4 seater sports car/ convertable

Yup, have gone off them after looking at the owners forum, seems they cost a pretty penny when the engine goes which can happen quite often, or even hoses need changing £800, no thanks.

Her dad owns one, it's great to drive when it's working but it's really meant to either go racing or munch the miles. The four or so miles he drives it each day to work and back can't be doing it any good. It's bad for the seals to only give it a short run, it needs you be warmed up, there's a weird trick you're meant to do if you're just doing something like moving it around the driveway or something. Oh, and it's NOT meant for traffic jams, it hates going slowly, and despises sub-10mph speeds.

There are convertible Celicas but they're of the previous (mid-90s) generation.

[rowdy]

Audi TT can be had for 4-5k.
Mk1 TT's aren't overtly sporty but go fairly well, more style over substance but will be far less problematic than RX8. Base model is 150 brake but your budget will get a 180 bhp model, maybe even a 225 bhp one, they're all the same engine though and lots of tuning options.

Small windows take a little getting used to, bit like driving a tank at first looking through a small gap (windscreen is ok it's side windows that are odd at first). Boot is a usefull size, rear bench is small and for children only, soft top model strict 2 seater.

Originally Posted by rowdy

Audi TT can be had for 4-5k.
Mk1 TT's aren't overtly sporty but go fairly well, more style over substance but will be far less problematic than RX8. Base model is 150 brake but your budget will get a 180 bhp model, maybe even a 225 bhp one, they're all the same engine though and lots of tuning options.

Small windows take a little getting used to, bit like driving a tank at first looking through a small gap (windscreen is ok it's side windows that are odd at first). Boot is a usefull size, rear bench is small and for children only, soft top model strict 2 seater.

The Quattro TT's are actually quite rapid A-B, but the engine isn't the toughest in it's highest state of tune, they're also quite low geared, great for sporty driving but a bit wearing for a gentle cruise.

They also make you look like you own a tanning studio.

s2000 would be my choice over the rx8 or personally a supra TT is what id spend my money on

[rowdy]

Originally Posted by barwel1992

s2000 would be my choice over the rx8 or personally a supra TT is what id spend my money on

S2000 is a 2 seater though, I agree with the Supra (as long as it was unmolested) but a bit old now (think they stopped at 97).

Mrs likes the Audi tt, well she would, it is a girls car Imo they are not too bad, most i have seen have been 2 seater's but you can get 4 seater's so i believe. seen a couple of saab 9 3's convertables yesterday 07- 08 plates costing around 7-8k too high, and a w plate for 2.2k, too low looked ok, but was not in the best condition and i bet had a fair few miles on it, so s'pose were looking for a 04 ish plater, still got to get the mrs to look at a Celica in person as it were.

[rowdy]

Originally Posted by bluefishman

Mrs likes the Audi tt, well she would, it is a girls car Imo they are not too bad, most i have seen have been 2 seater's but you can get 4 seater's so i believe. seen a couple of saab 9 3's convertables yesterday 07- 08 plates costing around 7-8k too high, and a w plate for 2.2k, too low looked ok, but was not in the best condition and i bet had a fair few miles on it, so s'pose were looking for a 04 ish plater, still got to get the mrs to look at a Celica in person as it were.

Celicas are good, 190 version quite rapid, Saabs a bit unreliable these days, Vauxhalls in a fancy frock, all TT hard tops are 4 seater all soft tops are 2 seater. HTH

There used to be a lot more little four seater Japanese sporty cars... not just the Celicas, but also the MX-3s, MX-6s, 180SX. Now there's hardly anything. The MX-3 was tiny in the back seat (too many hours as a passenger in one) and I'm told by a friend of average height the Celica's not much better.

Originally Posted by rowdy

Celicas are good, 190 version quite rapid, Saabs a bit unreliable these days, Vauxhalls in a fancy frock, all TT hard tops are 4 seater all soft tops are 2 seater. HTH

Thanks for your help mate, been on the bay, and you can get the older celica for a grand, in what looks like quite good condition, and apparently are quite bullet proof as reguards reliability, i like both the newer and the older style so i recon they are top of the list at the mo, would have gone for a look at some places today but the wheathers so crap, we cba.
Metal, we hardly ever have adults in the back, a small 14 year old occasionally, so the car is for us more than for them, so rear passengers would just have to lump it, no taking dave p down to the ar like we did two years ago just after he had his knee done lol.