Mid Life Crisis Cabriolet

Scarlett68

Hi,

Im a woman in the throes of a mid-life crisis (yes, women do get them too!) and am debating the purchase of either an MG MGF 1.8i or a Mazda MX-5. Ive done a bit of research and I know there are issues with the MGs head gasket - (the advice seems to be get one after 1999), whereas the Mazda is tried & tested with little or no problems bar the usual ones you get with any softop. My heart (and my budget) wants an MG, so I guess Im looking for advice + or - from anyone about either car. If you have any experiences/advice to give think of it has helping the aged!!! Thanks

Martron

i dont think you will find many people here to fault the mx5. It is a great car. i had a small drive in one beofre and found it to be great fun.

i am biased as i hate the mg.

Mena

My wife is in the throws of her mid-life crisis, and I ended up having to fork out for a CLK Cabrio :pac:

As to your two choices, I think the MX 5 would win hands down.

Sleepy

Never driven either but the MX-5 is a car I've wanted to take through the Wicklow gap for many's a year...

Quigs Snr

Had an MGF for several years. Loved it. But do not buy one on pain of death. Lovely to drive, but brutally unreliable and all this guff about later years being better is nonsense (mine had the head gasket issue, the so called upgraded head gaskets on later models might be better but still completely rubbish). Don't do it unless you are willing to absorb the sizeable repair bills. Mine was off the road for 8 months of the 3 years I had it. Repair bills were in the order of 8000 euro. It had 38k on it when I sold it, after requiring an engine replacement at 29k following a catastrophic and sudden HGF (3 letters you will become intimate with if you ignore this advice !)

MX5, not as pretty in my opinion, not as cheap, but reliable, fun and great handling. Its a no-brainer OP.

Alun

Had an MX-5 for a few years, and loved it to bits. After a bit, I went for a test drive in an MG-F just to see what it was like, and thought it was dreadful in comparison, and breathed a sigh of relief when I got back into my MX-5.

They're not particularly quick, but the feeling of speed is enhanced by driving with the top off, and being so low to the ground, so even when you're driving at normal speeds, it just feels so much quicker. The newer models might be better in this regard (mine was a 1995 model), but they were also not very torquey engines, even the 1.8, and you need to rev them pretty high to get the performance out of them, but that's half the fun, and the engine is not only bulletproof and can take it, but positively revels in high revs.

Just do it, I say!

P.C.

As everyone has said, the Mazda MX-5 is the one to get, but...

The MG is the one my heart has always wanted.
I know they are unreliable, and will spend a lot of time in 'hospital', but I still think they are great. I have not bought one, as I do not have the cash to keep one on the raod, but I console myself with driving my fathers 1969 MGB whenever I get the chance.

mark renton

If your gonna have a mid life crises then do it properly

http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/Z3/STUNNING/200925194356613/advert?channel=CARS

colm_mcm

Can't see why you'd look past an MX5 to be honest. (get a removable hardtop for the 350 days of the year that it isn't sunny)

ShadowHearth

Bought myself an mx5 10EA, going to pick it up on thursday, and i cant be more happier.

Was looking for an second car for fun, and after test drive in mx5... well... it just took me, mede sweet love to me, and newer let me go .

Any mx5 you will choose, its a winner. Reliabily is 5 stars, fun is 5 stars.

Some people say its not that fast, but it is! In corners

Go for mx5, you will pay more for it now, but you will save money on repairs. So all in all mx5 will end up cheaper!

jamieh

My dad bought a cabriolet today ....and my mum got one last year!! Dual mid-life crisis

-Chris-

+1 for MX5.

peasant

Scarlett68 wrote: »

My heart wants an MG,

Well, if you HAVE to be awkward, you could at least have picked a pretty outsider like the Fiat Barcchetta



Pity it's LHD only

colm_mcm

Barchetta is a bit of an oddball choice there Peasant, saw one yesterday in Terenure, surely an Alfa Spider would be a contender too if you're thinking Italian and flakey.

peasant

I was mainly thinking "bella macchina" (i.e pretty) because in my opinion the MGF is just fugly ...there's something very wrong with its proportions

-Chris-

I'd think the Barchetta would be massively more annoying as a car than the MG - LHD and at least equal in terms of unreliability, but I'd still choose it over the MG. The Barchetta's got personality!

pcardin

-Chris- wrote: »

I'd think the Barchetta would be massively more annoying as a car than the MG - LHD and at least equal in terms of unreliability, but I'd still choose it over the MG. The Barchetta's got personality!

