What's the most user-friendly roadster?
 

Something that's cheap to get into, cheap and easy to maintain, great handling, won't break the bank to mod (gots 2 P-cars for that), parts available for years to come, drive it year 'round and park it anywhere, great HVAC, easily upgradeable stereo system and can be a weekend track dog/autox candidate. Which one fits the bill?

M3 convertible
Boxster
Corvette convertible
Z3
Z4
S2000
Mustang GT convertible
MINI convertible
Miata
Eclipse Spyder
MGB
Alfa Graduate
Fiat 124

What am I forgetting?

Bug-Eye Sprite! And Kurt V's may still be for sale!

How can I forget about the Sprite?! Should also list the TR6 and Spitfire.

968.

Or 944 Cabrio.

Or 914.

Or Karman-Ghia.

I'd say Boxster but that'd be your 3rd Porsche, so Miata should fit the bill perfectly. Z3 if you want the "grown up" Miata but I doubt there's as big an aftermarket for modding Z3s.

What about the SLK ?

Actually there's a large aftermarket for the Z3/MZ3. You didn't say, do you want a car that you can bring people along in? If so, that nixes all of the two seaters.

My short list would be:

Boxster S
MZ3/MZ4
Miata (new bodystyle)
M3
SLK (new bodystyle)

I would eliminate the Mustang and Corvette because they're both too mullet-worthy for me, though the Corvette would be the fastest for the least cash. The Mini screams "chick car", and an Eclipse is by no means a sports car. S2k isn't my personal cup of tea because everything happens up high, but I've seen too many people heap praise on it to write it off as a bad car.

Others in the same range: 350Z, Crossfire SRT-6, Solstice/Sky (but wait for the high HP versions), Audi A4, S4, and TT, VW Eos.

For me, I'd have to go with the M3 because I have a family, 4 seats would be a big plus. Otherwise, it would be between the MZ4 and new Boxter, that's a choice that would have to come down to a test drive. Good luck!

Miata, Miata, Miata.
Cheap to maintain. Loads of aftermarket goodies. Great A/C and heat. Great fun to race/autox. They run forever, even if abused. Just change the oil occasionally and change the timing belt every 60k.

Nope it's sold. And the AC sucked in it anyway!:D As for a more modern car I would go with the Miata as it meets each and every requirement on the list.

I would vote Miata as the most likely to meet all your requirements.

A 944 S2 cab or 968 cab aren't bad cars either, but they will break the bank to mod and aren't the cheapest cars to get into.

Miata!

I've got a '93, and it puts a smile on my face every time I drive it.

-It's underpowered, so I can drive it pretty hard and not cause trouble. Light, nimble. quiet. I can't romp on the gas with the 911 without attracting way too much attention.

-It has no prestige. Park it anywhere, and not worry. I've got some rentals, and if I ever pulled up to them in the 911, instantly I'm the "Rich Landlord". No problem with a Miata.

-Cheap! I've got a hard top, soft top, leather, cruise, air conditioning that will make 911 owners weep, and I bought the whole thing for $4500!

-30+ reliable mpg.

Bottom line is, the 911 is sitting under a cover waiting for the next autocross. The Miata will see a bunch of street miles between now and then.

Re: What's the most user-friendly roadster?
 

Miata
miata
miata
miata
miata
[quoete][b]drive it year 'round and park it anywhere
miata (especially with the optional hardtop for winter)
miata
not tons of room in a miata, but I think the speaker situation is probably adequate, and it's gots plenty of space for a stereo. I'm sure some of the others would probably be better.
definitely miata
other possibilities
Toyota MR2
Honda CRX

As mentioned, the miata is very easily modded. There's a site much like this one for Miatas, so there's tons of support. You can turbo or supercharge em for $3500 and up. Lots of handling upgrades. Much like some 911 engines, the miata bottom end is based on a turbo engine, so the bottom end is really sturdy. The miata is very, very easy to steer with the throttle. I was really surprised at how eager the rear is to step out when you let off the throttle.

maybe too early yet to tell, but the pontiac solstice is looking good so far. potential is there.

Miata. and if you're looking for a Miata that's been to special forces camp, get the s2000.

Gonna break ranks here: Honda S2000.

I think used S2000s are the best bang for the buck in roadsters today. More power than a Miata, better interior, better styling (subjective I know), solid Honda quality, and the sound from 6,000 RPM on is sweet, sweet music.

Toyota MR-S is another one that hasn't been mentioned, very Miata-like. A turbo Miata would be pretty tempting, and the price hard to resist. Solstice has gotten good reviews so far, comparing well to the new Miata. Within a year they're supposed to be coming out with a hi-po version with over 200 HP, that would be a fun car.

Those are still rare and pricey.

