I currently own a 2006 MCS, but need to make another car purchase decision in the near future, or further future since my fiance will need a car also when we graduate.

Keep in mind, I'll still need to make car payments for at least the next 2 years for the Mini. Also note that we don't intend to have any children for a long time and rarely take people around so practicality isn't much of an issue.

So, here's my decision. I can give the MCS to my fiance and get a one of the cars mentioned above or I can keep my MCS and probably get another Mini for my fiance. If I keep my MCS, I'll probably be able to mod the crap out of it (i.e. - SPi twincharge kit, PSS9s, BBK). This also brings up another point, how much of the twincharged power is actually usable? I mean come on... With under $1000 and the marketplace, I can push over 200whp, a much more usable amount, but everytime I listen to the SPi kit, my lust begins anew (sort of like motorcycles - I always rationalize myself out of getting one, but whenever I hear one, all my hard work goes out the window, this is another story for another thread though).


Here's the list of the used cars on my list and my comments:
1) 1993-1995 RX-7: My favorite, but alas I'm in Houston and there aren't any good rotary shops near...
2) E30 M3: it's just so cool, low on amenities, but so much street cred
3) E46 M3: good all-rounder, unfortunately everybody and their grandmother has one, also a bit ricerish and poseurish as I'm Asian and every Asian college kid wants one of these, most expensive behind the Elise
4) S2000: always loved roadsters since I drove an original miata, fiance hates the car, ricerish and poseurish ( refer to E46 comment), so easy to modify and make even faster
5) Elise: $300 oil changes, beautiful, (too?) 'look at me', fast and light, the ideal car, I know I said I didn't need practicality, but damn..., most expensive
6) Evo / STi: I keep coming back to the rally cars for some unknown reason, they're not pretty, in fact, they're a bit ugly, I think something about the ridiculous amount of capability draws me to them, but everytime I go over to Chinatown, I remember why I always remove them from my list (refer to E46 comment), I really don't care about the practicality of these cars, I figure when I have kids, I'll pick up a used RS4 (drool), in fact, if there were cheap used RS4s, I'd get it...

Anyways, those are my comments. What do you guys think? Make a household of Minis or have some variety? Thanks for reading my long thread about nothing in particular. I'm just killing some time in the middle of the night.

 

in my book, i'd get EVO for all purpose use... what is your use going to be? is it going to be a weekend toy? in which case EVO, STI, S2000, RX7, and M3s all lead to good aftermarket

i'd stay away from early FD3S RX7s... they can be a real pain to maintain

Elise'd be my pick if i want a pure track car, it'd be SO rare.... but are you ready to fork the green to maintain it...

if i were you... go with the elise, you got exclusivity, and a car that will always bring a even bigger grin on your face.... it wont be cheap to maintain, but who cares! in your area you can at least drive it 365 days a year and no worry of putting it away

in my position i actually am in the market for a replacement for my MCS.... and is looking long and hard at a EVO 9 MR

 

I don't really do anything with my cars. I drive around (in a "fun" manner) for the hell of it, racking up 100s of miles, on the weekends, but will only drive to and from work during the week (also in a "fun" manner). I don't do much autox at the moment since it seems like a really big hassle to me.

Why do you single out the "early FD3S RX7s"? I figured all the FDs were generally difficult to maintain, some say differently, but it seems like a lot of FD owners have a lot of down time. Unfortunately, I'll be working pretty heavy hours, upwards of 100 hours a week so I don't think I'll be able to spend the need time to maintain the car. There's something about FDs though. The fact that they're such light cars, have awesome handling capabilities and more than a decent amount of power. Plus, they're gorgeous cars. I just love them to death. If there was a shop in Houston, this wouldn't even be a question.

http://www.rx7club.com/showthread.ph...8&page=1&pp=15
scroll down a bit on the link.


The Elise is a great car. Another car that fits my philosophy of light cars. It's simply gorgeous. Unfortunately, this would be my daily driver and I don't know how it'd put up. With the $300 oil changes and the electrical problems already being reported, it's a large unknown. I was really hoping that the use of a Toyota engine would make Lotus reliable. Also, I've seen some horrible pictures of elises in small fender benders and it ain't pretty. My fiance is really rooting for the elise since it looks so gorgeous. Even my dad, who cares nothing about cars (I told him, I'd buy him any car he wanted in a couple years, and he said he wanted another van), said that the elise was gorgeous.


