Early 2000s best Roadster

[shadowman]

Keep in mind that a cheap used German car usually ends up being really, really expensive.

This times 1000!
In my opinion, the Mazda would be a better choice. I bought my wife a super cutesy, bright red 2006 Miata for our 25th anniversary. I knew it was a "chick's car" when I bought it, but it was for her, not me.
What I didn't expect was how much I would LOVE this car. It's not a fast car, but it's probably the most fun car I have ever driven.

 

[Brian P]

That poll looks like a list of cars for my wife. How about the gender-M roadsters? Vipers, Corvettes, F-types, Mustang GTs, 911's?

Won't fit the original poster's size criteria, and only some of the older models would meet the price criteria ... and to be honest, with the possible exception of the 911 (I've never driven one), none of those are all that nice to drive. Note, I didn't say "fast", I said "nice". If you value a nimble feel in daily driving with accurate steering and good feedback, and ride quality that is firm but not punishing, it is hard to beat a Miata. A Mustang feels cumbersome by comparison, and I've driven those (both Fox and S197). Fox Mustangs feel crude in addition to cumbersome.

 

[nakkers]

I know the Miata has a reputation as a chick's car but it is the best of the bunch that you've listed, taking into account being able to find one.

S2000, good luck finding one that hasn't been thrashed, and I still don't think it's as good as a Miata and certainly won't be as cheap for a good one.

Forget the Porsche. Google "Porsche IMS" and you'll see why. I know the Porsche addicts will all start screaming "it didn't affect all years" and "not all of them did it" but the horror stories, and the failure of the manufacturer to provide any support, all add up to RUN AWAY.

The Mercedes is not a sporty car despite its appearance. Neither is the Audi TT (front wheel drive). Yes, the Audiphiles will scream "all wheel drive". No, it's front wheel drive with a little bit of help from the back. Transverse engine. It's a VW Golf - which is not a bad car, but I don't think it's really what you are looking for.

I don't know much about the BMWs.

And now, I have an off the wall suggestion.

Go to your local Chrysler dealer and test-drive a Fiat 124.

Yes, I know it is the same underneath as the new Miata. That is not a bad thing. Yes, I know the journalists rag on the 1.4 turbo engine. They're full of it. Yes, I know the dealers are having trouble selling them. Means you can probably argue with them about the price tag ... and you'll get a new car with a warranty and minimal headaches and probably 0% financing. For all those worrying about "Fix It Again Tony" ... remember, this car is a Mazda. The only thing Fiat is the engine and the badge, and the engine is good.

Go drive one.

That Fiat looks sweet Brian. And definitely stands out in a crowd. $4500 discount from the website and I’m sure the dealers will work on it even more.

Might have to clear out the garage and ditch a couple of bikes to make some room.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Hardwrkr13]

Neighbour has a clean older TT and it has been expensive to maintain but a fun car.
My sis has a SLK. I don't find it fun to drive.
Buddy has a S2000. Very reliable but impossible to find clean for appropriate money.
350Z - overpriced used.

Two friends have Miatas and they love them. I've considered getting a "fun" car for the wife and I and mainly narrowed it down to a Miata (tiny storage may X it though).

 

[Bobo]

I picked up a beautiful 2004 Z4 with only 20k on it last year for my wife.Never seen snow or rain, had never been out in the sun for more than 4 hours.Bought it from one of my customers who bought it for his wife. I paid $15,000 which is on the high side but it was in perfect condition.In your price range I think you should be able to find a decent Z3. Tons of them down in the states where they don’t rust.Miatas are nice but a little on the small side for long road trips which we do a lot of.

 

[kwtoxman]

Surprisingly the weight only increases by 200ish lbs. 2350>2550lbs. The weight bias changes by less than 1.5%. The aluminum block LS is remarkably light.

