Zippy car recommendation

Bill

Bill

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Looking for a zippy (good acceleration), fun, good handling, fairly economical car to drive when I'm by myself just for having fun. Must be stick shift. Don't want to pay a lot, because this car will in all likelyhood be driven hard and put away wet.

Thinking, Civic Si, Scion tC, Mini, Miata, etc. Any recommendations?
 
There is a MazdaSpeed3 due out shortly, might want to add that to your list.

If you want something "disposable" (read, cheap 'cause it's older) see if you can find a good used Ford Probe GT around somewhere. 1st Gens are 4 cly turbos, 2nd gens are V6. 1st Gens are a bit faster, but getting long in the tooth (I have one, orig owner). Mine will still outrun 90%+ of what is on the road, and gets 25mpg as a daily commuter. 219K miles, still on the orig clutch.

Bill Jennings said:
Looking for a zippy (good acceleration), fun, good handling, fairly economical car to drive when I'm by myself just for having fun. Must be stick shift. Don't want to pay a lot, because this car will in all likelyhood be driven hard and put away wet.

Thinking, Civic Si, Scion tC, Mini, Miata, etc. Any recommendations?
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I like the looks of the Pontiac Solstice and the Saturn Skye. Of course, nothing zippier than a Corvette. :)
 
How much ya got to spend?

I had a Miata at the same time I had a Carrera. I often found myself driving the Miata.

You also can't go wrong with a BMW convertible.
 
What do you need a car for....you have a motorcycle :)

Pete
 
I like the looks of the Solstice too.

you could likely get a used BMW/Benz fairly cheaply too.

I had a Probe GT 6 cylinder. quick car, handled well. brand new it did, anyway. kept it for 107K miles, everything original but tires and brakes. kept it very clean and sold it to a kid for 4K who wanted to turn it into as racer. (my poor little car! I took such good care of it...)
 
Ken Ibold said:
How much ya got to spend?
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More a matter of how much I want to spend.

I had a Miata at the same time I had a Carrera. I often found myself driving the Miata.
Click to expand...

More fun? Less worry? Just wondering.

You also can't go wrong with a BMW convertible.
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BC, we had a Z3 2.8, fun little car. But, by 40kmi, it had far more rattles, clatter, and stuff going flappy flappy than should a car of that price.

I've had cheap cars, then expensive cars, and I'm now thinking that the expensive cars (other than maybe a slight gain in safety) are really not worth the extra money. Sure, they look a little better, and the driving feel is a little better, but there are some pretty decent cheap ones out there.

And, what ever I get, is going to get flogged within an inch of its life. Hard to justify beating an expensive car.

I think I'll go drive the Scion tC first.

http://www.caranddriver.com/roadtests/8288/scion-tc.html
 
vontresc said:
What do you need a car for....you have a motorcycle :)
Click to expand...

I like cars, too. In fact, if it has an engine, I like it.
 
Bill Jennings said:
Looking for a zippy (good acceleration), fun, good handling, fairly economical car to drive when I'm by myself just for having fun. Must be stick shift. Don't want to pay a lot, because this car will in all likelyhood be driven hard and put away wet.

Thinking, Civic Si, Scion tC, Mini, Miata, etc. Any recommendations?
Click to expand...

The Solstace is a zippy little converable that beats the Miata hands down in my book. When I drove it I kept comparing it to the Z4... and had to stop myself because it cost so much less. It has the handleling of the Z4, it's only draw backs are how the top fold and the wind management. The road noise was loud even with the top up and with the top down I have never been beaten so badly with my own hair as in that car. The top only folds in half as it goes into the truck so forgettabout even putting an overnight bag with shampoo and a spare pair of undies in the trunk when the top is down. It needed about 2in more in leg room for me but that is much less then the Miata needs. On the up side is that it handles and corners like a MUCH more expensive car and I'm not saying that just becuase I worked for the company that did the shocks. :D The seats fit like a glove and all of the controls are well placed. It's well worth it and it has a bit of feel good because it's from a US car company.

Missa
 
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Bill Jennings said:
Ken Ibold said:
I had a Miata at the same time I had a Carrera. I often found myself driving the Miata.
Click to expand...
More fun? Less worry? Just wondering.
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The Miata was more fun on the days when I was just bopping around town and driving spiritedly, but not aggressively. And my Carrera was not a convertible. Putting the top down reallyl matters.