Absolute b.....t! Obviously you never had one but you know everything about them...

blackbox

Have you considered a Toyota MR2 roadster?

Not at all practical, but quick, fun & reliable.

colm_mcm

pcardin wrote: »

Absolute b.....t! Obviously you never had one but you know everything about them...

I think he makes fair points, they're definitely LHD, which isn't very practical, and they're based on the Punto, which isn't exactly the most reliable of cars. add to that that so few were sold here, and it means main dealer for parts.

brian076

My daughter is looking to sell her MGTF if anyone is interested they can PM me. It's a 1.6 British Racing Green, 02, with about 45k miles. She's never had any trouble with it since she bought it 2 years ago and it passed the NCT earlier this year.
She's moved to London recently and is unlikely to be back in the near future so it'll be just gathering dust in the driveway.

mondeo

I have had a soft spot for the MG's for a long time. But I would not buy one with that k series engine in it, I would not touch it like the plague unless it had a rebuilt engine with the newer style HG fitted to overcome the hg issues. Their nicely styled cars it's a pitty their over heating maniacs.

Had a Rover 400 a long time ago with similar k series engine and hg went, rubbish engine design.

-Chris-

pcardin wrote: »

Absolute b.....t! Obviously you never had one but you know everything about them...

I'll be honest, I've driven a few MX5s, but haven't owned any of the three. I'm relying on common consensus & reviews.

I know of the MG's reputation of unreliability, and reviews that consistent tend to be correct.
I also know that a 9 or 10 year old Fiat with a soft top (as gorgeous as they are) is more-than-likely a recipie for disaster. My mate's dad owns one, although he doesn't drive it that often, I can ask him what he thinks.


I think "Absolute b.....t!" is of limited use to the OP, to be honest. Which of them have you owned and what were your experiences?

unkel

The MX-5 gets my vote too, but:

mondeo wrote: »

I have had a soft spot for the MG's for a long time. But I would not buy one with that k series engine in it, I would not touch it like the plague unless it had a rebuilt engine with the newer style HG fitted to overcome the hg issues. Their nicely styled cars it's a pitty their over heating maniacs.

Had a Rover 400 a long time ago with similar k series engine and hg went, rubbish engine design.

The K series is not a rubbish engine design. It is a small, lightweight high performance engine, used by the likes of Lotus for years in their sportscars. It is still used in Caterhams iirc. Yes the engine has a flaw. It doesn't have enough coolant capacity so if you lose coolant (through a leak or whatever) and you don't notice the engine overheating in time, the HG will be gone. You don't need this to happen to fit the new HG, it can be done on its own for about €500 last time I looked and the problem won't happen again.

So if you can buy an MX-5 for say €8k and a similar condition and year MG-F for €4k, there is a lot to say to go for the MG-F...

Scarlett68

Mena wrote: »

My wife is in the throws of her mid-life crisis, and I ended up having to fork out for a CLK Cabrio :pac:

As to your two choices, I think the MX 5 would win hands down.

Would love to swap my crisis with your wifes Mena:D

At this stage I think its fair to say that the MX5 has to be the one (I think I knew thats the way it was going to go anyway). It has to be the head ruling the heart....but hey they are both cute & sexy to me so its a win..win regardless. Thanks everyone, you've all been soooo helpful. Now all I've got to do is find a good one.

colm_mcm

don't forget to get one with a matching hardtop included.

pcardin

-Chris- wrote: »

I think "Absolute b.....t!" is of limited use to the OP, to be honest. Which of them have you owned and what were your experiences?

I had Barchetta and MGF for some period. Had have Alfa Romeo GTV, currently drive Lancia. So I know what I'm saying. I'm sorry for the b.....t thing but I hate when people talk about things they don't know.

cianclarke

Considered a Saab 9-3 Convertible, Saab 900 Convertible (classic, amazing looker if it's only for the w'end), Alfa Spider?
Never liked the MX5 or the MG, can see the appeal but they're both too small for me to fit in!

