HFS's Cars

[homeforsummer]

Buy the MX-5. End.

Much as it'd be tempting to buy the MX-5 the other cars I've suggested are just appealing enough to me for the Mazda to not be the obvious choice. For example, the E30 318is would probably give me 90% of the fun, but a bigger boot, a roof and a bit more power too. That's why the decision is difficult on any of these cars, they all overlap in some way for the different things I'm looking for in a car.

I'd quite like something with more than 4 cylinders, which is why the SEAT and Bora are very appealing, and why the idea of a 320i hasn't quite left my mind yet...

Well yeah, if he had £3000 to throw around.

A fiver on the next car he suggests being at least double my budget too... Incidentally, would $3k get me things like an MRS or Tiburon in the States, or is that optimistic even in dollars?

That MRS looks, well, just plain happy to be there.

If only it were happy because it was within my budget... like the other two MR2s I've mentioned (still amazed how cheap mk2s are, incidentally).

 

[TheCracker]

Much as it'd be tempting to buy the MX-5 the other cars I've suggested are just appealing enough to me for the Mazda to not be the obvious choice. For example, the E30 318is would probably give me 90% of the fun, but a bigger boot, a roof and a bit more power too.

That depends. If you are at a stage in your life where you don't really require the practicality or rear seats or a slightly larger boot, the MX-5 is the sort of car that brings a smile to your face no matter what speed you are driving at. The 318 is just another (16+ year old) small saloon in most circumstances. When driven in a spirited manner, yes the the E30 will be almost as much fun as the MX-5. But, the MX-5 is a fun experience all the time. The Beemer may also have a bit more power but that will be negated by the increase it has in weight. You can also get a hard top for the MX-5 if you so wish.

 

[Sniffs]

Cars depreciate terribly in the UK because there's so much "keeping up with the Joneses", people replace their cars quite regularly and also rarely tend to go for base models, so the base models (like the bog-standard 2.0 Prelude) depreciate especially badly.

As for finding 2.0l cars in great condition, it's because in the UK 2.0l isn't really a small engine. Cars of this size don't tend to be thrashed, people do lower mileages in the UK than they do in the States, and 2.0l cars are generally under-stressed so they last pretty well.

most 2 liter class are stuffed, with a nasty detuning, into late 70's compacts, and are this relegated to the Junkyard. they are also installed in what the british would call "family size" cars as the bare bones "base" engine...and those, too, decorate US junkyards outside of warm weather states. only one liter 3's and the occasional Fiesta still make an appearance around here.

the sheer distance that an American has to drive to get to work, sometimes (for some people, I've heard a 3 HOUR commute) also quickly takes down an engine. for example, every DAY i drive the entire length of Britan or so (or at least the England portion of it, top to bottom; 200+ miles/300+ km). that's a tank of Pertol worth (i burn about 12 US gallons/ 9? british gallons a day). and a lot of that is up some pretty steep hills, like they had in that "parking brake hold test" on the Top Gear ep with the British Leyland anti-lemons episode. imagine doing that for a mile or two...and encountering 90 degree turns, a cliff face on one side, and a dropoff on the other.
and all this with an emissions detuned 145 hp 3 liter.

home for summer: £3000 wouldn't get you a used 2000 Cavalier with less than 100 k on it...and a private seller would want that much for a family size car with at least 130k on it and anywhere from 15-20 years old. and that would be a LIGHTLY used US vehicle. if it's 80-100 K it sat because of a lack of affordable repair parts for a couple years, and needed to be gotten rid of because it was starting to rust out.

here's a bargain for you. my first car cost only £62.50! it needed 500 nicker in common parts replaced.

and considering I just forked out over 200 quid for two tyres and a bloody alignment...

