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Buying a new car - advice please

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Serge Aurier
Alright peeps, happy friday.

I have about £5k to spend on a car, currently I dont have one as I shared a Mazda Eunos (MX5) with my ex but she has it as its hers. Its rear wheel drive, and tomorrow im looking at a Honda S-2000 which apprently is a rear wheel drive I did not know.

But its either an S-2000, or a Z4 or possibly a Nissan 350z (will be tough to get one for £5k).

Have any of you got experiences with these motors? I was told by a mate last night that the S-2000 is scary as its a rear whell drive but fcuking quick so my mate sold his within a month (and hes a crazy driver).

Any advice would be great. I have no kids and no mrs so dont need a practical car really. Not yet anyway.

Nice one

G
 
The Z4 would be low on my list - not particularly good looking and somewhat 'tight' in terms of interior space

Plus for 5k you're probably looking at an older one so maintenance costs would have to be considered

Never was a fan of Datsun so my bet would be on the S-2000 in that 'range' - fantastic package all round and great fun to drive

Out of interest - are you dead-set on a 2 seater convertible?
 
I've had an '07 S2000 from new and own it to this day despite having a two-and-a-half year old daughter and number two on the way. (Yes, OK, I do also have a "sensible family" car as I couldn't really put the missus in the boot of the S2000!)

Yes, it is RWD - as all good sports cars should be!

It is a totally different beast to the MX-5. A lot of people who've never driven one think all it is is a bigger MX-5. Ha! Little do they know.

237hp out of a two litre, NA engine... Mmm...!

The pre-'04 cars are definitely more "hardcore". Honda "softened" them up a bit to make them more... shall we say... accessible. I think it was '04 that also saw the introduction of VSA. It came as standard on mine, but to be fair, in the years I've had it, VSA has only kicked in a handful of times, and that usually in the wet.

Honda "stiffened" the car up again in '09 as it was about to go out of production, but VSA was maintained.

It will bite you in the bum if if you're a dingdong with it, especially in the wet, but I've never ended up facing backwards in a ditch - as so many people say you will. And I don't exactly drive in a tame manner on our local country roads.

The scariest moments I've had were when one of my rears had a puncture and I hadn't realised until on every shift down I got a horrible skittish backed thanks to the limited slip diff. That and blowing an oil filter at about 8500rpm!

Be warned, this is a car that needs driving hard if you want real enjoyment. 6500rpm is where the engine really starts to sing, so by the time you're approaching redline in 3rd it's loss of license territory!

PM me if you want any other insight.

I will be keeping mine for as long as bloody possible. It is a great car.

Not a fan of the 350Z. Too big a lump of an engine in that car. Messes the weight distribution up. Z4... yeah, I quite like it, but for that budget you'll end-up with a pretty low-end one I reckon. Certainly nothing that'll compare in performance terms to the S2000 would be my guess.

Oh, by the way, you do know the S2000 will cost you plenty on insurance and VED? My insurance is about £650 with maximum no claims and VED is top band - whatever that is nowadays. £450? I just grin and bear it thanks to the thrills!
 
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Cheers Pal I was swaying towards the s2000 anyway. This one I'm seeing tomorrow (if it hasn't already gone) has a hard top with it too which is a bonus.

I'm 29 got no claims and pass plus etc drivers license for 12 years and no points (they came off this year!) so hoping it won't be too expensive???
 
GinolaGinolaGinola said:
Cheers Pal I was swaying towards the s2000 anyway. This one I'm seeing tomorrow (if it hasn't already gone) has a hard top with it too which is a bonus.

I'm 29 got no claims and pass plus etc drivers license for 12 years and no points (they came off this year!) so hoping it won't be too expensive???
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The hard top seems a nice addition, but to be frank, a bit pointless based on the couple of people I know who had one. Basically, it's nice in the winter, but there's the hassle of taking it off for the summer and storing it, then putting it back on for the winter.

My guess would be you're probably looking at £600+ for insurance. Your VED might be better than mine as I bought mine new when the new emissions bands came in - so I knew what I was walking in to! I don't think it applies retrospectively.
 
Ah guys the s2000 is still for sale but my bro is trying to get to buy the Nissan. The Nissan is 95 mile away ie Leicestershire and the Honda is south London.

I'm thinking s2000 but the interior for the Nissan is lovely plus it's quicker
 
Honestly mate, the ONLY way you can appreciate what the S2000 delivers is to drive one. Frankly, the interior is (relatively) dated, the switchgear is a bit "amateur", blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.

Then you drive one. Everything is just where it should be. It's all within reach of your hands without having to take them off the steering wheel. (Quite important in an S2000!)

If you want to go fast in a straight line, the 350Z will win. No doubt.

If you want real driving fun.... the 350Z doesn't come close.

But then, I would say that, wouldn't I?!

All that said, the S2000 won't please everybody. You have to work it hard to get the most out of it, and if straight line speed and playing "launch control" are what you're after, you'd be better off looking at something else.
 
Couldn't be arsed watching the third vid. Six minutes of 350Z?! What do they talk about?! Ha ha ha ha ha! Kidding. Some people will love it.

They were bang on in that first vid. That soft top 350Z looks bloody awful though. This is an area the S2000 really stands out. Always designed as a proper roadster, the hard top was an afterthought. The reverse of what happens - or used to happen - most of the time.

I would not call the S2000 boot "practical"! Unless you ditch the space saver spare. Then the space is a bit better to use. Pfft. Who cares about practicality if you're in the market for a car like this though?! It seats two, the roof goes up and down quick, and it drives like a proper sports car. Good enough for me.
 
A £5000, ten year old sports car is a perfect simile for a 30 year old bird.

Looks good at first glance, been round the track a few times, had the odd scrape or two along the way and is available because someone's had the best of it and now want shot, rot's about to set in and it needs refurbishing at considerable expense. Wind it up though and they still go like the clappers even if the the rear end springs are saggy.

I want one. :)
 
Gordinho said:
A £5000, ten year old sports car is a perfect simile for a 30 year old bird.

Looks good at first glance, been round the track a few times, had the odd scrape or two along the way and is available because someone's had the best of it and now want shot, rot's about to set in and it needs refurbishing at considerable expense. Wind it up though and they still go like the clappers even if the the rear end springs are saggy.

I want one. :)
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Such a way with words!
 
I think I need to test drive both then dont I???

Thing is I know if I go and see the s2000 this morning I will buy it as I've had pretty brick cars all my life bar one old Audi a4 but that was a reliable car. It's time I had a fun car but Ive had a few messages from mates saying the s2000 is a gay car!? Wtf
 
Ha ha ha! Yes, that'll be people who think the S2000 is a bigger MX-5. They know naaaaatheeeeeng!
 
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