-Chris-

pcardin wrote: »

I had Barchetta and MGF for some period. Had have Alfa Romeo GTV, currently drive Lancia. So I know what I'm saying. I'm sorry for the b.....t thing but I hate when people talk about things they don't know.

But you're not saying anything except criticising my generalisations (which I've admitted).

Any chance you'd help the OP choose a car?

pcardin

colm_mcm wrote: »

I think he makes fair points, they're definitely LHD, which isn't very practical, and they're based on the Punto, which isn't exactly the most reliable of cars. add to that that so few were sold here, and it means main dealer for parts.

Barchetta is not Punto!!! :eek: I don't know the history but I had Barchetta and seen many Puntos. They are two compleately different cars in reality. And what's so unpractical in LHD? At least car will have some value anytime as it can be sold or used in different country as well.

pcardin

-Chris- wrote: »

But you're not saying anything except criticising my generalisations (which I've admitted).

Any chance you'd help the OP choose a car?

And any chance that you would? I at least had one of two models she wants.

colm_mcm

interesting argument guys. a bit like someone looking for advice on buying a Laguna II, I usually tell them to steer clear unless it's a very late model,

Sure enough, someone who has had one defends them.

followed by argument...

Now obviously I've never bought one with my own money and never would, so (for the purposes of the debate) this puts me in a worse position than the guy who bought one.
On the other hand, the person who bought one obviously liked them enough to buy one against the general opinion that they're rubbish.

Who's right in that situation?
the person who works in the garage,
the guy who reads reliability sirveys,
or the guy who actually bought one...

-Chris-

-Chris- wrote: »

+1 for MX5.

-Chris- wrote: »

I'll be honest, I've driven a few MX5s, but haven't owned any of the three. I'm relying on common consensus & reviews.

-Chris- wrote: »

But you're not saying anything except criticising my generalisations (which I've admitted).

pcardin wrote: »

I had Barchetta and MGF for some period. Had have Alfa Romeo GTV, currently drive Lancia. So I know what I'm saying.

pcardin wrote: »

I at least had one of two models she wants.

Looks like you're the most experienced car owner here.

One more time - any chance you'd give the OP some input on the cars she's looking at with regards to ownership of said cars?

-Chris-

colm_mcm wrote: »

Who's right in that situation?
the person who works in the garage,
the guy who reads reliability sirveys,
or the guy who actually bought one...

Compared to my reading of reviews, he's definitely more right. I've conceded that and am looking for his help.

unkel

pcardin wrote: »

I had Barchetta and MGF for some period. Had have Alfa Romeo GTV, currently drive Lancia. So I know what I'm saying.

Owning doesn't always mean knowing. And not owning doesn't always mean not knowing.

Oh so many posts here on motors (even just today) to justify that statement

colm_mcm

The OP's query has been resolved anyhow, stick up some links to back that up, Unkel

pcardin

unkel wrote: »

Owning doesn't always mean knowing. And not owning doesn't always mean not knowing.

Oh so many posts here on motors (even just today) to justify that statement

Yes unkel I've noticed already long time ago that "I know the guy who knows the guy who told him that...." is more valuable opinion than something that real user say. I'm not talking about myself here so don't worry. I have used a lot of cars in my life but I'll keep my opinions to myself as no one needs them here anyway.

-Chris-

pcardin wrote: »

I'll keep my opinions to myself as no one needs them here anyway.

With all due respect...

YES THEY F*CKIN' DO!

...OP is deciding to go for MX5, and in the absense of contradictory evidence that's what she'll go for.

If you had good experience, please share them and change the OP's mind. If not, then say so and back-up her decision.

You could be a lot of help here if you wanted...

unkel

colm_mcm wrote: »

stick up some links to back that up, Unkel

Will do. Right after you stick up your links

pcardin wrote: »

I'll keep my opinions to myself as no one needs them here anyway.

Sorry mate, hope it isn't me putting you off posting here

What makes this site great imho is that everyone is more than welcome to post. Motors is for everyone.

