I like this thinking. Had I not gotten a sudden case of reverse-mid-life-crisis, that’s exactly what I should have done. On a nice day, driving up the coast from Santa Barbara, I kinda regret my decision.
Those cars suck. I know the brand is defunct, but Scion FR-S is way better!
Mitsubishi is that low? Is that because when you have any problems, you throw it out and get a new one?
Like others in the thread, I’ve owned multiple BMWs (I’m currently driving my 5th) and I haven’t found them unreliable. My current one has about 120k miles on it and I’ve replaced the starter on it, but that’s it. Other than that, the only repair I’ve had among the five was a seized caliper on my Z4 M Coupe, more annoying because before it seized I went to the dealer and they blamed my “aftermarket” wheels (they were wheels from a different BMW model that met factory specs exactly :dubious:).
I hope this is a woosh, but the Scion FR-S IS a Toyota 86/Subaru BR-Z, strip off the sheet metal and they’re the same car.
Thanks to everyone who posted “get a BMW!” responses. 
I really think that’s what it’s going to come down to for me. I love the small+fast thing, the Miata has all of the features I’m looking for, and most of the time there’s nothing in my trunk (except some junk…heh), but that 10% of the time when I really want to be able to travel with a big suitcase and/or my music gear kind of tips the scale.
Technically I think it’s a hybrid, but yeah. 
A BRZ is on my list, but it’s at the bottom. Something about that car doesn’t appeal to me. I wanted one when they first came out, but these days I feel kind of “meh” about them.
I have no domestic/import preference, and you’re right: I *should *be all over a Mustang. I just really don’t like the way they look these days.
Frankly, I’m also not a big fan of BMW’s current styling: their coupes seem way too long, with oversized hoods. There’s really nothing out there that I’m completely in love with. Normal cars, anyway…I’m just one lottery win away from a Maserati. 
I don’t want a four-door, and – despite my current car – I’m not a fan of hatchbacks.
I don’t care about cachet: I love VWs in general, and my very first car was a 1981 VW Rabbit (bought in 1990).
Nope. 
(And it’s her next car. :))
Obligatory “LOL” here, but I’ll tell ya: my first new car was a 1994 Mitsubishi Mirage, and I kept that thing for 10 years and had NO significant repair issues. The stitching on the driver’s seat came apart, the glove box latch had to be replaced, and the driver’s-side window roller had to be repaired*, but mechanically it was a very reliable, low-maintenance car.
*It was a base-model coupe, with manual everything. It didn’t even come with air conditioning: I had to buy that as an option, and have it installed after I got the car.
“Drive Train Malfunction - Limp Mode” for minor issues. It’s supposed to keep you from doing something boneheaded and destroying your engine. But the threshhold is so low that a bug hitting the windshield may trigger it (yes. bit of exaggeration) 
Or…“is my oil actually low or is it a problem with the sensor?” Let me check the dipst…Oh…you cant check that…but the dealership service dept can How long before the flatbed arrives?
Apparently, some cars are just too expensive to be reliable. Supercars, sure, they’re temperamental because that’s part of the fashion, but even the staid and boring BMWs? The grandpa cars? Boggles the mind, and perhaps even Yahtzees it for good measure. It’s like finding out that those imports are now more reliable than conservative old Fords and Buicks.
Wait, I can’t check my own oil in a BMW?! :eek:
Misnomer, I hear you. I test drove the BRZ when I was looking for a new car and my only complaint was power. Styling -wise I like Toyota’s take on it moreso than the Subaru (I love me some Subarus!). Still, maybe take one for a spin and see if it changes your mind. Otherwise, you could still do the turbo thing with a Miata RF ( I like the Spyder look).
Failing that, follow your heart, get an M2 and remember this immortal quote from Ferris: “It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.”
I’d love an M2, but so far my research indicates that it’s not really worth the extra $10K; a lot of the same “fun” is in the M240i (even though everyone knows that isn’t really an M car). Unless my car appraises for a *lot *more than I think it will, that model might be out of reach…
It is a woosh.
I don’t see many of them on the road (BRZ seems to be more than the others, but this is Subaru country). Maybe because RWD is not a selling point?
No dipstick. You may be low on oil. Or it may just be a bad sensor. But since you’ll blow the engine if you guess wrong…hopefully you’re not traveling when the oil pressure light comes on.
Also, don’t get a flat tire because there’s no spare. Although that seems to be the trend across most makes lately.
But don’t worry. While under warranty they will tow it to the dealer nearest to wherever you’ve broken down. You can stay in a hotel at your own expense and then continue your journey in the next day or 3 once its repaired.
Yeah, but in a car with a dipstick, you can have the oil pressure light come on and still have a good level on the dipstick. There are other things that can go wrong with the oil system that lead to pressure loss beyond simply being too low on oil. If the light comes on, I’m done driving regardless of whether or not I have a traditional dipstick.
I personally liked that system in my most recent two BMWs. Rather than occasionally remembering to look at dipstick, I could see my oil level everytime I drove.
Typical alarmist bs about BMWs.
You don’t have a dipstick, but you can check the oil level in the car’s menu. It’s been pretty accurate for me. I suppose the sensor could fail, in the same way a meteor could strike KY during the next Derby - I don’t worry much about either. I’m on several BMW forums so I don’t think I’d have missed all the posts about destroyed engines from faulty oil sensors if it were common. :rolleyes:
BMWs have been using run-flat tires for about a decade now, so you don’t need a spare because you can just keep driving on a flat. The downside is replacements are pricey.
Tire tech is pretty good nowadays anyway. I haven’t had a flat tire strand me since 1980 (me and 3 friends headed to an arcade called Beepers).
Which relies on a sensor that may or may not have failed.
They are fine if you ran over a nail. Useless if there is damage to the sidewall. Also limited range (approx 50 miles).
Well, as others have said there’s a difference between oil level and oil pressure.
That doesn’t bother me at all. My Mazda RX-8 had no spare. Actually, I just realized that I’ve never used the spare tire on any car I’ve ever had (which doesn’t mean I never would, but FWIW). And for a little while the low-profile tires on my 370Z seemed to be made of paper, but I’m doing OK with them.
I admit I kind of like the idea of that feature…
I’ll take a high-reliability sensor that’s constantly reporting oil level info over a dipstick that most people remember to look at sporadically if at all.
At any rate, oil level sensors and oil pressure sensors are two different systems. And you can have plenty of oil in the sump regardless of measurement method and still have dangerously low oil pressure. The oil pump could have grenaded. You could have a clogged oil passage. You could have a bearing that broken apart. If the oil pressure light comes on, you are done driving regardless.
Let me point this out to the OP: I’ve had three BMW 3-series in 20 years, and run-flats are what made me abandon the brand. If you get a flat, the tire cannot be fixed and must be replaced, which is not only expensive but tire shops don’t generally stock run-flat tires. On my last (ever) BMW 328, I got a flat more than once, and had to wait a week each time for a tire to be delivered to my (big national chain) tire place. I called around and nobody had the tire, so each time I was stranded for a week. Sure I could get to the grocery on the run-flat (for 50 miles), but forget any other sort of use of the car beyond short trips. For a week. Then shell out $300 for the replacement tire.
Reliability is the #1 reason I’d own car, and multiple times the car screwed me. I got rid of the car after I’d put enough miles on it to get back some of my wasted purchase, and I’ll never go back to BMW nor buy any car with run-flat tires. My current Audi has regular flippin’ tires, thanks.
That brings up a good point, what about an Audi S5 coupe? Starts at $53000, covers all the rest of your criteria…