stuck between two choices of a secondary convertible car

so i'm stuck between deciding on two different cars and they are completely different even though they are both convertibles.

1. 2003 toyota MR-S
[URL]http://okinawa.bookoo.com/item32728974.html?itemId=32728974&src=SEARCH&ref=mr-s[/URL][URL="http://okinawa.bookoo.com/item32728974.html?itemId=32728974&src=SEARCH&ref=mr-s"]

[/URL]Pros for me:
this thing was a blast to drive
just like a go-kart
its a toyota and therefore it will last a while
didn't need any work done at all
75k km
awesome little zippy grippy car
sounded nice too
around 7-$7500 with all taxes and everything
SMT (sequential manual transmission) fun but not fun
paint was original and perfect
from a nice dude

Cons for me:
too much like a go-kart
only a two seater and no space for junk or subwoofers
kinda ugly
feels a little douche' driving it around all zippy like
completely stock
SMT (sequential manual transmission) fun but not fun




2. 2000 bmw 320i convertible

[URL]http://exchange.goo-net.com/usedcars/BMW/3_SERIES/700012025220130108001/index.html[/URL]

pros for me:

shiz looked sweet when you backed up and took a look at it, already had rims, dropped, body kit, front end conversion upgraded to newer version
front lights and rear lights looked almost brand spanking new
4 seats and a trunk for speakers and things
nice custom color paint job

cons for me:

shop said they would fix a lot of stuff but it looked like it needed some love under the hood
interior seats were rough looking, front were much worse so car seat covers would deff be in order
steering wheel was really bad but could always be replaced for a couple hundred with an almost new one
about 10k when its all said and done but if no issues then it is a much better car to me
automatic
looked like an old chick with some nice clothes and high quality makeup on
brake pads looked good but rotors looked like hell since it has been sitting for a while the guy said
120k km's
not a super zippy awesome to drive car but may be still a fun cruiser
paint was not original and had some scratches that dealership says they will fix before selling
from a shady dealership



unknowns: waiting to hear if timing belt and water pump have been done or will be done before said purchase
don't know how old the aftermarket coilovers are

I dont really like either of them, honestly. Out of the 2 id choose the toyota.

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i think they are both poor choices. lol.

I bought a 99 Miata as a daily/fun car. I absolutely love it. But its not something I can pack my son in, so in that aspect its kind of a drag.

Yeah, I'm not too crazy about either car but if I must choose one, I would do the toyota.

i too am leaning towards the toyota...  i know its not most's cup of tea, hell, i've never before owned a coupe or a convertible so its new territory for me as well.

ideally i had been thinking an s2k or sc430 all along until i cam to the realization that in japan these two cars were made in low numbers (or made in high numbers and most shipped to the US) and are very expensive at the moment.  i put myself on a 10k budget and nothing but garbage is even in that price range in the s2k/sc430 realm.

comparing the MR-S to the miata i think is a pretty safe comparison minus the fact that the MR-S is mid/rear engine, but they are very similar to me.  i like the looks of the MR and the road handling a little better which is why i didn't include the miata/roadster/mx5 in my list so far...  other entries that almost made it are the jeep wrangler but the more i read about it and how they suck they more i ended up not including it in my search.

my wife says to keep on searching until i find something i am really feeling, but i think this is just her trying to dissuade me from picking one this season and not 6 months from now.  that MR-S is a damn good deal on such a clean car and although i'm not 100% sold on it at the moment i think if i pass it up i will regret it 6 months from (after summer) when i can't find another clean one at that price point again.   mehhh,,,   at least i don't have big worries [knock on wood] so i am very thankful for this...

I was going to suggest SC430 (Soarer) or S2000 but I didn't know they were more expensive there.

sounds like you are gonna end up disappointed with anything you choose.

i just want a convertible fun to drive little car,, but again my champagne taste on beer budget is kicking in.

yeah s2k and sc430 are almost 1.5-2 times the price here as they are stateside at this exact moment. i considered getting a nice sc430 off CL and trying to get it shipped here, but a guy who runs a dealership here said he did it a few years ago and it adds about 2-3 months of time and about 5-8k$ when its all said and done, and then you have a left hand drive car in japan,, hmmmm.... not my first choice of side for the steering wheel for driving here.

just did another search of japans equivalent to autotrader and here is the current trend

s2k 2004/5 + (AP2; new version) 20-25k minimum starting for anything without 200k miles.

sc430 2005+ 30-35k$ mimimum starting price for anything less than 100k miles.

guess i should either shut up and buy something cheap and be happy or save up another year until i can afford an s2k or sc430...

check out the site for your selves,, pretty nice selections 

[URL]http://exchange.goo-net.com/php/search/summary.php[/URL]

get a cappuccino!

[QUOTE=brainneeded;486949]get a cappuccino![/QUOTE]

^

Or maybe a 350z roadster? Can't recall if they made them pre 07, but if they did I'd imagine it not to be too much?

a fairlady is not a bad choice at all, i always wanted one of these stateside but just assumed they would be in the ballpark as an s2k,, not too far off at around 18k, but i'm liking what i'm seeing of these 350z roadsters ;) thanks for the heads up.

about the cappuccino, there is a track version of one that zips past my house every now and then and it sounds like an f1 car coming down the road (which is why i always look), and then i see this small car go flying by pulling 1.5 g's and boosting in the 30's (according to the blow off sound it makes),, insane, but small.

the fairlady roadster would be about 2-3 times the price of the MR-S but i'm not sure its 2-3 times the car...

well i got the MR-S guy to agree to 6k from his asking price of 7k...  now just gotta figure out how to get it from a Y plate to a J or Kanji plate rather,, stupid rules says US peoples are only allowed to have one car per licensed driver here and i'm not giving up my crown so i gotta have my Japanese wife do all the officiating on this one.

found a real clean 04 bmw z4 3.0 i w/ sport package 55k miles.  3.0i and sport package were over $10k in original base model add ons alone.  got em to include a new set of tires and gonna test drive it later today, but we already agreed on a price considering everything is cool with the test drive.

bought the z4 mentioned above ^ ^ ^

Pics or gtfo :D Congrats!

[QUOTE=sojah;487819]bought the z4 mentioned above ^ ^ ^[/QUOTE]

should've gotten a capucino. 1.3L 3 cylinder turbo. :dance:

pick up the car on 1 or 2 apr, to avoid the yearly road tax so thus far i've only paid for it, don't have it yet ^ ^ ^

Got a pic, dont pick up the car till the 1st of april though.

[IMG]http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l543/b3rusty/IMG01309_zpsc1df0244.jpg[/IMG]

Btw thats a TT aristo for sale behind it,, just noticed that  ;)