For some, driving a flashy, opulent, and incredibly expensive monument to rubber-burning fury is a lifelong dream. Dreams of Nissan GT-Rs and Porsche Camera 911s dance through your head at night, but when it comes down to plunking down money for a new car, you might have significant barriers to overcome. Significant others, college education funding for your children, or practicality are often auto enthusiast dream crushers. Oh, and the lack of monetary funds might serve as a formidable barrier as well. Fear not! With the world's new-found fascination with frugality (thank you, Mr. Recession), road driving euphoria can still be had at a practical price.

Here are my top five choices for budget performance vehicles.

Econoboxes have often been characterized as bland, boring, and a struggle to drive as they usually feature a harsh and noisy ride, a list of standard features that could have been created by Henry Thoreau, and are more than lacking in the fun department.

Fortunately, the days of the boring sedan which can barely creep over steep hills are now over – car companies are realizing that there is value in providing the consumer with vehicles that sip fuel, have style, and – dare I say it – are actually fun to drive.

CARS, the CAR Allowance Rebate System, began as a $1 billion government program to help consumers buy or lease a more environmentally-friendly vehicle from participating dealers. By trading in a less fuel-efficient car or truck, the consumer would receive a $3,500 or $4,500 voucher towards the purchase…