Recommend a small sporty car

In My Humble Opinion
21

You’re lucky! There are so many nice models out there now.

I still remember the Great Convertible Dearth of the 1970s, when NO convertibles were being made in the U.S. And any available convertibles were either based on high-end hardtops, and accordingly expensive, or based on ordinary hardtops yet still twice as costly. The Great Convertible Dearth is largely thought to have been caused by Ralph Nadar, though to be fair about it, if that Corvair hadn’t rolled over in the crash test, he never would have written Unsafe At Any Speed.

Have fun shopping. I’d vote for the Miata or the Del Sol, myself.

22

To those who suggested a Honda del Sol: Honda stopped making those around 1996 or 1997. Good luck finding one – they are NEVER in the classified ads. I watch for del Sols because I own one and would like a good idea of its market value in my area.

That said, I’ll buy the Audi TT Coupe and you can buy my del Sol from me! Never been wrecked, runs like a dream and I love it so much I vowed that, if I was ever hit by another car, first I’d get out and beat them silly and then I’d demand they back up and smash it up so it gets totalled out and I get a new one! (kidding)

That said, I’ve been looking for a cute, little sporty 2-door, possibly 2-seater. Here’s my list:

Mazda RX8
Honda S2000 - Not to sure about this because I’m not a fan of ragtops.
Toyota MR2 Spyder Now there’s a bad ass looking car. Looks like it’s going 30 mph just sitting in the parking lot!
Acura RSX The replacement for the Integra.

Right now I’m leaning toward the Acura because it’s the least expensive of the cars on my list and it has a hatchback so I can haul more than a couple bags of mulch home from the nursery. The Audi looks like it’ll hold maybe one or two bags of mulch at a time. That’s a lot of trips!

Good luck on your serach.

23

I just saw a brand spanking new Daimler-Chrysler Crossfire, and it is a work of art.
Beautiful car! I read an article that said it starts at $34,995.
American and German engineering! The price might be a little bit more than you wanted but it seems worth it. Poor man’s Mercedes! Or at least fairly-well off man’s benz.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=daimler+chrysler+crossfire

24

You can find an almost-new (2001-2003 model year) BMW 3-series for that price. The best sporty-yet-practical car on the market. Drive one and you’ll see.

25

Nope. The US model production has already started with the dealer demos to arrive sometime in May. First customer cars will arrive sometime in June. And thank dog for that as I’ve been about to pee my pants in anticipation since I put my deposit down more than a year ago now.

You may be thinking about the Esprit. The last one of those came off the line a month ago or so.

26

What Pork Rind said.

The problem we’re all having here is that ‘sporty car’ is a pretty wide category. What do you want? Straight-line acceleration? Best handling? Does it have to be a convertible? How about ride quality? Does it need a plush ride, or do you prefer a tight, harsh suspension?

The best performance deal out there right now is a Subaru WRX STi. This thing can run with supercars costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. And yet, it’s only $30K, it has four seats and a good sized trunk, and can be driven daily. But what you are paying for here is a great drivetrain. It’s not much to look at, and unless you drive it hard you’ll never come close to its capabilities.

The Lotus Elise isn’t much more money (not sure how much it’ll be, but I’m pretty sure it’s under 40K), and people are saying it’s the best-handling car in the world. Period. At 1900 lbs it feels more like a Superbike than a car. With 190 HP it goes 0-60 in 4.7 seconds, but still gets over 30 mpg on the highway. But it’s very small, only has two seats and almost no luggage storage, and it’s short on amenities. It’s a pure sports car.

The Miata is a great sports car, and a hoot to drive. It’s very small though, and somewhat underpowered for a sports car. However, there is a new MazdaSpeed Miata that looks like a great choice.

Finally, if you don’t need a convertible, consider the RX-8 and the standard WRX. Both are great sports cars, and you’ll save 5 grand or so out of your 30K. Both are quite practical as well.

27

I will join the throng singing the praises of the Mazda Miata. All the other cars suggested pale in comparison as far as driving pleasure per dollar spent. I’ve driven several Miatas, and can say that they deliver one of the best balanced true sports car experiences on the road. They are almost bulletproof, and you can get an excellent example for about 15K.

Honda S2000. This seems to be the favorite of the boy racers on the board. Yes it certainly has more horsepower than a Miata, but how often will you be revving this machine beyond 6 grand? The OP sounds like he will actually be driving this car not reading about it in a magazine or playing a video game, and he sounds like he’ll be making the payments. Given the choice, I’d take a Miata and 1000 ten dollar bills, any day, thanks very much.

