I just realized I can't afford an FR-S :/ What should I get instead??

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by MokSpeed

Buy a Fit and call it a day until you can afford a 2nd car which can be your toy car.

Originally Posted by jeffchap

Rather than a Civic Si, I'd get a GE8 model Honda Fit Sport with a manual (that's the previous model -- I haven't driven the new ones).



I actually went to the dealership back in 2009 to buy an Si, and test drove a Fit out of curiosity. Ended up buying the Fit. It was WAAAY more fun to drive! I loved that car right up to the day it got totaled by a hailstorm. Paid $16,750 new for it, drove it til May 2013, and insurance paid me $14,200 for it.



It's got tons of room to haul stuff, gets almost 40 mpg, and will run forever. And did I mention they are fun to drive! I probably should have bought another one. I like my FR-S okay, but I'm supposed to like it. The Fit was an unexpected joy, and put a smile on my face every time I got behind the wheel.

Probably the best car I've ever owned...

Originally Posted by MisterSheep

^^^ A friend of mine has had his Honda Fit for over 4 years now and he hauls his whole Drum Set and other misc. music items in his car. Cheap, Reliable, honda.

Thanks guys! My Daughter in Law is looking for a small crossover and we have looked at a few but not the Fit. To be honest they never even crossed my mind. It sounds perfect for her and I will take her shopping again tomorrow.

[MokSpeed]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Thanks guys! My Daughter in Law is looking for a small crossover and we have looked at a few but not the Fit. To be honest they never even crossed my mind. It sounds perfect for her and I will take her shopping again tomorrow.

It has paddle shifters so you know it means serious business!

Originally Posted by jeffchap

Probably the best car I've ever owned...

First generations were my favorite and the most aesthetically pleasing to me. I don't really care for the newer ones but I'm sure they get the job done just as efficiently.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by MokSpeed

It has paddle shifters so you know it means serious business!

.

So does my wife's RVR. They do look pretty on the wheel but that is about it.

[jeffchap]

The interior has been vastly upgraded on the latest model. I've sat in one, but didn't drive it. I was afraid if I did, I'd buy it and take too big a loss on my FR-S. Sorry, but I have a serious woody for these little cars. They live up to the hype. Be sure to drive a stick though, the ATs are a little anemic.



Check out the Kia Soul for your DIL as well. My wife has a 2014 Plus and it's been a really good car too. You get a lot of amenities for the money. I like driving it as well. I could easily live with it as my DD.

[thill]

25K miles a year? I would get a gently used Civic SI. They are very reliable and are still pretty fun. Maybe a Veloster Turbo for something a little different but only if it has a CPO warranty.

As fun as a used S2K, and Miata are they are not practical @25K miles per year of driving and especially if you need storage.

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by Brndn704

Fixed it for ya.

Shenanigans, I'd estimate I'm going to be close to $1,000 spent on my new sports car in maintenance alone by year three, OP will have higher expenditures per year given his driving schedule, he'd be looking at 3-4 oil changes per year on an 86, along with new cabin filter and air filter annually or bi-annually and if he drives it anywhere near aggressively brake fluid and transmission fluid and differential fluid at 1-2 year intervals.

At $50/oil change minimum driving an 86 25k miles per year is going to be very roughly a minimum of $200 a year in maintenance, and if you're running the car hard, buying not the cheapest stuff and trying to keep it tip-top, bring that closer to $300-$400 per year.

A more conventional new economy car with $30 oil changes (less oil required, more common oil weights available) can slide in under $100/year if you're doing the bare minimum.

[fitcious]

I've owned 2009 white Honda Fit Sport, manual..loved it. knee was bothering me so i changed vehicles.

The super rare ones are the previous generation Fits (2009-2014) in white or orange, manual with navigation!

Also another note to point out, first generation Fits were nice looking too but inside was kinda sparse. The second generation came with USB input, navi as option, and better sound insulation.

The new/current generation Fits are Made in Mexico...every Fit before current ones were 100% made in japan.

[DarkSunrise]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

Shenanigans, I'd estimate I'm going to be close to $1,000 spent on my new sports car in maintenance alone by year three, OP will have higher expenditures per year given his driving schedule, he'd be looking at 3-4 oil changes per year on an 86, along with new cabin filter and air filter annually or bi-annually and if he drives it anywhere near aggressively brake fluid and transmission fluid and differential fluid at 1-2 year intervals.

At $50/oil change minimum driving an 86 25k miles per year is going to be very roughly a minimum of $200 a year in maintenance, and if you're running the car hard, buying not the cheapest stuff and trying to keep it tip-top, bring that closer to $300-$400 per year.

A more conventional new economy car with $30 oil changes (less oil required, more common oil weights available) can slide in under $100/year if you're doing the bare minimum.

If you wait for the 5qt oil/filter deals at Autozone, you can drop the price of oil changes down to about $35. At 25k miles per year (3.33 oil changes), that's $117. Brake fluid ($15), cabin filter ($20), and air filter ($15) should be done every 30k miles, so that's another $50 per year. In total, he's looking at $167/year if he can do the maintenance himself.

I honestly don't think that's too much more than your typical economy car doing 25k miles annually. An extra $50 per year, if that, shouldn't make/break the purchase decision IMO.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by DarkSunrise

If you wait for the 5qt oil/filter deals at Autozone, you can drop the price of oil changes down to about $35. At 25k miles per year (3.33 oil changes), that's $117. Brake fluid ($15), cabin filter ($20), and air filter ($15) should be done every 30k miles, so that's another $50 per year. In total, he's looking at $167/year if he can do the maintenance himself.

