its asking price. For the committed BMW enthusiast, it’s well worth a look.
Audi S8 (D4)
Average Used Value: $35,997
The third speedy luxury sedan on this list, the D4 Audi S8 is probably the most overlooked entry here. It’s by far the most understated-looking option among its rivals — the regular Audi A8 is a favorite among those who practice ‘stealth wealth,’ and the S8 is no different. While there was a time when the S8 packed a V10 engine not far removed from the one in the Lamborghini Huracán, the D4 S8 uses a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8. In standard S8 trim it produces 513 bhp and 479 lb-ft of torque; the S8 Plus pushes that to 597 bhp and 516 lb-ft. The regular S8 covers 0–60 in 3.6 seconds and tops out at 155 mph, while the S8 Plus cuts that sprint to 3.3 seconds and can reach 190 mph with the Dynamic Package fitted.
What does all that performance in an understated luxury sedan cost you? You can expect to pay around $35,997 for one on the used market. That makes both the regular S8 and the S8 Plus remarkable bargains for the performance and luxury they deliver — and, crucially for this list, both versions are quicker to 60 than either transmission variant of the 2025 Ford Mustang Dark Horse.
Cadillac ATS-V
Average Used Value: $34,478
The Cadillac ATS-V is a compact sports sedan that many people have likely forgotten about. After all, Cadillac is still a brand often associated with a more mature clientele. But the ATS-V is the polar opposite of that sedate image. Produced from 2014 to 2018, this muscle sedan was powered by a 3.6-liter twin-turbocharged V6 producing 488 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque — enough for a 0–60 time of 3.9 seconds (quicker than the manual Mustang Dark Horse) and a top speed of 189 mph. Buyers could choose between a 6-speed manual or an 8-speed automatic transmission.
The Cadillac ATS-V could very well be one of the best-value muscle cars on the used market. They’ll set you back an average of $34,478 these days, according to Classic.com, with quite a few examples dipping under the $30,000 mark. Being able to get a muscle sedan this quick for this little money makes it one of the biggest bargains in its class.
Cadillac CTS-V (2nd Generation)
Average Used Value: $33,482
The ATS-V isn’t the only seriously fast Cadillac you can get for far less than the hottest muscle car from its Detroit rivals. The 2nd-generation Cadillac CTS-V can be had for strong money on the used market too, and it’s considerably faster than most people realize.
Typically going for around $33,482 on the used market, the 2nd-generation CTS-V sedan packs a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 producing 556 hp and 551 lb-ft of torque — a close relative of the LS9 unit from the C6 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1. The result is all the raucous, all-American muscle you could want from a four-door sedan, including a 0–60 time of 3.9 seconds. That makes it faster than the manual Ford Mustang Dark Horse, though just a hair behind the automatic version.
The 2nd-generation Cadillac CTS-V may have flown under the radar in its day, but appreciation — and values — have been climbing steadily as enthusiasts recognize what a genuine performance bargain it represents. If you’re a GM loyalist looking for a cheaper, more practical alternative with the muscle car soul of the Mustang Dark Horse, this one deserves serious consideration. And thanks to that Corvette-derived powertrain, they’re highly tunable too.
Tesla Model 3 Performance
Average Used Value: $23,000-$25,250
The cheapest car on this list is one that has divided opinion since the day it launched. Like its Model S P100D sibling mentioned earlier, the Tesla Model 3 Performance is a polarizing choice thanks to its all-electric powertrain and the baggage that comes with the Tesla brand. But like its bigger sibling, it has become a genuine bargain on the used market. The original Model 3 Performance used a dual-motor powertrain producing 450 hp and 471 lb-ft of torque, delivering a 0–60 time of 3.1 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph. That’s a full second quicker to 60 than the manual 2025 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, and half a second up on the automatic version.
The Tesla Model 3 Performance is the cheapest car on this list by a considerable margin. You can typically find one for around $23,000–$25,250. That’s a serious high-performance bargain — if you’re willing to look past Tesla’s current reputation, anyway.
Sources: Alfa Romeo, Audi, Cadillac, Car & Driver, classic.com, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla
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