Tiny Sporty Affordable Convertibles!
 

Toyota MR2 Spyder
Mini Cooper Convertible
Honda S2000
Mazda Miata
BMW Z4
Chrysler Crossfire

What do you all think of these kinds of cars? I think they're pretty neat, personally. My friend Cat thinks they're pretty .. umm .. lame.

Today, I was bored while waiting for my TL to get serviced, so I decided to bullshit the Toyota dealer into letting me test drive a new MR2. The car handled really nice and I guess the lack of torque made shifting really smooth. The weight distribution is awesome. The only setback was the plain fact that I am just too fucking tall for that car.

I would like to get into an S2000 to check out if the horsepower makes up for the extra weight.

I may sacrifice the TL to save money faster so I can move next year, and a used one of these cars will probably make the cut.

Haven't driven the MR2 spyder but have spent a bunch of track days driving a 1991 MR2 turbo. It's a fun ride. Very predictable, handles well, aftermarket support is good too.

Also have spent a couple of track days driving a Miata. More precise feeling then the MR2. Many options for aftermarket upgrades from turbo kits to full Mustang engine/drivetrain swaps. But still a fun driver for the prices that they currently go for.

Both are good in city/traffic driving I'd think. Small cars that are good on gas, easy to park, and not real big theft targets where I am. And fun to throw around the corners. You won't be living life a quarter mile at a time but you won't be bored driving an econobox either.

I'm 5'11" mostly in the legs. Both of these cars are okay for me. The seats slide back far enough that I have leg room. And the pedal spacing is acceptable for my size 12s. Headroom isn't spacious but I have enough to get in/out and not bang anything.

You wouldn't fit in a crossfire. The Mini looks and sounds like a lot of fun, but I'm just a bit too tall for it, so I haven't been able to enjoy it. Doesn't bother me too much, I'm not a fan of FWD anyway. The Miata is still shaking off its reputation as a "girly" car, and I just can't visualize you in it. The S2000 is a great car, and with a few upgrades, you can be chirping of spinning the tires on every upshift. The Z4 is nice and powerful, not to mention comfortable, but be prepared to get a lot of shit from friends who think it's the ugliest thing ever to hit the road.

I personally like to drive small cars over boats or SUV's anyday of the week. I find small cars to be much more comfortable handling and performance wise. I probably wouldn't go as small as the mini cooper or, for that matter, the miata either, but the rest are perfect in the size department. I also prefer sporty, but I don't think the mini cooper belongs in the "sporty" category.

FWIW, I'd run a supercharged Miata (2nd gen), if you can live with the small trunk.
You'd have a light, balanced RWD chassis, with a useable powerband (plenty of torque down low). Having spent a fair bit of time in a 2001 model, I have yet to drive a 2-seater with more poise, precision, and balance.

The Mini Cooper Convertible strikes me as a poseur's convertible.
It's heavy and FWD only exacerbates the dynamic problems inherant to that kind of setup.

The Crossfire - aesthetic debates aside - is also pretty portly. Something to consider.

MR2 Spyder - Production is scheduled to end in June 2005. Compared to the market for the NB Miata, it will not have a lot of aftermarket performance support. Virtually no superchargers or turbochargers are available.

S2000- Another solid performer, but if you're interested in 'verts like the Crossfire, the hi-rev powerband may not suit you. :dunno:

Z4 - Even BMW's meticulous chassis and drivetrain engineering can't redeem this car IMHO. It's an aesthetic abomination IMO. And FWIW, you can build a smog-legal 2nd Miata that will absolutely conquer the Z4 - both in handling & power - for less.

The question I'd pose is: Are you looking for a pure-bred sports machine with fewer frills(Miata, MR2) , or are you more interested in the heavier "GT" convertibles like the Crossfire or 350Z Roadster?

My pitiful 1.9¥.:o

If a Crossfire is under consideration you should also consider an SLK. Same chassis, engine, and interior and you get the retractible hardtop.

I've had mine 8 months and am pretty happy with it.

Kinda off topic but how bout cls. I mean Benz are not that bad .. you should consider the price and the beauty even though crossfire is flaming awesome :rolleyes:

Don't try to tell him to get a Mercedes. It's an exercise in futility.

the s2000 feels nice but i need tq. The miata handles very nicely and like you said, the mr spyder has very nice weight distribution. If you can, find a file from p2p called togue or togue showdown, it has some sick little roadsters tearing it up on the twisties.

LOL, I know but if he's seriously considering the Crossfire he's at least 80% of the way there.

