These Are The Cheapest LS-Powered Cars You Can Buy
The LS V8 is one of the best engines to come out of America in recent years. It’s powered so many great sports cars and muscle cars over the years, as well as a few other great models that lie outside those categories.
It used to be the case that you needed a fair bit of money at least to get an LS-powered car. Now, though, things are very different. Some of them are now ridiculously cheap to buy on the used market. While more purist sporting models get the most attention here, there are also a couple of sports sedans. There are also, surprisingly, a couple of cheap SUVs you can buy that have LS engines.
These are the cheapest LS-powered cars we could find with concrete sale data from the last 12 months (as of September 2026).
8
Pontiac Firebird Trans Am (Fourth Generation)
Average Used Value: $23,715
The final generation of the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am has to be one of the most distinctive. It’s also, surprisingly, one of the most forgotten. That’s despite it being a real performance powerhouse. Post-1997 Trans Ams were powered by the 5.7-liter LS1 V8, which produced anywhere from 305 to 330 horsepower in its standard form to 345 to 350 horsepower in the SLP Firehawk version. That’s a lot for a sports car that has its origins in the 1990s, especially where the Firehawk-engined versions are involved.
The average used value of a fourth-generation Pontiac Firebird Trans Am is around $23,715. That average isn’t likely to stay cheap for long, though. Low-mileage examples of the super-rare WS6 Convertible version have sold for properly bank-breaking prices—as much as $43,000 and more. If you want one of these awesome (and underrated) American sports cars for a reasonable price, now might be one of the last times you can actually pull that off.
7
Chevrolet Camaro SS (Fourth Generation)
Average Used Value: $23,847
The fourth-generation Chevrolet Camaro SS is built on the same platform as the fourth-generation Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. That means that post-1997 versions got the same LS1 engine. In the Camaro SS, it produces 350 horsepower, but it was marketed as having 310 horsepower. That advertised output was increased to 325 horsepower from the 2001 model year onward. This decision was made so that the Camaro SS wouldn’t steal sales away from the base model C5 Corvette, which was sold at the same time.
The average used value for the fourth-generation Chevrolet Camaro SS is around $23,847. This includes pre-1998 models that used the LT4 engine. The best of the LS-powered examples can sell for as much as $28,000 for regular examples, and over $30,000 for examples that were built for special occasions. While you can still get these on a budget, be prepared to shell out if you want a really special one.
6
Chevrolet Suburban (Ninth Generation)
Average Used Value: $18,527
The Chevrolet Suburban has to be the most ‘American’ SUV on the planet. The ninth-generation version has to be one of the iterations that embodies this most. Not only is it one of the best full-sized SUVs you can get on the used market, but it’s also powered by an LS engine.
Yes, it isn’t called an LS. It was known as, and marketed as, the Vortec. But, it’s from the LS family, and shares all the same important characteristics that make LS engines what they are. A range of engine sizes were available in this generation of the Suburban, ranging from a 5.3-liter unit up to a massive 8.1-liter one for the heavy-duty 2500 variant. Most versions have the 5.3-liter engine, which produces between 285 and 295 horsepower and 325 to 335 lb-ft depending on the model year.
These massive SUVs were fairly expensive new. But, 20+ years down the line, they can be proper bargains. Around $18,527 gets you one of these. With how old-school SUVs are starting to become more desirable, the values of the best examples could really skyrocket in the future.
5
Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS (2006-2007)
Average Used Value: $17,600
When people think of the Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS, they might think of the version that was made in the 1980s. They typically won’t think of the one that was sold in the 2000s. While it initially had a V6 engine, after a mid-life facelift it ended up getting a V8 engine again for the first time since 1988. The engine of choice in this version of the Monte Carlo SS is the 5.3-liter LS4, producing 303 hp and 323 lb-ft of torque. Unusually, this engine is transverse-mounted, as part of a front-wheel drive setup. This version of the Monte Carlo SS also only came with a 4-speed automatic transmission. That’s understandable, as this was supposed to be more of a GT car than an out-and-out sports car.
It’s difficult to find examples of these LS-powered Monte Carlo SSs for sale. One that has shown up recently sold for $17,600. Judging by how relatively rare these cars are, those fairly cheap prices won’t stay for long either.
4
Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (Fourth Generation)
Average Used Value: $15,398
The SS isn’t the only version of the fourth-generation Camaro to have got the LS1 engine. That post-1997 changeover from the LT1 to the LS1 also applied to the Z/28. The Z/28 was advertised as having slightly less power than the SS—305 horsepower from 1998 to 2000 and 310 horsepower from 2001 to 2002. But, even with that lower output, it’s still a great performance car with a proper American V8 engine.
The average value for the fourth-generation Camaro Z/28 across its entire run is around $15,398. Post-1997 LS-engined examples can sell for $19,000 or more if they’re in great condition. These Z/28s may not be as loved as the classics or the more modern ones, but there are plenty of them all over the used market, and they’re a brilliant performance bargain. They could even make a great choice for your first proper sports car.
3
Chevrolet Tahoe (Second Generation)
Average Used Value: $13,996
Like the ninth-generation Suburban we mentioned earlier, the second-generation Chevrolet Tahoe is a seriously American SUV with lots of character. While it’s still a full-sized SUV, it’s significantly shorter than the Suburban. That makes it a bit more manageable in urban spaces, and a touch less scary for people who aren’t used to big cars to drive. It was also never offered with the massive 8.1-liter engine, as there’s no heavy-duty version of the Tahoe, it didn’t need it.
With an average used value of around $13,996, this generation of the Chevrolet Tahoe is a real bargain compared to what it would have cost brand new. That’s especially considering what you get for this money is a really solid, full-sized SUV that’s still good even by today’s standards. Plus, Vortec branding aside, it really is one of the cheapest ways into owning a car with an LS engine.
2
Chevrolet Impala SS (2006-2007)
Average Used Value: $9,075-$13,200
The 2006-2007 Chevrolet Impala SS looks like the most boring, everyday American sedan you could imagine. Underneath that incredibly plain exterior, though, is the same powertrain that’s in the Monte Carlo SS we mentioned earlier. That means this car is a bit of a monster, and one that nobody would ever suspect.
Because this iteration of the Impala SS is forgotten and cast aside, it’s an absolute steal on the used market. You can expect to pay as little as $9,075 for a good one, and not much more than $13,200 for some of the best examples. It really could be one of the most surprising sleepers you could get your hands on, if you play your cards right.
1
Pontiac Grand Prix GXP
Average Used Value: $3,800-$10,750
Take a look at the specs of the Pontiac Grand Prix GXP, and you’ll see a lot of similarities with the 2006-2007 Chevrolet Impala SS we’ve already talked about. That’s because, essentially, they’re the same car. As a result, it has all the same quirks as the Impala SS, with that proper V8 power being put into a regular front-wheel-drive sedan. That made the Pontiac Grand Prix GXP one of the most underrated sleepers that you could get from any American manufacturer at the time.
That sleeper appeal isn’t the only great thing about the Pontiac Grand Prix GXP. You can also pick one up for an absolute steal on the used market. One example sold in 2025 for just $3,800, and the highest these cars sell for usually is just over $10,000.
Sources: Bring A Trailer, Chevrolet, Classic.com, Mecum Auctions, Pontiac
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