Discussion
MR2 is the only roadster I've had.
Mine looked very similar to that one. I sold it a few months before our son was born and I've wanted another 2 seat convertible ever since. That was 9 years ago.
I did love the Toyota. It cost me £2500 and I sold it for £3000 so it's the only car I actually made money on. Not sure I'd go back there now. It was fun but at the time I had other cars to use daily so it was a fair weather toy. I think I'd trade a bit of raw thrill for some more refinement and comfort these days.
Mine looked very similar to that one. I sold it a few months before our son was born and I've wanted another 2 seat convertible ever since. That was 9 years ago.
I did love the Toyota. It cost me £2500 and I sold it for £3000 so it's the only car I actually made money on. Not sure I'd go back there now. It was fun but at the time I had other cars to use daily so it was a fair weather toy. I think I'd trade a bit of raw thrill for some more refinement and comfort these days.
If you do go for a 28i Z4 I believe there is a revised cam-chain tensioner on the later engines.
Personally I'd look for a 30i with the N52 engine which is fantastic. I'm on my 4th now, two in E86 Z4s and two in 3 Series. The soundtrack is better and a straight 6 is one of the Z4s unique features.
Good luck anyway.
Personally I'd look for a 30i with the N52 engine which is fantastic. I'm on my 4th now, two in E86 Z4s and two in 3 Series. The soundtrack is better and a straight 6 is one of the Z4s unique features.
Good luck anyway.
They're great little cars and probably not a bad investment if you can find a nice one, use it lightly and keep it in good order.
Here's one that's just round the corner from me.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024041084...
The ad says its sold even at that price!
I would find one as good as possible for about £5k if I did want one. Sadly I think it'd only work as a third car and I have no space to do that. Ideally it'd want to live in a garage too. I did occasionally use mine on cold winter mornings but remember it being frozen on the inside. Then there's the space or lack of! We did actually manage a couple of weekends away by putting luggage in carrier bags which you can stuff behind the seats and in the frunk but it was far from comfortable.
Here's one that's just round the corner from me.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024041084...
The ad says its sold even at that price!
I would find one as good as possible for about £5k if I did want one. Sadly I think it'd only work as a third car and I have no space to do that. Ideally it'd want to live in a garage too. I did occasionally use mine on cold winter mornings but remember it being frozen on the inside. Then there's the space or lack of! We did actually manage a couple of weekends away by putting luggage in carrier bags which you can stuff behind the seats and in the frunk but it was far from comfortable.
I like the SLK too. That's the problem, I kind of like them all!
Manual box would be my preference which only leaves the SLK200 which I think is a bit naff. The 350 V6 appeals for the engine but its auto only and I've heard its very heavy and doesn't handle that well. Lovely to look at though and to be fair I haven't driven one.
The TT that I like is of course an auto too. But I think the paddles on the S tronic do a decent job of manual shifting? And reviews suggest it's the auto that's best, same as with the SLK.
Manual box would be my preference which only leaves the SLK200 which I think is a bit naff. The 350 V6 appeals for the engine but its auto only and I've heard its very heavy and doesn't handle that well. Lovely to look at though and to be fair I haven't driven one.
The TT that I like is of course an auto too. But I think the paddles on the S tronic do a decent job of manual shifting? And reviews suggest it's the auto that's best, same as with the SLK.
I'm not really sure of the exact definition of 'roadster'. To me it's a small open top car with 2 seats. That's what I meant anyway!
Proper manual does point to a Z4. It's whether or not to compromise on that. I've never had an auto. It appeals in some respects but then it feels like there's a lifetime to drive autos whereas the old manual box is on its way out. I do enjoy changing gears.
Proper manual does point to a Z4. It's whether or not to compromise on that. I've never had an auto. It appeals in some respects but then it feels like there's a lifetime to drive autos whereas the old manual box is on its way out. I do enjoy changing gears.
Been to look at a TT and a Z4 this morning. No test drives yet as neither were the right engine or spec so I didn't want to waste anyone's time.
Audi. I was surprised how much this felt like a 'normal' car. Not in a particularly bad way but for a 2 seat convertible it felt like you could be sitting in an A3. Quality is excellent and I really like the dial which operates all the infotainment. Feels quite intuitive and it's nice to have it on the screen in front of you. Clever stuff, it's an excellent cabin. No hint of sportiness or fun in there though. All very efficient and business like, very German! The hood feels sturdy and with it up its much like being in the coupe. Decent boot too which isn't impacted by the roof. Great car and I think it would be very easy to live with. I can actually see why you might want an auto in something like that.
Z4. This was a 14 plate 20i so E89. You sit a lot lower than the TT and the controls surround you. Huge long bonnet out in front. Definitely a lot more 'sporty' feeling. I was a bit disappointed with the quality really. Everything looks nice but there are a lot of hard scratchy plastics which feel a bit flimsy. I am used to that with the Fiesta though! The manual shift felt just like my old E92. Springy! I do wonder if I'd be wrong to discount the auto? There are a lot more autos around.
