RE: MX-5 30th Anniversary vs. Porsche Boxster (981)

[gigglebug]

V8RX7 said:

Silly comparison really - very different cars, drivers will prefer one or other and the type of person who would buy a new MX5 isn't the type to buy an older, more expensive to maintain, Porsche.

Personally I like thrashing my cars and extracting every bit of performance which means the Porsche with it's deliberately too high gearing (to prevent it stealing sales from the more expensive models) is out.

So too is a new MX5

For far less than £30k I've covered all the bases -

Supercharged Mk1 MX5 £5k
Jeep 4.7 V8 £2k
Suzuki Swift Sport £1k
MR2 V6 £3k
Merc Traveliner V6 £8k

Spot on. 85% of folks with this amount of money to spend on a two seat sports car would be far better off buying 5 other cars instead.

[V8RX7]

gigglebug said:

Spot on. 85% of folks with this amount of money to spend on a two seat sports car would be far better off buying 5 other cars instead.

I prefer my £5k 240bhp MX5 to either of the cars in the article.

It's certainly more fun, cheaper to run (if you include depreciation) rarer...

It then frees up £25k to spend on other cars that fulfil other needs

I have more cars but I thought I'd made my point.

Edited by V8RX7 on Wednesday 6th November 12:12

[WCZ]

gigglebug said:

Spot on. 85% of folks with this amount of money to spend on a two seat sports car would be far better off buying 5 other cars instead.

agreed, and with insurance costs being reduced when multiple cars are added it won't cost as much as you think

[gigglebug]

V8RX7 said:

I assumed most with £30k "second" cars would have other cars, if you wish to only compare similar cars - I prefer my £5k 240bhp MX5 to either of the cars in the article.

It's certainly more fun, cheaper to run (if you include depreciation) rarer...

How many people do you really imagine that are comparing the best way to spend 30k on a new, or nearly new, two seat sports car suddenly decide to buy a 5k two seat sports car instead, let alone a 1k Suzuki Swift?? 1%? 20%? 50%?

Your preference for your own car has absolutely no relevance.

[Le-Mons]

Electronicpants said:

MX5 for me, I've got a thing for bright orange too, so the car will match my sunglasses and trainers and my wife and children can find me even more embarrassing than they already do

Sorry to hear about your bright orange wife, maybe tell her lay off the fake tan and Sunny Delight.

I'm not sure what advice to offer regarding children finding you embarrassing though.

[anonymous-user]

gigglebug said:

V8RX7 said:

I assumed most with £30k "second" cars would have other cars, if you wish to only compare similar cars - I prefer my £5k 240bhp MX5 to either of the cars in the article.

It's certainly more fun, cheaper to run (if you include depreciation) rarer...

How many people do you really imagine that are comparing the best way to spend 30k on a new, or nearly new, two seat sports car suddenly decide to buy a 5k two seat sports car instead, let alone a 1k Suzuki Swift?? 1%? 20%? 50%?

Your preference for your own car has absolutely no relevance.

You always get this on PH. "Why buy a new fiesta for £15k when you can buy three supercharged Jaguars for £5k each!" with no consideration for the many reasons you might buy a new car. I can see clear arguments for both the new £27k MX5, the 2nd hand £27k Porsche, and the fleet of five tired old moneypits that are 80% of the way through their service life too, but I don't believe that the option I'd chose at any given time is the One True Way to be a motorist and all other options are for fools.

Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 6th November 15:53

[V8RX7]

gigglebug said:

V8RX7 said:

I assumed most with £30k "second" cars would have other cars, if you wish to only compare similar cars - I prefer my £5k 240bhp MX5 to either of the cars in the article.

It's certainly more fun, cheaper to run (if you include depreciation) rarer...

How many people do you really imagine that are comparing the best way to spend 30k on a new, or nearly new, two seat sports car suddenly decide to buy a 5k two seat sports car instead, let alone a 1k Suzuki Swift?? 1%? 20%? 50%?