-Chris-

unkel wrote: »

Sorry mate, hope it isn't me putting you off posting here

And I hope it's not me either. Don't mean to be combative PCardin.

pcardin

-Chris- wrote: »

With all due respect...

YES THEY F*CKIN' DO!

...OP is deciding to go for MX5, and in the absense of contradictory evidence that's what she'll go for.

If you had good experience, please share them and change the OP's mind. If not, then say so and back-up her decision.

You could be a lot of help here if you wanted...

Well in this case OP is looking between MGF and MX5. I owned MGF and had many problems but I would say my mg was just simply tired. It was cheap (bought in car auction) but in bad shape. I've changed head gasket, clutch cylinders, and something in the ignition sytem. Car constantly couldn't start. That was my first RHD car. Loved to drive it. Spent a lot of money but could sell surprisingly easy. I still like them and in my eyes they still looks more beautiful than MX5. So from my side I would like to suggest OP the little MGF but unfortunately i don't know anything about MX5. I've heard a lot about them but that wouldn't be my opinion.
As per Barchetta. Excellent little car. Engine sound is fantastic. I had mine for almost 3 years as a summer car. Didnt have any problems with suspension or engine but did have a problem with soft top. Roof itself was in great shape but windows didn't close properly. Wind was whistling when driving. Couldn't fix it really. Spent 350 euro for hardtop and my problem was solved.
Barchetta is realy stylish car and she is a quality build Fiat. Would suggest to anyone.

-Chris-

Brilliant, one of the more useful posts in this thread.

OP, consider the Barchetta - sounds like a car you could fall in love with...

pcardin

Btw I was in Wilsons car auction 3 or 4 weeks ago and there was little red Barchetta with ugly tuning which had absolutely ruined Batchetta's design and had the same problem with the gap between windows and roof so it looks like common problem. Was sold for 3500e anyway!
Alfa Romeo Spider (GTV cabrio version) is nice and stylish as well but they quite rare here and engine is only 2.0 or 3.0 litre available where MGF or Barchetta is 1.8 litre. Less money on the tax and insurance.

cpoh1

Just to even out the resounding case for the mx5. I owned one for 9 months a good few years ago, mk1 1.8 japanese import.

The negatives for me were (thinking purely from a female non enthusiast point of view):

1. Bumpy on back roads (mine had the oem extra bilstein shocks)

2. Very noisy at anything over 50mph even with the hard top roof, wind noise was a particular problem with these.

3. Can be troublesome (despite the common consensus on here!) and mazda parts are a complete rip. My fella had the clutch slave cylinder go, leaving me stranded on the side of the road. All new bushes all round (consumable I know) big enough job labour wise. The catalytic convertor was shot in it meaning I needed to borrow a friends to pass the nct (mazda wanted 4 figures for a new one and had no luck with scrap yards).

4. Manual roof, a small thing but if you want a cool weekend car then an auto roof would certainly add to the package.

5. Poor fuel consumption when driven enthusiastically.

If you’re looking for a really good looking summer car thats cheap I would go for the mgf, they really are better looking than the mx5 and not half as unreliable as people make out compared to the mx5, much cheaper too. Unless you really want to drive the car enthusiastically you will never notice the difference in the better mx5 chassis.

Alun

colm_mcm wrote: »

don't forget to get one with a matching hardtop included.

Possibly not really necessary ... depending on the model. The mark 2's and later had a proper glass heated rear window which was one of the main reason's we bought our hard top for our mark 1 model. The plastic rear window was relatively small and in the winter impossible to see out of, but otherwise there was no problem with it at all. It really only stayed on the car for a month or so each year when it was really cold and wet and came off as soon as humanely possible.

Weather wise, you'd actually be surprised at how often during the winter you can enjoyably drive with the top down. It doesn't have to be scorching sunny weather, in fact I'd say that's actually the least pleasant weather to enjoy a cabrio in ... you have to lather yourself in suntan lotion to prevent you getting burnt to a cinder.