I honestly don't think that's too much more than your typical economy car doing 25k miles annually. An extra $50 per year, if that, shouldn't make/break the purchase decision IMO.

Based on the assumption he will do it himself. Not everybody can or wishes to do everything themselves.
I for one will probably never put a tool to my car. Not because I can't but because I simply don't want to. May days of getting pleasure from working on or tinkering with my DD are over and I will gladly pay somebody else to do that work. The cost of having somebody else do the maintenance is a valid consideration for many people. I have had to have my oil changed 7 times in the last year and since we pay more here that is a total of $500. That is just oil changes and none of the other things I have had to pay for. I of course considered this when I bought the car though and was prepared for those expenses.

Now, if I find me a nice late 60s or early 70s Dart or Duster for a weekend toy I will be dirty to the elbows again.

[Brndn704]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Based on the assumption he will do it himself. Not everybody can or wishes to do everything themselves.
I for one will probably never put a tool to my car. Not because I can't but because I simply don't want to. May days of getting pleasure from working on or tinkering with my DD are over and I will gladly pay somebody else to do that work. The cost of having somebody else do the maintenance is a valid consideration for many people. I have had to have my oil changed 7 times in the last year and since we pay more here that is a total of $500. That is just oil changes and none of the other things I have had to pay for. I of course considered this when I bought the car though and was prepared for those expenses.

Now, if I find me a nice late 60s or early 70s Dart or Duster for a weekend toy I will be dirty to the elbows again.

You pay another man to sleep with your old lady too?

[DarkSunrise]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Based on the assumption he will do it himself. Not everybody can or wishes to do everything themselves.
I for one will probably never put a tool to my car. Not because I can't but because I simply don't want to. May days of getting pleasure from working on or tinkering with my DD are over and I will gladly pay somebody else to do that work. The cost of having somebody else do the maintenance is a valid consideration for many people. I have had to have my oil changed 7 times in the last year and since we pay more here that is a total of $500. That is just oil changes and none of the other things I have had to pay for. I of course considered this when I bought the car though and was prepared for those expenses.

Now, if I find me a nice late 60s or early 70s Dart or Duster for a weekend toy I will be dirty to the elbows again.

I can understand that, but can I just say, oil changes on this car are about as easy as they come. If you replace the drain plug with a Fumoto valve, it's as simple as flipping a valve underneath the car and replacing the filter in the engine bay. Or even easier with a top-side fluid extractor.

Synthetic oil changes may be expensive at dealerships/garages, but thanks to good deals at places like Autozone/Advanced Auto, the cost of materials is surprisingly cheap, at least in the US.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Brndn704

You pay another man to sleep with your old lady too?

She is not a car (although after 35 years of marriage you may be onto something there).
I spent 40 years working on my cars doing everything from oil changes to complete engine swaps (sometimes as often as twice in a month). I have done complete frame off restorations on 6 cars and heavily modified some to the point they were only basically what they started out as. How many tires have you changed from one rim to another in your laneway using nothing but a hammer and a tire iron?
The joy of doing routine maintenance is no longer there and I don't see anything wrong with that.
I know this is an enthusiast forum and many find great pleasure in doing their own work but not everybody does and it should not be presumed that they do.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by DarkSunrise

I can understand that, but can I just say, oil changes on this car are about as easy as they come. If you replace the drain plug with a Fumoto valve, it's as simple as flipping a valve underneath the car and replacing the filter in the engine bay. Or even easier with a top-side fluid extractor.

Synthetic oil changes may be expensive at dealerships/garages, but thanks to good deals at places like Autozone/Advanced Auto, the cost of materials is surprisingly cheap, at least in the US.

That still does not mean people want to do it.

[why?]

Originally Posted by raven1231

I'm assuming you mean the GSX? and they were awesome, but not as awesome as the VR-4 . Just wish the VR-4 was lighter

Is that what it was? It was a long time ago and I never actually owned one. VR4 was awesome too. Almost tempted to buy a used one even though mileage is all 150k+

Originally Posted by Tcoat

The VR-4 was plenty light for it's day. We tend to hold some of these cars to todays standards and forget that back then the HPs were lower, the cars were heavier and the tech was still growing. Sure they may not stack up against the specs of today but back then they ruled. The sad part is that so many died a slow and agonizing death at the hands of the ricers and self proclaimed "tuners" when the F&F movie came out so good ones are hard to find today.

Back on topic.
I have seen the Miada, S2000, and RX8 throw up here many times but not sure people fully read the OP's needs. Yes they are all comparable to the FRS/BRZ but there are a few problems with them as recommendations for his stated purpose. He does not intend to track and needs to haul stuff so why focus on the most track worthy cars possible? He has a limited budget (and good for him for recognizing that) and with the exception of the Miata good reliable versions of these cars in that price range could be a quest. How many times have we read on a thread that people really want but can't find a reasonably priced S2000?
What I haven't seen here is a recommendation for a V6 Mustang, Camaro or Challenger. There should be loads of hairdresser driven ones out there at a reasonable price (could be wrong I have never looked) since so many were produced.

Good idea to check these out. Cheap and large.

Originally Posted by MokSpeed

Buy a Fit and call it a day until you can afford a 2nd car which can be your toy car.

ewww, honda. And they are so amazingly ugly. An miniaturized ugly minivan is not cool.