New car buyers may want a particular model, but they might not always have the budget to get their first choice. Automakers are offering consumers the widest variety of choice in history, and this feature will help give you insight into some comparable, affordable alternatives to more upmarket cars.

If you need an escape from your ho-hum daily commute, nothing says, “I want to have some driving fun!” than a two-door, rear-wheel-drive sports coupe with a thumping V8.

Even in a market flooded with practical crossovers and SUVs, there are still plenty of sporty coupes you can buy, from the luxury brand model you may dream of to the mainstream model your budget may force you to get as an alternative. If you’re looking for a fun, rear-wheel-drive, V8-powered sports coupe and can’t afford an Aston Martin, the new 2015 Mustang GT is one of the best bargains around.

WANT THIS: 2015 Aston Martin V8 Vantage

No longer hand-building antiquated cars one at a time in a garden shed, Britain’s Aston Martin has become one of the top exotic car brands of the 21st century. And the entry-level V8 Vantage coupe is a good example how far Aston Martin has evolved into a modern supercar company.

Starting at $124,500, the front-engine, rear-wheel-drive V8 Vantage two-seat coupe is not only the smallest but also the least expensive Aston Martin you can buy – a whopping 60 per cent less than the DB9 2+2 with which it shares many chassis components.

2015 Aston Martin Vantage V8 Handout , Aston Martin

2015 Aston Martin Vantage V8 Handout , Aston Martin

2015 Aston Martin Vantage V8 Handout , Aston Martin

2015 Aston Martin Vantage V8 Handout , Aston Martin

One quality the V8 Vantage shares with its bigger brothers is timeless good looks. Although the V8 Vantage has been around for a decade, few cars on the road look as well-proportioned or as pretty. Design details like air vents cut out of the coupe’s side, tidy door handles and slim side mirror stems only add to the Aston Martin’s design sophistication.

Inside, the V8 Vantage’s cozy cockpit is a nice place to be, with contrasting leather stitching and straightforward ergonomics. Most of the design is bespoke, highlighted by the intricate aluminum-trimmed driver instrumentation. While features like navigation, satellite radio, parking assist and full leather comes standard, Aston Martin also offers hundreds of unique colour and finish combinations and a range of personalized options — a service mainstream automakers simply cannot perform.

2015 Aston Martin Vantage V8 Handout , Aston Martin

2015 Aston Martin Vantage V8 Handout , Aston Martin

Because the V8 Vantage’s chassis is formed from the same all-aluminum architecture that underpins all of Aston Martin’s cars, the small coupe feels as solid as England’s White Cliffs of Dover when on the move. And unlike a Ferrari, Aston Martin offers a manual gearbox in the V8 Vantage. The six-speed manual transaxle delivers quick and assuring shifts.

Also read: Chrysler 200 a more affordable alternative to Audi A4

Despite its classic looks and sumptuous interior, the V8 Vantage is the most driver-focused car in the brand’s lineup. Combined with one of the most velvety exhaust notes you can buy, the Aston Martin is much more involving from the driver’s seat than its larger siblings.

No doubt: if you are in the market for an exotic two-seat sports coupe, you’ll want a 2015 Aston Martin V8 Vantage.

GET THIS INSTEAD: 2015 Ford Mustang GT

The truth is, a Ford Mustang GT does not have the exclusivity, sophistication or mystique of an Aston Martin V8 Vantage. Compared to any of its American or Asian mainstream coupe rivals, though, and the all-new 2015 ‘Stang is the one sports coupe to get if you can’t make the payments on an Aston Martin.

2015 Ford Mustang GT Handout , Ford

2015 Ford Mustang GT Handout , Ford

2015 Ford Mustang GT Handout , Ford

2015 Ford Mustang GT Handout , Ford

You wouldn’t expect a mass-produced, mainstream car like the Mustang to cost the same as the low-volume exotic like the V8 Vantage. So by adding the $3,700 GT Performance package (which adds items like a strut tower brace, larger radiator, thicker sway bars, Brembo brakes, 19-inch performance tires, etc.), $350 reverse sensing and $1,500 Recaro sport seats, at $45,549, the Ford 2+2 rear-wheel-drive sports coupe is still about one-third the price of the Aston Martin.

Yet despite the deep discount, you won’t be sacrificing any performance by getting the Mustang GT. Although the Ford’s 5.0-litre V8 is a carryover from the last-generation Mustang Boss 302, its 435 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque outgun the Vantage’s 4.7L V8’s respective 420 and 346 ratings. With a six-speed manual, the Ford goes from zero to 100 kilometres per hour in only 4.7 seconds — 0.2 seconds quicker than the Aston Martin.

And unlike Mustangs from the past, the new 2015 version was designed to attract European sports coupe buyers. So with its new, lighter, dedicated, rear-wheel-drive platform and first-ever independent rear suspension, the Mustang GT is no slouch on a back road. Cornering is now flat and confident, with both ends of the car acting as one.

2015 Ford Mustang GT Handout , Ford

2015 Ford Mustang Handout , Ford

2015 Ford Mustang GT Handout , Ford

Inside, Ford has upped the ante in fit and finish and use of high-quality materials. It can’t match the luxury feel of the Aston Martin, but the Mustang is now leagues ahead of its less-refined Chevrolet and Dodge competition. Throughout the new Mustang GT cabin, you’ll find soft-touch plastics, real aluminum and leather assembled tightly and accurately.

Also, in anticipation of attracting more import-brand buyers, the 2015 Mustang gets more than 20 new technology offerings, such as adaptive cruise control and collision warning, a new four-mode (Normal, Sport+, Track, Snow/Rain) driver-selectable system that tunes the car’s steering, stability controls and engine, individual tire pressure monitoring system, and intelligent key access and push start.

In the end, if your looking for a European-inspired, V8 sports coupe with the type of performance that can put some exotics to shame, go get a 2015 Ford Mustang GT.