The Best "Reasonable" Roadster (formerly "Affordable")

[a6m5]

It's just sweet, even with the Toyota motor.

For me, the Toyota powertrain makes it even sweeter. Affordable exotic with Toyota reliability? What's next, zero calorie milkshake!?

 

[Dave A]

No, zero fat kebab's. now that would be heaven.

The Elise is great, but it's one of the least prctical of the impractical selection of car's above. In term's of bang for buck, the less practical still Caterham win's hand's down. In terms of value for money, the MX5 win's hands down. In terms of which one I think is the best deal, the dela I'd go for if I was after one of thoes car's, or another new roadster, the S2000 would be the one. tohugh as I said before, I'd still sooner pay 25k for a second hand Tuscan Speed Six. Would cost more in the long run though.

 

[Joey D]

The MX-5...errr Miata doesn't win hands down, I believe the Soltice is very close in many aspects and better in others.

 

[McLaren]

Even though it is one of the more expensive ones, I'd go for the M Roadster.

It's just such a stunning car at just under $54,000, and even sports the M3 engine. 👍

 

[HACKr]

Caterham... OK I'm biased. I wish they were more available in the states.

 

[YSSMAN]

There are plenty of Caterhams available in the US, you just have to build 'em... Or have 'em built for you. For less than $30K you can buy (then build) the Caterham SV with the 2.0L Zetec from the Focus SVT. If you want to be a cheap-ass, you can choose from several other Focus-sourced engines... I myself just want something in the neighborhood of 150HP, so the regular-grade 2.0L Zetec would probably fit my bill perfectly.

...It all depends on how much money you want to spend, and how quick you want to do it...

 

[Wolfe]

If you really want to be a cheap-ass, you should just build a Locost, instead of shelling out the dough for the real thing...

 

[TurboSmoke]

Any views on the Chrysler Crossfire? These cars seem to be bloody everywhere. It didnt impress the Top Gear team though...poor build quailty.

 

[TheCracker]

These cars are all in different price ranges - very few are really affordable.

If i had to choose i'd go:

Upto £20k - MX-5

Upto £30k - Elise

Over £30k - Boxter S

 

[Dave A]

The MX-5...errr Miata doesn't win hands down, I believe the Soltice is very close in many aspects and better in others.

First off, wqe don't get either the Solstice or the Sky here, so they don't even come into the equation from my perspective. Secondly, the Opel GT wil cost a lot more than the 15k starting price of the MX-5, about 5 grand more. So no, even then it's not close, if we did get the Solstice or the Sky, I'd expect them to cost that much too, if not more. So yes, Value for money, the MX-5 win's hands down.

 

[Joey D]

Except you can't only base it only on where you live, in America there is no way the Miata, MX-5, whatever wins hands down. They are so close it isn't even funny and really it would come down to looks. Which the Sky takes pretty easily since it is one of the nicest looking cars I've ever seen.

And personally have been in a Miata myself I don't like them what so ever.

 

[Dave A]

Why don't you base it on where you live? different car's are availble in different parts of the world, it is of no benefit to me to compare a car I can buy to a car I'll probably never see, and also it would seem your answer is totally based on where you live. Besides that, if your look at it on a global scale, we've already given the MX-5 the clear win over the Solstice and Sky, the MX-5 is avialble everywhere, and the Solstice and Sky are not, and where the SOlstice and Sky are available, they're only close to, or on par with the MX-5, not better not worse, so that automatically means the MX-5 is better overall on a global scale. If you do it by each region, you'll find a different winner for each region. I've driven an MX-5, last gen model, I thought it was fantastic, I've had a ride in an S2000, again fantastic, not as driver focused as the MX-5 though, I've also driven a TVR, but I won't comment on that because what I say will be clouded by bias.

 

[Joey D]

You constantly tell me the TVR is better then the Corvette, which is comparing by region. The Miata (MX-5 sounds stupid) has had 20 years to be the best, GM comes out with a car they've been working on for 3 or 4 year and it's on par with the brand new Miata. Makes me wonder, if you've had a car on the market for so long shouldn't it be far superior, even when something new comes out?

As for the S2000, it's awesome, I love it, but it's way overpriced for what it is.

 

[Dave A]

When your comparing car's on performance alone you can compare anything, when your comparing value, you have to compare it by region, because car's arn't priced the same all over. Besides that, I can go out today and buy a Corvette and drive it home, I won't, but I can and whenever I compared a Vette to a TVR I alway's made it pretty clear I was comparing it as it is over here, ie, more expensice and slower than the respective TVR, so I really don't see what your getting at. But like I said, over here, the MX5 win's hand's down, globally, the MX5 win's hand's down, it's a global product, the other two arn't. In the US, the MX5 is on par with the other two. So what are you getting at?

 

[Joey D]

That MX-5 isn't the best out there, take teh value away from the equation and compare the cars solely. By your logic you can't half of those cars up there, an Elise is almost 50 grand while a Soltice comes in at below 20. Just compare what the cars do, and with that the Soltice/Sky is just as good if not better in some ways then the MX-5.

 

[Dave A]

The topic is the best affordable roadster, so price is part of the equation, we're not looking for the fastest, the comfiest, the cheapest, but the best, to find the best, you have to look at everything, price, availability, performance, practicality, comfort etc all together. The MX-5 win's hand's down. If you take price out of the equation, then it's probably between the M roadster and the Boxster S, none of the other's are as good as thoes two overall unless you include price. For track performance, it's the Caterham, followed by the Lotus. If you don't include everything you're not finding the best overall, your finding the fastest, or the most comfey, or the cheapest etc.

