mazdeuce - Seth said:Downside is you're a grow ass man driving a fart can Civic.
#facts
mazdeuce - Seth said:Downside is you're a grow ass man driving a fart can Civic.
#facts
mazdeuce - Seth said:Downside is you're a grow ass man driving a fart can Civic. Who is passing plenty of people who care about that sort of thing, and then not fixing anything later
Edited for accuracy
In reply to collinskl1 :
Could be. I sold it 2 years ago. But the real point is that all E46s from a base 325i all the way up through the M3 were in the same class.
I bet it’s the novelty of top down driving that they love. With that in mind, I’d look for a fun 4 seat convertible
G35 sedan is the way to go. Good power, plenty of bolt-on brake upgrades available, will fit decently wide rubber with the fenders rolled, proper room for kids. Just check the oil periodically, try not to let the diff get too hot (vLSDs turn into open diff when the viscous fluid gets hot) and run it.
In reply to Fueled by Caffeine :
3 kids in the back seat?
Will all 3 be in car seats? If so, this could greatly reduce your choices.
The most recent answer for me is a Q45 with a manual trans.
I overlooked your answer of 5, 8, & 10 years old.
That gives you some more options.
amg_rx7 said:I bet it’s the novelty of top down driving that they love. With that in mind, I’d look for a fun 4 seat convertible
As a dear friend of mine used to say, "four seat convertibles are for dictators and old women"
Not manual trans but how about an Infiniti M56?
I like the idea of a truck motor (Nissan Titan) in a sedan.
mazdeuce - Seth said:amg_rx7 said:I bet it’s the novelty of top down driving that they love. With that in mind, I’d look for a fun 4 seat convertible
As a dear friend of mine used to say, "four seat convertibles are for dictators and old women"
I’ll just leave this here for reference or inspiration
Dad of three: You are probably the perfect customer for Mopar Challenger/Charger
Other 5 seat options just to put them on the table: WRX, CTS-V (especially the wagon), Mazdaspeed 3, Honda Fit (local guy used to autox one and had lots of 3-wheel fun), Fiesta/Focus ST, Model 3, Forester/Outback.
This is why I have a Mustang, if it wasn't for the kids it would be a two seater all day.
By the way Mustangs only have four seats, and S550 rear seats are for people under 5'5" S197 up to 5"10".
What do your kids like about the Miata? Is this for practical purposes too or just to have a car to take the kids for fun rides?
Of all the cars I’ve had, the big old Custom Cruiser wagon is the kid’s favorite because it’s old enough to have a novelty factor and she can sit in the “backwards seat.”
The B swapped Civic and rallycross Neon are fun to drive but to a kid, it’s just another little car.
Can you keep the Miata and get a cheap 80s-90s b body wagon or something to cruise around in?
In reply to BlueInGreen - Jon :
I like the idea, but up here in minnesota I need a winter car. so I need to stick to two vehicles. The Miata is novel because it is open top and also fun/different than the other cars I have. My wife suggested a E46 convertible. I'm not there..
Any car I get needs to fit inside my three place garage with a million kids bikes a mini-van and whatever is my "normal daily/winter car" The miata fits in the garage because it is small.
My kids second favorite car? The Forester. Turns out rear seat visibility is a big deal when you're four feet tall. Part of what they like about the Miatas is that they HAVE to ride in the front which is cooler than riding in the back. When they ride in the back, most modern cars are like a cave back there. The first gen Forester was open and airy and visibility was great. The Fit that my daughter has that we drove around the country this summer is a close second the the Subaru.
In reply to Fueled by Caffeine :
Honestly, I agree with your wife. I wouldn't be surprised if half the reason your kids like the Miata is the open top and relative "smallness" of it compared to them. Unless they're bigger than average, an 8 and 10 year old would have a good chance of getting "lost" in the back seat of most of these suggestions. If they can't (can just barely) see out of the windows, riding in the car might not be much fun for them.
WRX. Plenty of room for 5 inside. And AWD. And turbo.
The open roof and see out comments might mean that a 4 door Jeep with top down would satisfy your kids ideas of a "fun car" You can get 3 across in the 4-door Jeeps as this googled pic highlights.
In reply to Ian F :
looks like an E46 convertible is only a 2 place back seat. same with Mustang.
In reply to John Welsh :
I've owned enough jeeps.. Started with a 71 cj5.. My jeep game is strong. Not interested in going back there.
I posted an 8th gen civic Si in the cars for sale thats listed for $4k looks to be a very solid deal. Located in PA
jharry3 said:WRX. Plenty of room for 5 inside. And AWD. And turbo.
I'll say, my twins love it when I get into boost on our WRX. Even if we're not really going that fast, the turbo sounds and peaky power-delivery makes it dramatic for them. Also, I'm pretty sure the visual cues that (ahem) some adults find distasteful, the kids love. Hood scoops, spoilers, and fender flares - it's got 'em. My kids literally call it "The Racecar" though it's bone stock and there's not even any stickers on it (I encourage this little fantasy, so sue me). Visibility is also good from the rear seats, but I hadn't thought of that until this thread.
What is the rear seat experience in a WRX wagon like compared to the Sedan? I know the physical seating is about the same, but do the extra rear windows visually open things up?
Civic SI and WRX + E36/46 pull on me more...
Civic because I owned a crx si and 96 hatch before
WRX because I love rally! I mean I really love rally.
E36/46 because rwd race car?
I do like e30 4doors as well but so hard to find rust free up here in the north.
You should really find an 8th gen Si to drive. They're freaking fantastic. Rev to the moon. LSD. Dash is all kinds of weird but you get used to it. Good seats. Phenomenal as cars. Great fun on track, pretty fun at AX. Good chance that you'll only have to do oil changes as you repeatedly wail on it for years.
WRX is more "this is rad" when it's sitting in the driveway. I personally don't like how they autocross. They can certainly be fast, but the way you have to wrestle the car isn't fun to me. I haven't driven one on track. All my Subaru friends are good at pulling motors.
E36's are old. Maybe old enough that they're getting cool? I always thought the E46 was a more attractive car. Both of them autocross "better" than the above cars. Haven't driven either of them on track either. I'm always nervous about "the maintenance isn't that bad" claims. I'm sure it's not, but the list is a looooooot longer than the Civic.
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