Automatic Miata is still more fun to drive than most other autos. But not the first thing that comes to mind for highway trips.

But with talking about an Eos or Mini... have you considered a GTI? An '06+ should easily be in your price range, and while it's more expensive to maintain, I imagine you can have more fun in a DSG than your average torque converter automatic.

I think the Vette is a great idea. The trunk is surprisingly big, and even the coupes have a removable top for when you're putzing around town. More drama than anything else on your list too, IMO.

If you go 350Z, may as well get a convertible. That rear bar in the trunk of the coupe eats a TON of space.

These may also present reliability concerns, but I think the BMW Z4 and 3-series coupe/convertible should be in the conversation. What about an LS2 GTO? Maybe a Subaru WRX if they come in auto?

 

My 99 Corvette fixed-roof-coupe was our beach and vacation car for 5 years. We also used it for weekend dates and shopping. On my days off, it was my runabout (often to Lowes).

It has great seats and is a very comfortable car for highway cruising. A couple can pack for a beach week with no problem; unless she's Princess Vespa.

I got a solid 32 - 34 mpg cruising US 13 on the Delmarva. The LS1 is nearly idling in manual 6th on the highway (raising the headlights knocks off 1 mpg).

The C5 has a few issues (rear diff seep) but they are tolerable and the LS1 is bulletproof.

And Shirley, you must know the interior materials are straight from the Cavalier.

Looking for an auto makes it easy. Plenty of gold-jewelry-dripping, confirmed bachelors favored the granny tranny and never flogged their polished baby. They just wanted to be seen at the nightclub.

 

If you can find an automatic C5 Corvette for $15k that is not a bad deal. Late 1999 or better is good. They do get surprising good mileage and the drivetrain is close to bullet proof. It's fun to drive even in automatic and frankly, if you mod it to be a drag car, the automatic is much better for it.

 

Aside from the V8, would anyone pick a '99 Corvette over an '07 Miata?

 

Yes hands down, a 99 corvette is respected more than even a 2014 Miata. Most people have no clue that an older Vetter can be had that cheaply and will always assume it cost more than a new Miata. Plus a Vette will smoke a Miata and the aftermarket world is huge. I know the Miata aftermarket is large, but the Vette has a larger following and more people doing mods.

 

This is a car for a dude and his wife. That's why I'm saying the '99 doesn't make sense. It's a huge car with a long hood. How many women are going to want to drive it?

And I've been in a '99 FRC several times. The car is built like it was finished at 4pm on a Friday and everyone was drunk.

 

I'm wondering the opposite: Who the hell would take a Miata over a nice clean C5 Corvette?

The C5 may not have the best quality plastics inside, but the interior is the last thing you think about when you mash the throttle. The C5 has very comfortable leather seats as well, which is probably the most important thing IMO. Another thing I like about the C5 is its "stance". Better than both the C6 and C7 IMO.

JB, I would hold off, save up, convince the wife, and get what you really want: A C6 Corvette.

Another tip: The time to buy a Corvette is the winter. You will see prices go up a couple grand across the board once spring/summer arrives.

 

Agreed.....unless his wife is like mine, who is fully able to drive stick but really doesn't want to.

As I'm sort of in a search similar to juniorbean, I'm currently looking at an A4 2.0T or an E90 328i/330i.

 

Why women can't drive Vettes? Is that a car for a man only? My mother is 5'2" and owns two Vettes. The car isn't really that big at all. I also see plenty of women driving Vettes here in NJ.

 

I didn't mean to say they couldn't. I meant to say they usually don't.

 

Apples and oranges. I would love to own either, to be honest (stick Miata for curve carving, automatic 'vette for the dragstrip).

 

I don't see any hard evidence ever supporting this statement.

Mentioned before though, GTI would also be a solid choice and with the DSG you're going to be maxing the fun factor for an auto.

 

I have to agree with this.

