|
TheFungle
Original Poster
2,815 posts
75 months
|
I feel the time is coming to replace my mk3 MX-5, I've covered 25 thousand, mostly happy miles and it's made pretty much every journey enjoyable, I'd say well over half my journeys are with the roof down.
My dilemma is what to replace it with.
I've a hankering for a car with a real engine, I've never had bigger that a 2 litre before and that is clearly wrong.
I value ride quality a lot, the MX-5 can be quite unsettled on bumpy roads but overall it's not too bad, I guess that a BMW on blingbling wheels is not going to be an improvement hence ruling out a Z4?
So far I've found myself considering both a Jaguar XK and a Mercedes SLK, or of course there is the more obvious choice of a Boxster.
Perhsaps I should just enjoy the cheap running costs of the Mazda!
A slightly tricky one this, after owning a soft top I'd really miss not having that option and I also know I need a car that is a pleasure to own.
|
|
|
zygalski
1,042 posts
14 months
|
TheFungle said: ...the time is coming to replace my mk3 MX-5...
...I'd say well over half my journeys are with the roof down...
...I've a hankering for a car with a real engine...
...after owning a soft top I'd really miss not having that option and I also know I need a car that is a pleasure to own. 
|
|
|
james280779
1,439 posts
98 months
|
what about a lotus elan?
great ride, indestructable Isuzu engine and bloody quick. Only a 1.6 though.
TVR chimera? great ride also and sounds epic, also if well looked after despite common opinion they are very reliable cars.
or just go for it and get an Alfa GTV V6 and put a nice exhaust on it, dont think anything sounds better for the price!
|
|
|
firman
1,376 posts
62 months
|
We replaced a Mk1 MX5 with an SLK 230 Kompressor as the O/H wanted something more comfortable and I have to say if you can live with 2 seats it is a winner.
Not as focused as the MX but way more comfortable, roof down it's a proper convertible but roof up it feels like you are in a coupe, quick for what it is, great auto box and the ever so subtle whine of a charger.
Just look outs there are plenty of rusty ones out there, we viewed 6 that were all described as immaculate, pristine, no expense spared etc (most of which were rotten) before we found a nice tidy facelift model.
Good luck with the hunt though
|
|
|
T5SOR
1,297 posts
94 months
|
I have a similar problem! Choices: S2000 TVR Chimaera 4.0/4.5/5.0 Alfa Spider 3.2 V6 BMW Z3M Jag XKR/XK8 Audi TT V6 Porsche Boxster S VX220 Turbo Supercharger for the MX5 Good luck 
|
Advertisement
|
|
|
cheddar
1,972 posts
43 months
|
|
|
bennyboysvuk
2,003 posts
117 months
|
I drove to work in my wife's R171 SLK200K today. It's more forgiving over bumps than my M-sport 1 series and has much more mechanical grip (rear tyres are 2cm wider than the BMW). So, driven at about 7 tenths it's brilliant. However, after that it goes downhill. The steering feel isn't as good as the 1 series, nor is the brake feel or gear-change. Come to think of it, the clutch has a very long pedal action as well. The pedals are too far apart for heel-and-toe. Added to that, it only does understeer (unless really provoked) and you have a car that looks the part, but can't reward on a drivers level like an MX5 can.
All in all, I'd say if you're not going to be pushing it really hard, then it's actually a very nice car to own. They're great for GT-esque driving, but not as good as the Boxster or Z4 for pure driving reward.
|
|
|
Dan_1981
9,566 posts
68 months
|
Just replaced mine with an Evo viii
About as different as I could find!
|
|
|
TheFungle
Original Poster
2,815 posts
75 months
|
bennyboysvuk said: I drove to work in my wife's R171 SLK200K today. It's more forgiving over bumps than my M-sport 1 series and has much more mechanical grip (rear tyres are 2cm wider than the BMW). So, driven at about 7 tenths it's brilliant. However, after that it goes downhill. The steering feel isn't as good as the 1 series, nor is the brake feel or gear-change. Come to think of it, the clutch has a very long pedal action as well. The pedals are too far apart for heel-and-toe. Added to that, it only does understeer (unless really provoked) and you have a car that looks the part, but can't reward on a drivers level like an MX5 can.
All in all, I'd say if you're not going to be pushing it really hard, then it's actually a very nice car to own. They're great for GT-esque driving, but not as good as the Boxster or Z4 for pure driving reward. I do quite fancy an SLK, especially with the AMG trimmings, my main concern would be the apparently intrusive driver aids and lack of driver focus.
|
|
|
bennyboysvuk
2,003 posts
117 months
|
TheFungle said: bennyboysvuk said: I drove to work in my wife's R171 SLK200K today. It's more forgiving over bumps than my M-sport 1 series and has much more mechanical grip (rear tyres are 2cm wider than the BMW). So, driven at about 7 tenths it's brilliant. However, after that it goes downhill. The steering feel isn't as good as the 1 series, nor is the brake feel or gear-change. Come to think of it, the clutch has a very long pedal action as well. The pedals are too far apart for heel-and-toe. Added to that, it only does understeer (unless really provoked) and you have a car that looks the part, but can't reward on a drivers level like an MX5 can.
All in all, I'd say if you're not going to be pushing it really hard, then it's actually a very nice car to own. They're great for GT-esque driving, but not as good as the Boxster or Z4 for pure driving reward. I do quite fancy an SLK, especially with the AMG trimmings, my main concern would be the apparently intrusive driver aids and lack of driver focus. It doesn't seem possible to turn off the driver aids on the version I drive occasionally and my god have I tried. For this reason it's very difficult to make it wag the back end. I'm not sure if the SLK55 has a different system though. My only other real Merc experience is with an SL63 AMG, which certainly allows a proper drift with all systems switched off.
|
|
|
DanDC5
6,927 posts
36 months
|
Remapped 335d? 
|
|
|
kambites
32,864 posts
90 months
|
Get someone to shoehorn an LS V8 into your MX5. 
|
|
