Mrk 5 GTI vs MX5 vs Cooper S

Andrewf20 · 07-04-2019 08:39PM #1

Hey folks,

Im toying with the idea of putting the E36 on classic insurance and buying a daily driver. Ive driven the Mrk 5 GTI, Mrk 3 MX5 1.8, the Cooper S (turbo) and was impressed with them all, however its hard to give them a proper spirited drive with the owner sitting beside you or if the garage is buried in suburbia.

Im looking for something that wont cost the earth to maintain and is fun to drive (budget is around 6-7K). The MX5 hard top is winning my heart at the moment with its na credentials and light weight. However, will I tire of the 1.8 performance I wonder (124bhp)? How fragile are the turbo cars here?

The 2.0 MX5 (159bhp) is very rare in this country and is another notch up price wise even if importing from NI (with 2 young kids I wont have the time or patience to head to the UK unfortunately).

Id like to hear peoples thoughts on this? Cheers.

drunkmonkey · 07-04-2019 08:42PM

2 young kids means your buying the GTI, best all rounder.

colm_mcm · 07-04-2019 08:48PM

You need to consider the whole driving experience rather than outright power.

The MX5 has the potential to be the most rewarding in that respect, followed by the mini and then the Golf.
The Mazda should also be the least hassle to maintain, followed by the Golf and then the Mini
The Golf will obviously be more practical than the Mini, being bigger, and obviously the MX will be wildly impractical for the kids, but that mightn’t really matter.

If you’re mainly doing urban/suburban type stuff, the Mini would probably be the one to have, but if you want to get away for the weekend in something special, the MX5 would be hard to beat, being something completely different to most cars, having the roof down, hooning up back roads. In this case the relative lack of power won’t be an issue.

I haven’t actually owned any of these cars though, I’ve driven them, but not lived with them.

Andrewf20 · 07-04-2019 08:48PM

drunkmonkey wrote: »

2 young kids means your buying the GTI, best all rounder.

We have a family mpv also so we can use that and the E36 for the kids.

drunkmonkey · 07-04-2019 08:51PM

Honda s2000 then.

colm_mcm · 07-04-2019 08:53PM

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Honda s2000 then.

I think values of these have gone a bit mad, even in the uk they’re £7500 up

Duke O Smiley · 07-04-2019 08:55PM

I'd say the Mazda would be a difficult enough yoke to shift when you decide to sell up yourself. The only people who buy new-is MX5s are older women (sorry!) and not many of them would be looking for a 2.0.

Andrewf20 · 07-04-2019 08:55PM

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Honda s2000 then.

Yes, a great car but hard to come across a decent one near my budget. I think insurance can be an issue also from what I have heard.

colm_mcm · 07-04-2019 08:56PM

S2000 is in the top band for VRT too.

q85dw7osi4lebg · 07-04-2019 08:58PM

+1 S2000..

drunkmonkey · 07-04-2019 09:19PM

Back to the real world, the GTi will put a smile on your face and you'll never have to borrow the mpv. Using the E36 isn't really a runner unless your going to keep both maintained and have classic insurance for the beamer. S3 is another option.

Squidgy Black · 07-04-2019 09:44PM

As a daily driver? GTI by a mile. If it was for weekend blasts or the odd track day etc then the MX5, but I personally wouldn't daily one.

Andrewf20 · 07-04-2019 10:04PM

I would put the gti 2nd on my list. I was really impressed with how light it felt. I thought the 18 inch rims would numb the experience but I didn't get that sense at all.

The mx5 really does feel special with the top down especially. Mazda are brilliant at making their controls feel very good even in my wife's old 1995 Mazda 323.

I haven't driven the s3 but have heard very mixed reviews about them. The 4x4 also makes the car quite heavy despite the power.

The most fun car I ever drove was in fact a 2001 fiesta 1.25 with 75bhp. Zero grunt but well balanced, nimble, heel & toe was easy, lovely controls, and with low grip levels (175 tyres), the fun was very accessible. The low window sills means you feel like you sit on it rather than in it which I loved due to the great visibility. I'd imagine the mx5 might feel very similar to the fiesta in many ways.

cpoh1 · 08-04-2019 10:43AM

Whats the budget?

Would you consider the toyota gt86? Nicer to drive and as practical as the gti but a little more of the fun of the mx5?

kooga · 08-04-2019 11:10AM

I can only comment on the mark V GTi - I have a 2008 5 door bought new when first child came along, now have two kids and still have the GTI - can beat as an all rounder!

cpoh1 · 08-04-2019 11:47AM

Personally for me the GTI would be the bottom of the list, mostly because of the way the engine behaves. Super reliable but just a bit souless whether thats in the TT, S3 or GTI.

If you have the opportunity to go a little mad dont get the GTI, its just too normal.

Midnight_EG · 08-04-2019 11:50AM

Spend less than half your budget on a GTI...mine happens to be for sale with tax and test too!

Andrewf20 · 08-04-2019 07:52PM

Budget is 6-7k so gt86 not a runner. The gti is a fairly bland looking car but its such a cracking machine none the less. Loads of punch low down but it did fizzle out a little higher up the rev range but a lot of turbos seem to feel that way.

If I buy a car it will probably be towards the 2nd half of this year or next year with a few financial unknowns to deal with first. There's a 2008 2l hard top mx5 in Kilkenny on donedeal that I'd be so tempted to buy but my head says I'll have to be patient unfortunetly.

drunkmonkey · 08-04-2019 10:09PM

Midnight_EG wrote: »

Spend less than half your budget on a GTI...mine happens to be for sale with tax and test too!