The EVOs are good cars. My fiance absolutely hates it, too ricerish, she says. People complain about the spoiler, I like it. I guess I'm just weird. The problem with the EVO is that it lacks the visual appeal of the lotus or the rx-7. To me, it seems like the EVO and STi are tools, awesome tools, but not works of art. It just comes down how much a person's willing to suffer for their art. The other problem is every kid in a civic will be staging up next to you and you'll never know when that magic civic will win and turn the EVO into a big moneypit. It'll definitely be an awesome car. Good luck with your purchase. Unfortunately, the image is all off for me, I tend to agree with my fiance. I'm an asian kid right out of college who actually looks he might still be in high school so my fiance says. The power beckons though and who knows until I actually test drive all the cars.

 

I owned a 93 rex, and they are not as good as you might guess. They are fast and handle pretty well, but the steering is quite numb, and I got really tired of putting the car on and then sitting in it without changing position until I got out - it's kind of cramped in there...

 

Ok, so you're really looking for a daily driver. Unless a PDA is all you're gonna carry with you, nix the Elise as 1) not enough space, and 2) highly impractical from a cost point of view (e.g. $300+ oil changes). No an Elise is at most a week-end toy. Being an ex-Lotus owner myself, I can vouch for the impracticality of nearly anything they make. My recommendation from the list you put up is the Subaru WRX or better yet the Mitsu Evo. Really none of the cars are practical daily drivers, and the older ones E30 and RX-7, would do you in on maintenance (as would an Elise). Still with the Subie or Evo, you'd be looking at several high maintenance costs in tires and the occasional clutch. Expect to buy at least one set of tires every year, and a clutch every couple of years. This is expensive for a recent grad. regardless of the cool factor such a vehicle will deliver. If you want affordable performance get a new 'Stang GT.

 

Oldrick, nice to meet an old rx-7 owner. How would you compare the handling to our Minis? I'm not the tallest of people 5'7", so I'm not that worried about fitting into the car. Did you have as much trouble with it as other rx-7 owners do?

MGCMan, interestingly enough. I'll only be carrying a blackberry with me. For awhile, I was even considering just getting a motorcycle and using that as my daily driver. Still am, I suppose. What lotus did you own? Truth be told, practicality takes back seat to interesting and fun to drive. We don't intend on having kids for at least another 6 years and the most we typically carry is groceries. One of my co-workers put it this way when asked about if he liked his Volvo S60R, "Are you kidding me? It's the only thing I look forward to, when I go home." I'm really just looking for fun to drive as I don't get very much free time so the drives should at least be fun. Another one of my co-worker said this, "It's funny when you get this job. You stop looking forward to weekends since you're typically working on weekends. Instead you start looking forward to Fridays, since the office gets kolaches for breakfast." I know it's kind of sad. Regarding the Mustang GT, no. It has a worse problem than the M3. Everybody and their grandfather, grandmother, sister, brother, father, mother have one.


Hahah, I'm sorry if I'm shooting down everyone's suggestions even though they're mine. I just play's devil's advocate when it comes to things like this. Thanks for the input though.

 

E46 M3, no matter what? Refined

 

Speaking of the E46 M3, does anybody know if any changes were made to the E46 from it's production between 2001-2006. I know they introduced the competition package in 2006, which I don't intend to get and also the SMG II during one of those years, which I also don't intend to get. Anything else?

 

Pretty wide range of cars that to my mind don't have that much in common. Having owned an e30 back in the day, while I liked the car, its quite a different car from an e46. Of the cars on your list, the E30, a good one, would be my pick, BUT it would have to be a really good one and that is a very difficult thing to find.

I'd add one or three to your list to consider. 2000-1 Boxster, S or 911. Possibly the best deal for the $$$ is a used Boxster. For low 20's you can a very nice low mileage Boxster. Stay away from pre-2000 and there pretty bullet proof. I've seen them for just a tick over 20K. S's under 30 are not uncommon and a 2000 911 with 35K on it can be had in the mid to high thirties. Consider that this is a car with 300 usable torque filled HP, unlike any of the others mentioned on your list. When I bought my 996, I drove an e46 M3 as well. Much rather have the 911 and its a helluva a deal considering the car was 80K when new. Just something for you to think about.

 

comp pack was introduced in 2005

 

Hmm, good point about the boxster, I might consider the boxster S. That said, I just took a look at Ebay and I can't believe the prices of the C2s...M3s are 20-30k cheaper new, but they're selling for comparable amounts in the second hand market. That said, I can't see myself in a porsche yet...not a huge fan of the 996 styling.

I really like the facelift for the 997 and I love the outcoming 997 GT3. In fact, I'd take a 996 GT3.

