rsx-s is open diff not lsd...and WILL get stolen without a garage
abarth sound great but realible? not sure
g35 is a great choice.
fist sounds great...orrr a cobalt ss tc for under 10 will be real nice. srt4 neon or caliber?
genesis coupe?
rsx-s is open diff not lsd...and WILL get stolen without a garage
abarth sound great but realible? not sure
g35 is a great choice.
fist sounds great...orrr a cobalt ss tc for under 10 will be real nice. srt4 neon or caliber?
genesis coupe?
lotusseven7 (Forum Supporter) said:BMW Z3 or Z4, also Solstice/Sky. I've been looking lately and keep drifting back to these 4 but I'm only looking at convertibles.
But the coupes are so much better - and in the case of the Z4, almost twice as torsionally stiff, so they outhandle the converts!
I'd tell the OP to look at vintage - a nicely restored MGB (or MGB GT according to his preference). As much fun as a Miata but twice the coolness.
(Disclosure - I own both Z4M and Solstice coupes, but have no MGBs - no room with all the MGAs around my place).
Ian F (Forum Supporter) said:
Your TDI (assuming it's a manual) is IMHO the best car for teaching someone to drive a stick. All of that off-idle torque is very forgiving. At least my '03 feels that way.
sadly the TDI is a DSG auto trans... otherwise i'd prob keep it a lot longer and make it somewhat of a toy...
also thanks for all the suggestions... so many options out there... lol.
Actually went to Toyota to see about buying one of these. I like quirky cars. Had a nice long test drive.
Not a lot of sporting DNA, but as a Slow-car-driven-fast, it had potential. Much the same as I have fond memories of my Protege being a lot of fun cause I drove it like I stole it.
also, every canvas has potential
The other advantage of the iQ is you would get some cred for having the only one around. Pretty sure they did not sell a ton of these.
Pete
In reply to NOHOME :
If going that route, get the Aston.
I'm a 6'5" FiST owner. Headroom is good, but I don't have a moonroof. With moonroof I fit okay. Previous owner removed the Recaro seat bottom bolsters, you could probably do the same to the seat back. Alternatively, swap in a regular fiesta seat.
Loved almost everything about my Abarth but I agree, test drive one first. The driving position is not the most natural, it takes some adjustment.
I own a supercharged NB and an R53 MINI CooperS. I'll second everything SVRex said. If I had to keep just one of them it would be the MINI and I love Miatas.
I'm 6 years into my Abarth and still love it. A few mods have perked it up a bit (pedal box, springs, bigger torsion bar, UniChip) & the exhaust still wakes me up in the morning. I've seen a few on a Facebook group for sale around $7-8k still in decent shape. I'm 5'8" and have the sunroof, still have room to spare.
I also don't mind the seating position at all, but I came from a 2006 Scion xB, so I was used to bus-like seating lol.
Jordan Rimpela (Forum Unterstützer) said:The 500 Abarth is a very good time. Has the turning radius of The Queen Mary, though.
I don't understand the dings against the Abarth's turning radius. On my road, the only car I ever owned that could turn around without a need to back up some was my old volvo 850. The Abarth can do this with just puttin a tyre up onto my neighbor's driveway. It certainly is a lot better than my disco that requires a full K turn to turn completely around.
In reply to mad_machine (Forum Supporter) :
that turn circle was always something I loved about my 700/900 volvos... stupid awesome turning radius...
NickD said:lotusseven7 (Forum Supporter) said:also Solstice/Sky.
Not at OP's dimensions. I'm 6'3" and 240lbs and I cannot drive one of these. My knees are jammed against the dashboard and I can't work the clutch. They have less interior room than my Miata.
I am not even 6" and found the Sky/stice impossible
donalson said:In reply to mad_machine (Forum Supporter) :
that turn circle was always something I loved about my 700/900 volvos... stupid awesome turning radius...
Meanwhile, the P2R has a larger turning radius than some dually pickups. Man was THAT a shock. Leaving a tight driveway you have turn into oncoming traffic.
When I drive the Fit, sometimes I do a U turn on a two lane road just because I can.
NOHOME said:Actually went to Toyota to see about buying one of these. I like quirky cars. Had a nice long test drive.
Not a lot of sporting DNA, but as a Slow-car-driven-fast, it had potential. Much the same as I have fond memories of my Protege being a lot of fun cause I drove it like I stole it.
also, every canvas has potential
The other advantage of the iQ is you would get some cred for having the only one around. Pretty sure they did not sell a ton of these.