And compared to the Miata, they are heavy. They are also underpowered, though a 260 hp turbo version is due out next year.

Wasnt it Colin Chapman who said "To add speed, just add lightness"?

Lotus Elise .............

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Before buying my Miata, I considered an S2000 until I sat in it. I actually fit in a Miata better. When using the clutch in the S2000, my knee would be squeezed pretty tightly between the arm rest and the steering wheel. The other thing that swung me towards the Miata was my insistance on having a hard top. For the S2000, it is a $4000 option. Finding a Miata with a hard top for $4500 turned it into a no-brainer.

The only "fit" issue with the Miata is the windsheild header blocking vision of traffic lights. Removing the visors fixed that. Couldn't be happier.

An uncle recently bought a Z4, and wanted me to drive it. In just about every catagory, the Z4 looks like a better car. On paper. More power, bigger brakes, yada yada, but it simply isn't as much fun to drive. I'll stick with the Miata.

Another plus- The Miata's tail will drift out beautifully. Most cars have so much understeer dialed in today, it was a pleasent find for a 911 driver.

there is a tuner upgrade for the solstice from mallet. you can throw large amounts of extra cash at them and get quite a car. if low price is not a rule how about the lotus elise? a friend just got one last week and is quite smitten. i've driven it and was amazed. also a tuner version of that. at 1900 lbs. and 190 hp. it moves nicely stock. 275 or 380 hp upgrades are out there.
if new and under warranty is not a hard and fast rule you could find a nice late 60s corvair conv. with the corsa or turbo spyder options. i had one a long time ago and still would like to have another. if practical is not a rule i like my beck 550 spyder replica, though it is the least practical car i have owned.

I'm glad you mentioned the hardtop -- if this will be a part-time DE/track car, make sure you check with whoever you run with before buying any roadster.

A lot of clubs will make you run a hardtop even if it has no structural function at all -- my local BMW Club is a good example. They would not let me take my old S2000 without a hardtop.

I had an 01 S2000 that was a bit tail-happy on the track. I understand that later model years saw some suspension tweaking that made the car more idiot-proof, but also lowered the red line several hundred RPM.

Someone where I work is driving a new black Solstice. Beautiful car. Much nicer looking iup close than in the pictures. If only it weren't a Pontiac.

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I think the Solstice is a beautiful car. I've read and seen a couple of comparo's between the Solstice and new MX-5. Everything seems to point to the miata being the driver's car and the Solstice being more of a fun cruiser. Still both have similar 0-60 times and similar handling, but the Miata is lighter and more responsive while the Solstice is attractive and has huge tires. And that's comparing to the new "NC" miata, not the NA ('89-'97) or NB ('99-'2005).

I think the problem with the Solstice or new MX-5 is that they aren't really "cheap". A used, older miata that's destined to be a track/autox car can be had for anywhere from $2k-10K. Lots of people pick up nice older miata in the $2500-5000 range.

OK, I'll prepare for a beating here. Went thru the same thing 3 years ago. After a short 40 year absense from fun cars, the bug bit again for a Sunday driver. Mrs. ruled out the first choice, Ducati.

Looked at Boxster, Z3, too new, too expensive to justify for limited use.
Miata. Nice, but I'm not THAT secure. :)
Replica Lotus/Speedster/Cobra. No top or windows. Dubious safety.
British roadster. I danced with the Prince of Darkness before.
Alfa. Not much better than the above.

Then I drove a 914/4. Kinda fuglee, but what a hoot. Steel doors, rollup windows, targa 'roll bar', 4 wheel disks, simple engine, removeable top. Can run with just about anything on Mulholland, short track, or A/X. Good DE car.

After 3 years of owning this thing, it has become beautiful. 15 k miles, 5 oil changes, one set of tires, 2 valve adjust/tuneups.

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How I see it :)
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1154365766.jpg

if the solstice and new sky from saturn get production numbers like the pt cruiser i think they will be available cheap in a couple of years. as to how they will hold up over time and multiple owners, only time will tell.

I'm considering the 914 but, like the old Brit cars, rust is the enemy. 914s are a hoot though.

do you taller guys fit in a Miata? I'm 6'1" and felt pretty cramped when I sat in one about 5 or 6 years back.

The only "tuner" thing I saw from Mallet for the Solstice was that they will drop in the Corvette's 7-liter V8. The conversion costs as much as the Solstice does.

Still, for $40k, it is one sweet ride.

I'm 6'2", 200#, and I do best with Levi's with a 35" inseam. I felt ok in the miata. With a modification to the driver's seat I'm now doing much better.