That said, the similar characteristic for most of the cars is their outstanding handling and they're all screamers, not so much the EVO/STi (6500 and 6000, respectively). I just love screamers.

In addition, you're not really helping, all you did was increase the possibilities.

How did you like your E30? How does it compare with the Mini in comfort and handling? I really like the old school look of the E30 and I have heard from several sources that it's one of the best handling cars. Also, the exclusivity is a plus. They actually might be more rare than the RX-7s. Looking for a good one will be difficult, be it'll also be difficult for the RX-7 so I'm sort of prepared. Do you have any points to look for? I've only heard about the possibility of the frame cracking. Other than that, I'm really thinking of going to turner motorsport and getting their 2.5L kit that produces 280bhp. It's a bit pricey, but you only live once.

 

The E30, IMO, was a very satisfying car. My car was stock. In some ways its very similar to an MCS in that it had a surprising amount of torque for a high strung 4, and as a result it could be driven both in a relaxed fashion as well as in 'race' mode. Its a car that from time to time I think about reacquiring as IMO, its perhaps the sexiest BMW ever built and it was made back in the days when BMW was a bit more concerned with quality than profit. For the street, I think the Turner stuff would probably make the car some what unlivable. 220-230HP would be a more realistic goal. Its a very clean handling car, quite predicalbe and easily driven quickly. Slides as nice as any car I've ever owned.

On the Porsche, sure the GT-3 and the 997 are great but 2x the $$$. Don't listen to the BS about the 996, BTW. The 997 is, like all Porsche products, evolutionary, not revolutionary. If you don't like the look, buy an Aero kit. Mine has the factory GT3 stuff. Heres my car...

 

Oh, I'm not talking about the handling characteristics of the 996. I'm sure the capabilities of the 996 far outweigh my ability. I just don't like the lights... hahahahah.

Nice car by the way.

 

Before I add my 02 to the mix I have to ask if you've driven the cars you are considering yet - that really is the bottom line, whether you like the driving experience and interior materials and layout for yourself, no? Isn't the consideration a waste of time if you just find in a test drive that you don't like something?

 

No, unfortunately, my friends don't buy cars that I would consider. They buy accords, camrys, 3-series, jettas, and is350s. I don't get those cars. I don't understand why people graduating out of college require so much practicality. But, whatever. To each his own.

Since my friends don't own the cars I like or want, I would have to go to dealerships or seek out people to test drive. While it'd be easy enough for most of the S2000, Evo, and STi. Dealerships will give me a hardtime with the E46 M3 and Elise. The rarity of the RX-7 and the E30 M3 makes those test drives just plain difficult unless I'm actually looking for sellers and test drive it on that basis. That said, yes, I could go test drive them, but I'm going about it in a different way. If I followed your method, I should also go test drive every car before I rule it out. I'm ruling out cars before I go on a test drive. Just a different method is all.

Take for example the Mini. I test drove it once and it wasn't even a manual. I didn't get to drive it like I normally would and all in all, I learned less about it than what I had learned in forums and magazines, that it was an amazingly fun car that people would find excuses to go out and drive. So I actually ended up making my decision on the fact that car magazines and people on forums loved the Mini. I don't regret my decision at all. I'll run to the grocery store just for a carton of milk, or whatever my fiance needs at the moment. It's just a fun car and if I had judged it only on the test drive, I would've probably not chosen it.

I see from your signature that you have an M coupe. How do you like that? I would consider it but the Z3 styling was never my thing.

Does nobody think I should go for the SPi twincharge kit and create a family of Minis?

 

Sorry if I wasn't clear - what I meant is that once you have a short list based on appearances, specs, etc, like you seem to have then comes the test drives and actual interaction that could make or break the choice at all (ie the interior materials quality, or lack of it, is a real turn off for me on the Evo). Everyone else's opinion is moot past that IMHO (for me anyway). I didn't mean drive every car whether it suits you or not

As for the M Coupe, well I love it. Oddly I was not one to want a Z3 but the Coupe has a whole different look and feel, the lines of the car, curves and broad fenders are and the performance, of course, was another draw. The M3 is a great car, and I spent plenty of time driving a friend's before having the M Coupe, but I prefer having the same engine in the smaller, sportier, more unique car. If carrying more people was important I would certainly consider the M3, however I would take into account that the next version is coming along.