 

[Mrs. Famine]

That depends. If you are at a stage in your life where you don't really require the practicality or rear seats or a slightly larger boot, the MX-5 is the sort of car that brings a smile to your face no matter what speed you are driving at. The 318 is just another (16+ year old) small saloon in most circumstances. When driven in a spirited manner, yes the the E30 will be almost as much fun as the MX-5. But, the MX-5 is a fun experience all the time. The Beemer may also have a bit more power but that will be negated by the increase it has in weight. You can also get a hard top for the MX-5 if you so wish.

That's right. You stay on my side and fight my corner

 

[YSSMAN]

A fiver on the next car he suggests being at least double my budget too... Incidentally, would $3k get me things like an MRS or Tiburon in the States, or is that optimistic even in dollars?

That's beyond optimistic here in the US. You'd be lucky to find an MR-S in good shape for much less than $10K (I'd say between $8-12K on average), and as for the Tiburon, it depends mostly on the generation. Considering that the origional(s) didn't sell well, you're going to be in that same $10K range with the newer model (known as the Coupe elsewhere).

 

[Danny]

If I may come in from the left field you seem to inhabit, have you considered the Saab 9000 Turbo?

If you can find one, it makes a great buy, and should easily slide inside your budget.
It's cosseting, well-built and extremely punchy. Torque-steer and slight rusting are issues, but the former can be solved with caution on fast bends and the latter with regular bodywork care.

 

[Jondot]

That's not a bad idea, actually. Although you might want to splash out on one that doesn't come with a duct taped front bumper

Actually speaking of which, I did see a stupidly cheap 9-5 somewhere the other day. I'll go and beaver it out.

EDIT

Huh, there's more choice than I thought. Stick Saab 9-5 in Autotrader and there's a ton from as little as £700. Admittedly it's not exactly sporty, but it'll be as comfy as an IKEA leather suite and will motorway cruise like an Aston. The only downside is, it's an insurance salesman's car. And up against the rest of the suggestions it looks rather limp wristed.

 

[Danny]

Always like the 9-5, too.

But surely at £700 that one must be an absolute dog...

 

[Jondot]

Always like the 9-5, too.

But surely at £700 that one must be an absolute dog...

Surprisingly it doesn't look too bad. Although it is the base model in dark green, and comes with the sort of wood trim you find in a 1994 Rover 400.

I'm guessing that 'BATTERY' and 'ABS' on that screen are some kind of warning message, though, which is a worry.

 

[homeforsummer]

That depends. If you are at a stage in your life where you don't really require the practicality or rear seats or a slightly larger boot, the MX-5 is the sort of car that brings a smile to your face no matter what speed you are driving at. The 318 is just another (16+ year old) small saloon in most circumstances. When driven in a spirited manner, yes the the E30 will be almost as much fun as the MX-5. But, the MX-5 is a fun experience all the time. The Beemer may also have a bit more power but that will be negated by the increase it has in weight. You can also get a hard top for the MX-5 if you so wish.

Hmm, interesting point. I guess it also comes down to what cars I'm passionate about too really. At one stage a while back I really, really wanted an MX5, but when I realised how many other interesting things I could get for the same money, that's what made the decision difficult.

for example, every DAY i drive the entire length of Britan or so (or at least the England portion of it, top to bottom; 200+ miles/300+ km).

That is a pretty big commute. I live near Leeds in the UK - 200 miles is the distance from either Leeds to London, or Leeds to Edinburgh. Realistically a 4 hour drive in UK traffic.

That's beyond optimistic here in the US. You'd be lucky to find an MR-S in good shape for much less than $10K (I'd say between $8-12K on average), and as for the Tiburon, it depends mostly on the generation. Considering that the origional(s) didn't sell well, you're going to be in that same $10K range with the newer model (known as the Coupe elsewhere).

So basically none of the cars Gator's suggested would even be available for my budget in your homeland.

Let's clarify - I welcome input from all nationalities, but my budget is £1500. That's roughly equal to $3000 👍

If I may come in from the left field you seem to inhabit, have you considered the Saab 9000 Turbo?

