Contrary to popular belief, you really can have fun in a slow car, you just need to push the gas pedal harder. Although we don’t condone reckless driving, we do condone having fun within the safe limits. Yes, that sounds boring, but these cars are not when driven hard. Here are five slow cars that are really fun to drive fast.

Fiat 500

In a world where 200 horsepower on an entry-level car is almost the norm, the 135 ponies that the Fiat 500 produces makes it sound like the car was made in the 90s. Actually, the Fiat 500 made its introduction back in 2012, and while it looks more like a giant toy than a car, its’ really fun to drive when you put the gas pedal to the floor. Sure, it will take 8.1 seconds to get to 60 mph, but trust us, it’s small size mixed with its nimble handling make for a good equation when it comes to driving fun, even at slower speeds. If you really need more power, then we recommend getting the Abarth trim, which is better looking, has a sportier ride and pushes out 160 horsepower.

Honda CRX

While it’s not a new car, and actually somewhat hard to find on the used market, we wholeheartedly recommend the Honda CR-X. If you can find one that hasn’t been too beaten up or heavily modified, then we can honestly say that the CR-X could be one of the best Hondas you’ll ever drive. There are no airbags, no power steering, or even any real crumple zones, but the best part about it is that you will feel more connected to the road than almost any other car.

There were two different generations of the CR-X and while the first one (’84-87) was smaller and lighter we recommend finding a second-generation one. Those were made from 1988 to 1991 and they were more powerful and utilized a double-wishbone suspension for better handling. The Honda CR-X is probably one of the most fun cars to drive at 40 mph.

Honda Civic

There’s a reason why so many car enthusiasts pick Honda Civics as their platform of choice. Yes, they are cheap and there is a ton of aftermarket support for them, however, a Honda Civic can be fun even without any modifications, especially the older ones. The Honda Civic from the 90s only had around 100 horsepower, but like the CR-X, they were lightweight and lacked the numb electric power steering found on many cars today so it always felt faster than it actually was.

Mazda Miata

The Mazda Miata is the epitome of “driving a slow car fast being fun,” because it’s small, very lightweight, and its convertible body style means that you can drop the top and be more connected to the world around you while driving 30 mph. Of course, if you hammer the throttle and feel the 115 to 155 horses of glory that the car’s four-cylinder engine puts out, you’ll be smiling for miles. In case you need more power, then we recommend getting a new one as it now produces 181 horsepower.

Volkswagen Golf

Whether you buy a new one or find a pristine used one, the Volkswagen Golf qualifies on this list. In case you haven’t noticed by now, the cars on this list only have around 100 horsepower, and the Golf is no exception. The current iteration puts out around 147 horsepower and gets to 60 in around 7.8 seconds, but it’s a fun experience when you’re behind the wheel. It’s not as light as the other cars on this list, but the Golf’s small size and zippy nature make it blast to drive, whether you’re going the speed limit, or beyond.

It really is more fun to drive a slow car fast

You really don’t need 500 horsepower to have fun in a car. All you need is a lightweight chassis, a responsive engine, and also some good driving skills, and you can have way more fun in a Honda CR-X than you would in a Dodge Challenger. Although we will admit that higher horsepower cars are still a lot of fun, if you need to be more economical, there are plenty of other choices.