Help with deciding on a car

[aprikh1]

With the wife’s Law School loans finally being paid off, I am going to be in a position to get a sports car. In the past, my sports car history was limited to a Celica GTS and a Nissan 350Z, and my current stable consists of an Acura RL and a Honda Fit Sport.

Current choices are as follows:
- 993 Porsche Turbo (yrs 1996-1998) the last of the air-cooled engines
- Acura NSX (I would be looking for a 30-40K purchase price)
- Audi R8 (85-95K purchase price range)
- Lotus Elise (30-40K purchase price)

The NSX and the Elise are relatively inexpensive compared to the other two, both in terms of maintenance and initial purchase cost. The R8 is amazing, but at the VERY top of my budget, and is a bit too showy for my taste. The 993 has been the number one contender, but scares me in regards to maintenance.

For those of you who have owned cars on the list above, please chime-in with your experience and opinions. Whatever I purchase will most likely be a garage queen, with about 5K miles put on every year. Since I have the RL as the daily, comfort for long term road-trips or sitting in traffic is not a requirement.

Finally, I have never driven an NSX, and that needs to get rectified. Is there anyone in the MD, DC, VA area that would be willing to let me drive their car? Of course, your car your rules, and I will be more than happy to provide proof of insurance or whatever else you need to feel warm and fuzzy. Finally, as a small token of appreciation I would be happy to treat you to lunch/ dinner, some booze, or anything else you desire within reason.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Grimeas]

I would go with the NSX but i am really biased. Audi R8 may be new fancy and the new cool and a lotus you have anyone near by that would work on one of them? So if i was in this situation I would be between a 993 and NSX and i like porsche's but for some unexplainable reason I love the NSX. This post probably really dont help you as it is all my opinion and no real facts but hey i love my nsx.

 

[Ric]

Of your list above, I would narrow down to the NSX or 993 turbo as the R8 and Lotus just do nothing for me. I considered the 993 turbo before but the maintenance scared me away but damn, the 993 turbo is so beautiful. I am surprised how small it is compared to the 996 and newer 911. That wide rear end is hot. Install the double deck rear wing on it and it's the best looking Porsche ever. A good 993 turbo these days would probably cost at least 65-70k.

 

[sazukas2k]

Since Ive had all but the R8 and still have two of them currently on the list I guess Ill chime in. They're all VERY different cars, the drive and feel between the cars is worlds apart. Just need to focus on what type of car you want.If you're thinking lotus they're very easy to maintain( toyota engine) but you must really enjoy driving to own one. They aren't very comfortable but they are a blast to drive. Make the average joe feel like a pro behind the wheel. I'd pick the exige over the elise though. The 993 I had was very maint free and they' re very solid engines and cars and is a drivers car as well. The 993 a/c set up is very lack luster compared to other modern cars but it can get the job done. They all have their pro's and cons

 

[FF Drifter]

Come to this upcoming event: http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php/170596-Supernova-meet-2013-pohanka-acura and check out some NSXs in person.

 

[aprikh1]

Since Ive had all but the R8 and still have two of them currently on the list I guess Ill chime in. They're all VERY different cars, the drive and feel between the cars is worlds apart. Just need to focus on what type of car you want.If you're thinking lotus they're very easy to maintain( toyota engine) but you must really enjoy driving to own one. They aren't very comfortable but they are a blast to drive. Make the average joe feel like a pro behind the wheel. I'd pick the exige over the elise though. The 993 I had was very maint free and they' re very solid engines and cars and is a drivers car as well. The 993 a/c set up is very lack luster compared to other modern cars but it can get the job done. They all have their pro's and cons

Thanks for the response! Can you elaborate on the 993 you had? Was it the Turbo, Carrera S, regular Carrera, or the Carrera 4S? If you had to choose to keep one car, as a weekend toy, which car from your stable would you pick and why?

- - - Updated - - -

Come to this upcoming event: http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php/170596-Supernova-meet-2013-pohanka-acura and check out some NSXs in person.

Whoa, that's great, I will definitely partake. Bummer that April 21st is so far away!

