Midlife crisis much? My mom wants a sports car?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Boz Mon
  • 55 comments
  • 5,492 views
I too would not recommend the Kia Forte, as it looks like (in my opinion) a Civic Si yet it built like a Kia. Pretty car, for an imatation, but if she already has a Civic, I don't think she would like the Forte.

You could always lie to her and tell her the Mustang is built in Canada. Or mention the Pontiac G8, as it was built in Australia, and is still backed by Goverment Motors (well until the warranty expires)
 
JCE
Walk-in with $25,000 and drive out in this:


[/thread]
Click to expand...
Except it's kind of everything she doesn't want, mate.

I'm also seconding (or whatever by this point) the E46 M3. Seeing as it's a car I've been looking into, I have discovered that used market for this generation M3 is 65% filled with convertible models ranging in all sorts of variations.

However, depending on how your mom is around car maintenance, please know that she can not jump in the first one she sees. Please have her look at the miles, do a PPI, & then see how close she will be to doing Inspection I & II for the car. Personally, that bit of information is exactly why I am waiting for the right car to appear & I highly, highly advise your mother do the same when it comes to the M3.

They are amazing cars, but as I learned, research is extremely important for the car before buying.
 
Awesome. Does she want a manual transmission? I'm hoping so.

Anyway, I ditto the Infiniti G35.

If she's ok with a sunroof rather than a removable top, you may want to look at used Acura RSX-Ss. It's not exactly a sports car, but it's definitely sporty. Then again, there are a lot of sporty coupes with a backseat and sunroof.
 
Last edited:
Boz Mon
4. I am also going to throw the Mustang idea down and see where she takes it. I know the new 6's are gonna be pretty BA. But on the other hand it is american :-(
Click to expand...

I would suggest the 350Z as the alternative to the 'stang, but since 4 seats is a requirement the G35 Coupe would be less than $25k with low mileage and would still be a big step up from the mustang.
 
Hello there, The Volvo C30 T5 is made for four adults, and they sit quite well in the backseat... But a Volvo C70 T5 is more for your mother, its a cab and coupé in one. and two adults sit quite well in the backseat too! Or a Saab 9-3 Convertible, not so expencive either..
 
Last edited:
Azuremen
But you are. Grossly so, given that the Civic has the same power and weighs 500 pounds less I believe.

330Ci would be a sound choice as well. Again, it seems everyone is suggesting a 3 series...
Click to expand...

A four door Civic Si (heaviest Civic short of a hybrid) weighs roughly 2950lbs. An EX will be around 2750, depending on the options.

I'm going to second the S2000/MR-S suggestion. Maybe the current Miata. S2000s and MR-S's are very commonly around 15k here. Particularly the AP1 S2000. I'd try to find an AP2 since they're a little nicer as a driver rather than a race car. MR-S has automatic available if a manual tranny is any turnoff to her.

How about a 350Z? Coupes get listed around $15k here as well, though you'll probably get a nicer one if you look at the lower end of $20k.And at that price you'll find a lot more convertibles than at the cheap end of the scale.

Oh, I missed the four seater part...well then, everyone else had pretty good suggestions. Not sure why one would want a four seat convertible when the rear seats are almost always useless.
 
Last edited:
Well, I think you've missed a few important vehicles:

2007_audi_a4_2_0t_comparo_gallery_2007_audi_a4_2_0t_image_0011_cd_gallery.jpg


2007_saab_2_0t_9_3_comparo_gallery_2007_saab_9_3_2_0t_image_0021_cd_gallery.jpg


2007_vw_eos_3_2_comparo_gallery_2007_vw_eos_3_2_image_0011_cd_gallery.jpg


All things considered, the Audi is probably a little bit better of a choice compared to the BMW (and other RWD sports coupes) based on the fact that you are in the Mid-West, and yes, we do receive nasty weather now and then. My guess would be that a 2.0T Quattro would be more than adequate for Mom, more than enough to impress her friends, and should be both reliable and fuel-friendly otherwise.