Other problems with a hard top are that you have to find somewhere to store it when not using it. They're bigger and clumsier than you think, so if you don't have a garage or other convenient storage area, you're pretty much stumped. You can get nice specially made stands on wheels to make the job easier, but even then we come on to the next snag, you need two people to put it on / take it off each time, so if you're on your own and you want to swap it over you're stuck.

My own opinion? This is Ireland .. it rarely gets really cold here, and it doesn't actually rain as often as you might think. Stick with the soft top, and put it down at every possible opportunity. That's what the (very capable) heater is for. Also invest in a wind blocker for behind the seats ... keeps a lot of the draught from your neck on those cold days.

Enjoy it for what it is an OPEN sports car!

galwaytt

cpoh1 wrote: »

Just to even out the resounding case for the mx5. I owned one for 9 months a good few years ago, mk1 1.8 japanese import.

The negatives for me were (thinking purely from a female non enthusiast point of view):

1. Bumpy on back roads (mine had the oem extra bilstein shocks)

2. Very noisy at anything over 50mph even with the hard top roof, wind noise was a particular problem with these.

3. Can be troublesome (despite the common consensus on here!) and mazda parts are a complete rip. My fella had the clutch slave cylinder go, leaving me stranded on the side of the road. All new bushes all round (consumable I know) big enough job labour wise. The catalytic convertor was shot in it meaning I needed to borrow a friends to pass the nct (mazda wanted 4 figures for a new one and had no luck with scrap yards).

4. Manual roof, a small thing but if you want a cool weekend car then an auto roof would certainly add to the package.

5. Poor fuel consumption when driven enthusiastically.

If you’re looking for a really good looking summer car thats cheap I would go for the mgf, they really are better looking than the mx5 and not half as unreliable as people make out compared to the mx5, much cheaper too. Unless you really want to drive the car enthusiastically you will never notice the difference in the better mx5 chassis.

...sorry, can't let that pass. As an MX-5 owner of 9 (10?) years, I can say without fear:

1. Bumpy on back roads (mine had the oem extra bilstein shocks). It's a sports car, it's not a boulevard cruiser. Besides, Bilsteins would make it harder, not softer..........OEM's are to the best of my knowledge, Kayaba's......

2. Very noisy at anything over 50mph even with the hard top roof, wind noise was a particular problem with these. Noisy? I can't see how you say it has wind noise with the engine and gearbox in such close proximity to the driver! Again, even so, it is only a $200 single-ply vinyl roof - sound abatement is not on the menu. If you want a quiet, double-skinned cabrio, you need to buy a 911 or something.....

3. Can be troublesome (despite the common consensus on here!) and mazda parts are a complete rip. My fella had the clutch slave cylinder go, leaving me stranded on the side of the road. All new bushes all round (consumable I know) big enough job labour wise. The catalytic convertor was shot in it meaning I needed to borrow a friends to pass the nct (mazda wanted 4 figures for a new one and had no luck with scrap yards). Now this is ridiculous. Having a clutch slave cylinder go does not make it unreliable. The single biggest reason for those going........is lack of use. Regularly used cars will not suffer this. Ditto, to an extent, the bushes. The single biggest reason for those going is, in fact, perishing due to non-use or age. And if you think that was a big job, I'm sure anyone here with an A4 or A6 will come along and tell us all about suspension wear........and at bigger numbers, too. Prices from main dealers can be expensive - but that's why they invented: MX5parts.co.uk
And, as you can see from that site, it you paid more than £14.33 for the ENTIRE slave cylinder..........you were diddled.

4. Manual roof, a small thing but if you want a cool weekend car then an auto roof would certainly add to the package. And, in a used car, adds to the cost, the weight, the complexity, the repairs and maintenance. You can't have your loaf and eat it. Besides, VW Eon users will no doubt gladly accept a simple folding roof given the amount of problems they have with theirs........

5. Poor fuel consumption when driven enthusiastically. Again, two things: it's a sports car, with short gearing, so will consume more. Secondly, drive anything enthusiastically, and it'll consume.

Mena

Scarlett68 wrote: »

Would love to swap my crisis with your wifes Mena:D

In all fairness, you can pickup a really good CLK for under 10K these days, I know, I did

Just another option to throw out there.

galwaytt

Mena wrote: »

In all fairness, you can pickup a really good CLK for under 10K these days, I know, I did

Just another option to throw out there.

