Used sports car?

goleafsgo · 05-24-06, 11:15

I've been trying to pick out a used sports car under $25K this last month. My problem so far has been that I live in Alaska and the selection has been terrible so far. So far the car at the top of my list is the Honda S2000 which has been really hard to find as well. I got to drive one and it was a blast. I really should have jumped on that one but it has been sold already.

I have also driven the Nissan 350Z which was also a great car, but very hard to find used here.

The next car I'm going to check out will be a Mazda RX-8. There are actually three I can pick from. All are 2004 models with less than 15,000 miles on all of them. I have only sat in one so far and I'd really like to drive one. Does anyone have any opinions on these? How does the rotary engine sound when its hitting 9000 rpm?

Right now I think I'm more interested in handling over all out power but I'd still like to be pushed into the back of the seat when I hit the gas.. the S2000 I drove was great for that. Does anyone know how the RX-8 compares to the S2000 acceleration-wise?

Five Star · 05-24-06, 11:28

motortrend.com/roadtests/coupe/112_0403_compact_sport_coupe_comparison/

jdoria · 05-25-06, 03:45

My best friend had an RX-8. The rotary gets HORRIBLE fuel economy if that matters to you. (Stock in the high teens, after he spend 10k on the engine about 10mpg) It was a big, comfortable, sporty, car. I woulndt call it a sports car though, the engine power just wasnt there.

J.J. · 05-25-06, 03:04

Say no to RX-8!

350Z hands down no question about it!

JJ

RTexasF · 05-25-06, 04:46

By design the rotary engine uses a lot more oil than most folks are used to. If you go that route check the oil level often and make sure you always have some oil on hand.

awahl63 · 05-25-06, 04:58

Compared to the S2000 the RX-8 is pretty sluggish. How "new" of a used car do you want it to be? Does it have to be manual/automatic? RWD/FWD/AWD? What are you lookin for?

velobard · 05-25-06, 08:04

Used Audi TT Quattro. Not as much raw speed as a 350Z and some others, but a heck of a fun car that's no slouch and AWD to boot, and I love the style. If you can find one, they can sometimes be had for 25K and under.

jchetty · 05-25-06, 08:17

how bout a used mustang cobra

tailwind · 05-25-06, 08:54

There is no better deal out there than a used C5 Corvette.

gmblack3a · 05-25-06, 09:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by tailwind

There is no better deal out there than a used C5 Corvette.

You might even be able to find a 01 Z06 for under $25k, but it will have high miles and was most likely a trackcar. More often then not the 01s where oil burners, mine had the re-ring done at the dealer.

goleafsgo · 05-26-06, 12:05

It definitely has to be a manual and RWD or AWD. I'm kind of up in the air right now about how old I would like it to be. It just depends on what kind of shape the car is in I guess. I won't be buying a car that has obviously been beat up and not cared for.

I'm still going to be going to take a closer look at the RX-8 and hopefully for a spin to see how I like the engine.

The only problem with Alaska is the lack of selection of decent cars. There are almost no 350Zs at all and barely any S2000s. There are a lot of C4 Vettes.. a few C5s if you look hard enough. I'm even considering buying from the lower 48 and either having a car shipped up or go and drive one back.

bet993 · 05-26-06, 05:57

How about a Porsche Boxster? Fantastic handling. You can find 00-01 with the uprated 2.7L engine in your price range. Also maybe expand your search. Nothing would be more fun than flying in and picking up your fun to drive sports car and driving it home.