On those days when you want hard-core, the Porsche shines. But for something like commuting, a Porsche is out of its element. Kinda like flying a Pitts from Florida to Arkansas. :D
 
friends of mine race Porsches (in fact, that's how they met..). Her Porsche isn't even street legal.
 
I had a Nissan 240SX. That was a fun car. It was a 4 seater hatchback. I kept the rear seat down all the time because I used it to haul my bike so often.
 
I just bought a Honda Civic. 2 door coupe. Stick shift. Not the
hottest thing on acceleration .. but a great car to drive and very
economical. You might go drive one.

Now what I really wanted was a 350Z. My fiancee has one that
I drive when I'm in Miami .. and it's really a fun car. But I didn't
want to pay that much right now.
 
RogerT said:
Now what I really wanted was a 350Z. My fiancee has one that
I drive when I'm in Miami .. and it's really a fun car. But I didn't
want to pay that much right now.
Click to expand...

Enjoy it now. Once she passes from fiancee to Mrs you won't be able to afford it. :D
 
Ghery said:
Enjoy it now. Once she passes from fiancee to Mrs you won't be able to afford it. :D
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My wife and I have a longstanding agreement. As long as I can have an airplane, I'll drive whatever she wants me to drive. So she gets the BMWs, and I had to give up sports cars when the kids were born in favor of an SUV. When I have lusted after Boxsters or Z4s, her response is always the same: "Fine, sell the airplane."

But I'll take that deal anytime.
 
Ken Ibold said:
My wife and I have a longstanding agreement. As long as I can have an airplane, I'll drive whatever she wants me to drive. So she gets the BMWs, and I had to give up sports cars when the kids were born in favor of an SUV. When I have lusted after Boxsters or Z4s, her response is always the same: "Fine, sell the airplane."

But I'll take that deal anytime.
Click to expand...

I'd love to have that deal with my wife. Drive a junker to own a plane. What a deal. However, she likes the club price better. So I'll continue to drive my 7 year old Jeep. :D
 
Ghery said:
I'd love to have that deal with my wife. Drive a junker to own a plane. What a deal. However, she likes the club price better. So I'll continue to drive my 7 year old Jeep. :D
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Fortunately we haven't had to resort to junkers yet -- well unless you count the Durango that was a junker when it was brand new. Currently an 04 Honda Pilot. I'm OK with that.
 
Ken Ibold said:
Fortunately we haven't had to resort to junkers yet -- well unless you count the Durango that was a junker when it was brand new. Currently an 04 Honda Pilot. I'm OK with that.
Click to expand...

Guess I should add my signature from a Jeep BBS listing the occupants of our driveway. All Jeeps, all the time.
 
There are so many choices its hard to just pick one. We have a Lincoln LS V8 that is a blast to drive, tops out at 140 MPH and you can take 3 people with you. The Vet idea is a good one, you can pick up a 92/93 LT1 for around 12K or less here in the midwest. Someone said 350Z, nice but that will cost you 25K+ for a used one. The most bang for your buck around here is a late 90's early 2000 Z28. If you want a fast one, find an old B4C Special Service Camero. Check with the Oklahoma HP or Texas DPS and see when they are going to auction some off.:yes:
 
Hey Bill, this will be some self promoting but what the heck.
Suzuki just released a SX4 which comes standard with all wheel drive with pricing starting in the mid teens. I drove a prototype with a straight shift and it was fun to drive. You won't set any ground speed records but it is "zippy".
The dealer at 153 and Shallowford is going through a buy-sell and should be in the new owners hands within a month.
 
Bill Jennings said:
Looking for a zippy (good acceleration), fun, good handling, fairly economical car to drive when I'm by myself just for having fun. Must be stick shift. Don't want to pay a lot, because this car will in all likelyhood be driven hard and put away wet.

Thinking, Civic Si, Scion tC, Mini, Miata, etc. Any recommendations?
Click to expand...

Sounds like you treat a car same as me, and my leanings go to the onda S-2000. I've rarely seen a make of car that handles neglect like a Honda, and the S-2000 is a pretty good looing and nice running/ handling economical little car IMHO.
 
There's the Toyota MR2, or, for the economy minded, the Honda Insight.

Bruce
 
Bill ,my vote is for a MGB, Fun to drive,good on gas, and not to pricey, Or find a Fiero GT they are fun too,I had Both and loved them. And as for Vettes you can get a older one (84 -89) at a descent price, I own a 84 vette now.Now if you want really fun car to drive (bit pricey) get a Porsche 911 ,914,944, stay away from the 924 and 928s
Dave G
 
Don't want to pay a lot so I guess the Porsche Carrera GT is out.
 