Miata seats initially look like they'd be pretty supportive, but when you sit in them they feel flat and hard which is a hard change to live with when you are used to the seats in a 911. A common mod for the tall guys is to shave 2-3" of foam from the bottom and back of the stock seats. This results in a much lower seating position and much, much better lateral support. I'd advise anyone to either give a miata seat a "foamectomy" or replace the seat.

I'm 6'3" and I....uhhh.....just bought a '93 Miata for the wife. Yeah....that's it.

I just performed the seat foamectomy and pulled out 4" of foam from the seat bottoms. This made a huge difference with headroom. Then I took the foam I cut out and made a 'cushion' for my wife to sit on when she drives the car.

For me leg room wasn't the issue, it was head room. Now I can sit up straight and not hit the roof.

Still not enough room for a helmet though. For that I'll have to bolt a racing bucket to the floor.

I've driven the S2200, new Miata, Z4 2.5/3.0, Boxster/S, and SKY/Redline around tight race tracks and winding roads. Here are my thoughts and ramblings.

The 260hp SKY Redline (aka Solstice GXP) whoops ass on all but the Boxster S. Motor is unreal, way more power curve than any of the others. The regualr-strength 177hp SKY/Solstice are just okay, not ebough power for me. Chassis feels fat, not delicate like the Boxster or small like the Miata. It isn't a scalpal, it's a butcher knife. Very well balanced. Great brake feel. Just okay steering feel, but the tires are huge, so. The sight lines on the SKY sucked. I'm 6'2" and my head brushed the top, the windshield is 'Speedster-like', and the sexy fenders block the 'line' on a tight autocross course. You will hit cones. And the damn thing is WIDER than a Vette in the rear. Fat a$$. The tires are 245/45-18 with more room underneath ... try that in a Miata.

The new Boxster FEELS way faster than it really is. Everything is just right: it makes all the right noises, the shift quality is superb, it communicates well .... so much more than numbers on paper.

The Z3/Z4 is a crude tractor. Please don't take offense.

The new Miata isn't as good as the old, although it is more 'liveable'.

The S2200 isn't as peaky as the S2000, but you still have to plan your rpms or you will not be in the game. I actually fit in the S2200 better than the others. The digital gimmicky dash crap can go, as can the power top. Clutch felt best in the S.


To the question / criteria posed: Miata

E

Pontiac Solstice, Opel GT, Saturn Sky, Vauxhall VX. All the same cars pretty much, just a bit of International "Badge engineering".

Miata +1, nice daily driver/backup car

6'1" and I fit in the Miata better than a 1986 944. The steering wheel doesn't hit me in the legs. I will do the foam thing eventually for a little more comfort. It makes my 911 with sunroof seem spacious by comparison.

Driven a turbo'miata yes it was still slow and got a "is that your wifes car"

drove the s2000 at willow springs best way to compare the car is to a heavily ported 125 cc shifter kart zero torque then bam you have a furious narrow band of power not all that fun and 2900 #s

not sure about the weight being 1900#'s on the sky closer to 2600

corvettes are 3100-3200 BUT have 400 hp and 400 foot pounds of torque and are cheap to maintain, and have the same footprint as a 911

hmm go test drive some cars

The hot Solistice turbo was orginally was supposed to be 240 hp.....latest info says 260. And a good looking car to boot. Is this Bob Lutz revolution to little/too late to save GM? The ultimate boy racer is the Elise, but it ain't cheap. The ForceFed turbo version has somewhere north of 270hp andbigger wheels in a 2100 lb package, but it adds $10k to the $43-44k price tag of the Sport model. First gen S2000 and 2.7 liter Boxster get my votes for fun car that are semi reasonably priced. For a bit less, how about the original 1.8l Z3? iknowit's a 4 cyl, but my cousin had one it it didn not seem to lack power in the grand scheme of things. Plus, that is the same block as the one they stretched out to make the original 2.3: M3. Imagine a lightweight 4 cyl Z3 modded with one of those long stroke 250hp M3 motors like the weekend racers use:eek:

The Mini, not the convertable. Hot sht car, kicks but, stock. Buy the John Cooper special and you will kick butt, Porsche included at any autocross.. This car is a HOT ROD, straight out of the box, the S version will give you rubber in 1, 2, 3 and 4 out of 6 gears, no sweat. And cornering, its a go cart. Did I mention rubber in 3rd at 60 plus mph! 110 mph is no sweat and its still in 4th gear.

Stability at 100 plus mph, you will not beleive it, its just like a rock stable.

This car is the ultimate (for a front wheel drive pos) go cart.

I've got a 2005 MINI, not the S. And, it is a kick butt car. However, it's not a roadster. I really like open top cars.

Funny how I love the Cooper S, but view the cab version as a chick car. Just me, or do others agree? Felt that way about Miatas until the recent ones as well. Never buy a car that a woman refers to as "cute".