 

[sazukas2k]

I had a pretty heavily modded c4s. I always have a few cars( 4 right now). I like them all for different reasons and have my qualms with each of them.
Lotus is a very fun car to drive and a big attention getter but build quality is marginal squeaks and rattles like crazy and not the most comfortable car
993 very sexy car with classic porsche styling, awesome sound and a wonderful drivers car. Lack luster a/c and very common for leaking oil
NSX another great looking car as well and fun to drive but imo its a very bland car to drive. Thats hard for me to explain though. For me I can definitely feel the difference between something european and something japanese if that makes any sense. I'm a very biased towards euro cars though. At the end of the day they're all great choices in their own respect but its kind of comparing apples to oranges.

 

[blue_myriddn]

If you are in the DC area, certainly pop in to the local car meetups. There are often NSXs there and people would be happy to talk to you about the car. It also gives you a chance to see things in person.

I am afraid that I don't know enough about the Lotus or 993 to comment intelligently, but I do know a bit about the R8 & NSX as a good friend of mine had an R8 for a few years and I spent some time with it & him talking about the differences.

My short answer is that if you are willing to spend the close to $100k, then you will probably be happiest with the R8. It is a fabulous car that drives a lot like the NSX. It has a more spacious interior and a much higher quality interior as well as all the latest techno gizmos. Quite simply, it is 20 years ahead of the NSX and that shows when you compare them side by side. I find it interesting that you say that the R8 is "too showy" because its exterior styling is very bland compared to the NSX. Some of that can be color dependent though as the R8 is often in silver, charcoal or black and rarely in red.

Within a $35-55k budget though, the NSX really shines. For 1/2 the price of the R8, you get a similar driving experience without the luxury interior. In other words, when you strip away the nice wrapping what is underneath is very similar between the two cars. The NSX also gets a lot more attention and is simply put more exotic looking, especially when you pop the top off. I will admit to a clear bias here, I find the R8 boring to look at whereas the NSX brings a smile to my face.

Some other things to consider:
- are you a modder? the NSX has a wide variety of modifications you can do and is where you can spend some of the $$ you saved off the sticker price
- topless? The R8 comes in either coupe or spyder, but not both whereas the NSX does a decent job of pulling off both.
- engine noise. The R8 cabin is very quiet, the NSX cabin sings a lovely V6 song to you.
- are you a big guy? the NSX is a tight squeeze, the R8 has a bit more beer belly room
- trunk space, my wife and I have no problem packing for a weekend trip in the NSX

I will leave you with a last article between the two:
http://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/features/1991-acura-nsx-vs-2012-audi-r8.html

 

[hofffam]

I am at a disadvantage here since I only own a NSX and have not driven the other three. I have driven earlier 911 models.

I have a big problem with the Lotus kit car appearance. I think it is just ugly. It looks like underneath it is a VW Beetle, even if we know it is a much better platform. A Noble, which kind of is a kit car, looks so much better.

I love the R8. In so many ways it represents the second coming of the NSX. A livable exotic. I notice them every time I see one.

Sometimes I think what I would be likely to buy if I bought another sports car - and some kind of 911 would definitely be on the list. I think right now though I would want a non-turbo stickshift car.

As for the NSX, I still love my 1997. Not modified in any material way. Would never do any body kits - just too gaudy for me.

 

[TURBO2GO]

I've driven all of them. My suggestion is you up your nsx budget, find a clean 02+ NSX with low miles, and garage queen that. It will cost you the least amount of money to own, maintain, insure, repair, and resell. In fact a garage queen'ed 02 will most likely appreciate over the next 5-10 years.

The Elise I can barely fit into, and it is a mighty uncomfortable car. And my track buddies say anything none Toyota, simply falls apart on the car.

The R8 is a big investment that is a better car than the NSX, but it will cost you a lot more in the long run.

The 993 I have very limited experience with, although I have driven one for a short period. It's nice, but... To me it is still a generic 911. I find the nsx to feel much more exotic, I vastly prefer it's driving position and mid engine layout. It's also aluminum and doesn't rust.

 

[BATMANs]

I don't think the R8 is "flashy". Certainly not where I reside.

It looks like a Audi TT from the front.

For that sorta $$$ I expect more differentiation from the Audi herd in terms of looks and styling.

The NSX doesn't get mistaken for a lower end car withing it's family line up and I like that.

As a matter of fact people that aren't really car aficionado have mistaken my NSX for something exotic from Europe. I'm perfectly happy with that.

I'm guessing part of the reasons why most of us buy a "nice" sports car is for the performance factor. The other part is for the crowd pleasing, "wow, look at me....." factor.