Shipoke said:
Bill ,my vote is for a MGB, Fun to drive,good on gas, and not to pricey, Or find a Fiero GT they are fun too,I had Both and loved them. And as for Vettes you can get a older one (84 -89) at a descent price, I own a 84 vette now.Now if you want really fun car to drive (bit pricey) get a Porsche 911 ,914,944, stay away from the 924 and 928s
Dave G
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I like those, but the Fiero is a compromize car at best as far as ruuning hard and putting away wet. The V-6 was too heavy and the 151 had some problems in that application. The fiero was meant to be a limited market proof of concept car fot the Saturn line, kind of like the Prowler was proof of concept for the aluminium chassis.

Personnaly on the Porches, I think the 924 is a great value especially if you find a turbo.
 
I've got an 04 Miata with the six speed. Anytime the weather is good, I'm out in it. I can even operate top while rolling (one arm <30 mph).

My battlecruiser is a Ford 500.
 
I followed a zippy looking car off the freeway yesterday ... a rear engine, two seater that looked like a lot of fun. When I stopped behind it at the off-ramp, the back label said Lamborghini VT ... are they expensive? :rolleyes:
 
gkainz said:
I followed a zippy looking car off the freeway yesterday ... a rear engine, two seater that looked like a lot of fun. When I stopped behind it at the off-ramp, the back label said Lamborghini VT ... are they expensive? :rolleyes:
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VERY expensive
Dave G
 
Steve said:
Test drive a Hyundai Azera and see what you think.
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Drive it? I couldn't began to try to PRONOUNCE it.


....Jann has a Santa Fe....
 
bbchien said:
My battlecruiser is a Ford 500.
Click to expand...

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: LOL! That one digs up old memories. When I was about 14 (I didn't have a license, but had been driving for awhile) we picked up a fleet of 22 Powder Blue 1972 Galaxy 500s for $20each ("but you gotta take them all and get them off the lot by tommorrow") We sold about 10 of them for $400-$500. The other dozen we destroyed. We would play tag and bumper cars in them. Jumped a few off a 50' bluff into Lake of the Ozarks... but the most fun (and profitable) thing we did with them was park them one at a time in front of the car lot with a sledge hammer and a sign on it "Kill a Car $2 a swing!" Oh man people would stop hand me a $20 and start wailing away, men, women (actually the one that went totally psycho on it was a woman. She ended up handing over a $100 bill and thanking us for cheap therapy:D. She single handedly sent that car to the wreckers), all sorts including suit wearing Mercedes drivers. It also got people looking at cars for sale... That was a fun summer watching people take out all their frustrations like that.
 
Shipoke said:
Bill ,my vote is for a MGB, Fun to drive,good on gas, and not to pricey,
Click to expand...

You forgot, never runs in the rain (Lucas, Prince of Darkness elec sys.) is a b*tch to work on and the only place to get parts is Moss Motors. :D

(Former MGA and MGB owner)
 
Henning said:
Personnaly on the Porches, I think the 924 is a great value especially if you find a turbo.
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The problem with the non-turbo 924 is that cursed underpowered VW-Audi engine. Odds are previous owners have thrashed the thing trying to wring Porsche performance out of it. But there is the later model 924S, which had the 944 engine and the 924's bad rep, so you could probably find a deal there.
 
I had a 3000GT VR4 that was a blast, the only problem with it was the tranny went out and the AWD tranny was 5K to replace. Other than that it was a care free, go fast car.
 
smigaldi said:
Wow no one mentioned the BMW M-Roadster yet.

I have one of these and it is great, very peppy, and handles like a dream.
http://www.z3roadster.com/r32.asp
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We had a Z3 2.8 before child, and while it was a nice car, it had far too many rattles, squeaks, and things underneath that went floppy floppy for a $40k car. All these things were surfacing at about 35000mi.

As I said, I want CHEAP, because I'm going to drive it like I stole it. Totally fun driving, redline every shift, autocross every corner, and not have an ounce of remorse. I can't do that to a nice expensive car, but if the price is right, let the games begin.

BTW, don't need a sedan, wife drives a 4000lb tank sedan, and I drive a 5100lb tank truck. Either of those will handle the family driving and long highway trips. Just want a cheap fun around towner to beat on.
 
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