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Renault Scenic - Mid-Life Crisis - Botchit, Soddem & Leggit

OK, so it may not be far off. I know this because the thought of owning a sports car is playing on my mind. The last time this happened was when I was at school. The big 40 is not so far off now and I am spending time thinking about just what I should buy.

It all started with a childhood "love" for the Triumph GT6. Nice little classic British sports car with a straight 6 engine (different to the bread and butter 4cyl engines that have powered every car that I have owned to date). Problems with this idea are plentiful (and far too plentiful to list here). Concern from the wife that she would never see me again have led me to rethink. Next stop Lotus Elan 1990s model. Loved this too at the time, but its a lotus, and that too presents a number of problems (but maybe not as many as the GT6). Moved on quickly to the MR2. Mk1: too old. Mk2: no way!! Mk3: Lovely

Constraint is cost - would spend no more that £3500. Not too worried about age, but do not want to have to spend al my spare time fixing it.

What else should I consider???
MGF - do I really want to buy a 10 year old rover?
MX5 - isnt that a girls car?
RX8 - getting a bit big and maybe too practical

What should I be careful about???
Thrashed by boy racer?
Expensive maintenance?
Excessive insurance?

Renault Scenic - Mid-Life Crisis - Sofa Spud
I did drive a GT6 once. The low driving position and the impression that you were sitting behind an upturned boat made reading the road ahead more difficult than in a normal car.
Renault Scenic - Mid-Life Crisis - 1066
i have a 2003 mx5 sport 6speed with svt engine and it really is a very good rapid and welll handling car.
you could get a 2001 model for 3k with history at this time of year.
Renault Scenic - Mid-Life Crisis - injection doc

MX5 any day brill little fun and reliable car. Forget the MG etc

Renault Scenic - Mid-Life Crisis - bathtub tom

Seconded.

Plenty available and this is the right time of year to buy. Spares are readily available and cheap.

Renault Scenic - Mid-Life Crisis - car67

MX5 has to be the best handling and precision in steering I have ever tried. Great fun too!

Renault Scenic - Mid-Life Crisis - jc2

If you get a GT6,get a very late one-they've got proper rear suspension.LOTUS = Lots Of Trouble-Usually Serious!!

Edited by jc2 on 07/11/2010 at 07:58

Renault Scenic - Mid-Life Crisis - Avant

I very nearly went for an MX-5 but although it's a fine-handling car the noise iut makes is nothing special. My BMW Z3 2.2 isn't as sharp a handler but the BMW straight-six (mine's a 2.2) is one of the great engines of modern times. As well as the wonderful sound it makes, there's also its ability to give of its best at low as well as high revs.

Try an MX-5 and a Z3 (2.2 or 3.0) and see which suits you better. Avoid an MGF which makies a Lotus seem reliable in comparison. There's also the Honda S2000 but its comparative rarity may push prices up.

Renault Scenic - Mid-Life Crisis - 1066
can an s2000 or z3 be got for £3500 though
Renault Scenic - Mid-Life Crisis - terrierman

Ive had an MX5 as a second car for 7 years and its been brilliant. They are good to drive, cheap to run and plentiful. Look carefully for rust in sills especially behind doors.

There is quite a difference in power between the 1.6 and 1.8 - a good idea to try both. The one I've got is a grey import Eunos which are better equipped than UK models and for some strange reason seem to be less prone to rust. Imports are generally cheaper and I've not found any problems having one. Some insurers were asking inflated premiums - no idea why as all parts are identical - but this now seems less of an issue.

As always condition is key. They are tough little cars but personally I would avoid anything modified, lowered or generally messed with.

Now is the time to buy!!

Renault Scenic - Mid-Life Crisis - Paul G1pdc

I was having a look at this sort of thing over the weekend....well the misses was watching x-factor..and it was to wet outside to go running......so autotrader was fired up...

oh....i was 40 in april hahahaa......

3500 will get a 1.6/1.8 mx5 around X reg with history and 35-50k. the 1.6 was 0-60 in 9.7 and grp 11 insurance and 200 ish tax per year...the 1.8 more fun but more insurance. grp14 and tax.... Z3. saw a couple of these for approx 4500. and one said about rust around the boot lock etc...and they where only 1.8 for this price. Also slower than the 1.6 mx5. (1.6 mx5 has 108hp around this age. with the 1.8 about 35hp more...(all figures....ish....)

mr2s....once owned a mk1. handled like it was on rails, but most have rusted away. rear wheel arches first....a girl here has a mk3, and loves it, with its optional hard top.

reviews i've read on the mazdas are.....can suffer from rust in old age. imports generally not undersealed unlike the uk sold cars, some insurance companies also load the premium on imports and wheels/suspension can be different from uk cars. ie if you find you've got a damaged wheel,,,,your only option is to buy a set of 4....or wait months for one to come from Japan....

have fun looking....i'm still trying to talk my wife round to the fact that 2 young children a spaniel and her will all fit in a MX5 hahahahaahaha.......trailer/roof rack.....

yep we have 2x volvo v40s at the moment....so must be able to talk her round....more fool me....grin...

Paul (40) .....when i got my mk1 MR2 it was 5 months before i got married...and was told i was having a mid-life chrisis at the time....hmmm

Renault Scenic - Mid-Life Crisis - car67

Meant to say things to look out for on the MX5's are:

Check the lower inside rim of each door, sometimes the internal sheath can be damaged and let water in - it spills in over the sills of the doors, and sometimes inside the doors too. It can be seen if it has been a dryish day, there may be dirty rainwater traces.

Check the boot, sometimes water can get in through the seam of the petrol cap and the body - it's a welded separate piece of metal and sometimes the seam hasn't been molded as it should have

They don't drive well on bad ice, and have a habit of snaking in the rain/back end spin out - but if you drive carefully it can be done(so dont' let this put you off), make sure your tyres are good treads - I find Toyo's have pretty good grip. As an aside, they are no use in the snow.

You'll get roughly 38/40MPG in a 1.8i, not bad.

Renault Scenic - Mid-Life Crisis - ohsoslow

To add to car67 should you be looking at MX-5s.......Mk1 & Mk2, I know nothing about Mk3s.

I agree ref tyres, don't think about budget ones and take care on anything but dry surfaces, certainly until you get used to the handling.

There are drains from the hood near the top seat belt mounts behind the seats. These can get blocked and cause damp on the rear shelf and into the footwells. These are easily cleared and to keep clear but can cause mouldy carpets and then rust if the water cannot drain away. Not easy to find though. A strong mouldy smell in the cabin would be a hint to walk away in most cases, there are lots of 5s out there so don't rush your choice.

Mk2s can suffer from rusty boot lids, open the boot and look around the rolled seam along the rear edge of the lid. Also the sills between the door and rear wheel arch can become rusted out.

The hood will cost around £350- £400 fitted I think, so if it looks dodgy that could trigger some serious haggling.

I doubt you will get any worthwhile (Japanese) history with an import, but apart from that I would have no qualms about having one. You may have to get some undersealing done though.

With a well maintained car the mechanicals are generally bombproof.

As for being considered a girly car, forget it, those who think that know very little about the 5.

Car67, you're doing well getting 38 mpg, I average about 35 / 36 but still not bad when having so much fun...('99, 1.8i.)

Renault Scenic - Mid-Life Crisis - injection doc
if you really want to add some fun & sound to the car then fit a supercharger.
I have supercharged an MX5 , the kit complete was from the states and my word it transforms the car to serious fun fun fun and mighty quick but you can't take it out in the rain as you normally end up going back the way you have just come!!