Buying a toy..advice please..

podgee

I am looking to buy a toy and would like some help. Criteria is:
- convertible
- reasonably quick
- < Eur25k
- won't cost an arm and leg in the garage

Searching Carzone I've found the following all of which I like. Any opinions on any of these cars or is there something I'm obviously missing ??

Boxster: http://www.carzone.ie/search/Porsche/Boxster/S-(HIGH-/201012197312334/advert?channel=CARS
SL: http://www.carzone.ie/search/Mercedes-Benz/SL-Class/SL-600-V/201011197240267/advert?channel=CARS
Z4: http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/Z4/M-Roadst/200951196241785/advert?channel=CARS
350: http://www.carzone.ie/search/Nissan/350Z/Stunning/201013197415929/advert?channel=CARS


All advice welcome !

P.

Andrew33

Late model MX5. It'll run rings around them others for handling.

Eoin

You'd get a very nice e46 330ci and have a big chunk of change left. In fact, you'd get a nice e46 M3 convertible for that money, but running costs and servicing won't be cheap.

ondarack

For me it'd be between the merc and the porche, wouldnt be sold on convertibles though.

pcardin

SL would be my choice but that one is heavily overpriced. Carzone is a site for sellers-dreamers. :mad:

The Recliner

Whilst all the cars you have listed are nice you cannot go wrong with the MX-5 for the criteria you have listed, it ticks all the boxes

It is a fantastic car, so much fun, a joy to drive

Wossack

elise and spend the change on track days

smash

Wossack wrote: »

elise and spend the change on track days

Spot on!

podgee

Thanks for the MX5 suggestions - and of course you are right in terms of handling and having spare change. I've had two of them previously and the only reason I excluded them was I want something with a bit of grunt. If the car was exclusively for twisty turny stuff, then the Mazda would be a no brainer.

Anything obvious I'm not including ?

KamiKazi

podgee wrote: »

I am looking to buy a toy and would like some help. Criteria is:
- convertible - check
- reasonably quick - check
- < Eur25k - check
- won't cost an arm and leg in the garage - check

:pac:

smash

podgee wrote: »

Anything obvious I'm not including ?

So are you excluding the Elise completely? It's a completely different animal than the MX-5 and you wont get better value for your money...

Fast
Cheap to run
Cheap to insure
Cheap to tax
Wont depreciate as fast as the other suggestions

For your budget, there's a few 111r's for sale at the moment!

smash

possible other choices

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1580541.htm
http://www.carzone.ie/search/Westfield/SE/i-W-1800/200930194709542/advert?channel=CARS
http://www.carzone.ie/search/TVR/Tuscan/SPEED-6/200952196278252/advert?channel=CARS

Or an AC Cobra...

podgee

steve06 wrote: »

So are you excluding the Elise completely? It's a completely different animal than the MX-5 and you wont get better value for your money...

Fast
Cheap to run
Cheap to insure
Cheap to tax
Wont depreciate as fast as the other suggestions

For your budget, there's a few 111r's for sale at the moment!

Thanks Steve - I can't disagree with any of the above, I'm just not that mad about them...

Your depreciation comment "Wont depreciate as fast as the other suggestions" - with what I suggested, do you not think the lions share of the depreciation hit has already been taken ? Interested in your opinion.

Thanks

podgee

steve06 wrote: »

possible other choices

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1580541.htm
http://www.carzone.ie/search/Westfield/SE/i-W-1800/200930194709542/advert?channel=CARS
http://www.carzone.ie/search/TVR/Tuscan/SPEED-6/200952196278252/advert?channel=CARS

Or an AC Cobra...

I like the spider - VRT according to ROS would be 10.4k though. The Westfield would be the business but its the sort of car you'd use for an hour every second Sunday I think. I'd like to get a bit more use than that. The TVR...let's just say it's an acquired taste

Now the Cobra idea........that's worth considering..

Thanks

smash

podgee wrote: »

do you not think the lions share of the depreciation hit has already been taken ? Interested in your opinion.

These cars drop constantly, and will remain to do so. It doesn't matter about the year of the cars you're looking at and how much their worth compared to the new price. Look what older versions are worth - they're just as much fun with a different reg.

Boxster - you can pick up a 98 2.5 for under 8k

350z - you'll get a 2002 for 10k

Z4 -a 2003 2.4 can be got for around 11k and I recently say a 3.0 which didn't even sell at auction with the highest bid being only 9,400

SL - 600 or not, it's not worth that money and you wont be able to sell it for half that in a year or 2

Tea 1000

steve06 wrote: »

These cars drop constantly, and will remain to do so. It doesn't matter about the year of the cars you're looking at and how much their worth compared to the new price. Look what older versions are worth - they're just as much fun with a different reg.

