Used convertible under $10K. Suggestions? (manual transmission, sedan, best, roadster)

[Pirateclosingon40]

Hi All,

Until recently, all of my daily drivers for the past 10+ years have been convertible two-seaters. My ex had a "sensible" car, which was the deal we made long before we got married. Now that I am single again, I decided to get a "big" car. I hate it. I need something open air, but I'd like something more practical than a two-seater.

I'm really torn on what to buy. I want to stay under $10K because A) I don't want to make payments. B) I already have a "toy" car that I would rather devote "car money" to. So, here are the criteria

* At least some excuse for a rear seat that could hold stuff or maybe small children.
* Somewhat reliable. I work from home, so I don't commute, but I don't want to spend a fortune on repairs on a regular basis.
* Not boring
* Available with a manual transmission is a big plus

I'm considering the following:

Mid-late '90s BMW 3-series
Saab 900 or 9-3
Jeep Wrangler
Dark horse: Porsche 944 or 968 Cabriolet

I've had bad experiences in the past with Mustangs and Chryslers, so I'm not really interested in either.

Anybody have any input? I'd love something with a bit of character.

Thanks!

-Paul

[GTOlover]

the BMW 3 series well be the most fun to drive have a good back seat and have some trunk space for golf clubs I would look at them for sure.

[Majordomo]

Have you thought about a Firebird?

[GTOlover]

Originally Posted by Majordomo

Have you thought about a Firebird?

hmm good point a nice 4yh gen trans am are nice cars and with the LS1 are very fun to drive

[bmwguydc]

I'd go with the BMW, since a Saab can be more finicky as they age.

[Egobop]

A Saab is extremely trouble prone so I would rule that out immediately. This is why they are a lot cheaper to buy used than many others.

[Pirateclosingon40]

Thanks for the suggestions.

I'd forgotten about the Firebird and Camaro - not sure how since my first car was a '79 Trans Am

I'm leaning toward the BMW. Unfortunately, I tend to like older cars better than newer ones, and I find the E30 cars (late '80s to '92) more appealing than the later models.

Thanks very much for the info on the Saab. I like the looks of the car, and the fact that it's a bit less common than the others, but I'd rather not get a maintance nightmare that only a few specialists know how to fix properly.

Paul

[M3 Mitch]

Good luck finding a good E30 325i convertible, but if you can find one, it's an excellent car, just keep track of the age of the cam drive belt, prefer a 5-speed to an auto, natch. The best ones probably are about $5000, if that.

You might find a convertible Solara for your price point. Bit blander than the Bimmer, but that's not an entirely bad thing.

Just to be offbeat, if you can find a good 1980s VW Cabrio, it's a hell of a good car, they are easy to work on, reliable if sorted out, decent power, 33 - ish MPG. They will run on the worst gas you can find without complaint. They have a glass rear window that is not prone to scratching.

The more recent BMW and VW IMHO offer much more complexity without much benefit to the driver.

[caution]

I would suggest a roadster rather than a sedan that happens to have a drop top.

Consideration of a roadster plus a little more coin opens you up to the BMW Z3 and Honda S2K, or you can stay at 10K at round up a well-cared for Miata (given some search time).

I can count the number of times I wish my car had a back seat. It's zero.

[charlesj]

At that price range, and with those stipulations, I would have to go with the E36 3-Series. Other options not listed would be an A4 and Volvo C70. The C70 is pretty decent looking and has some extremely comfortable seats.