Of those three though, mainly because I'm a basket-case, I'd have the Saab. Despite my undying love for Volkswagen, yeah, the Eos is a bit much for me. Too many wiz-bang pieces, it just isn't the coupe or the convertible that I wanted it to be. The Saab is madness, absolute madness. Sure, the chassis rigidity is a little low, and the power delivery can be a little out of whack... But that's what makes it a Saab. Plus, you can buy one in "Puke Green," and who wouldn't want that?
 
So I threw out the idea of the Volvo C30 and she likes the car. Hopefully she'll go look at one soon. You can get a new one for just over 25k
 
Boz Mon
"I want a new car.....a sports car"

4 seats
Click to expand...

Does not compute (unless the rear 2 seats are for groceries and nothing else). She needs to decide whether she actually wants a sports car or a sports version of a normal car. If she just wants a four seat car that goes faster than slower versions of that four seat car, the list is colossal - virtually everything with 4 seats has a go-faster version. If she actually wants a sportscar, the list is Miata.

I would 8,000% recommend against an Audi A4/S4 convertible for any purpose except a demonstration of how not to do it. Or a slinky race - these things flex like an ex-gymnast Thai hooker.
 
Since it is my mom, I think the term "sports car" was taken with a grain of salt. Her definition of sports car and the actual definition are not one and the same. I think she would go for an NC Miata if it had 4 seats and only 5 gears. She drove mine the other day and actually asked me if she HAD to use 6th gear.
 
Boz Mon
Since it is my mom, I think the term "sports car" was taken with a grain of salt. Her definition of sports car and the actual definition are not one and the same. I think she would go for an NC Miata if it had 4 seats and only 5 gears. She drove mine the other day and actually asked me if she HAD to use 6th gear.
Click to expand...

1255517883939.jpg
 
Regardless, the lower trim level of the NC Miata does have a five speed (at least in US-Spec).
 
Boz Mon
Since it is my mom, I think the term "sports car" was taken with a grain of salt. Her definition of sports car and the actual definition are not one and the same. I think she would go for an NC Miata if it had 4 seats and only 5 gears. She drove mine the other day and actually asked me if she HAD to use 6th gear.
Click to expand...

Then you're looking at an Herculean task.

There are as many tarted-up versions of 2-door, 4-seat cars as there are 2-door, 4-seat cars. She will reject every single one of them until she finds one she happens to like the look of despite your best efforts. The actual performance of the car won't matter - nor any other aspect. She just wants a car she likes looking at that can go "vroooom".

And that will generally mean something that is expensive and comes in a colour she likes.
 
Since it sounds like she's mainly looking for a fun, four-seat convertible rather than a sports car, have you looked at the VW Eos (hardtop convertible) or earlier Cabrio? I'm uncertain about VWs because they seem like they can be very solid or have continual problems. I also doubt the storage for the convertible hardtop will leave much storage room. Still, though, it seems really nice.

Current VW Eos page:
http://www.vw.com/eos/en/us/

(By the way, a close friend, in midlife with three sons, had a Mustang Cobra, which she loved. She said it was bizarre how many young guys with riced up cars would want to race her, though).
 
I think I'm gonna agree with Famine on this one. The true performance won't matter a bit, because odds are she is never going to get anywhere near the limit of whatever car she gets. Anything that you suggest will probably be way more performance than she needs. Just see what she likes the look of.
 
Ok, let's recap. Her wants are:

- 2 doors
- 4 seats
- Convertible
- Sporty looks/performance
- NOT for autocross or stoplight racing

Hmm...Audi S4 Convertible?
 
orimarc
Ok, let's recap. Her wants are:

- 2 doors
- 4 seats
- Convertible
- Sporty looks/performance
- NOT for autocross or stoplight racing

Hmm...Audi S4 Convertible?
Click to expand...

Pretty much this, but it doesnt HAVE to be convertible.
 
Famine
She just wants a car she likes looking at that can go "vroooom".

And that will generally mean something that is expensive and comes in a colour she likes.
Click to expand...

Basically this. All you can do is show her everything that even remotely meets her criteria (and hopefully won't cost an arm and a leg to maintain) and see what sticks.

When your mother says she wants a sportscar, she's not asking for motoring advice; she's simply asking: "Do I look fat in this?"
 

Latest Posts

Back