Has anyone gone from a hot hatch to a roadster?

[dieseluser07]

If so what were the pros and cons, what did it feel like in comparison?

Is it more fun?

Does it feel like your going faster at the same speed as the hot hatch?

Does it feel more go kart like?

I really really want to try a mx5, ive only had hatches, saloons, hot hatches and warm hatches, thinking a roadster/convertable could be the next step for me.

Just wondering if its a case of grass is not greener and they actually dont feel much more special than a well sorted hot hatch.

I dont really need the practical side of a hatch as we have another car in the household.

[tomtom]

Depends on the car. Get an Elise, they're great fun at any speed and you sit very low...

[Quickmoose]

dieseluser07 said:

If so what were the pros and cons, what did it feel like in comparison?

Is it more fun?

Does it feel like your going faster at the same speed as the hot hatch?

Does it feel more go kart like?

In my experience : yes.

I went from a Volvo C30 T5 to a Brera V6.....to an S2000.

Unless it's pouring with rain, and your stuck in traffic getting wet, it's ALWAYS better... on a sunny day, it's just the best, at any speed.

Go-kart handling wise, will depend on what you get... a well sorted hot hatch may well be more chuckable than say a luke warm SLK...dunno.
All I know is it would take a serious amount of power and character to get me to change my car....
And to be fair, these days, it's not about apex speed and vmax'in everywhere...
The amount of 'fun' you can have before breaking the law or running into the back of the next queue is paramount imo.

[DanielSan]

I went from an Astra VXR to a DC5 Integra to an S2000. They're a tad noisier and you've got less space but aside from that it's all way better. Even crap journeys feel a bit more special when you're in something low down.

[Speed 3]

Moved from a VW Corrado VR6 to a TVR Chimaera. Both great cars in their own right. RWD vs FWD is so fundamentally different its hard to compare. Took me nigh on 10k miles to really understand the TVR but when I'd got to grips with it it stopped scaring me (most of the time). You cannot beat a warm summers evening with the roof down and a great soundtrack. Even in winter with the heater blasting on a dry crisp day its awesome. Depending on your relationship/family circumstances you generally only have a couple of windows of opportunity in life unless you're minted and have lots of space so go for it.

Edited by Speed 3 on Wednesday 27th September 20:52

[lucido grigio]

I didn't really have any choice in moving on from my unreliable Escort Cosworth but buying a Fiat Barchetta ,wrong wheel drive

and all ,has been great move.

As if I haven't mentioned it 1001 times ,I drive it top down as much as possible.

[addz86]

I went from a Mini GP to a S2 Exige, certainly was quicker but a bit dull, I prefer chucking a FWD round a track and playing with lift off oversteer.

After the Lotus I got a Defender and now a Mini GP again plus a Clio 182... which makes it my 4th clio and my 3rd Mini so you could say I prefer the Hot hatches

[TurboHatchback]

Yes, I've owned a Clio 182 cup pack, Clio 182 Trophy and a Mk5 Golf GTI amongst many other things and now I have a Toyota MR2 Roadster. In answer to your questions, yes. It is more fun, feels faster, handles better, in fact it's generally been a revelation for me and I enjoy pretty much any drive in it that isn't in stationary traffic. The roof is down year round unless it's raining heavily (even at night), with the heater on it's plenty warm enough even when it's snowing and it makes the drive simply tremendous.

In summary I am a fan. Do it, you'll never look back.

[lyricalgangster]

I went from a Mountuned mk2 Focus RS, lowered suspension, mountune exhaust etc and loved it - but got bored of straight line speed. I then had a BMW Z4 2.5si - 140bhp less, but low, no roof, and masses of fun every time I got in it.

The colder the better - roof off, heater on max, and loved every journey. Sounded nice enough too. Felt fast enough, but would go for a 3.0si or z4m next.

Still miss the RS sometimes though...

[dieseluser07]

I think the roof down with a nice exhaust would make it seriously enjoyable, only thing is, will i look a pillock driving on 30/40 roads with the roof down in the cold lol, cant say ive ever pulled next to anyone at the lights and they have had the roof down when it wasent sunny.

Also whats the mr2 roadster like in terms of reliability etc? Was looking at them before but think they look even girlier than the mx5??

[lucido grigio]

There will always be knuckle draggers with girly hairdresser comments but I'd rather be in my little convertible

than the passenger seat of a Transit.

[hondafanatic]

DanielSan said:

I went from an Astra VXR to a DC5 Integra to an S2000. They're a tad noisier and you've got less space but aside from that it's all way better. Even crap journeys feel a bit more special when you're in something low down.