 

To me, the interior quality isn't that important. However, placement and feel is a different thing. For emaple, when sitting in the E46, everything feels just right. It feels like the cabin was made just for you. Either that or they made it for short people. Who knows? That said, the interior quality of the Mitsubishi isn't that big of a factor. Have you looked at the interior of the E30? The interior of the E30 is a bit of a turnoff though, but then again, it is a mid-80s layout.

the M Coupe is a great car, M3 engine without all the mass. Now if they could shove the M3 engine into a 1 or 2-series... By the way, why did you choose the Coupe instead of the roadster? Structural rigidity? Room?

 

You said RS4? That's a real deal.

I would consider having a kid now and go get that RS4!!

 

KrazyIvan,

My Lotus was a 1971 Elan +2 S/130 4-spd. Great fun and faster than anything else under 2.5 litres when it ran. It had the 1.6 ltr. Lotus/Ford Big Valve with 3/4 Race Cams and dual Weber 45 DCOEs. Unfortunately for every day on the road, it spent several off it. It was just too fragile a vehicle for daily usage.

p.s. I've driven an original Elise (MG-Rover powered) on a track in England. Fantastic handling and performance, but very little in the way of comfort or practicality.

 

It does sound like you need a useful car for your fiance, not a play thing like an Elise (although I lust for one too!).

When my wife needed a new car, we bought her a CVT Cooper. Although we have 2 MINI's, they are very different from each other. Her Cooper without sport suspension + is incredibly smooth and pleasant to drive around town and especially on the highway.

It sure is fun to have 2 MINI's. . .

Have you considered one of the sportier smaller Subaru wagons? We liked them, but in the end my wife wanted the Cooper. . .

 

The RS4 does look awesome.



However, I don't think my fiance will agree to having a kid just to get the car. Plus, 80k+ for one of them... I'll just wait for them to go secondhand.
A V8 screamer... I wonder if the new M3 will also be a screamer. Does anybody else think that Audi has just screwed themselves over with the RS4? I mean if the next M3 is going to be a V8 with comprable hp to the RS4, who would go for the RS4 when it's supposed to be 80k+ especially in this bimmerphile era.


Regarding the Lotus, I'm hoping probably erroneously that the engine, since it's made my Toyota will be bulletproof. Other than that, how much can really go wrong with such a stripped down little car. Unfortunately, the one other thing that can go wrong has gone wrong, the electrical system. Who needs AC in Houston... during the summer... in a drought... I guess when I go on a test drive I should ask them to let me drive it on the worst of Houston roads and I'll probably decide that way.


Well, yes, I do need a useful car in a sense that it can't be a one-seater and needs to have an extra seat for my fiance. Other than that... I don't take anything to work nor do I take anything from it. Comfortwise, none of the cars I've stated are really comfortable. I'm not all that into wagons / SUVs / trucks. That said, I would rather get a WRX sedan than the wagon. Also, I showed my fiance the new alfa-nose WRX, and she dislikes it. Yucca, have you had to deal with babies with both of your Minis?

Did I mention that if I get one of these cars, my wife gets Morgan? On the other hand, I can keep Morgan and she can get another car, most probably a Mini. Both ways, I'm set on keeping Morgan. It's the first car I/we bought, downpayment, insurance, and finance payments. I've had other cars, but this is the first one I paid for. Unforunately, it's under my dad's name. Not really unfortunate, but it detracts from the fact a little.

P.S. - Does anybody know how to link a picture from your gallery? I was trying to do it with the RS4, but I ended up just linking it to the website.

 

The answer for the new M3 and a B7 RS4 is at the end of the movie.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...9880&q=omghi2u


;D

 

Yeah, I'm a big follower of Top Gear. I download it every Monday. I'm sad that the season is over though. However, again the RS4 is 80k+ the M3 will be 55k+ and BMW has never liked to lose. I've seen a lot of articles that stress exactly the same thing Clarkson does: the RS4 engine is a masterpiece. However, the same articles complain about the same numbness that Audi is typically known for. Maybe the RS4 Clarkson drove was a later iteration and those things were sorted out, but still BMW has never been known to disappoint, especially with the M3s and M5s. I'm sure their next M car will be amazing and even if it isn't, it just has to be comparable. I'm hoping that the new M3 is comparable, because that'll just destroy RS4 resale values. It'll make it cheaper for me. I'm not a big fan of the 3-series styling and spy shots of the new coupe make the coupe seem a bit long... Luckily, Audi has actually started styling cars and I like what I see.

 

KrazyIvan,

Tempt not the fates, for Lord Lucas Prince of Darkness inhabits the Elise as well as earlier cars from Heathel.







Any Lotus can and very well may burn. I've seen my car do the strangest electrical tricks on it's own.

 

I vote E46 M3... take a look at this site and see what they have done to some of their M3's....

www.e46psi.com