I like your thinking. I think the 9000 is a little to big for what I'm looking for though, hence the choice of the 900 Turbo on the list. Kinda prefer the styling of the 900 too, really individual. Actually, the more I talk about the 900 the more it seems like a great idea...

 

[Famine]

Just get the MX-5 already. You'll be sad if you don't - and look at the rest of us who want you to buy it too. Do you want to make us sad? Do you? DO YOU?

 

[MustangSVT]

The guy with the MX-5 wants 1450 quid for it. I say go for it!

 

[homeforsummer]

I won't be buying anything just at the moment - don't have the cash (not even slightly). Just getting and developing ideas a few months in advance.

Incidentally, if I were to buy and MX5 the time I'm thinking of buying is on the run up to next summer (well, March ish) so prices might be on their way up a little by then.

The MX5 does seem to be a popular option but it'd have to be the right one. I wouldn't want to get one if I couldn't find one in the condition it deserves.

 

[Philly]

Let's clarify - I welcome input from all nationalities, but my budget is £1500. That's roughly equal to $3000 👍

The cars you can afford are running probably more like $7,000 to $10,000 here. I've seen Geo Metros and Ford Fiestas going for over $7k. And $2000 won't get you much other than an old beater truck or a completely beat up car from the 80s in Craigslist.

 

[homeforsummer]

The cars you can afford are running probably more like $7,000 to $10,000 here. I've seen Geo Metros and Ford Fiestas going for over $7k. And $2000 won't get you much other than an old beater truck or a completely beat up car from the 80s in Craigslist.

Seriously? Obviously whilst the prices of new cars blow the UK out of the water over there we apparently have the better deal when it comes to what you can get second hand.

 

[Jondot]

The cars you can afford are running probably more like $7,000 to $10,000 here. I've seen Geo Metros and Ford Fiestas going for over $7k. And $2000 won't get you much other than an old beater truck or a completely beat up car from the 80s in Craigslist.

To be fair we are going through a sort of car eco-panic at the moment over here. I know gas prices are going up everywhere, but over here we've taken it particularly to heart. The price of anything with an engine much bigger than 1.8 litres has plummeted, for example. As have used prices as a whole, I think I read somewhere the other day (because everyone is moaning about the economic slump and nobody's buying anymore, apparently). It stikes me as odd that your used prices are so high compared to us, though - particularly when your new prices are the complete opposite!

 

[gator of kana]

I'm already out of ideas, I guess the cars I thought were cheap turned out not to be the best option, homeforsummer I'm useless

 

[TopHat]

To be fair we are going through a sort of car eco-panic at the moment over here. I know gas prices are going up everywhere, but over here we've taken it particularly to heart. The price of anything with an engine much bigger than 1.8 litres has plummeted, for example. As have used prices as a whole, I think I read somewhere the other day (because everyone is moaning about the economic slump and nobody's buying anymore, apparently). It stikes me as odd that your used prices are so high compared to us, though - particularly when your new prices are the complete opposite!

It's because there are people stupid enough to buy the 10 year old Suzuki Swift for that much money.

 

[Philly]

Seriously? Obviously whilst the prices of new cars blow the UK out of the water over there we apparently have the better deal when it comes to what you can get second hand.

I did a little search and for an older, early 90s Miata, you're looking at $4,000 minimum, with most probably around $5,000 to $6,000. Newer cars from the late 90s are a couple grand above that and they go up from there. That is interesting though. Maybe you guys have a stronger new-car market compared to used cars.

To be fair we are going through a sort of car eco-panic at the moment over here. I know gas prices are going up everywhere, but over here we've taken it particularly to heart. The price of anything with an engine much bigger than 1.8 litres has plummeted, for example.

We are too for the most part. It is not uncommon to see really nice GMT-900 SUVs sitting on the side of the road with some number below $20,000 on the rear window, while econoboxes have been upmarked quite a bit. Or go to any Big-3 dealer and they are selling their big rigs for about the price of dirt.

Now that we're way off topic...

 

[Mrs. Famine]

Borrow the money!!!!!!