Boxster - you can pick up a 98 2.5 for under 8k

350z - you'll get a 2002 for 10k

Z4 -a 2003 2.4 can be got for around 11k and I recently say a 3.0 which didn't even sell at auction with the highest bid being only 9,400

SL - 600 or not, it's not worth that money and you wont be able to sell it for half that in a year or 2

The original 2.5 is a good way off a fresher S, but you can still pick up an S a couple of years older for less than 15k.
The Z4 you're comparing to is a normal one, that one the OP posted says it's the M roadster. Doesn't look like one, but I haven't seen enough to judge, but if it's a genuine M Roadster then that's why it'll always be a lot dearer than a normal one. I think the M Roadster has a 3.2, so wondering why that says 2.9.
The SL 600 is not the car to buy if you're worried about running costs!!
I'd go for the Boxter S.

smash

Tea 1000 wrote: »

The original 2.5 is a good way off a fresher S, but you can still pick up an S a couple of years older for less than 15k.

That was my point, I'm just pointing out the depreciation.

Tea 1000 wrote: »

that one the OP posted says it's the M roadster. Doesn't look like one, but I haven't seen enough to judge, but if it's a genuine M Roadster then that's why it'll always be a lot dearer than a normal one. I think the M Roadster has a 3.2, so wondering why that says 2.9.

I knew what it was advertised as, but sure you can stick an M badge on anything. I'm not sure if it's real or not.

Another option:

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Honda/S2000/CABRIOLE/201013197401301/advert?channel=CARS


For that money you could get a very quick car. Personally I'd probably be looking at the M3 or Boxster S. A Z4M would be sweet but you wont get near one for 25k.

Lurching

With that money, for me, id have an E46 M3 sitting in my drive in the morning.
Servicing costs arent the lowest, but a car at that age, some of the stuff could be done away from main stealers.

If you'd stretch a few grand more, an ultimate car would be a lotus exige. That would be like an upgrade to your old MX5.

Marty McFly

What about a honda s2000?

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Honda/S2000/CABRIOLE/201013197401301/advert?channel=CARS


Oops beaten to it:D

Viper_JB

Boxter S or M3 convertable all the way.

Cyrus

lads thats definately a z4m, and as such wins the thread

you should be able to pick up a higher mileage 987 boxster for the budget aswell?

to be fair an mx5 isnt in the same company as a z4m or boxster s good and all as it is

Cyrus

Tea 1000 wrote: »

The original 2.5 is a good way off a fresher S, but you can still pick up an S a couple of years older for less than 15k.
The Z4 you're comparing to is a normal one, that one the OP posted says it's the M roadster. Doesn't look like one, but I haven't seen enough to judge, but if it's a genuine M Roadster then that's why it'll always be a lot dearer than a normal one. I think the M Roadster has a 3.2, so wondering why that says 2.9.
The SL 600 is not the car to buy if you're worried about running costs!!
I'd go for the Boxter S.

just to clarify its definately an m, there was apparently a mix up when it was registered in ireland (its a uk car i think) whereby it got registered as a 3.0 litre, but im not sure why it doesnt look like the z4m to you, the wheels, front bumper, skirts and quad exhausts tell the tale

Cyrus

Cyrus wrote: »

lads thats definately a z4m, and as such wins the thread

Thats a very good price for a Z4M. You would be talking 20k sterling+ before VRT (which will be around 13k euro on a 2006) if importing one.

Cyrus

Martin Raspy Reversal wrote: »

Thats a very good price for a Z4M. You would be talking 20k sterling+ before VRT (which will be around 13k euro on a 2006) if importing one.

yep thats been the way for a while on z4s, i had a z4coupe, the 3.0si version, and mine sold for a lot less than the equivalent imported one

podgee

Cyrus wrote: »

just to clarify its definately an m, there was apparently a mix up when it was registered in ireland (its a uk car i think) whereby it got registered as a 3.0 litre, but im not sure why it doesnt look like the z4m to you, the wheels, front bumper, skirts and quad exhausts tell the tale

The "mix up" sounds ominous - is it enough to steer clear ?

P.

ianobrien

podgee wrote: »

The "mix up" sounds ominous - is it enough to steer clear ?

P.

I can give you an example of a "mix up" that happened when registering a camper involving reg numbers, chassis numbers, engine numbers and model numbers getting mixed up....

I would say there were a lot of "mix ups" when Glanza turbos were being registered also !!

Cyrus

podgee wrote: »

The "mix up" sounds ominous - is it enough to steer clear ?

P.

not sure, have a read here and make your own minds up

http://www.bmw-driver.net/forum/showthread.php?t=14853&highlight=maxwell

smash

I wouldn't touch it unless the garage registered it properly. Otherwise you have issues with insurance and the VRO can come to reclaim extra VRT that wasn't paid on registration.

2 Espressi

BUY A TVR!

That is all.

2.