Your preference for your own car has absolutely no relevance.

I think you missed the point of the article - it was comparing new with used.

I was also comparing new with used - I could buy a new one but I prefer the (much) older one

It may have escaped you but these articles aren't just written for you

[anonymous-user]

When I bought my ND MX5 I had originally set out to find a nice clean NA. Finding they were all rotten, ruined, massively overpriced, or all three I decided, having undertaken some man maths, that as I planned to be in it for the long run a new one wasn't an unreasonable idea. For various reasons it was barely any more expensive to buy new than a year old example too.

All sorts of cross shopping is possible, athough I think a £1k Suzuki shed and an old V8 Jeep is probably not something regularly cross shopped with £28k MX5s and used Porsche Boxters

[V8RX7]

stickleback123 said:

All sorts of cross shopping is possible, athough I think a £1k Suzuki shed and an old V8 Jeep is probably not something regularly cross shopped with £28k MX5s and used Porsche Boxters
ther

That was more to show how I spent my money, after buying a cheaper (and better IMO) version of the ND

I recently sold a friend's Boxster for £32k it was very competent but it wasn't a fun car IME (he replaced it with a BBR tweaked NC MX5)

[300bhp/ton]

Wow loving the colour of the MX-5. Looking forward to these being a used car bargain in a few years!

[ChrisW.]

I have just bought one ... for al the reasons.

My old MX5 is in the classifieds.

The depreciation on the McLaren I didn't buy will pay for it in one year !

Insurance ? £274.16, mpg over 40, three year warranty and cheap servicing .... and every panel has a sticker showing the chassis number (as Porsche used to number the panels of their special cars).

[gigglebug]

V8RX7 said:

I think you missed the point of the article - it was comparing new with used.

I was also comparing new with used - I could buy a new one but I prefer the (much) older one

It may have escaped you but these articles aren't just written for you

The only person who has missed the point of the article is you though as it was comparing new vs old within a specific category (two seater sports car) at a specific pricepoint (30k ish) which you have either completely ignored or misunderstood. All you have done is provided the answer to a question that neither the article, or anyone considering their options within the stated category and pricepoint layed out within it, would be asking. The number of cheap and cheerful cars that you personally would buy/have bought for the same outlay as the two cars in the article, regardless of how many different bases they can cover, how interesting they are or how much you as an individual enjoy them, is of complete irrelevance to the subject matter and hasn't offered an alternative which many, or indeed any, folks wieghing up their options would be considering. I'll ask you the same question again;

How many of the people that are comparing the alternatives between a new, or lightly used, two seat sports car at around 30k do you think would be either looking at what alternatives there were at 5k as well or how many different cars they could get for the same money?

It may have escaped you but the article was produced with some very basic to understand parameters as to what was being considered for the comparison, you just appear to be throwing that to one side because it isn't relevant to you. The article wasn't written for you.

[Niffty951]

V8RX7 said:

Silly comparison really - very different cars, drivers will prefer one or other and the type of person who would buy a new MX5 isn't the type to buy an older, more expensive to maintain, Porsche.

Personally I like thrashing my cars and extracting every bit of performance which means the Porsche with it's deliberately too high gearing (to prevent it stealing sales from the more expensive models) is out.

So too is a new MX5

For far less than £30k I've covered all the bases -

Supercharged Mk1 MX5 £5k
Jeep 4.7 V8 £2k
Suzuki Swift Sport £1k
MR2 V6 £3k
Merc Traveliner V6 £8k

Well I seriously considered the two (plus a early lotus Evora) so not that silly a comparison.

Also I think you're a tad light on the Mr2 v6 but if you do find one for 3k let me know d I'll collect with cash.

