5 Cars: Muscle Cars to Blow Your Refund On

If you're like many people, you've done your duty by the tax man and have a refund check sitting in your hands. If you're the average refund recipient, you have just under $3,000 to play with, according to Bargaineering.com. And of course, being a good American, you plan to use the cash to boost the local economy, right? Well, being that this is a column concerning cars, what do you think we'd suggest you do with that windfall?

This week's 5 Cars suggests grabbing a muscle car. What's that? According to Merriam-Webster, it's one of "a group of American-made two-door sports coupes with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving." We're talking a huge, honkin' V6 or V8 engine, rear-wheel drive, something you'd imagine Fonzie driving in a drag race.   

Best of all, a muscle car can make its driver look like she or he shouldn't be messed with: These powerful, though fairly inexpensive, vehicles can make you look and feel tougher, stronger, sexier and richer than you probably are.

You know, three grand makes for a tidy down payment... And after dealing with the IRS, feeling tough while being thrifty may be exactly what the doctor ordered.

1. 2013 Ford Mustang - New - $27,995 

From AOL Autos: Serious cool factor with this one. This two-door muscle convertible comes in grey and features a soft top. Previously used as a rental, it has 15,659 miles on it. 

Available at Hackensack All American Ford

2. 2013 Dodge Challenger RT - New - $42,080 

From AOL Autos: This monster comes in clean and mean. Like definitive musclers, it's a four-door couple with real wheel drive. It also boasts an 8-cylnder automatic transmission and plenty of bells and whistles.

Available at Chrysler Dodge Jeep of Paramus

3. 2010 Chevrolet Camaro LT - Used - $22,495 

From AOL Autos: Is there anything like a red-hot muscle car? This two-door couple comes in silver, has rear wheel drive and packs a powerful 3.6 liter V6 motor. 

Available at Englewood Auto Group.

4. 2011 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am - Used - $16,750

From Cars.com: This single-owner pony car Firebird is a classic beauty as it has been garage kept over the years. The two-door automatic transmission black coupe has 46,059 miles on it.

Contact John at 201-206-1874 (daytime) or 201-206-1874 (evening).

5. 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle SS - Used - $175,000

From Cars.com: OK, this is a pretty pricey, but it's an icon in American Muscle Car history. And it's blue, has 36,031 miles on it, and boasts a four-speed automatic, rear wheel drive and two doors.

Available at Wholesale Exotica in Englewood.