I can't imagine a reason for buying a Miata over a Corvette. There's a reason Chevy sells so many. Cheap, fun, beautiful, fast, comfortable, good MPG, large trunk space, etc.

My cousin has a C5 ZO6, and it is mental. One of the most exhilarating rides of my life was in that car. Not to mention he brings it to our family reunion every year with all the luggage he and his wife needs.

 

Wait til you find another cousin that gets a modified Miata. It can easily make you shit your pants.

 

The Miata is not to be disrespected or underestimated, especially after a few mods. And I say that as an S2000 owner.

 

Agreed, and from what I've read it seems that no car is as cheap to acquire AND has as incredible a mod potential as the MX5. However, I'd still opt for the C5 (between the two) just on principle.

 

Both cars are very well respected by enthusiasts. It really comes down to personal preference and what you look for in a car.

 

Oh no? Go out to dinner with a Valet service, see which car they run to first. Go to a car show with both Miatas and Vettes. See which ones people are drawn to. How about the New York car show or the one in Detroit. People go to the Vettes, not the Miatas. The only time people flock to Miatas is at a Miata meet or when one has a Vette engine shoved in it at Englishtown. If you see a 2014 Vette or a 2014 Miata on the street which one is going to get your attention. Come on now your comment had to be a joke right ?

 

Your comment compares a 99 Corvette vs a 2014 Miata, not a '14 Vette....I think it's safe to say everyone would pick the 2014 Vette, even myself.

I'm not going to sit here and say your opinion is wrong and mine is right, neither of our opinions can be wrong. I could care less about how many pimply dudes swarm my car at meets and at the valet, and if that's what your basing your opinion on you might outta go to somewhere like Jalopnik and just search "Miata." There's a reason why it has been the best selling two seat convertible since its debut in 1990, the most common choice at road courses and auto-x, has such an enormous range of people that are attracted to it, and has it's own dedicated racing series.

1) Both are wildly popular.
2) Both are best sellers in their own category.
3) Both are excellent cars.

So no, my comment wasn't a joke. The two are as far apart as you can almost come when it comes to comparing cars. With the '14 you're talking about a $70K~ car vs a $25k~ car. Also, if I may brag just a little, there aren't many cars that can pull up beside me, this side of a Lamborghini, that will get more looks and points in it's current state.

 

Don't tell me you were born in 1979. Because you sound like a 12 yr old, really.

 

used sc430 sounds like a great fit.

what I see here is a comfortable car for 2 that is accommodating for 3 hr drives, twice a weekend, every other weekend...reliable...good for a woman to drive...and a hardtop vert.

sc430 seems to fit the bill well. I wouldn't want to spend 6 hours in a Miata every other weekend.

 

Dude, could you be any more New Jersey if you tried?

 

Yea I was born in 79, sorry that I compared a 2014 to a 2014. Also IMO a 97-04 corvette looks better than any Miata. I know the Miata when set up right is a nice auto cross car. But that's not what we are talking about here. Yes a Vette is more respected, there has to be a reason there are more on the road than Miatas. And Marble GT, don't take this the wrong way but if that's your car in your avatar of course it's going to get points and stares. The majority of people will notice something painted out of the ordinary. I could paint a Kia bright pink and of course people are going to notice it and point at it. Your point is moot on the paint scheme.

 

Only someone with the mentality of a 12 year old would even come up with a comment like that. At least try to add to the conversation instead of making useless brain dead comments that have nothing to do with the conversation.

 

Well I have been to Maryland and I know they have restaurants with Valet service, I'm sorry that you think only people from NJ think this is something normal. Maybe you should get of more and explore your state.

 

Well I have been to Maryland and I know they have restaurants with Valet service, I'm sorry that you think only people from NJ think this is something normal. Maybe you should get out more and explore your state.

 

That makes zero sense on about 13 different levels.

A SC400/430 would be sweet if you found a nice enough one for sale. Always liked those cars.

