Fun/exciting car - recommend me?

[Maximum Triceratops]

Forget the Audi TT, they get boring real fast.
350z or Impreza, far better choice but they are very different. Ideally you would need to up your budget be a couple if grand to get a decent one of either. Sti is the Impreza to go for, wrx are good but lack power.

 

[AndrewP]

I've been looking at z4 coupes but 7k budget only stretches to a high mile one, now I wonder how reliable are they really, especially at higher miles, what things are going to go wrong?

rattles would drive me nuts!

7k is a bit of a stretch for a coupe, plenty of choice of convertible ones though. On the whole they're reliable, same engine is used in 1/3/5/7/X series and is fairly simple without turbo(s) or direct injection, and underneath it's mostly a E46 3-series with standard servicing prices even at BMW.

I had mine for 4.5 years, only major issue was the ABS hydraulic unit failed which is a £1500+ part to replace - I think you can get them reconditioned for a reasonable price however. It was on the rattly side but it is a sports car and mine was the convertible, was better with non-runflat tyres and the hardtop in winter.

Plenty more info over at the z4 forum, I kept mine for ages as it was still fun and just practical enough for my only car plus it was £20k+ for a decent upgrade!

 

[grudas]

Forget the Audi TT, they get boring real fast.
350z or Impreza, far better choice but they are very different. Ideally you would need to up your budget be a couple if grand to get a decent one of either. Sti is the Impreza to go for, wrx are good but lack power.

I can get a 350z no issues, hr at a push but I'm happy to stick with facelift 2006 or so, there's one less than 5miles away from me forjjust under my budget so we'll see! Imprezas are very much a soft spot for me but I'm a bit eh about their interiors, 350 is not amazing but design is nice whereas imprezas are a bit on the dull.side.

7k is a bit of a stretch for a coupe, plenty of choice of convertible ones though. On the whole they're reliable, same engine is used in 1/3/5/7/X series and is fairly simple without turbo(s) or direct injection, and underneath it's mostly a E46 3-series with standard servicing prices even at BMW.

I had mine for 4.5 years, only major issue was the ABS hydraulic unit failed which is a £1500+ part to replace - I think you can get them reconditioned for a reasonable price however. It was on the rattly side but it is a sports car and mine was the convertible, was better with non-runflat tyres and the hardtop in winter.

Plenty more info over at the z4 forum, I kept mine for ages as it was still fun and just practical enough for my only car plus it was £20k+ for a decent upgrade!

Yeah, plenty of 3.0 convertibles around I'm just not sure if it's a car I'd like, I really need to test drive one before I make a call!

Good to hear tho, reliability wise I'm not too bothered as long as it doesn't have the m tax.

 

[wesimmo]

I had the same budget a couple of years ago when you could get half decent S2000s, 350Zs or Boxters.

Eventually went supercharged Mk2 MX5.

It's definitely been more of a pain in the rear than a quicker standard car, but it does make me smile.

 

[delta0]

mr2 is not really my thing, there's just something about them that I dislike.

I've been looking at z4 coupes but 7k budget only stretches to a high mile one, now I wonder how reliable are they really, especially at higher miles, what things are going to go wrong?

rattles would drive me nuts!

rx8 was an option but I'd go for 231 rather than r3, those fetch 4-6k and still have the same issues :/

I've got a 3 sport right now, going to an mps would be nice power wise but the rest is very much same-same, still think I could pick 350z.

looking around HR engine is going to be stretch, a facelift GT is more do-able.

The R3 doesn't have the same issues as the S1. Oil pressure is 50% higher, oil flow is far better metered and there are 3 oil injectors. It is very rare to get issues with an R3. Plus you get extra benefits, shorter gear ratios for the first 3 gears, lighter car, recaro seats etc.

 

[grudas]

I had the same budget a couple of years ago when you could get half decent S2000s, 350Zs or Boxters.

Eventually went supercharged Mk2 MX5.

It's definitely been more of a pain in the rear than a quicker standard car, but it does make me smile.

I'm a bit unsure about boxters, end of day it is still a porsche and not a new one either so things will go wrong and porsche tax is something that I don't really need haha.

s2000's is very much there with 350z simply because it offers me exactly what I'm looking for, their prices are all over the place tho and finding a good one seems to be a pain as you have said, most will have rust issues around arches etc.

The R3 doesn't have the same issues as the S1. Oil pressure is 50% higher, oil flow is far better metered and there are 3 oil injectors. It is very rare to get issues with an R3. Plus you get extra benefits, shorter gear ratios for the first 3 gears, lighter car, recaro seats etc.

While the R3 does have these bits added to the engine it was always a bit "hard" to tell if it made much difference to actually reliability or number of engine failures per say, 100 cars.

it simply never sold well and hasn't yet done "enough" miles to be compared with earlier cars RX8's.

I have a feeling that buying one for say, 6k now will result in it being a 3k car in a year or be super difficult to sell, something I'd like to avoid.

 

[Diddums]

Going by your posts on here, perhaps it's wiser to pick your favourite lowering springs and then see what cars can plop on to them?

 

[badgeruk]

Yeah, plenty of 3.0 convertibles around I'm just not sure if it's a car I'd like, I really need to test drive one before I make a call!

Good to hear tho, reliability wise I'm not too bothered as long as it doesn't have the m tax.

Yeh you need a convertible anyway, only way to own a Z4. Not sure why people pay more to have the non convertible when half the fun is it not having a roof. Think Marvin missed having his convertible after he changed to the coupe.

My old 3.0i had no issues in the year and a bit I had it and costs were normal BMW prices (think I had 1 oil service and the roof looked at once under warranty), not the lol M prices I now pay.

