the miata is a bit small and that’s why I have generally stayed away from them and they don’t seem worth the price. What I mean by that is that their price is inflated by the high demand for miatas. thank you!
I steer away from mustangs because the ones in my price range have live rear axels which means they don’t handle very well and I would like it to feel nice to drive.
the main thing is is that i don’t need a ton of horsepower. i just want it to feel fast and tight, have enough so I don’t fall behind some of my friends, and look decent. Also, I have not really considered the insurance issue and that is a good point to bring up. My parents might put the car under their name so it isn’t too much.
I wouldn’t put my 18 year old kids car in my name, if they couldn’t afford the insurance, they couldn’t afford the car.
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An S2000 is smaller inside than an NC Miata and WAY more expensive. I used to own an S2000, it is small inside. My friend owned an NC Miata (2003 to 2015) and it was much larger inside. Both handle very well but the Mazda doesn’t eat rear tires at twice the rate as fronts. A little slower but insurance is lower for that very reason. Don’t know where you live but Miatas price pretty reasonably in Florida where I live. Don’t worry about high miles on a Miata, 100K miles is barely broken in.
And a comment to your answer to another post from another commenter… the solid axle Mustangs DO handle, VERY well. Far beyond your meager driving capabilities. I currently own a 2013 GT with a solid axle and previously owned a 2007 GT. Both cars tracked on a regular basis on the bumpiest racetrack in the country - Sebring International Raceway. Those solid axle cars can stay with Porsches, Corvettes and later IRS Mustangs in the corners.
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And that’s not plenty fast for you??? I started out driving a 1988 Toyota Corolla, with something like 95 hp, and it was more than adequate for my needs. I eventually got a 2004 Corolla, which I drove for a number of years, and now my wife usually drives. I have never been disappointed with the performance of this car, and it has an automatic transmission btw.
I suggest that you save your money–which you WILL need for other things in the future, and keep driving the fine car which you already have. Do not fall into the trap of wasting tens of thousands of dollars to “impress” other people!
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I’d get something nicer till you found a sporty car.
Wrong you are says Yoda .
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You are in for a surprise .
Nope. Makes no difference. It’s based on who’s the principle driver.
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Who is paying for your insurance now ? Also I can understand the want of a sports car but you are 18 and still at home ( correct ) so you need your parents involved in this .
Where is the money for this vehicle going to come from ? Not my business but you need to cross a bunch of things off your list before you aquire this vehicle .
I agree with the not your business part. The guy asked for advice about a sports car. Not advice on whether or not he needed to buy one, how much the insurance would be, or who would pay for the insurance. I don’t see the point in getting off in the weeds with all that.
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130 hp at 6k rpm. I don’t blame him for wanting more power. At least a vehicle with average power rather than a vehicle with one of the least amounts of power on the road.
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If I loved cars a Corolla wouldn’t be my end-all performance car.
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There are some… Shall we say optimistic responses in here. A BMW? For a kid who can’t afford an S2000? He’ll go broke trying to keep the thing on the road. A Corvette seems a good way to get him killed. After all, I nearly bit it in my dad’s '80’s Caravan driving stupid, and that thing couldn’t get out of its own way.
I agree with the BRZ/FRS recommendation. Sporty, fun, but not overly powerful. With few exceptions, 18 year old people suck at driving and are perpetually out of money. A car with monster power or high maintenance bills isn’t for them.
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There is nothing wrong with giving someone more information than they asked for because it might be something they have not even thought about . This is an 18 year old person with dreams just like all 18 year olds.
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Seems kind of lecture-ish to me. Kid asks for sports car recommendations and receives a myriad of reasons he shouldn’t get a sports car in reply. Reminds me of A Christmas Story. “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid!”
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Given all the criteria I think the Scion FR-S or Subaru BR-Z in manual really fits the bill the best. Probably also the best choice when you drop some of the criteria.
I have owned a Miata for about 20 years, my current one for 17 years. It’s fun to drive and you can drive it hard and still be legal. It’s durable and inexpensive to maintain, parts are reasonable and easy to get, it’s not so complex that you can’t learn a lot about car repair if you’re interested, and the insurance is also reasonable. Yes, it’s only a 2 seater, it’s sort of noisy inside and a bit small, but I’ve loaded all sorts of stuff in it. It’s just a grin. Go to Craigslist, take one for a test ride, see what you think.
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