...yes, with the plus that it's a 4-seater......

smash

4 pages and nobody's mentioned an Elise yet?

and you all know it's the car to get!

cpoh1

galwaytt wrote: »

...sorry, can't let that pass. As an MX-5 owner of 9 (10?) years, I can say without fear:

1. Bumpy on back roads (mine had the oem extra bilstein shocks). It's a sports car, it's not a boulevard cruiser. Besides, Bilsteins would make it harder, not softer..........OEM's are to the best of my knowledge, Kayaba's......

2. Very noisy at anything over 50mph even with the hard top roof, wind noise was a particular problem with these. Noisy? I can't see how you say it has wind noise with the engine and gearbox in such close proximity to the driver! Again, even so, it is only a $200 single-ply vinyl roof - sound abatement is not on the menu. If you want a quiet, double-skinned cabrio, you need to buy a 911 or something.....

3. Can be troublesome (despite the common consensus on here!) and mazda parts are a complete rip. My fella had the clutch slave cylinder go, leaving me stranded on the side of the road. All new bushes all round (consumable I know) big enough job labour wise. The catalytic convertor was shot in it meaning I needed to borrow a friends to pass the nct (mazda wanted 4 figures for a new one and had no luck with scrap yards). Now this is ridiculous. Having a clutch slave cylinder go does not make it unreliable. The single biggest reason for those going........is lack of use. Regularly used cars will not suffer this. Ditto, to an extent, the bushes. The single biggest reason for those going is, in fact, perishing due to non-use or age. And if you think that was a big job, I'm sure anyone here with an A4 or A6 will come along and tell us all about suspension wear........and at bigger numbers, too. Prices from main dealers can be expensive - but that's why they invented: MX5parts.co.uk
And, as you can see from that site, it you paid more than £14.33 for the ENTIRE slave cylinder..........you were diddled.

4. Manual roof, a small thing but if you want a cool weekend car then an auto roof would certainly add to the package. And, in a used car, adds to the cost, the weight, the complexity, the repairs and maintenance. You can't have your loaf and eat it. Besides, VW Eon users will no doubt gladly accept a simple folding roof given the amount of problems they have with theirs........

5. Poor fuel consumption when driven enthusiastically. Again, two things: it's a sports car, with short gearing, so will consume more. Secondly, drive anything enthusiastically, and it'll consume.

Galway TT you have to remember we are dealing with a middle aged woman who is used to dealing with a ford galaxy or renault scenic as an everyday runaround (no offence to the op!). She want a troublefree car that’s fun to be in and good looking without the need to be constantly keeping an eye on her, to an enthusiast the mx5 is a piece of piss to maintain but compared to a focus or corolla its on a different level of reliability.

So coming from that background the mx5 is noisy, poor on fuel and does have her faults. Now a slave cylinder is cheap as chips and handy to fix (I used that site loads to get my new cambelt, tensioners and bits and bobs) but to a woman who is stuck on the side of the road and cant figure out what’s wrong it’s more than an inconvenience. I was a member of the mx5 owners club at the time and the slave cylinder was a known and regular problem. The same with the bushes, I spent a full day with a mate pressing out my bushes and replacing them in my mx5, cheap for me, up to 500 for your ordinary joe and these are consumables and rot due to age regardless of use. Finally the fuel consumption, again we are talking about a middle aged woman who has little (I would imagine) interest in driving like a loon around, but even then the mx5 is a bit of a guzzler (full tank of fuel used to get me 250miles on long and short journeys.

Think about it from a non enthusiasts point of view. The mgf is better looking, comes with more luxuries, has the auto roof (a nice gimmick) and is decent on juice too with the k series engine. Its not that easy a choice to make when you remove the performance factor from the equation.

metalgear2k2

Havent read through the whole thing, has the Honda s2000 been mentioned?

R.O.R

peasant wrote: »

Well, if you HAVE to be awkward, you could at least have picked a pretty outsider like the Fiat Barcchetta



Pity it's LHD only

-Chris- wrote: »

My mate's dad owns one, although he doesn't drive it that often, I can ask him what he thinks.