Used sports car?

G

Goleafsgo

New member
I've been trying to pick out a used sports car under $25K this last month. My problem so far has been that I live in Alaska and the selection has been terrible so far. So far the car at the top of my list is the Honda S2000 which has been really hard to find as well. I got to drive one and it was a blast. I really should have jumped on that one but it has been sold already.



I have also driven the Nissan 350Z which was also a great car, but very hard to find used here.



The next car I'm going to check out will be a Mazda RX-8. There are actually three I can pick from. All are 2004 models with less than 15,000 miles on all of them. I have only sat in one so far and I'd really like to drive one. Does anyone have any opinions on these? How does the rotary engine sound when its hitting 9000 rpm?



Right now I think I'm more interested in handling over all out power but I'd still like to be pushed into the back of the seat when I hit the gas.. the S2000 I drove was great for that. Does anyone know how the RX-8 compares to the S2000 acceleration-wise?
 
My best friend had an RX-8. The rotary gets HORRIBLE fuel economy if that matters to you. (Stock in the high teens, after he spend 10k on the engine about 10mpg) It was a big, comfortable, sporty, car. I woulndt call it a sports car though, the engine power just wasnt there.
 
By design the rotary engine uses a lot more oil than most folks are used to. If you go that route check the oil level often and make sure you always have some oil on hand.
 
Compared to the S2000 the RX-8 is pretty sluggish. How "new" of a used car do you want it to be? Does it have to be manual/automatic? RWD/FWD/AWD? What are you lookin for?
 
Used Audi TT Quattro. Not as much raw speed as a 350Z and some others, but a heck of a fun car that's no slouch and AWD to boot, and I love the style. If you can find one, they can sometimes be had for 25K and under.
 
tailwind said:
There is no better deal out there than a used C5 Corvette.
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You might even be able to find a 01 Z06 for under $25k, but it will have high miles and was most likely a trackcar. More often then not the 01s where oil burners, mine had the re-ring done at the dealer.
 
It definitely has to be a manual and RWD or AWD. I'm kind of up in the air right now about how old I would like it to be. It just depends on what kind of shape the car is in I guess. I won't be buying a car that has obviously been beat up and not cared for.



I'm still going to be going to take a closer look at the RX-8 and hopefully for a spin to see how I like the engine.



The only problem with Alaska is the lack of selection of decent cars. There are almost no 350Zs at all and barely any S2000s. There are a lot of C4 Vettes.. a few C5s if you look hard enough. I'm even considering buying from the lower 48 and either having a car shipped up or go and drive one back.
 
How about a Porsche Boxster? Fantastic handling. You can find 00-01 with the uprated 2.7L engine in your price range. Also maybe expand your search. Nothing would be more fun than flying in and picking up your fun to drive sports car and driving it home.
 
I've had my RX-8 since August of '03 and love it. It is not a speed demon off the line, but it holds up just fine on the open road. Drop it down into third at highway speed, and you get a reall nice little surge. Remember, rotary power is linear, you don't get big jolts, but more of a constant building of speed. It can be deceptively fast because your "butt dyno" doesn't get the same feeling as in torque-y piston cars.



The 8 handles extremely well. I usually find myself speeding up when I see a twisty turn ahead. They are fun!



Yes, it does use oil by design. The harder you drive, the more it will use, but just make sure you check the oil every couple weeks and top it off if necessary.



As for fuel economy, rotaries basically suck at it. I am one of the lucky ones. I drive about 85% hwy miles and have a 100 mile roundtrip commute every day. I have averaged 22.82 mpg over the life of the car. I figure that's not too bad. But if you do a lot of city driving, expect it to be more like 18 or 19 mpg.



It's a very comfortable car, has a nice shifter, great handling, good pickup, and is rock solid at high speeds. Also, revving it up to 9000rpm is actually recommended relatively frequently as it helps keep the engine clean and free of carbon buildup. Great excuse to have some fun! ;)



Take a drive and see how you like it. And make sure you let 'er rev or you're not doing her justice!
 
Or, how about the best selling sports car in history?



Miata.



Do your due diligence. Me? I'd find a 94, add wheels, tires, suspension, roll bar and a Flying Miata (Stage II) Turbo. That's about ten grand on a $6000 car.



