What car... Budget Roadster

[velocitas]

Having no real need for a car these days due to work, I sold my BMW cleared the finance and after toying with a classic 911 idea I stumbled upon a very tidy 02' A3 to tie me over.

That was 6 months ago but with the summer approaching and the thoughts of open top motoring on warm afternoons I can't shake the idea of buying a cheap ragtop. So I'm turning to the Pistonheads faithful for the age old what car discussion. So far the Z4 is leading due to the a masculine image and modern design with the "i drive a porsche" in 2nd place. Criteria are reliable, average mileage, relatively modern, not cripplingly expensive to run, easy to sell on and if possible that my mates won’t laugh at. Budget is around 5k.

Possible:
03 BMW Z4 – Modern design and least girly option
98 Porsche Boxster - Prestige badging but worried about repair costs
04 Mazda MX-5 - Very girly, reminds me of my mate's ex.
02 BMW 320ci Convert. - Wobbly

Not possible:
Lotus Elise - Not in budget, unfortunately.
Honda S2000 - Again residuals too strong and a lot of ropey cars at the lower end.
Merc CLK230K – Keep thinking rich housewife

Looking forward to your suggestions...

[kambites]

SLK? 350Z/370Z (not sure if the 370 is in budget)? TT?

[Krikkit]

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3801472.htm

Supercharger dulls girlyness, if your mates laugh at that then they're not worth keeping.

[Snowboy]

5k isn’t a lot of money for a roadster.

A 5k 03 Z4 is going to be a ropey old wreck. (probably).
For that money I’d suggest you rethink S2000 or MX5.

The S2000 and MX5 will be a lot cheaper to maintain, and at that age of car maintenance is going to be needed.

Or, perhaps go for a Kit car or caterham job.
Something that’s more nuts and bolts and less electrics.

[PaperCut]

You won't find any decent Z4s for £5k. In fact you'll struggle to find any Z4 for that money that isn't a ropey high miler or a CAT-D/C special.

Most - if not all - small, modern, open-top roadsters are 'girly' so you'll either have to man up and get one or avoid completely.

I'll recommend a couple of Italian choices...(both FWD though)

Fiat Barchetta?

Alfa Spider 3.0 V6?

[collateral]

MR-2 mk3?

Edited by collateral on Wednesday 23 May 15:55

[jonno990]

velocitas said:

Lotus Elise - Not in budget, unfortunately.

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3842796.htm

[kambites]

I'd be very wary of a 5k VX220.

[firman]

I think you have discounted the SLK230 too quickly, they are comfortable places to be, good poke from the supercharged 4 pot and when required the folding metal hard top makes you feel like you are in a coupe Reuther than a convertible.

I have owned an MX5 which was hard, basic and with the 1.6 a bit noisy on a motorway run and replaced it with a 2000 SLK and would never look at a 5 again other than for a track toy.

Just my 2 pence worth.

[GregMac]

Z3's are dirt cheap now, and a bit more grown up than an MX-5

[Shaw Tarse]

kambites said:

I'd be very wary of a 5k VX220.

What could be wrong with a VXR220

[kambites]

Shaw Tarse said:

kambites said:

I'd be very wary of a 5k VX220.

What could be wrong with a VXR220

At 5k? I suspect the biggest problem would be that the car didn't actually exist.

[PaperCut]

doogz said:

02 plate MR2 with 87k....Only paid £1800 for it.

Eh? Is that how much they're going for now, or is there something wrong with it/mates rates etc, etc?

[C.A.R.]

Avoiding an MX5 on the grounds that they are 'very girly' is very un-PH, as it is probably your best bet.

Z4 wil be ropey in your budget, expensive to insure / maintain

Other options include Fiat Barchetta (LHD only, front wheel drive)

206CC?!

My Mx5 MK1 was hardly girly, after fitting a rollbar (not a crappy chrome one) for £150. Being an import it had standard Bilstein suspension, LSD, and the coolest feature ever fitted to a car - pop-up lights.

Browse MX5nutz owners forum before deciding that the little Mazda isn't manly enough for you to uphold your hetrosexual image...

[Shaw Tarse]

kambites said:

Shaw Tarse said:

kambites said:

I'd be very wary of a 5k VX220.

What could be wrong with a VXR220

At 5k? I suspect the biggest problem would be that the car didn't actually exist.

Ah, yes, I just checked & even Imran wanted almost £20k for number 16

[Snowboy]

The reason I didn’t got for the MX5 was it was too small for my manly frame.
S2000 didn’t have this problem.

For £5k you’re taking quite a risk on quality.
It’s plenty of money for a 4 door saloon, but it’s not a lot of money for a 2 seat premium roadster that’s had a few previous owners thrashing the nuts off it.

I’d say that roughly speaking a list of reliable 5k roadsters in ascending order would look a bit like.

MX5
S2000
Vauxhall Thing
Merc SLK
Z4
Porsche

If you looked at a lost of cheapest to run and repair the list would be about the same.

[Greg_D]

your comments on the appropriate cars are very revealing, you are hung up on manliness/prestige/badge yet don't have the folding to get a chestwig special.

Either MX5 or GTFO

[Decky_Q]

I bought my VX220 as salvage requiring rear window and clams for £5.7k!

[pbarlow0032]

Mk3 mr2. Pokey enough, good mpg, fairly simple to fix, still looks good. There are plenty around for £3k, could use the spare £2k for track days/driving holiday to the Italian Lakes :-)

[anonymous-user]

Ginetta G27: £4.5K a bit different, 1800 zetec
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3876048.htm

the same but different: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3869438.htm

100s of MGFs around for £3K, quite nice but a bit hairdresser-y...