 

I'd choose miata over Vette, but thats cause I'm not into old Vettes, and honestly I wouldnt get a new one for myself since I just can see myself driving it

But going back to another car you mentioned. Is the Boxter really that unreliable? I'd assume normal maintenance would be high, but I thought Porsche's, after a certain year, became pretty reliable. I dunno what that year is, but my neighbor back where my parents live bought an 02 boxter off of my uncle a while back and he hasn't had any problems that I know of. This is assuming those fit the price range.

 

I believe early ones have IMS/RMS issues but other than that are generally pretty good. There are apparently aftermarket replacements that can fix the problem. The issue, IIRC, is that if it's horked and not taken care of it will cause bad things for the engine.

 

SC is a sweet car.

 

Or til my he gets his Vortech V2 and cams installed.

I am looking forward to this years family reunion

 

We currently have a Toyota FJ (lifted, bigger then stock tires), lifted Jeep Wrangler (lifted, bigger tires then stock)... both of which get less then ideal mileage. My wife has an E350 which we prefer to not take to the beach. She travels a bit, so we usually give this car a rest on weekends . So that's why we're looking to swap out the buggy for something we can cruise back and forth with. Spending under $15k on a car isn't really too much of an issue.


This would be a 4th car, but yeah, looking for something a little fun that can cruise back and forth better then what we have.


LOL, yes, but as mentioned in the OP and above, with a 4" lift and larger tires, not exactly the perfect vehicle to drive out there regularly. That said it's been out there many times and yes, it's fun once there...


This has been discussed. My wife is actually a great driver and also loves cars. I also have a few people I race with that could teach her (she already said she'd be open to it but not with me teaching). I have no doubt she'd be able to learn, but she's a bit concerned... especially since most of the time she would need to drive would be in beach traffic with a bit of cars and people on local roads.


Agreed. My only worries here is pushing the budget too much.


Agreed as well, but no comments on either the SC300/400 or the SC430 (except for Thermon).

 

Thanks for the replies so far guys. Definitely a lot to think about. For those who know me, know I'm not really worried about what people think, so I don't really care if one car is "viewed" better then another. If it works for us and we like it, we'll buy it.

That said, this weekend was my first race in the new class and I LOVED it! So much so I am going to likely be selling my other kart. Depending on how much I get for that (should be between $5k-$6k or so) the wife kind of gave me the OK to wait until after the summer and pick up a C6. And at that point I'd be able to get a lower mileage example. So there's another twist.

I do like the recommendations mentioned here (and have thought of a GTI with a DSG as well)... so we'll see.

Keep the opinions coming if you have something I (or the others) haven't though of. Thanks again

 

"I didn’t know she had a pony. How was I to know she had a pony? Who figures an immigrant’s going to have a pony?"

 

Personally i would like something underpowered and very tossable in the corners. I am a big fan of a lot of cars and couldn't give two shits what someone thought about what i drive.

I would to have a vette and be able to mash down the pedal, but i like turning as well. I don't think that you can go wrong with anything you choose.

What about a crossfire?

 

I love the SC300/400. A wee bit outdated, I think, but still extremely desirable. I would get the SC400, because unless you want to mod, the 300 isn't really quick.

 

 

Thanks again for the replies guys. Had some time this AM to really go through the replies.

Guess at this point I am between the Miata and the C6. If/When I sell my buggy and one of my racing karts I can make a move on the C6 later in the year. I could go for the Miata sooner as it would not cost as much. I'll have to do some research on each and more importantly, test drive each, and see what we like better.

 

Not a bad place to be. Whichever you get, I think you and your wife will be happy. Enjoy shopping!

 

I'll go with a used Lexus. You can get some good ES deals if you go down to the early 2000's or mid 2000's. High miles is not an issue, trust me on that. It's an issue for BMW/AUDI obviously, but not for Lexus.

My friend's old Lexus is on her 250,000th mile and still purr like a kitten. Still drive like it's floating on water.

But if you can't get a used Lexus, I guess Miata is a cool little go cart.