[jabiqq]

When I was in the market for a new base, manual 981 (late 2015), they just stopped selling them and I couldn't justify the price of a used one (generally higher than base spec new). Wasn't interested in 718. Went for a nearly new TT MK3 quattro instead, which was great fun after some modifications (stage 2 ~330bhp, downpipe/full exhaust). So planted in all weathers, practical, with nice burble from the exhaust, proper turbo kick. Also good interior and tech.
Recently replaced the TT with 30AE. There are many compromises, but I don't regret it. It will probably lose a lot of value over the next few years, but it's so fun to drive. I can`t think of anything else to drive daily that will feel similar as an overall experience (fun whilst going slow, reliability, nice finish/interior).
I haven't considered 981 again as I feel it would be too big, with outdated interior, possibly a bit dull/too safe and not that special. Plus the worry of high maintenance costs, servicing and image issues. Now I can have a bright orange sports car and not worry too much as it's just an mx5.

[anonymous-user]

ChrisW. said:

Insurance ? £274.16, mpg over 40, three year warranty and cheap servicing .... and every panel has a sticker showing the chassis number (as Porsche used to number the panels of their special cars).

I have found my ND to be remarkably cheap to run, nearly doubling the fuel economy of my 1995 NA MX5. I'd be surprised if I have to do anything beyond routine servicing and consumables for the next 10 years too - as much as I love feeling like I got a bargain with my £3k car that was £70k new, or a £1500 NA MX5 I have not found ownership of cheap old cars to be an entirely ballache free experience.

[Nuisance]

I have a 30AE and adore it.

I test drove a standard ND2 and could tell there was plenty of potential, and I knew the 30AE would only be better (for me, personally).

It's not quite the same as the Boxster comparison, but i had an LCI Manual M2 for the previous few months and whilst it is a very good car, I just wasn't having the fun in it that I'd had in my previous (tweaked) Mk3.75 MX5.

I find the 30AE much more fun. Lower, lighter, more nimble, more throwable.

If any of you drive a standard ND and think it feels a little... odd, a proper alignment absolutely transforms the car. The factory alignment tolerances are shockingly broad, and any two cars can drive very differently. Mine felt twitchy and a bit unpredictable.

I've just had mine lowered on the OEM Mazda/Eibach springs, had a proper "fast road" alignment done, and it feels like a completely different car. No, it's not as quick as the M2, but I have more fun in it every single time I drive it.

[anonymous-user]

MX5 and Boxster - a pair of truly excellent sports cars.

Judging by all the moaning and groaning on here you'd think there should be a lot more Mazdas being sold than is actually the case.

But then most people only have feeble excuses for why they don't own any sports car at all....

[gigglebug]

Nuisance said:

I've just had mine lowered on the OEM Mazda/Eibach springs, had a proper "fast road" alignment done, and it feels like a completely different car. No, it's not as quick as the M2, but I have more fun in it every single time I drive it.

It's a good looking thing for sure, a lot better with the lower ride hieght. I'm not overly keen on the colour though but it certainly wouldn't put me off it meant getting the best version available. Did you have the springs dealer fitted, would this be a requirement to maintain the warranty?

[anonymous-user]

gigglebug said:

Nuisance said:

I've just had mine lowered on the OEM Mazda/Eibach springs, had a proper "fast road" alignment done, and it feels like a completely different car. No, it's not as quick as the M2, but I have more fun in it every single time I drive it.

It's a good looking thing for sure, a lot better with the lower ride hieght. I'm not overly keen on the colour though but it certainly wouldn't put me off it meant getting the best version available. Did you have the springs dealer fitted, would this be a requirement to maintain the warranty?

I had the dealer fit the lowering springs so it was ready when I collected it, and also to avoid any warranty issues.

Nuisance - where did you get the alignment done?

[Nuisance]

The dealer was well aware I was have it lowered elsewhere and had no issue with it. I didn't even order the springs from the same dealer as I got them cheaper from a different Mazda dealer online.

I got the springs fitted and the alignment done to my requested specs at Corten Miller in Lincolnshire.