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#16
08-18-2019, 07:24 AM
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Last edited by djg; 08-18-2019 at 07:27 AM. 
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#17
08-18-2019, 07:42 AM
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Two Door Heaven
Great for any 'grand tour'..
__________________
Chisholm's Custom Wheels Qui Si Parla Campagnolo
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#19
08-18-2019, 07:54 AM
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Serious comment regarding the Miata...every time that I get the urge to shop for a Miata, I end up standing next to one in the airport parking lot or at a car show and comparing it to other cars. I cringe when I think about being in an accident in such a small car.
Is your friend looking for a convertible or T-top? If so, that narrows the field as well. There are decent amount of low mileage BMW and Lexus convertibles that pop up for sale, especially at the end of the Summer.
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#20
08-18-2019, 07:56 AM
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#21
08-18-2019, 08:09 AM
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BMW 335 would be my choice. Twin Turbo 6. Can be had in 2 or 4 door, manual trans up to 13 or 14 model year and rwd or awd. I'm not sure on the most recent BMW version of this but when I owned an E90 it was the non-M 3 series to have. BMW 5 series Gran Turismo series can be had used for a bargain. Read an article it's one of the best 'sleeper' buys out there right now. All that said I've been dreaming of owning a Cayman. Have heard/read great reviews on performance, reliability, and practicality (as much as you can have in a mid engine sports car). Seem to be a good buy on the used market. Obviously operating costs will not be cheap, but owning mostly german (vw/audi/bmw) cars the past 10 years I can say it's worth it in my eyes and knock on wood I haven't had any real troubles with any of my german vehicles.
I've driven and owned (for a very short time) a Miata and while they are great fun I can't image your buddy going from a Vette to one... I would have purchased a CTS-V over a Vette any day for a 'touring car' is the bottom line though... Last edited by MrCannonCam; 08-18-2019 at 08:50 AM.
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#22
08-18-2019, 08:10 AM
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I drive an 04 E46. Could I afford a new 3-series? Maybe, but I don't think I'd want to spend that much on a vehicle. On the other hand, I've had mine for almost 5 years, I'm incredibly active and attentive in maintaining it, and I enjoy the heck out of it (and have put about 60k miles on it). It's not free to own, like a Honda or Toyota might be, but it certainly hasn't had gremlins of one sort or another that keep popping up (knock on wood). To my mind, shopping second-hand demands a lot of attention be paid to the previous OWNER. If, as other suggest, the original owner operated the vehicle within reason and "could afford to own it" from a maintenance point of view, I think good options can be found in the used market. We have 3 second-hand late-model European vehicles and each was owned responsibly and we enjoy them. We also have a Subaru that we bought new that is used less and less and less. It may be fairly bulletproof, but it's profoundly utilitarian (despite being well equipped). In fact the Subaru hit 120k this summer and the routine/preventative service call for that would have been over $1500 through a shop. Undercutting or ignoring that would lead to problems, too (CVT, differentials, coolant, brake, cabin/air filters...with the CVT being the place that would hit the hardest). As for the question of convertible or not, I think the preference is for a coupe with a roof. My sense is that he's looking for more muscle (image or otherwise) than a Miata. The Lexus and Infinity might be an option. I'm clearly Euro-centric in my tastes, so that's where my mind went immediately. I've driven the Infinity coupes and wasn't wowed, despite the praise that they get. Haven't been in an Lexus in a while, though.
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#23
08-18-2019, 08:11 AM
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Yet Miata's do amazingly well in crash tests, especially for a car that size. Having been recently in a head on collision in my F-150 shortly before buying mine I did a lot of looking into the safety aspect of the car. Newer ones have all the modern safety features and those hoops behind the seats are very good roll bars in case that someone happens. The nimbleness of the car seems to figure into avoiding accidents as well as the fact that most times when driving a Miata you are driving. The actual experience of driving takes over any distractions.
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#24
08-18-2019, 08:17 AM
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#25
08-18-2019, 08:54 AM
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Get a 996 series 911 and call it a day.
Deal with the IMS and then have _fun_.
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#26
08-18-2019, 09:23 AM
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Audi S5. It actually is a Grand Touring Car. Room for two and enough luggage to tour the country. Solid and firm handling but not as jarring as a Vette. Fast enough too.
We bought ours from a guy who said it was the best road trip car he'd ever owned. He was moving it out to make room for a 69 Camaro he had been restoring and had his sights set on a TTRS for his next Audi. That was 2016 and I just happened to hear from him last week. He just bought a 2015 S5 because he missed it. Said the TTRS is a rocket but the S5 was so much better as a tourer. With a little patience a very nice example could be found for around $25k. If they have a good history I would not hesitate to buy older and even less expensive. 2008-2012 had a V8 and 2013-2017 a supercharged V6. Similar performance and both have a great reputation for durability and reliability. The V6 with a tune and a few parts can be super quick and still maintain reliability as well.
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#28
08-18-2019, 10:00 AM
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As a true gt, there is really nothing in the price range that beats a well maintained used sl500 or 600 mb. NOT a sports car, but I love mine when I'm in the mood to tour. I have a turbo 911 to wail, so I know what the difference is.
Yes, if let go they are money pits. Well maintained they are not, if I spend 1-2k on mine annually (on average) I'd be surprised. Look at the cars that BruceM has on bring a trailer, he sorts his very well. As an example, I purchased a 96 sl600 v12 for under 10k, put about 2k into immediate needs and tires, and it has cost me less than 1k annually 3 years in (I do diy basic needs). Its on the upside of the value curve now as well.
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#29
08-18-2019, 10:06 AM
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Mike
__________________
When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace. Jimi Hendrix
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#30
08-18-2019, 10:27 AM
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Whenever I do some work on the S5 I like to compare what it would cost for a half ton pickup since those are the most common vehicle in the US and the easiest to work on.
Parts wise it usually comes out pretty close. I recently had to replace the compressor and added all of the downstream components like the drier and condensor plus a new expansion valve since the system had to be opened. I had to add in about $35 in replacement fasteners since it required a lot of disassembly but parts were about $500 and for a truck it would have been about $450. Labor would have been through the roof on the S5 though but since I can do everything myself that didn't factor in. A few years ago I had to replace the A/C system on my wife's Prelude and it was much harder to source parts than the Audi and more expensive.
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