Well, my luck turned around! Oh, wait, it got way worse.

[ftc~brz]

Originally Posted by thejevans

Update:
I received word today that the other driver finally gave a statement and officially admitted fault...

I would hope so…I mean you were sound asleep in the house unless our cars pull some knight rider antics in the wee hours... just sayin

[infinite012]

Originally Posted by Areddi

Every true car guy should own a Miata (at some point in his life) so you can understand the standard to which all sports cars should be held, and one would fit in your budget.

Every car you ever look at or drive after owning a Miata you will find you compare to the Miata: "Well, it is more powerful for sure." "Well, it is definitely heavier." "Man, I wish this thing cornered like my Miata did."

Miata engines and drivetrains are rock-solid, and you can buy a high mileage one without fear (assuming it has been kept up with regular oil changes, etc). Make sure to check for lower rocker panel rust.

I came from a Miata to the Twins, and they check many of the same boxes in the good category that the Miata does.

I loved my stupid '92 Miata. It had 3 different brand tires, but still felt great driving it around twisties.

Then the soft top started to separate from the roof cross bars.

Then the dampers went kaput.

Then the A/C stopped working.

But the engine and transmission were fantastic.

And I sold it for how much I bought it for 2 years later.

[OrbitalEllipses]

Originally Posted by infinite012

And I sold it for how much I bought it for 2 years later.

Every Miata I see is overpriced as shit. The whole market has been for...at least 5 years if not more. /sigh

[Areddi]

Originally Posted by OrbitalEllipses

Every Miata I see is overpriced as shit. The whole market has been for...at least 5 years if not more. /sigh

So buying a used one is kind of strange. Some people think they are worth way more than they should be. If you know what to look for and are willing to do some maintenance, then a decent one can be had for about $2500. You can spend $5000 though and get a cherry one, so its kinda that line of buy and fix, or buy a perfect one.

Most common maintenance issues are timing belt and waterpump replacement every 60k miles or so. Also the slave cylinders go pretty often, but are cheap and easy to replace.

Other advantage, 20 year rule in MD, you can historic tag many versions of it now, and next year you can get a 94 with the 1.8. No safety or emissions, just 50 bucks for two years or something stupid like that. Some people like the 1.6 from 90-93 though cause it is a little revvier.

Miatas are incredibly mechanical and easy to work on. I'll definitely own another one to play around with in the near future. I know a lot about them if you have any questions. For reference, I had an 01' so the NB model, but same size interior as the NA (90'-97'). I am 6'1" and about 235 lbs, and it was a squeeze but not uncomfortable. I could not fit in with my racing helmet on and the top up though, so top down if you're gonna race and around my size!

[Marcoscrdo]

What about a s2000? More pricey though

[kALMIGHTY]

If I were in your situation, these are the cars I'd be looking at in the ~20k price range, at least here where I live.

In order of preference, excluding the Miata since you're already considering that:

RX-8: If you don't mind the gas mileage, and if you can find one that's still under warranty so you can get the engine replaced by Mazda if anything happens to it. Honestly, revving the car up to 9500 rpm's is a really unique and wonderful feeling, plus it's practical and has a better front to rear weight ratio than the twins.

350z: If you don't mind only having two seats, but I'm assuming that's not a problem if you're looking at a Miata. Great power, a little clunky and heavier feeling than the FR-S, but still an amazing car. Heck, you might even be able to get a used 370z at that price, considering new 2014's are going to be under $30k.

STi: Probably last gen. They're fast and AWD is a lot of fun too.

Genesis Coupe R Spec: I'd go with the last gen since the front end looked a lot better. Not the best manual gearbox but still a good car.

Camaro: Great power, and they do look great, even if they're huge and heavy. I've seen some around where I live, where cars are generally more expensive than anywhere else, for about $22,000.

BMW 128i Coupe: Not much to say about this one, really. Just another bimmer, not the best one, but still decent.

There are obviously a lot more options around, but these are at least what I would look at first.

[thejevans]

Total aftermarket left on the car comes to $1889.62 before depreciation. We will see what I get.

[ftc~brz]

oh the dreaded curse!

[OrbitalEllipses]

Originally Posted by Marcoscrdo

What about a s2000? More pricey though

All beat to shit and overpriced.

[Jrohit]

Mazdaspeed 3? Practical and powerful. Try looking at the Fiat 500 , modified ones can push out up to 180 HP to wheels as we saw at Ptuning.

[SubaSteve]

Originally Posted by OrbitalEllipses

All beat to shit and overpriced.

All the soft tops are ripped or will rip. That will cost you 2gs to replace or you get wet every time it rains. I would just go with whatever is cheapest to insure.

[SubaSteve]

Lolololol get this one.

[OrbitalEllipses]

Originally Posted by SubaSteve

All the soft tops are ripped or will rip. That will cost you 2gs to replace or you get wet every time it rains. I would just go with whatever is cheapest to insure.

Cheapest to own and insure is the best advice for the time being with this situation.

[IloveBaldEagles]

Which is any cheap american 4cyl car.