I wish Toyota would make a turbo version of their MR2.

Bang for the buck I say go for the Miata. Reliable, balanced, fun, loads of after-market parts. And my 6'1" boss fits in his just fine.

Give me a Boxter any day. It runs for around the same price as the Z4, and drives better by leaps and bounds.

I really like the new Mazdaspeed Miatas. Factory turbo'ed (though very small hp gains stock). I really like the look of them compared to the regular miatas, and the different wheels/tires look really nice on them. The suspension upgrades seem to be pretty sweet as well. We've got a ton of them at work, and they dont look/sound in the least bit gay.

The crossfire is pretty sweet too, though its all about the SRT-6.

It sounds like you're looking to save a bit of $$ as well as have a little fun which is certainly an admirable pursuit, but aren't Z4's, Crossfire's Mazdaspeed Miatas etc. like twice the price of an MR2 or Mini convert? That being said, I understand that the S2000's more than make up for the extra weight (isn't it roughly twice the HP of an MR2?) and from what you've mentioned about your driving style you might be able to make good use of the 9,000+ RPM redline. BTW, I like the Cooper converts, but I can't see you driving one for some reason.

I just drove an S2000 .. and I gotta say that I like it a WHOLE lot. It's got ample leg room and it has a lovely growl as it revs. I think that's what I'll get if I decide to get something.

The MR2s are nice. A friend of mine just bought an '05 and he hasn't stopped driving it since the day he bought it. That thing takes corners like no other and handles better than anything I've ever driven in.

I've actually driven most of them. My impressions:

MR2 - Loved it, but there's NO trunk room
Mini Cooper - Also liked it a lot, probably the one I'd choose for the price
S2000 - Great car, but impossible to hold a conversation with the person next to you, unless you're both shouting. Plus it's a Honda :hmm:
Miata - Old standby; awesome handling, but crappy vision. I fell like I'm gonna die
Z4 - Do you even have to ask? Best of the best. And not obnoxiously expensive, either
Crossfire - Cool, but overpriced. Same for the SLK (except for the new SLK 350)

350Z - Buy this car. Period.

Personally, I think I'd go with the Lotus Elise. Not exactly a convertible but I like it better than the ones listed above. Of course, I haven't been able to drive one yet and if I did I think I'd end up buying it and I don't want to drop $40k the same year I'm paying for a wedding.

For the money, the S2000 hands down.

i realistically can't consider a crossfire or a Z4 because they are out of the price range that I am going for. I've seen a ton of S2000's for sale lately and I'm excited to get out there are try 'em all out. The Miata is so 'feminine' that I dont think I could be caught in one.

I can't really say much, but i remember the time i tried to test a Z4, and i sat down, got into the best position i could find. eye level was still about 2 inches over the windshield. (6'4" by the way) as for the others, only driven an old MR2, a buddy's and he never let me push it, so. and the crossfire was ok when i test drove one, just nothing fun about it to me. and i have never been able to bring myself to try a Maita.

S2000 resource: http://www.s2ki.com/
My friend loves his to bits :thumbsup:

The S2000 is a very fun car, but it was never meant to be a daily driver. Unless you're willing to sacrifice cargo room (figure 3 bags of groceries and a briefcase and you're done) and daily driving comfort you should really be looking elsewhere.

That said, I know where you're coming from. I drive a 95 MR2 Turbo as my year-round daily driver car, but I don't care about cargo room. If I need to haul something, my friend with the pickup truck owes me a lot of favors :D

Just got a Lotus Elise last Thursday. Graphite Grey with hardtop. It is hard to get in and out of, but I have never had more fun driving anything. It is not convenient (almost no cargo room, no room behind the seats), but it is not getting boring.

holy crap man.. care to donate to the 'Buy Hal An Elise Fund'?

Ever consider a pre-owned z3? I have one and personally perfer the looks to the z4. Not as sporty, obviously, but my roommate, at 6'4" fits fine, and I love it. I have the 2.3 (actually a 2.5L enginge) and its a lot of fun. As I said in another thread, though, they are awful in the snow w/o new tires. With good tires, they're fine.

As far as cargo, I know I've fit more than I should have in my car. Two people in the passenger seat, lots of luggage (crammed) in the trunk, a big dog, etc.

PS - I know I have beat a S2000 off the line in my car, though I think the S2000 is faster. Made me smile.

Good luck!

I would, but I'm still working on the "how do I get my wife to stop being pissed at me for getting the Elise fund."