The words Italian, sports car, and reliable should never be spoken together.

Italian sports cars are like Italian women - Great to look at when new but they don't age well...

I didn't want to start a separate thread, so, what about an Aston Martin? 08's or 09's seem to go for under $40K. Seems like a good price to me, but only if the damn thing stays running!
Peter.

Peter - I have no direct experience with AMs. From the reliability studies, they are much more reliable today than ever before. Being a British motor, electrical problems have plagued previous AMs. All things electrical are dark art magic to the British; something they have never mastered. I believe the only drawback with AM and with any high end import is the cost of service and parts.

As Mercedes-Benz now owns 20% of the company and a Canadian investor owns 20% after a $560 million infusion, I would imagine AM will survive and production quality will continue to improve.

Love those Vanquish coupes. But, it could be a roll of the dice. If you're lucky you may not have to -
open yer wallet

Newer Porsche's give great bang for the buck if you can allow yourself to drive a flat 6. Look for a 1 owner car with low miles. 911's ride nicer than Caymans or Boxsters. Few if any worries.

I gave up on fancy cars. Now drive a 2016 4Runner. Just hauled an elk home in it. Couldn't do that in my Mercedes.

Dave

Well you could, but it would require quite a bit of cutting.



And Mercedes sheetmetal is damn expensive.

I was looking at a Vantage. I was advised to stay clear of the automatic transmissions. At 5'6" I am pretty low to the ground, but this damn car is even lower!
Peter.

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:
I was looking at a Vantage. I was advised to stay clear of the automatic transmissions. At 5'6" I am pretty low to the ground, but this damn car is even lower!
Peter.

I HATE the auto transmissions. Paddle shift BS.

A sports car should have a manual transmission with a stick and third pedal. Yeah, I get it. The paddle shift allows a talented driver to get around a tract a half second faster and possibly reduces 0-60 times by .2 seconds ... at best.

But really, how many of us regularly track our cars and on the occasion we do, how often do we participate in times laps or races where a half second matters.

I submit that 99% of driving is done on the streets and when we do track the car, it's for fun and pleasure, not cut throat competition.

The paddle shift / automatic operation in a sports car just neuters the entire experience. The experience should be about engagement with the car, the physical connection, the mastering of little skills like heel/toe shifting under breaking, smooth coordination of throttle and clutch, etc. All those little things that make you turn around for one last glimpse of the car before you walk into the house, and that little urge about an hour after a driving session that beckons you back for another drive. The paddle shift cars rarely inspire that. At least for me they don't. YMMV

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:
Not familiar with that, but I would like a used Quattro. They now have a dealership in Jacksonville.
Peter.

There’s a magical Quattro on Auto Broker with only 23,000 miles for $19,000. Wish I could afford that toy, looks perfect.

Damn, MD I posted that in 2014. Who or what is Auto Broker? I tried Googling it wihtout success.?
Peter

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Peter:
Damn, MD I posted that in 2014. Who or what is Auto Broker? I tried Googling it wihtout success.?
Peter[/


I screwed up, sorry. It’s on autotrader.com. Really nice car. Hopefully.