 

[Joey D]

Except for the price the MX-5 doesn't win in all parts of the world, America is a huge market and not winning hands down there is a big dent in the winning votes for the MX-5.

Also if these are affordable roadsters the Elise, Boxter, Z4, and S2000 should not be included because they are by no means affordable to the average person.

 

[Dave A]

It beat's all it's competition, or it level's with them in all region's, I don't know of any roadster in the MX-5's price group that is classed as a better car. In the US it's there abouts level with the Solstice and Sky, but they arn't available in half as many place's the MX-5 is, so right away, the MX-5 win's on availability.

 

[Joey D]

No it doesn't, look at it this way, just because the Ford F-150 is avaliable everywhere doesn't mean that the Toyota Tundra isn't a better truck all the way around. The MX-5 Miata (that's what Mazda calls it I guess) is avaliable in more places but it doesn't make it a better car, and like I said America is about 1/3 of the car buying market.

 

[TheCracker]

Also if these are affordable roadsters the Elise, Boxter, Z4, and S2000 should not be included because they are by no means affordable to the average person.

In the UK, and i'm sure most of Europe, An Elise is closer in price to a MX-5 than it is to a Boxter etc. If they do eventually sell the Sky/Solstice in the UK as a Opel/Vauxhall GT then it will be a very similar price to the Elise - probably £25k+

 

[Joey D]

Elises are that cheap over there? They are close to 50 grand over here, even used they are more then 30.

 

[Dave A]

No it doesn't, look at it this way, just because the Ford F-150 is avaliable everywhere doesn't mean that the Toyota Tundra isn't a better truck all the way around. The MX-5 Miata (that's what Mazda calls it I guess) is avaliable in more places but it doesn't make it a better car, and like I said America is about 1/3 of the car buying market.

If your talking, in the world, then availablility does have a part to play, what good is a car that'sonly avaialble in one place, to anyone that doesn't live there? None, so a car that's as good but available all over is a better car. This is why, I said before, you say what's the best in relation to where you live.

 

[Joey D]

And where I live the Soltice and Sky are just as good if not better then the Miata MX-5. Therefore in America the Miata doesn't win hands down, it may be better according to this car magazine, but other car magazines think differently.

 

[Dave A]

Which is fair enough, in America it may be close, but earlier, you said

Except you can't only base it only on where you live

So globally, the fact that it's close in America, but the MX-5 is the only one avaiable outside the US and it's avaialbe in rhd as well as lhd is a plus point the toher's don't have, so it's a better car globally.

I told you, if I base it local or globally, for me it makes no differece, over here the MX-5 is the best value, globally, the MX-5 is out of all the car's I can think of in it's class, the best value, in the US, it might be close, but I've never once in this thread, based an opinion on how it is in the US alone.

 

[SRV2LOW4ME]

I went with the S2000 simply for the performance and style, along with the reliability you get for the money. 👍

 

[YSSMAN]

Any views on the Chrysler Crossfire? These cars seem to be bloody everywhere. It didnt impress the Top Gear team though...poor build quailty.

Ive had a drive in a Crossfire Coupe when they first came out last summer here in the US, and it wassent a bad car, it just was not too much fun to drive. Obviously the car is based on the previous-generation SLK, and uses the same V6 and 5-speed automatic. The interior looked and felt pretty good, on par with the Mercedes it share's its stuff with, but for the price (the one we drove stickered for more than $40K), it just isnt a good deal.

I guess I didn't include it because it isnt all that fun to drive, IMO. Performance wise, only the SRT-6 model (see SLK AMG) has all of the fun fun, and being that it outprices even a Corvette, it just isnt worth it.

 

[Poverty]

In this situation I think the region that your living in is a mute point. But price can seriously mess international comparisons like this up as the S2000 is probably cheap as chips in japan, whilst considered expensive in the states etc.

The interior looked and felt pretty good, on par with the Mercedes it share's its stuff with, but for the price (the one we drove stickered for more than $40K), it just isnt a good deal.

I disagree. Got a chrysler garage near me and the interior is a bit naff. the cars that are driven up north are pretty weird. There seems to be alot more performance cars up there tahn down in London. Maybe London isnt all that afterall if you like fast cars.

 

[Swift]

In this situation I think the region that your living in is a mute point. But price can seriously mess international comparisons like this up as the S2000 is probably cheap as chips in japan, whilst considered expensive in the states etc.

If you want to go for pure price, the MX-5/Soltice is the only logical choice.

 

[Dave A]

If the region your living in is a mute point, how do you choose the best since they all cost different ammounts over the globe, and the only way to get some of the car's in some countries, is to import them, then you have pay for shipping and import tax, which means the price goes sky high. Over here the SOlstice isn't a bargain because the cost of bringing on eto the UK would mean you could have bought a much better car in the first place, but the MX-5 is a great deal. In the US the MX-5 and Solstice seem like pretty close rivals, so it will more likely come down to look, in Japan, I would think the MX-5 si the best deal, in Australia it might be cheaper to get a Solstice, I don't know, but you get the picture. Taking away the idea of doing it by your own location takes away the idea of picking a best from the bunch.

 

[lmracer]

If you want to go for pure price, the MX-5/Soltice is the only logical choice.

and i would be perfectly happy with an MX-5. i chose that out of the given list, and i would definatly consider one when shopping for a bargain sports car

If the region your living in is a mute point, how do you choose the best since they all cost different ammounts over the globe, and the only way to get some of the car's in some countries, is to import them, then you have pay for shipping and import tax, which means the price goes sky high.

this absolutly needs to be considered. the question really is, whats the best deal around here?