You're going to get one hell of a bargain if you can buy an MX-5 (ok, ok, any car) as we're moving into autumn and winter and there's been a dip in car sales recently...

I'm seriously considering spending a small amount of cash in a few months on a huge amount of car I can sell once things pick up

 

[gator of kana]

homeforsummer, just to pull your leg a bit, how's about this

At least it has Recaro seats
And it's in your budget

 

[Danny]

That is a pretty big commute. I live near Leeds in the UK - 200 miles is the distance from either Leeds to London, or Leeds to Edinburgh. Realistically a 4 hour drive in UK traffic.

Oh, much closer to me than I suspected. You might even say, striking distance.

 

[Jondot]

Just off topic, are you at the University of Leeds by any chance, homeforsummer?

 

[homeforsummer]

I'm already out of ideas, I guess the cars I thought were cheap turned out not to be the best option, homeforsummer I'm useless

Not useless, many of the cars you've posted have been great, I just don't have anywhere near the budget for them!

Maybe you guys have a stronger new-car market compared to used cars.

Our "strong" new car market is the manufacturers taking liberties with new car prices. However, used cars sell at their correct value (however high or low) because prices are dictated solely by demand and supply. The BMW Mini, for example, is still holding it's value amazingly well even for the earliest versions - I haven't seen any below about £5k, meaning the lowest models have only depreciated around £5-6k in around 6-7 years.

homeforsummer, just to pull your leg a bit, how's about this
*Copen*
At least it has Recaro seats
And it's in your budget

I don't know if the budget bit was sarcasm but I'm afraid the Copen isn't in my budget either! When I've searched I've struggled even to find Honda Beats or Suzuki Cappuccinos for £1.5k, so the Copen will be much higher. Cheapest "buy it now" on ebay is £6k.

Incidentally, I do quite like the Copen *hides*

Just off topic, are you at the University of Leeds by any chance, homeforsummer?

Nope

 

[gator of kana]

This is going to be harder than I thought.

 

[YSSMAN]

I like the idea of the Saab 9-5, but, I'd go a bit older and a bit smaller.

This red Saab 900 S caught my attention, a little more than 130K on the clock, for only £750. It looks like its in pretty damn-good shape, and given how reliable (in general) that they are, that screams "good deal" to me. A shame the gas mileage won't be HUGE (it'd do what, maybe 25 MPG US? So, 30 MPG UK?), but I'll be damned if it isn't a good stripped down and otherwise "normal" car.

I'm almost mad that I couldn't find one like that here when I was shopping months ago...

 

[gator of kana]

This has got to be a good one. A Honda Civic Del Sol

Popular FF car for looking like a mid-engine car and you can take the roof off too.

 

[YSSMAN]

It would come in under the pricing issue, but the thing is, going from a Fiesta to a Del Sol isn't much of an improvement (and I like both of them!). I'd be far more apt to upgrading to a small mid-size car (like the Saab) than the Honda, more or less because its going to be usable on a daily basis.

 

[gator of kana]

It would come in under the pricing issue, but the thing is, going from a Fiesta to a Del Sol isn't much of an improvement (and I like both of them!). I'd be far more apt to upgrading to a small mid-size car (like the Saab) than the Honda, more or less because its going to be usable on a daily basis.

Let's see what homeforsummer thinks about that, I try to find cars that are exciting but at the same time cheap too

 

[YSSMAN]

While your purpose is noble, there is always the practicality side of the issue as well. During my search for a vehicle, while I was inclined to go towards a Miata (from my Jetta), conditions in the area and the need to compromise between sporty driving and practicality lead me to the Celica, which I fell in love with immediately. That is not to say that I wouldn't have chosen something else, but more or less, it was the best option I had at the time. I can fit four people in the car fairly comfortably, and the truck is large enough to carry quite a lot of stuff... Something that some of other cars that I was looking at may not have been able to do.

To each his own of course, but I'd be looking at those Saab options closely. I had no idea they go for so little out there...