 

[delta0]

I'm a bit unsure about boxters, end of day it is still a porsche and not a new one either so things will go wrong and porsche tax is something that I don't really need haha.

s2000's is very much there with 350z simply because it offers me exactly what I'm looking for, their prices are all over the place tho and finding a good one seems to be a pain as you have said, most will have rust issues around arches etc.



While the R3 does have these bits added to the engine it was always a bit "hard" to tell if it made much difference to actually reliability or number of engine failures per say, 100 cars.

it simply never sold well and hasn't yet done "enough" miles to be compared with earlier cars RX8's.

I have a feeling that buying one for say, 6k now will result in it being a 3k car in a year or be super difficult to sell, something I'd like to avoid.

They are too rare to have devaluation issues at the moment, numbers are similar to the RX7. They are old enough that any issues would show (the first of the R3 are 100k miles now) and so far it is tiny, no more than a reliable piston car. Stationary bearing problems gone due to higher oil pressure. Compression issues only seen on high milers (no different to a piston engine) because of better oil metering, an extra litre of oil held in the engine, better system for releasing vapours and the third oil injector. You will get as much life from an R3 as you would from a piston engine. They are set to be a modern classic.

 

[Rilot]

They are set to be a modern classic.

I highly doubt that.
For a car to be come a classic it needs to do something interesting, be especially good, have provenance, or be aspirational. The RX8 is none of those other than it having a rotary engine which many consider to be a negative rather than a positive.
They are just an under-powered, unreliable (whether actually or not is irrelevant), and shockingly expensive to run compared to the performance on offer.

 

[delta0]

I highly doubt that.
For a car to be come a classic it needs to do something interesting, be especially good, have provenance, or be aspirational. The RX8 is none of those other than it having a rotary engine which many consider to be a negative rather than a positive.
They are just an under-powered, unreliable (whether actually or not is irrelevant), and shockingly expensive to run compared to the performance on offer.

Not my words. They are going to be in the modern classics magazine. The R3 does have notably better performance not that they updated the stats from the S1. It's probably not a car you want to do massive miles in because of the fuel consumption but people do.

 

[Regy53]

s2000 is a good shout, had one hillarious fun although lacking low down,

one thing with them is they are just stupidly bad on fuel no mater how you drive

 

[AtreuS]

s2000 is a good shout, had one hillarious fun although lacking low down,

one thing with them is they are just stupidly bad on fuel no mater how you drive

Sounds like my ST220

Fun to drive but my god its thirsty.... good job i dont do a lot of milage! haha

 

[Rilot]

one thing with them is they are just stupidly bad on fuel no mater how you drive

Not really. I used to average 27mpg from mine on the commute (mix of dual, nsl, 40s, 30s, and town). Compared to the 17mpg I got from my RX8 it's positively economical.

 

[grudas]

Going by your posts on here, perhaps it's wiser to pick your favourite lowering springs and then see what cars can plop on to them?

I've got a set for each car already just in case, and pfth! springs, mate I'm going air bags on my next car

s2000 is a good shout, had one hillarious fun although lacking low down,

one thing with them is they are just stupidly bad on fuel no mater how you drive

conditions seem to be very MEH for around 7k, early ap1's with rust/tired body/interior

 

[Rilot]

Yeah, £7k S2000s are close to the bottom of the market to be honest. It's a crying shame actually because decent ones are now at the price point where you need to really, really want an S2000 to be able to buy one.

 

[Yaayuh!]

SLK?
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...tising-location=at_cars&sort=price-asc&page=3

 

[Diddums]

I think Grudas would rather die than be seen in a german car



Edit: unless its a hellaflushed, stanced 20 year old Polo that is

 

[grudas]

Yeah, £7k S2000s are close to the bottom of the market to be honest. It's a crying shame actually because decent ones are now at the price point where you need to really, really want an S2000 to be able to buy one.

exactly, they're going up in price really quickly!

SLK?
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...tising-location=at_cars&sort=price-asc&page=3

oh not my kind of car, I find them super boring, amg maybe but that's a different budget!

I think Grudas would rather die than be seen in a german car



Edit: unless its a hellaflushed, stanced 20 year old Polo that is

I have no issues with german cars!

think I've narrowed it down to -;

350z(top contender right now)
z4 3.0(a few locally that look decent enough for 5-6k - ideally need to test drive one)
s2000(will totally depend if anything decent pops up for my budget between now and me finding a good 350z/z4)

 

[Uncle_Gravy]

350z(top contender right now)
z4 3.0(a few locally that look decent enough for 5-6k - ideally need to test drive one)
s2000(will totally depend if anything decent pops up for my budget between now and me finding a good 350z/z4)

Biased post but basing off internet stats on the other two

The Z4 I would say is the better all rounder.

3L in a light body, I average mid 30MPG on my normal commute driving normally (Not that you should be looking at mpg in a sports car but nice to know) I tried an eco challenge ONCE!!!! Cardiff to Bristol then back to Cwmbran, I was easily getting more then 40MPG (according to the trip computer)

Has a surprisingly big boot, I don't play golf but when my old man borrowed it he got 2 golf bags and still had room to put more stuff in.

I'm a big lad both vertical and horizontal and its pretty spacious inside.

Under 6s 0-60

The M54B30 engine as mentioned found in all sorts of cars such as the well known E46 is very reliable

Push past 4k RPM and it makes a glorious sound.

And its a great looking car.

And you can pick up a pretty decent low miler 3.0i for around 5k should be able to get an si for your money, Look around on the Z4 Forum tons of useful stuff and people always selling on there.

My gripe is the interior quality, besides from that I love mine.



If I had the money I would have went with the S2000, I bet its an exciting car especially with that 9k redline.


Also how much have Blobeye STIs gone up Few years ago when I was looking at them they were like £6-8k, I'm seeing a load of normal spec UK cars going for £8k+ wow.