If it wasn't for the later part there are certainly cheaper alternatives than the NSX.

 

[Coconut]

C7 Corvette

 

[TURBO2GO]

The NSX has a top that comes off. That's a plus for a weekend sports car. The exige, 993TT and R8 do not. C7 is a lot of performance but soon it'll just be another corvette. And it'll sit in your garage and empty your wallet with daily depreciation.

 

[sazukas2k]

The NSX has a top that comes off. That's a plus for a weekend sports car. The exige, 993TT and R8 do not. C7 is a lot of performance but soon it'll just be another corvette. And it'll sit in your garage and empty your wallet with daily depreciation.

The exige/elise is a targa, the 993 also has a very large moonroof. I've never been a big corvette guy so i agree there. Id probably get a c6 z0 or zr1 over a new c7.

 

[blue_myriddn]

The exige/elise is a targa, the 993 also has a very large moonroof.

True, but infinitely less functional than the NSX targa.

 

[PHOEN$X]

NSX! (Duh :tongue

 

[kenjrbanga]

Get the NSX first before you get an R8. If you sell the NSX in 2 years, you will lose a small amount due to depriciation but with the R8, you could lose between 15-20K. The NSX was always my dream car when it came out in 1991, I was 16 at the time and I told myself I will get one when I get older. If you are loooking for speed and power, you might be disappointed with the NSX. I have a 2008 ISF which satifies my need for speed and power. I think you might have a hard time finding a nice 993, they are in such demand because of the it being the last air-cooled engine. My unlce has one but repairs have been expensive recently due to a major oil leak.

 

[sazukas2k]

True, but infinitely less functional than the NSX targa.

How is one targa better than the other? Either way it's to hard to compare thes cars. Like I said apples and oranges

 

[blue_myriddn]

How is one targa better than the other? Either way it's to hard to compare thes cars. Like I said apples and oranges

portability. The NSX is quick to remove and store. It doesn't take up trunk space so your luggage capacity is not suddenly diminished. I believe that you essentially need to decide before leaving the house whether you want the hard targa top on or off. I believe most owners simply use the soft top mostly, which isn't quite the same.

I did a run with some elise/exige/evora folks and they all gushed over my targa top, which is where I got most of the above info from.

 

[sazukas2k]

portability. The NSX is quick to remove and store. It doesn't take up trunk space so your luggage capacity is not suddenly diminished. I believe that you essentially need to decide before leaving the house whether you want the hard targa top on or off. I believe most owners simply use the soft top mostly, which isn't quite the same.

I did a run with some elise/exige/evora folks and they all gushed over my targa top, which is where I got most of the above info from.

I wasn't disagreeing just curious . I rarely take my top off but I Modified mine to run a soft top as well. It's just as comparable but yes you can't take off the hardtop mid drive. No where to store it. They cars are so different though hard to compare then. Best of luck in your search. If you can afford an r8 Id suggest getting more than one car! Haha

 

[s2kNSX]

my nonbiased recommendation = 993 turbo today and any day
if investement is a concern (cars should never be seen as one, in my opinion) than the 993 turbo is certainly a better return for your money in the future than any nsx that was imported to the US.

zaid

 

[BATMANs]

just the turbo s model is worth anything.....

 

[Dynamic-uzed-auto]

my nonbiased recommendation = 993 turbo today and any day
if investement is a concern (cars should never be seen as one, in my opinion) than the 993 turbo is certainly a better return for your money in the future than any nsx that was imported to the US.

zaid

I agree

 

[Shrink]

So you're asking an NSX Forum which car is better? That's like getting on a Forum on "Why I like Blondes Better" and asking who should I date, the blonde, the brunette or the redhead?
My recommendation is let your wife win a few big cases and then buy them all! LOL

 

[Gthong]

Nix the r8... That's a lot of dough for a garage queen. Nice car thought

Lotus cool, but doubt I'd pull that trigger .. Might be a tough resell ??

Have owned porsches for years and have nothing bad to say. 993 turbos are holy grail stuff !!!

For sheer " shock and awe on the cheap"... It's the nsx all day long

Im hesitant to tell people how " cheap" my 95 was, they think it cost double !!!

Congrats on getting that college loan behind you ....now have her get out there and convert the degree to something spendable !!!5