First Convertible - Suggestions?

[Mango-XJ6]

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

[Hungrycat7]

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

[silentscreams85]

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

[Mango-XJ6]

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.

[silentscreams85]

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 ?

[Mango-XJ6]

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.