New or Used: What Offset Panther Love?
Dan writes:
Hi Sajeev and Steve,
I’m a longtime TTAC reader and I was hoping you guys could give me a bit of advice about an upcoming car purchase. I recently graduated college, and with no debt to pay off and a fairly good income I’m looking to get myself a second car. My current car is a 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis in incredible shape with around 130k miles on it, It currently has some minor powertrain and suspension mods as well. I have no plan on getting rid of this car, as it has quite a bit of useful life left in it and is extremely practical. I’d like to keep it as a winter car/possible project car, and the residual value of it (~3kish) is low enough that it doesn’t make sense to trade in. However, having wanted a sports car since I started driving, I’d like to go ahead and get one now that I’m in a position to do so.
My (possibly strange) requirements are as follows:
I can spend a max of $30-32k on it, but ideally I’d like to keep it ~$25k. I’ve looked at a new Miata, Mustang GT (Convertible is rather pricey), and the Genesis coupe (it’s not a convertible but I liked the looks and interior enough that I’d consider it). I’ve also given some thought to the following (newer, low mileage) used cars: Honda S2000 , Mazda Miata, Porsche boxster(mentioned above), BMW Z4, and a co-worker of mine also mentioned that I might consider a C5 corvette as well. I think they’re all great cars, and each has its own strong/weak points. The S2000 and the Miata are probably the most serious contenders, but I’m trying to keep my eyes open. I’m torn as to what I should get, and I’m also wondering if there’s any cars that I missed that are worth looking at.
Please let me know what you guys think, I’d love to hear back from you on this.
Sajeev answers:
Sir, I take offense to the notion that your Mercury Grand Marquis isn’t able to satisfy your latent sports car needs. You, my good man, need a proper tongue-lashing for such blasphemy. Your disrespect of Panther Love, this website and the esteemed B&B will not go unpunished, that I promise you.
Of course I’m just kidding, but that’s really not the point.
There are only two cars that are ideal for your situation: a C5 Corvette droptop with non-stock tires (as run flat rubber is the work of the devil) or a Miata. One of these covers the high performance spectrum unbelievably well (LS1-FTW) and the other is the stuff of “momentum car” legend. The question you must ask yourself: do you treat the gas pedal like a conventional light switch or a twisty-knob rheostat? Because each car demands a unique outlook on life. You decide which one is right for you.
And finally, how dare you consider a droptop two seater when all you need is a $1000 Webasto moonroof retrofit on your MGM to solve this dilemma?
Steve answers:
I am lucky enough to have driven every ‘newer’ car mentioned on your list. The personalities certainly run the gamut and to be blunt, you won’t know until you drive them. Hey, worse problems can be had in this world.
My biased advice? None of them will offer even half the bang for the buck of a 1st gen Miata.For less than $5000 you can get an exceptional sports car that can be customized and accessorized to utterly insane degrees. You name the sports car conversion you desire and chances are it’s already been done with a NA Miata.
Even in stock form these vehicles are absolute blasts to drive around town. I now enjoy a 95 model to such satisfying ends, that I haven’t even bothered putting an aftermarket stereo system in the thing. All it has is a gaping hole in the middle of the dash. But I don’t care. The tailpipe, pedals and steering wheel give me all the tuning I need.
So why blow $30k when a $5k does a better job of putting an ear to ear grin on your face?
Not only do the NA Miatas offer robustness, simplicity, and satisfy all of your remaining criteria. But they also have a lot of older owners who take good care of their vehicles and maintain them to a T.
Find a good one. Buy it. Keep it and drive the Panther when a road trip beckons. Good luck!
Need help with a car buying conundrum? Email your particulars to sajeev@thetruthaboutcars.com , and let TTAC’s collective wisdom make the decision easier… or possibly much, much harder.
More by Sajeev Mehta and Steve Lang
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You can drive a Miata anytime, anywhere, any time of year, and in just about any conditions. I did it when I had my 1990. Get one with a limited-slip diff, keep good tires on it and the well-balanced handling will take you through snowstorms. Just don't drive into any drifts or it might get high-centered;) The biggest hazard I faced when driving the Miata in winter weather is one particular dumbass who slid into it. In a front-drive Honda Civic. It's not a Panther on the highways but it's far from a penalty box. It gets a steady 26-28 mpg in mixed suburban commute driving. It's dead reliable and super-simple to maintain. And with the top down it's phenomenal. I want another one.
You've named a lot of great cars that have a lot more pluses and relatively few minuses, albeit in slightly different categories. On the upper end of your budget you can get into a good mileage c6 all day long and own a car that will THRASH almost anything on the road. The corvette also has more legitimate thumper bonafides than anything on the list. The Porsche and BMW certainly have more snob appeal and might be considered more refined by some, but those people generally haven't driven a c6 and ultimately make their buying decisions based on what other people will think first and actual performance second. I couldn't justify spending that kind of ching on a new miata when you can, as has been mentioned, pick up a nice used example for a sixth of your budget and bring it up to and beyond spec for 10k all in. That might be the best way to have your cake and eat it too; get a into a wicked fun car with some tuner cred and all the performance you need on the street and bank the rest. All that said, if it's me in your shoes I'm buying the first good mileage, good price, good condition c6 that I come across.