Agreed...I went from a flame spitting highly modded Civic EP3 to an S2000 (and an FD2 - yes I'm showing off ) and out of the 3, the S2k was the slowest but I had the most fun in...especially empty industrial estate car parks

And agree about the colder the better...commuted 80 miles a day in the S2k and had the roof down in snow on M6 at times...

...I'm definitely not heading to the classified...nooooooo siiiiirreeeeeee...nope...not me...

[Flying machine]

I think it sounds like you need to give it a go!

It's got to come down to which hatch you're comparing against which roadster as well, I can only speak from my experience having had MR2's, a T350 and a Boxster as well as a couple of hatches.

Currently I'm lucky enough to have an A45 for day to day duties and a 981 Boxster S as a weekend bit of fun. Totally different cars, on almost every level. The A45 is great as a rapid all weather machine, which stays resolutely planted and has a nice punch for overtaking. The Boxster just sounds glorious, although a fair bit slower, but given a fine summer day (whats that?) when the sun's out, the roof's down and the engine is howling away I never think "I wish I'd taken the Merc", but most other days stuck behind the cretinous living dead obliviously trundling along at 35-40 everywhere in the glorious English drizzle, I'll take the A45!

[billzeebub]

Just do it. MX5 a goodness lace to start. Others you should look at, depending on budget, would be Elise or Boxster

[wibble cb]

Years ago now, but I went from a Jetta Gti 16v to Boxster, it felt a lot faster( as I hoped!) made much better noise and was very enjoyable, it was also reasonably practical, I guess it depends on your needs/wants.

[deltashad]

I bought an Elise about 6 years ago, it's not as quick as my hatch but wasnt bought as a replacement. I like them both for different reasons.
If I had to choose between one I would keep my hatch. I wouldn't like to be in that position.

[RS Grant]

I've hopped across from a history containing various hot hatchbacks to an S2000 before and absolutely loved the experience and roof down motoring. Actually, now I'm thinking about it, I'm not actually too sure why I got rid of it?! However I definitely do miss it, even popping into town at 30/50mph was enjoyable with the roof down and it had enough pace to hussle down a back road and clear any slow moving traffic fairly well... sooo, I'm also off for a wee scan of the classifieds.

[Tickle]

I've changed from hot hatch/FWD Coupe to Roadster and back a couple of times.

I went from Integra DC2 to Elise S2 for my daily driver. The DC2 was quite a low, basic car, I know it's not strictly a hot hatch but it's quite a raw FWD car. The Elise was far more of an occasion; however, after two years of daily commuting (circa 20 mile round trip) it just lost its special'ness. I no longer wanted to use the Lotus for a drive on weekends after a week of putting up with it's flaws as a commuter car. Maybe it was down to the relatively straight duel carriageway that my drive to work was predominantly made up of.

The S2 Elise went and got replaced with a succession of FWD Coupes and hatches over the next ten years; a DC5 Integra, a Clio 182 Trophy and a Clio 200 Cup. The two Renaultsports hit that sweet spot of balance between commuter/fun car for me, the DC5 not so much, I just didn't gel with it.

I now have an Elise S1 111s for weekends, this is quite a different car to the hatches and even the Elise S2 I had. It is in my opinion perfect for a weekend (road) car, especially they way mine is set up. As you mentioned, yes an Elise does feel fast as you are so low and feel everything through your fingertips, back, ears and bum, even my DC2 came nowhere close to the Elise for driving pleasure and feedback.

I should add there are hot hatches and Roadsters at each end of the spectrum. Cars like a DC2, Clio Trophy, R26-R or Mini GP in my opinion feel more special to drive than one of the bigger, heavier roadsters. Just because a car has 'the wrong wheels driving' doesn't mean they don't feel special, they can be fantastic.

Try a few raw hatches and roadsters and assess what you could live with (if it's going to be your daily).

Finally, I am one of those who will go for a winters drive with the roof off providing the gritters haven't been out!

[wack]

I went from 250bhp 09 Impreza WRX hatchback to a 200bhp Mk3 MX5 via a few mundane cars, handling wise both give great confidence when pressing on but on a sunny day the MX5 wins hands down.

200bhp is fast enough to enjoy yourself without the fear of a prison sentence and yes you do feel like you're going much faster than you actually are

[edc]

I've had a few hot hatches and a bit of a sweeping generalisation they are generally just as fast if not faster than most roadsters or sportscars. They are easier to bully and throw around. A good sports car though can be very rewarding.