Official Car News and Discussion Thread

**stormy** · 02 Jun 2007, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by haohmaru

Anyone have thoughts/impressions to give on a Mitsu Spyder Eclipse (GT/GS) convertible?

Take whatever you would have spent on that and get the most recent used Boxster you can. It's easy to find low milage Boxsters that sat in some old couple's garage for a couple years.

Or just get a Miata if you can handle the gayness.

My 3rd choice would be a convertible Z but I think they are overpriced.

Bojack is right about the Eclipse. Too heavy, fwd, torque steer, etc.

**Hubbitron** · 02 Jun 2007, 01:59 PM

I test drove a new eclipse before I bought my si. It was pretty luxurious inside and that's about it. Again, Bojack is right about it. It felt like I had no connection with the road. The convertible would be good for decapitation in a car accident imo. Way overpriced also.

**Wildkat** · 02 Jun 2007, 02:17 PM

4thing the "they are fat pigs"

Sad, becuase the 1st and 2nd gen AWD Turbo cars while unreliable as hell, were some fun cars.

**MarkRyan** · 02 Jun 2007, 02:21 PM

Car and Driver was fairly enamored with their long-term Eclipse tester. It's a GT and not a Spider, but I imagine the same opinions would apply.

For the price you could definitely do better, but then you could definitely do worse.

**stormy** · 02 Jun 2007, 03:21 PM

Originally Posted by Wildkat

Sad, becuase the 1st and 2nd gen AWD Turbo cars while unreliable as hell, were some fun cars.

I helped my friend buy a red GS-T gen2 back when we were in college. I loved his car (he loved it too). He killed it after a couple years of not changing fluids, but it was so much while it lasted. I would have loved to try the 4wd version. I always wondered why they didn't just stick the full Evo powertrain underneath.

**haohmaru** · 03 Jun 2007, 10:03 AM

Originally Posted by stormy

Take whatever you would have spent on that and get the most recent used Boxster you can. It's easy to find low milage Boxsters that sat in some old couple's garage for a couple years.

Problem with exotics like Porsche is that a.) finding a dealer that's close is next to impossible b.) parts are ass expensive c.) maintainence is 2x that of a normal car.

I've always like the Boxster, though.

**MarkRyan** · 03 Jun 2007, 01:25 PM

Boxter is as much a girl's car as a Miata, don't let anyone tell you different.

I actually kinda like the Miata now that it's called the MX-5 and has an optional retractable hard top.

**stormy** · 03 Jun 2007, 02:03 PM

Originally Posted by haohmaru

Problem with exotics like Porsche is that a.) finding a dealer that's close is next to impossible b.) parts are ass expensive c.) maintainence is 2x that of a normal car.

I've always like the Boxster, though.

Weren't you considering a Land Rover at one point?

A Boxster is hardly an exotic. It's Porsche's volume seller, there are lots of them around so I don't think it would be as hard and expensive to fix as you think. Probably not much more than a BMW or Audi. Also, Porsche is always near the top of the reliability surveys, often grabbing #1, unlike the other German auto makers (and unlike Land Rover).

I went to look at Edmund's "true cost to own" and for 04 and 06 models they were ranked at the lowest marks on the slider. Don't know why there was no slider on the 05, but there was a little refresh that year so if you look I'd keep an eye out for an 05. Check it out:
04 http://www.edmunds.com/used/2004/por...68954/cto.html
06 http://www.edmunds.com/used/2006/por...33448/cto.html

Originally Posted by MarkRyan

Boxter is as much a girl's car as a Miata, don't let anyone tell you different.

Not true at all. It's only a girl car in girl colors like yellow or bright red. I like the hard top mx-5 a ton, but they are close to $30k with decent options in them. That's way too much.