Don Q wrote:
> Hello Everyone,
>
> I have always been a car nut, but circumstances have not always been
> favorable. I am now heading into what we might call an end of life
> crisis; getting ready to buy a nice car.
>
> My first inclination is the mx-5. And surely, in this forum of all
> places it is not difficult to find support for that.
>
> However the elder son is pushing for an Elise, and the wife would prefer
> that I go for the SLK.

Heheh, try getting in and out of an Elise. Try doing it 2 or 3 times.
Get your wife to do it too (if she is to share the sportscar experience)
and see what you all think afterwards. The boot is pretty tiny.

My experience of cars like this is with a friend's Vauxhall VX220 which
is related to the Elise. I absolutely love it, and so do they, but I
also love my MX-5.

Of the 3 cars in your list, the Elise is by far the purest, most focused
and ultimately rewarding cars to drive if you take it seriously. It
will be loud and rattly but will give the biggest grin and draw the most
attention.

SLK is fine, I've not actually been in one, but I believe they are well
regarded. It will be expensive to buy, worth a decent chunk of your
initial investment a few years down the line, and is German in a way
only German cars can be. Not as rewarding but much more comfortable and
dependable.

MX-5 is somewhere in the middle.

The descision is yours.

--
Douglas