Have you went over to the GTi thread few punters with cash waiting..

drunkmonkey · 08-04-2019 10:11PM

Andrewf20 wrote: »

Budget is 6-7k so gt86 not a runner. The gti is a fairly bland looking car but its such a cracking machine none the less. Loads of punch low down but it did fizzle out a little higher up the rev range but a lot of turbos seem to feel that way.

If I buy a car it will probably be towards the 2nd half of this year or next year with a few financial unknowns to deal with first. There's a 2008 2l hard top mx5 in Kilkenny on donedeal that I'd be so tempted to buy but my head says I'll have to be patient unfortunetly.

Why not flog the E36 and get a newer 3 series hard top convertible. Even the E46 can take a bit of a hammering if you push it on in a manual.

Andrewf20 · 09-04-2019 09:12AM

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Why not flog the E36 and get a newer 3 series hard top convertible. Even the E46 can take a bit of a hammering if you push it on in a manual.

I'd get very little for it with 402,000km on it and 2.5 litre tax. The car feels so much more "alive" vs the newer beemers.

The newer hard top convertables are way too heavy. Even a regular e92 was a huge disappointment to drive. Numb, heavy and the 325i didn't feel that fast. It has 215bhp on paper but its because it revs to 7k rpm. At normal rpms it's just not as nippy pulling the extra weight around. The e46 is getting rare also for decent ones and I heard they tend to feel noticeably heavier than the e36 also.

ShadowHearth · 09-04-2019 01:57PM

I used to have mk2 1.8 mx5 and after my ex crashed clk200, mx5 was used as daily for few years.
It was Very manageable for a couple with no kids. Enough space for shopping etc. Doing 40-80km trips was not an issue, but would not like to do Dublin run and drive it 120km for few hours. Very reliable and can be a decent daily.
Mk3 mx5 were not the best mx5 generation. They got fat and lost what mx5 stood for. A lot better as daily for sure, but not as fun. 1.8 engine wouldn't be the one to go for too. You have to go 2.0.

As much as I love mx5, I could not recommend mk3 1.8. Get a nice looked after mk2/mk2.5 or a Golf GTI. You just can't beat GTI as a daily. It has comfort and performance.

bazz26 · 09-04-2019 02:55PM

Renault Clio 197?

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ZTZiYjg1NGMzMGViZmI3YzM1YmViMWI1NmRhMzE5MTfffZFcX6ViydJweEBi7dYzaHR0cDovL3MzLWV1LXdlc3QtMS5hbWF6b25hd3MuY29tL2RvbmVkZWFsLmllLXBob3Rvcy9waG90b18xMTkxNjk0NzV8fHw2MDB4NjAwfHx8fHx8fHw=.jpeg

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/clio-197/21148968

Claims to have had a lot of work done to it.

q85dw7osi4lebg · 09-04-2019 03:21PM

bazz26 wrote: »

Renault Clio 197?

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/clio-197/21148968

Claims to have had a lot of work done to it.

That's a class car. Good price.

GG66 · 09-04-2019 03:29PM

You may not need 4 seats if you have an alternative car but it does run into practical issues even so.
e.g. You're out and about in the MX5 and your wife asks you to pick up the kids. You can't!

09-04-2019 03:30PM

GG66 wrote: »

You may not need 4 seats if you have an alternative car but it does run into practical issues even so.
e.g. You're out and about in the MX5 and your wife asks you to pick up the kids. You can't!

Win win ?

Andrewf20 · 09-04-2019 05:47PM

bazz26 wrote: »

Renault Clio 197?

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/clio-197/21148968

Claims to have had a lot of work done to it.

Nct is out but lovely looking car and a bit different which i like. A contender as well for sure.

09-04-2019 08:14PM

GG66 wrote: »

You may not need 4 seats if you have an alternative car but it does run into practical issues even so.
e.g. You're out and about in the MX5 and your wife asks you to pick up the kids. You can't!

I wouldnt see it as an issue, plenty of people drive vans or commercal 4x4s and would be in the same position.

That being said the Gti is a no brainer imo, mx5 is way too underpowered and a mini wouldn’t be for me.

HBC08 · 09-04-2019 08:19PM

OSI wrote: »

If you really want a Cooper S, get the supercharged first gen. Much more fun and lively.

Agreed and for the OPs budget a well looked after 2nd generation wouldn't really be available.

Marcusm · 09-04-2019 08:25PM

OSI wrote: »

If you really want a Cooper S, get the supercharged first gen. Much more fun and lively.

I’m on my 3rd Cooper S and hoping to pick up a 4th soon. I’ve driven (but not owned) the supercharged version. Personally I don’t see a huge difference in the liveliness of the engine. However, without a doubt the second (and 3rd) generation is a much better space to spend your time in. For me, any marginal improvement performance wise would be undone by the relative differences in the cabin/build.

Plus, a first gem (absent a convertible) would be at least 12 years old by now. Absent a GP, i’d Swerve it in an Irish model.

HBC08 · 09-04-2019 08:27PM

I sold my MINI (just standard Cooper) about 6 months ago and was considering an MX5 or upgrade to Cooper S. Didn't get to test drive MX 5 but the Cooper is a joy to drive,it helps if you like the MINI style. In the end I got a beaut of an RCZ that I just couldn't turn down,I will definitely own both of the above at some point in my life though.

I never really got the lure of the GTI. I know it's a solid all rounder but it just seems boring to me

Mrk 5 GTI vs MX5 vs Cooper S

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