You'd have a sleeper that smokes the new Corvette.



Trust me, on the Putnam Road Course, a Porsche GT3 passes me occasionally... I honestly think he's a better driver ( ;) , not a better car.



Have Fun with the money you save!



Jim
 
My father has an RX-8. He loves it and so do I. It may not be the most powerful car, however, it makes up for it with great handling. The engine revs forever, and nevers seems to be strained. It is not sluggish at all like the gentleman stated above. It is pretty equal to the S2000 as far as acceleration is concerned. Best of all is the styling. IMHO it is one of the best looking cars on the road. I am partial to Mazdas though. I drive a 1990 626 turbo with over 235000 miles on the clock. It still looks and drives great. It is still quick too. Mazdas are underated cars that never get the attention they deserve. I would highly recommend the RX-8. You will not be disappointed. If your looking for raw power, it is not the car for you. If you want a very quick, great looking, and awesome handling car, it is for you.
 
As expected here, nobody has mentioned the Chrysler Crossfire. Heck, you can probably get a NEW Crossfire, which costs $34,000, for $25,000 because they can't sell well. I've driven every car mentioned on this thread (except for a turbo miata and a Vette, but my Dad has the CTS-V), and they are all good, but the Crossfire is special in a very unique way. Before I go on into talking about the Crossfire, I will admit to be an owner of an '04 Crossfire. But, I truly enjoy all sports cars so I am really not biased. If I had to look elsewhere for a car, the Vette might be the way that I will go. But, let me tell you about the Crossfire and the comparison to it to other cars:



Yes, I know, it's based on the old SLK 320 platform, but that's ok because it works well, the suspension is better than the car it is based on due to it's bigger wheel/tire package. People simply look at the horsepower numbers and they skip right over the car. What makes the Crossfire so appealing to me is the way it accelerates in day-to-day traffic. it's the TORQUE of the engine and the way it is produced that makes it so fun and full of character. From 2000 rpm's onward, there is a very satisfying surge of acceleration that feels so strong because it is the TORQUE that makes it so quick. The short gearing is also very good in keeping the car in the "torque band." I have taken many skeptical people in this car and they all come out surprised at how fast it "feels." Now, I am not going to argue with anyone that a Vette or GTO doesn't have torque. Hell yeah they do! But, with the Crossfire, the beauty of it all is that this powerfull acceleration is available at the TOUCH of the pedal (for example, I drove my Dad's CTS-V, and you really have to push the pedal sufficiently in order to get the car to really unleash it's power). It's not tire-shredding acceleration, it's just smooth and truly puts people back in there seats. You say the S2000 presses you back in your seat? Well, I do recommend you get your hands on a MANUAL transmissioned Crossfire and see how much stronger the acceleration feels. I've driven both the 2.2 liter and the 2.0 liter S2000, and without a doubt, the Crossfire has a much stronger feel to it. Of course, here's the big downfall to the Crossfire...past 4000 rpm, the acceleration starts to ease off. The brakes are good, the handling is good (the suspension is softer than the S2000, creating more body roll than the S2000, but it is sufficient for sporty driving untill the absolute limit, where understeer comes to play). The softer suspension allows the car to have an excellent ride quality, and the stereo is a 240 watt Infinity unit with twin subs in the back of the seat. The S2000 has a junky 80 watt stereo system. My favorite part of the S200 is the transmission. Simply the best in the world!!! A true "flick of the wrist" design and the engine is much more responsive to throttle inputs than the Crossfire, which is natural since it is a high-stung, lightweight 4-cylinder (this makes upshifts and downshifts faster in the S2000) with a lighter-weight drivetrain.



I can tell you much more about both, but it was deleted and I'm too lazy to write-up the rest again! Nevertheless, good luck in your search and if you decide to look at the Crossfire, let us know your thoughts (I'll tell you now, it's not the fastest, but it's a great GT car).
 
I love Miatas too. Had one of the first generation ones for eight years and I still kind of regret selling it. In fact, whenever I am ready for another car, I may just get a new Miata.
 
loco said:
I love Miatas too. Had one of the first generation ones for eight years and I still kind of regret selling it. In fact, whenever I am ready for another car, I may just get a new Miata.
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cant go wrong witht he miata... MmMmm... 13B-RE swap... or 13BT...
 
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