First Convertible - Suggestions?

Hi all,

I am looking to spend somewhere between $18-25,000 on a used convertible. However, I have not been able to find anything within that price range that might satisfy me completely.

Criteria (in order of importance):

Manual transmission
Mileage
Handling
Good 0-60 time
Not super expensive to make repairs/maintenance
Enough space to go grocery shopping
Preference for German/European cars

Don't mention a Miata, they're too dinky and not very fast (although great handling).


Other considerations:
S2000 (Groceries? Not German/European - i've heard their reliability is questionable)
Crossfire (slow, mediocre handling, and not German)
BMW 3 series (probably have high mileage for my price range)
Boxster (cost a small fortune to maintain)
Cooper S (Super fun to drive, but I'd rather not have my sexuality questioned haha)

Shoot me some suggestions...I'd appreciate it

Toyota Solora or Pontiac G6. Both decent looking convertibles and pretty practical for an everyday vehicle.

id take the solara, with the V6. You didn't specify how much fuel efficiency you were looking for.

Guys, I don't live in a geriatric ward for crying out loud. I want a car that is fun to drive and not a boat (cough*solara*cough). I'm not looking for something super practical, I'm looking for something fun just large enough for a few bags of groceries in the trunk.

As for fuel efficiency, I don't really care that much as long as its not terrible.

Does anyone have any experience with the Boxster or S2000? Another car that I am considering, but don't know where I could find one with a manual tranny, SLK320.

euro cars tend to be more costly in the maintenance/repairs area, that might answer your question about the boxster and slk. as for the s2k, i checked edmunds.com and it say it has 5 cu. ft of luggage capacity for comparison purposed the solara has 11.7 cu ft. the numbers might not make much sense. personally i would just go to a local dealer for a test drive and see if the trunk meets your needs. how about a pontiac solstice/ saturn sky ?

Hmm, I'd consider the Saturn Sky RedLine maybe. I'm just not sure I'd really care for the car that much. American autos, in general, tend to lack a level of sophistication - in terms of aesthetics, overall design, and performance - that I want.