BMW If the OP wanted a BMW or was inclined to buy one, he’d probably already have one.

Honda Del Sol??? Not a sports car. Front wheel drive 90s Civic with less interior space and a funky roof. Yawn.

**Audi TT ** Certainly available in this price range, but IMHO not a good value, Make sure you’re happy with what you are actually getting for the money: Front wheel/AWD drive turbo Volkswagen.

Toyota MR2RWD and a much better value than the Audi, Though not as nice as the Miata, if the styling really appeals to you, this wouldn’t be a bad choice for an inexpensive newer car. Really lacking in storage space except for small, triangular space behind the seats.

**Lotus Elise ** Yeah Right. Is it finally legal in the U.S.? If so, nice car I suppose, if you have the money to buy one. Good luck cutting a deal on this new-to-market, rare, high performance car. Clearly not what the OP is looking for, so why bring it up?

Old British Sports Cars Fine, but obviously not what the OP is looking for.

Subaru WRX The OP is looking for a 2 seater convertible sports car, not “four door turbocharged pseudo-rally economy car with scoops and plastic doodads all over it”.

Porsche 911 Older ones are great, but IMHO the OP is looking for something newer for his 30K or less.

which brings me to some additional suggestions- if you absolutely don’t want a Miata, and have to spend 30K, I’d suggest a Corvette C5 or Porsche Boxster. Both excellent cars, available as convertibles, and available used in this price range.

28

But… it’s a girl car.
I mean… not as bad as say, a LeBaron, but still…

Am I the only one who thinks so?

29

I spent some time looking into the “Miata thing” and I determined that the way to go was to buy one gently used and spend money to make it run and handle like an actual sports car (as opposed to a girls “isn’t it cutemobile”), one of the magazines took a 3 year old Miata, put on a supercharger and larger throttle bodies, new exhaust, ignition, brake calipers and lines and a few suspension goodies and I paraphrase “the car now runs and handles like it should have the first day”, mileage even went up (slightly). The advantage of the Miata is that there is a huge aftermarket and information/enthusiasts abound. My directing the OP to the Solstice was based on the assumption that he wanted something new and something that came with a warranty (plus that car is gorgeous!).

Unclviny

30

Walrus…
The Miata’s and Del Sol’s are CHICK cars Dude! Are you serious? Don’t go There!

Check out BMW’s Mini- Coopers!!!

31

Here’s a question that relates to the OP and will perhaps help him pick out a model:

of the cars you guys mention, which will be the most resonable to maintain?

For example, a BMW may very well be in the price range, but if repairing it is on the pricey side, is it a good car to consider?

Mr. Roboto,

I find it interesting that you say Del Sol and Miatas are girls cars. Mr Baboon says that all the time. What’s ironic is that you say Mini Cooper. I have one and hear all the time from guys that its a bit on the feminine side, especially the new convertable.

32

Also, how is the insurance on some of those cars? I can imagine that the insurance for the WRXsti is on the high side.

33

Thanks for all the replies so far.

Right now I’m leaning toward a Miata or s2000, but I definitely haven’t ruled out an older Porsche, I’m just wondering how quickly I’ll have to learn to be handy (Working on cars is something I’d like to know how to do; I’ve just never had any experience with it)

Either way, I won’t be making this choice for a month or two at least, and I’ll make sure to test drive plenty of options.

As far as people suggesting cars for over $30 thousand, by all means, feel free to sing their glories (it gives me something to shoot for), but they’re out of my price range right now. Heck, even $30K may be too high, as I haven’t actually sat down and figured out my budget precisely enough to know exactly what I can afford.

34

Small, sporty, under 30,000.

Warrior - $12,099 ~ $12, 199

:wink:

Yeah I know, you’re looking for something with a few more wheels… but if you want something fast and cool, not to mention fuel-efficient (important in the days of $1.70/gal gasoline), ya might want to consider it. For that matter, if you get a used Ms. Miata, you could probably get a bike like that with what’s left over.

35

I remember those days. And even back then, I thought prices were too high.

36

Another vote for the S2000 here. I’m keen on them, and not just because I’m into the Import scene…

They are quick, reliable, sportier looking than a Miata, and have a ton and a half of aftermarket support if that’s your thing.

37

if you want small a Daihatsu Copen is. Jeremy Clarkson described it as an expensive shoe.