Pete
I agree the Toyota Yaris is one of those underrated fun cars because it's so practical. Yeh you could stiffen the suspension up enough so you could feel it. Toss a turbo on it or some other go fast power stuff but it's fine as is. Roomy too
Pete. (l33t FS) said:donalson said:In reply to mad_machine (Forum Supporter) :
that turn circle was always something I loved about my 700/900 volvos... stupid awesome turning radius...
Meanwhile, the P2R has a larger turning radius than some dually pickups. Man was THAT a shock. Leaving a tight driveway you have turn into oncoming traffic.
When I drive the Fit, sometimes I do a U turn on a two lane road just because I can.
what is a pr2?...
You're not gonna believe that I'm suggesting this but
unexpected, right? Im 6'2" and at my heaviest, I was 239lb, I fit just fine.
donalson said:Pete. (l33t FS) said:donalson said:In reply to mad_machine (Forum Supporter) :
that turn circle was always something I loved about my 700/900 volvos... stupid awesome turning radius...
Meanwhile, the P2R has a larger turning radius than some dually pickups. Man was THAT a shock. Leaving a tight driveway you have turn into oncoming traffic.
When I drive the Fit, sometimes I do a U turn on a two lane road just because I can.
what is a pr2?...
'04-07 (in North America) S60R/V70R. They have a little over two turns lock to lock, but not because the steering is fast, it's normal steering with giant tires that rub the inner fender.
I understand that the Focus ST and RS have the same problem.
frenchyd said:NOHOME said:Actually went to Toyota to see about buying one of these. I like quirky cars. Had a nice long test drive.
Not a lot of sporting DNA, but as a Slow-car-driven-fast, it had potential. Much the same as I have fond memories of my Protege being a lot of fun cause I drove it like I stole it.
also, every canvas has potential
The other advantage of the iQ is you would get some cred for having the only one around. Pretty sure they did not sell a ton of these.
Pete
I agree the Toyota Yaris is one of those underrated fun cars because it's so practical. Yeh you could stiffen the suspension up enough so you could feel it. Toss a turbo on it or some other go fast power stuff but it's fine as is. Roomy too
That's no Yaris, that's a scion iq.
In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :
I can verify the RS suuuucks to turn around.
Our minivan has a smaller turning circle.
This is doing nothing to lessen my desire for a FiST. The iQ is cool, but finding a manual one?, well you'll find a good running and reliable biturbo first. My experience with the Fit was fantastic. That's what I'd suggest. Potential for power (k swap, some supercharger kits available) light weight, reliable, cheap. Hard to go wrong.
Most FWD performance cars have a pretty bad turning radius. Wide wheels stuck inside a wheel well designed for something smaller. The Abarth isn't terrible overall, but compared to a regular 500, it's atrocious. Years ago when I was looking, every FWD hot hatch I looked at had a wider turning radius than a Mustang GT, except maybe the GTI.
Another vote for a MINI, it should definitely be on your short list.
R53 (first generation with supercharger) are plentiful, inexpensive, and well understood with good aftermarket support for upgrades. Check for whether the supercharger has been rebuilt.
R56S (second generation with the turbo) 2007 - 2010 with the N14 engine there are some known problems that are solvable - needs updated timing chain tensioner, updated valve cover for the carbon build up problem, and high pressure fuel pump replaced. 2011 - 2013 with the N18 engine has been pretty reliable. There's decent aftermarket support, but not as strong as for the R53. I have a 2012 with almost 100K miles and lots of upgrades, it still puts a grin on my face every time I get in. A total hoot to drive and I still get over 30mpg as a daily, and lots of fun at the track.
There's also the JCW and GP versions of both the R53 and R56, though you can buy the stock version of the R53 and R56S and build it into the equivalent or better for a lot less.
What about Mustang, Camaro, CTSV, Infinity of some sort?
It's super easy to find a GTI or GLI well within your price range, both are very accommodating for taller drivers.
If you're going for sports car giggle factor they need a few relatively inexpensive suspension upgrades to get there. The engines are fantastic to drive though, even stock they feel very eager to pull in any gear.
If I were you I think the two cars I'd seek out for a test drive first would be the Fiesta ST and Abarth though. Out of the box I imagine these two are the closest to matching the fun of tossing around a Miata.
In reply to donalson :
I had an 07 Fit Sport and with an aftermarket rear sway bar, it was pretty entertaining to drive.
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