There are dozens of solstice cars out there with LS transplants. It puts the weight right up front which is the worst place and it changes the weight bias in that car by 2%, which is pretty significant if you are into performance handling such as AX or the track. Some v8 swap owners love to cherry pick misleading info and run with it till the end of time. These transplants need more than engines, including heavy transmissions, cooling systems, upgraded driveline, brakes, suspension, aftermarket suspension and custom springs (if you care about handling), etc, etc, etc. Unless you want to go fast and stop slow.... Then many people end up wrapping the entire cabin of the car in heat mat to prevent a mini oven inside the car. V8 transplants are fun for car shows and ogling.

There have been many issues with v8 transplanted kappas too, and done by so-called professionals. One guy detailed his horror story over 2 years. Something like near $60k US into it (plus the cost of the car) and it never ran well in hot weather. He sold it for a big loss and went and bought a vette.

I've learned through bitter experience that big-time modding a bike or car or truck is not for the faint of heart. They are never the same.

If you want big power you can easily and fairly reliably bolt on 350-400 whp on a solstice with a turbo upgrade. E47/85 is another path to power, and very simple/easy, with huge upgrades in tq to 400 lb-ft for example. The newest gen EFR turbos have very low lag, are twinscroll capable, spool super early and fast (have ti turbine wheels). If you want to strengthen the engine, then you can bolt on 500+ whp pretty easily with a larger EFR turbo. All without the pain and penalty of a v8 swap.

The LNF GXP engine is strong and can take some big power adders. And there is a fair amount of aftermarket part support to build it up too. It's not that way with Miata engines.

Sub 3000 lb cars are a lot of fun and nimble. Thankfully the solstice is below 3000 lbs. In a world of 4000 lb mustangs and camaro's, that's a big difference.

 

[jc100]

Funny, it’s only over here that I’ve heard Miatas called chicks cars. It wouldn’t bother me as they are about the same size as the old MGs and Triumph Stags with a modern touch. I have a couple of friends with Miatas and they love them. One even took his canoe weirdly balanced and tied down on the top with him (may have been slightly illegal, not sure). As for the speed/engine and I’m not sure that would bother me either as long as it’s not as slow as a Citroen 2 CV.

 

[jc100]

Funny story...my sister had a lowered BMW Z3 in London and had to get rid of it as she was tired of driving over all the speed humps at an angle.

 

[caboose56]

Funny, it’s only over here that I’ve heard Miatas called chicks cars. It wouldn’t bother me as they are about the same size as the old MGs and Triumph Stags with a modern touch. I have a couple of friends with Miatas and they love them. One even took his canoe weirdly balanced and tied down on the top with him (may have been slightly illegal, not sure). As for the speed/engine and I’m not sure that would bother me either as long as it’s not as slow as a Citroen 2 CV.

The 1st Gen Miata was a lot more dainty. When they evolved past the pop up headlights they became a lot less of a “chick car”

My mom had a 97 Miata while I was still in high school. Lots of fun to drive. She sold it to a guy who lives in London and I still see it once or twice a year.

If I were shopping for a roadster I’d probably be getting a Miata.

 

[J_F]

that Fiat 124 is nice, I think it looks better than the Mazda
5 more HP and a few thousand less

unfortunately it has an ipad growing out of the dashboard like the Miata
could never buy a car with a gadget like that sticking up in my field of view
what is this? 2008? nobody buys tablets anymore....why incorporate one into a car?

http://[img]https://i.imgur.com/1u1rc9o.jpg[/img]

 

[jc100]

that Fiat 124 is nice, I think it looks better than the Mazda
5 more HP and a few thousand less

unfortunately it has an ipad growing out of the dashboard like the Miata
could never buy a car with a gadget like that sticking up in my field of view
what is this? 2008? nobody buys tablets anymore....why incorporate one into a car?

http://[img]https://i.imgur.com/1u1rc9o.jpg[/img]

lol. I understand where you’re coming from but I actually prefer that position to in-dash as it’s better for navigation in terms of not looking down at the dash.

 

[regder]

unfortunately it has an ipad growing out of the dashboard like the Miata
could never buy a car with a gadget like that sticking up in my field of view
what is this? 2008? nobody buys tablets anymore....why incorporate one into a car?

I hate to break this to you, but the large majority of new vehicles have the same design. I don't like it, but everyone else is doing it too.

 

[GreyGhost]

I hate to break this to you, but the large majority of new vehicles have the same design. I don't like it, but everyone else is doing it too.

Screens are probably rapidly approaching the point where they are cheaper than conventional gauges for a manufacturer. They have the added side benefit of being a high profit replacement part that must be replaced if broken and will have no aftermarket competition. At least the Fiat still has conventional climate controls, but I won't be surprised if soon everybody follows Tesla and cars have a few screens and very few real buttons/dials.

 

[jc100]

Screens are probably rapidly approaching the point where they are cheaper than conventional gauges for a manufacturer. They have the added side benefit of being a high profit replacement part that must be replaced if broken and will have no aftermarket competition. At least the Fiat still has conventional climate controls, but I won't be surprised if soon everybody follows Tesla and cars have a few screens and very few real buttons/dials.

The entertainment system in my new CRV is an android tablet apparently. It even has to be rebooted every now and then when it gets confused.

 

[J_F]

I hate to break this to you, but the large majority of new vehicles have the same design. I don't like it, but everyone else is doing it too.

first time I saw it was last year in the UK
company had rented me a midsize car
was a Mercedes about the size and same character as a Micra
it had one of those ridiculous looking growths out of the dash

The entertainment system in my new CRV is an android tablet apparently. It even has to be rebooted every now and then when it gets confused.

my new smart TV is android powered
it's kinda neat, like a large phone
and does neat android stuff too
random reboots....decides to start apps on it's own
and you can install APK's from a USB stick too
haven't bricked it....yet

 

[Brian P]

Also, as of (I think) 1 May 2018, mandatory back-up camera on all light-duty vehicles sold in the USA, and that screen is where the back-up camera displays what it sees. Some vehicles have the screen built into the instrument panel nicely, others look tacked-on, and Mazda's (and Tesla's!) look tacked-on. In the grand scheme it wouldn't make or break my decision.

The photo above shows the current Mazda Miata instrument panel but from looking around on google, the Fiat 124's instrument panel is identical with the exception of the badge.

 

[frekeyguy]

Its hard to find a Corvette for that kind of money...but if you up your budget a bit more...
you can buy a nice little C5 corvette

They are at a all time low for the condition of car you can get, simple V-8, simple manual trans.
Simple chassis. and you get a LOT OF car for that money.

 

[GreyGhost]

Also, as of (I think) 1 May 2018, mandatory back-up camera on all light-duty vehicles sold in the USA, and that screen is where the back-up camera displays what it sees. Some vehicles have the screen built into the instrument panel nicely, others look tacked-on, and Mazda's (and Tesla's!) look tacked-on. In the grand scheme it wouldn't make or break my decision.

The photo above shows the current Mazda Miata instrument panel but from looking around on google, the Fiat 124's instrument panel is identical with the exception of the badge.

Do you know offhand if they included any requirement on the size of the screen? One of my parents previous vehicles (a Pilot IIRC) had a tiny screen (~2") built into the rearview mirror (behind the reflective surface). Not great to see but you should be able to identify the presence of an obstacle and you don't have a giant turd stuck to the dash.

 

[J_F]

last comment on the touch screen thing

I get that it's a great way to organize/control many tasks
in a small piece of real estate
Nav, climate, radio, vehicle info etc
and embedded in the dash is fine
what I really don't like is how it's made to look like a tablet stuck on the dash
but I get it, marketing interfering with design
millennials might get interested if they make it look like an i-gadget
they won't even open the hood....they'll see that thing and it's game over

sorry OP
back to your regularly scheduled programming

 

[Hardwrkr13]

Would a Chrysler Crossfire fit your needs? Don't know much about them but always thought they were handsome convertables. Would fit your budget.