Talk me out of this car

[Hermit]

I looked hard at a new Miata in 2010. Finally ended up with a used 2004 Audi TT. It had 34,000 miles on it and I paid $15K for it. I have been very happy with it and still have it. Much more comfortable than the Miata in my opinion. I have a 6-speed, but if I were to buy one again, it would be an automatic. The automatic is a dual clutch setup that is very fast and accurate. The only thing you miss is a lot of knee bending. (The turbo is also a lot of fun in the mountains!)

[ls99]

Hmmm, arthritis all over the place and a car needing a shoe horn to get into. How you gonna get out of it?

Might consider a restored 96 Buick Radmaster, comfy, rides like a land yacht, had one of the best engines of the day, LT1 also used in Corvettes and 9C1 Police cruisers.
1996 Buick Roadmaster station wagon

[aja8888]

If you decide you don't want a convertible, but want a sports sedan, have a look at the 2016 VW GTI. Well equipped for ~high $20's and runs with the best of them.

[Moemg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AllDone If you had an arthritic left knee and arthritic ankles and feet, would you be sensible and buy an automatic or would you choose something that was more fun? Or should I just buy some old lady, square sedan?

I hope we never get too old for fun cars . Buy what you want but maybe buy an automatic. The Mazda Miata will keep you young .I live in Florida and I always see older people driving fun cars especially convertibles .

[mpeirce]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aja8888 If you decide you don't want a convertible, but want a sports sedan, have a look at the 2016 VW GTI. Well equipped for ~high $20's and runs with the best of them.

+1

It's an awesome, fairly reasonably priced FUN car. And it's manual is just perfect.

[RunningBum]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aja8888 If you decide you don't want a convertible, but want a sports sedan, have a look at the 2016 VW GTI. Well equipped for ~high $20's and runs with the best of them.

And best of all, it gets 90 mpg!! Well, maybe.

[mpeirce]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RunningBum And best of all, it gets 90 mpg!! Well, maybe.

I'm missing the joke.

2016 MX-5: 27/34 MPG
2016 GTI: 25/34 MPG

Not a big difference.

[folivier]

I recently went through the same decision process. Only I wanted a useable back seat for my grandkids. I'm now driving a 2014 Mustang V6 Premium convertible, but of course only on nice days. Very sporty and fast enough with 305 hp. It's automatic but has the sports mode + a button shifter. Also has programmable power steering.

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ls99 Hmmm, arthritis all over the place and a car needing a shoe horn to get into. How you gonna get out of it? Might consider a restored 96 Buick Radmaster, comfy, rides like a land yacht, had one of the best engines of the day, LT1 also used in Corvettes and 9C1 Police cruisers. 1996 Buick Roadmaster station wagon

I am fortunate to have no arthritis anywhere in my bones and am not overweight. I am still nimble enough to do squat exercises, stand up from a sitting position without using hands, pull myself to a chin up, etc... But I find sports car seats uncomfortable. I also stop caring for a stick shift more than 2 decades ago; too much work, and not as fun as I was younger. A car is now just something to move me from point A to point B. I care for comfort and safety. The love of speed, acceleration, or the "fun" of driving is long gone.

But I will pass on your "land yacht" suggestion though.

[brett]

My sister is on her third Mazda Miata over many years.

She is now in her mid/late sixties and switched over to an automatic transmission. She found clutching to be a problem with her back.

All three have been excellent. Just the usual, scheduled maintenance. She swears by them.

[MasterBlaster]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HFWR Recently had a Chevy Cruze rental. Plenty of room inside, but I had to scrunch down to get in. Needed a frickin' helmet..

I don't believe that. There is more room in a Cruze than many other cars. It is kind of amazing the amount of room in that compact car. I'm a tall fellow, and I could wear a brimmed hat in that car if I wanted to.

Did you use the side handle to adjust the seat down ?

[Bamaman]

I've been a sports car guy for the last almost 50 years. I'm also a glutton for punishment being an owner of a Jaguar XK8 convertible.

But the Miata is undoubtedly the finest sports car that's ever been built. And the new version is even better--updated engineering.

Think of the Miata as a MGB with electrical and fuel systems that actually work.

[Beldar]

DW has a 2007 MX5,it was her mid-life crisis vehicle. It's an automatic with paddle shifters, spec wise 0-60 faster than the 5 speed.

It is an incredible blast to drive, it will out maneuver just about anything on the road and after driving it on the twisties I can see why it is the most popular sports car in the world.

It sits low to the ground so if you have trouble with aches & pains that might be a problem for you as far as getting in & out.. Also, since its a zoom-zoom type of sports car the ride is harsh and noisy. But the maneuverability is incredible.

I suspect we will always have a Miata in our garage until the end. We can drive it year round here in the desert SW. Nothing beats a convertible in this scenery.

As someone else suggested, why not test drive a few. They aren't normally available in the rental market, but maybe a dealer would "rent" one out to you for a few days.

HTH

_B

[Bestwifeever]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpeirce I'm missing the joke. 2016 MX-5: 27/34 MPG 2016 GTI: 25/34 MPG Not a big difference.

I think it relates the recent VW diesel debacle.

[aja8888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bestwifeever I think it relates the recent VW diesel debacle.

To add clarity...and it (the diesel issue) really wasn't about MPG, just NOx.

[Peter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aja8888 To add clarity...and it (the diesel issue) really wasn't about MPG, just NOx.

And, of course, the GTI runs on gasoline.

[Lakewood90712]

Get something fun , automatic with the paddle shift , and enjoy.

When you can't get into or out of it because of nee, back shoulder problems, sell the newer beast then. Drive it until your body or mind can't anymore.

Life is short . The glass is way more than half empty for most of us, , don't wait.

[capjak]

After Driving a BMW not sure I could force myself to drive anything else

[AllDone]

Thanks for the input. I guess I'll have to go drive the Miata and see if it hurts. I've been driving an automatic for two years and it's sort of sad and it seems equally sad to live in San Diego while driving a car with a fixed roof. With the amount of driving that I do, it seems silly to spend the money for another BMW.

That Buick is kind of cute.

[RunningBum]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bestwifeever I think it relates the recent VW diesel debacle.

Yeah, that was the joke. But I don't know that I would recommend a VW until we see for sure that they survive this and can continue to service cars, and also see what hit resale takes. But, if you tend to keep cars forever (and don't care about resale), you might be able to get a better deal while they are so beat down, though that story died down pretty quickly.