Need to go and look at an ND2 MX5 really. I think I'm getting too fixated on the rust issue. If I did go for one I'd want a low mileage sport nav plus with the 184 engine. So it'd only be 5 years old. I'd be keeping it 3 years or so at 4k miles a year so surely that'd be fine? This morning I saw a 20 year old NB which still seemed to be going!
Audi. I was surprised how much this felt like a 'normal' car. Not in a particularly bad way but for a 2 seat convertible it felt like you could be sitting in an A3. Quality is excellent and I really like the dial which operates all the infotainment. Feels quite intuitive and it's nice to have it on the screen in front of you. Clever stuff, it's an excellent cabin. No hint of sportiness or fun in there though. All very efficient and business like, very German! The hood feels sturdy and with it up its much like being in the coupe. Decent boot too which isn't impacted by the roof. Great car and I think it would be very easy to live with. I can actually see why you might want an auto in something like that.
Z4. This was a 14 plate 20i so E89. You sit a lot lower than the TT and the controls surround you. Huge long bonnet out in front. Definitely a lot more 'sporty' feeling. I was a bit disappointed with the quality really. Everything looks nice but there are a lot of hard scratchy plastics which feel a bit flimsy. I am used to that with the Fiesta though! The manual shift felt just like my old E92. Springy! I do wonder if I'd be wrong to discount the auto? There are a lot more autos around.
Need to go and look at an ND2 MX5 really. I think I'm getting too fixated on the rust issue. If I did go for one I'd want a low mileage sport nav plus with the 184 engine. So it'd only be 5 years old. I'd be keeping it 3 years or so at 4k miles a year so surely that'd be fine? This morning I saw a 20 year old NB which still seemed to be going!
ChrisH72 said:
Audi. I was surprised how much this felt like a 'normal' car. Not in a particularly bad way but for a 2 seat convertible it felt like you could be sitting in an A3. Quality is excellent and I really like the dial which operates all the infotainment. Feels quite intuitive and it's nice to have it on the screen in front of you. Clever stuff, it's an excellent cabin. No hint of sportiness or fun in there though. All very efficient and business like, very German! The hood feels sturdy and with it up its much like being in the coupe. Decent boot too which isn't impacted by the roof. Great car and I think it would be very easy to live with. I can actually see why you might want an auto in something like that.
FYI - SLK/C boot...Hmmm yes that's not bad at all. I thought the Z4 boot was okay too but obviously you do lose space when the roof folds. Boot space isn't too important to me as we have a family car but it's certainly nice to have. Our son is 8 so we don't really do weekends away without him but that doesn't mean we can't at some point. He'd probably quite like staying over at his grandparents! (Off to look at hotels by the coast!)
cerb4.5lee said:
We had a brand new Audi TTS S-Tronic(DSG) Coupe back in 2012. It was a lovely thing to sit in and live with, plus it went well enough with a 0 to 60 in 5.2 seconds as well I thought. I echo the reviews regarding the steering though, and I wasn't a fan of the steering at all, and weirdly for a car with 4WD it didn't give you a lot of confidence in the corners for me(because of the steering).
We did 68k miles in it, so we got to know it, but just be aware that they can be pretty thirsty(the TTS anyway). Ours was only used for long journeys and it only returned 27mpg overall, and for me that was quite low for a 4 cylinder 2.0 turbo engine I thought.
As reference...the 4 cylinder 2.0 turbo in the F56 Cooper S did 40mpg overall in my hands, and the F82 M4 with its 3.0 straight 6 twin turbo is doing 29mpg in comparison. The 370Z is only doing 22mpg though...so I can cope with the lower mpg figures occasionally to be fair!
Out of interest Lee, which car did you enjoy most between the Audi and the Mini? What's the most 'fun' in your opinion?We did 68k miles in it, so we got to know it, but just be aware that they can be pretty thirsty(the TTS anyway). Ours was only used for long journeys and it only returned 27mpg overall, and for me that was quite low for a 4 cylinder 2.0 turbo engine I thought.
As reference...the 4 cylinder 2.0 turbo in the F56 Cooper S did 40mpg overall in my hands, and the F82 M4 with its 3.0 straight 6 twin turbo is doing 29mpg in comparison. The 370Z is only doing 22mpg though...so I can cope with the lower mpg figures occasionally to be fair!
ChrisH72 said:
Out of interest Lee, which car did you enjoy most between the Audi and the Mini? What's the most 'fun' in your opinion?
That is a great question, because what I liked the most about the TT was how relatively small/light and nimble it was(especially in comparison to the E92 M3 I had at the same time as it as well). I would put the Mini ahead of the TTS overall for sure in terms of fun for me though. I enjoyed every drive that I had in the Mini, whereas I occasionally got frustrated with the TT because of the steering and its ability to take away your confidence, rather than add to it. The Mini was much more fun to throw down a nice B road for me, but the Audi was a lovely thing to live with though for definite I thought.
Thanks for that.
After a family chat last night, my wife and son both love Minis. It's a car I keep coming back to so it's still in the mix. Obviously not a roadster! And I'm not too keen on the convertible mini. But a hatch with pan roof could be a good compromise.
She didn't veto a 2 seat convertible altogether. But she did say that she would be less comfortable driving one especially in the winter months. Its important that she can drive it as we would need to swap cars when I need the space for stuff.
I'm going to look at some Minis later today at the local Sytner dealership. They don't have anything with the right spec but it'd be good to get a feel for one.
After a family chat last night, my wife and son both love Minis. It's a car I keep coming back to so it's still in the mix. Obviously not a roadster! And I'm not too keen on the convertible mini. But a hatch with pan roof could be a good compromise.
She didn't veto a 2 seat convertible altogether. But she did say that she would be less comfortable driving one especially in the winter months. Its important that she can drive it as we would need to swap cars when I need the space for stuff.
I'm going to look at some Minis later today at the local Sytner dealership. They don't have anything with the right spec but it'd be good to get a feel for one.
I’ve had the mk2 TT, MX5 nc and an slk200 over the last few years.
TT felt like a nice looking golf which suited what I was after in a daily but I tried time and time again to have ‘fun’ in it and couldn’t.
Mx5 was the most fun to drive but I absolutely despised to look of it. I like the ND a lot more but until it’s depreciated more, I wouldn’t be buying one to do weekend miles.
SLK was the best place to sit and balance of comfort and fun but after the initial experience, it felt unrewarding on the backroads whereas the mx5 made you work to carry the speed and the gearbox had a nice feel to it.
Not been in a position to have a second car for a couple of years now but as we approach summer, I must say I’ve been missing it. The idea of not having something to get some me time in and escape reality for a few hours is driving me nuts.
The logical solution is have a daily that’s also fun but then it doesn’t feel like an occasion and something different.
TT felt like a nice looking golf which suited what I was after in a daily but I tried time and time again to have ‘fun’ in it and couldn’t.
Mx5 was the most fun to drive but I absolutely despised to look of it. I like the ND a lot more but until it’s depreciated more, I wouldn’t be buying one to do weekend miles.
SLK was the best place to sit and balance of comfort and fun but after the initial experience, it felt unrewarding on the backroads whereas the mx5 made you work to carry the speed and the gearbox had a nice feel to it.
Not been in a position to have a second car for a couple of years now but as we approach summer, I must say I’ve been missing it. The idea of not having something to get some me time in and escape reality for a few hours is driving me nuts.
The logical solution is have a daily that’s also fun but then it doesn’t feel like an occasion and something different.
ChrisH72 said:
Thanks for that.
After a family chat last night, my wife and son both love Minis. It's a car I keep coming back to so it's still in the mix. Obviously not a roadster! And I'm not too keen on the convertible mini. But a hatch with pan roof could be a good compromise.
She didn't veto a 2 seat convertible altogether. But she did say that she would be less comfortable driving one especially in the winter months. Its important that she can drive it as we would need to swap cars when I need the space for stuff.
I'm going to look at some Minis later today at the local Sytner dealership. They don't have anything with the right spec but it'd be good to get a feel for one.
a couple of further things about the SLK/C - some have 'airscarf' (warm/hot blowing around your neck After a family chat last night, my wife and son both love Minis. It's a car I keep coming back to so it's still in the mix. Obviously not a roadster! And I'm not too keen on the convertible mini. But a hatch with pan roof could be a good compromise.
She didn't veto a 2 seat convertible altogether. But she did say that she would be less comfortable driving one especially in the winter months. Its important that she can drive it as we would need to swap cars when I need the space for stuff.
I'm going to look at some Minis later today at the local Sytner dealership. They don't have anything with the right spec but it'd be good to get a feel for one.
) and a panoramic roof that goes opaque at the touch of a button (which is great 
)Had a good look round an F56 Mini today. It is a nice car and the interior feels like a fun place to be. Pan roof is a nice option, it's quite a big opening and let's a good bit of light and air into the cabin. You can fit normal people in the back seats too and there's plenty enough space for me. The only weird thing about the interior was that the central arm rest makes the handbrake difficult to operate. Even folded up my elbow was up against it. I'm sure you get used to these things!
So at the moment I'm stuck between the TT and the Mini.
TT looks great, it's top quality, fast, comfy, and it's a proper 2 seat rag top. The compromise is that if I want 4wd which I would I have to go automatic. Also it may not be so much fun to drive and my wife will probably moan a lot about it.
Mini with pan roof also looks great and feels premium. It gets the family seal of approval and there would be no compromise in it's usage. Fun to drive. But obviously it's not a convertible and is fwd. At least its manual though.
I'll have to see what comes up for me to test drive.
So at the moment I'm stuck between the TT and the Mini.
TT looks great, it's top quality, fast, comfy, and it's a proper 2 seat rag top. The compromise is that if I want 4wd which I would I have to go automatic. Also it may not be so much fun to drive and my wife will probably moan a lot about it.
Mini with pan roof also looks great and feels premium. It gets the family seal of approval and there would be no compromise in it's usage. Fun to drive. But obviously it's not a convertible and is fwd. At least its manual though.
I'll have to see what comes up for me to test drive.
Gassing Station | Car Buying | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff