Previous generation BMW M Roadster for the win. Period.

 

The Z06 is fast and agile but is brutally stiff and harsh on all but glass-smooth roads. It also costs an arm and a leg to insure, if you can get insurance for it at all........particularly if you are a young male with chargeable tickets or accidents on your record.

 

For a NEW 2-seater for 30K or under, I agree with many of the suggestions made so far. If you want reliability, look first at a Miata....it also has a super-easy-to-use soft top, and now has a folding hard-top option. The S2000/2200 is also reliable but I believe starts over 30K new. The Solstice is a nice car ( I helped a friend buy one a few weeks ago; see my mini-review ) but is hard to get, usually commands a sticker mark-up, and grossly lacks roll-over protection. Same comments for the Saturn Sky, though the Sky, by Saturn's policy, sells at list, though sometimes with dealer-added accessories. Both are now available in Turbo versions. The reliability, though, of both the Solstice and Sky is unproven.....keep that in mind.

Also, make sure you can FIT into these cars.....none of them are designed for large adults.

 

S2000 for sure. that's the best 30K can buy for a 2seater stick.

 

No. 30K will not buy a new S2000. Here is the base price from Honda's own web site....$34,500 including freight. And these cars usually sell for full list or close to it....in some cases even more. And if you are going to buy one, rather then lease one, there is tax as well.

http://automobiles.honda.com/models/...odelName=S2000

 

I went to a honda dealership last night just to see what price range I can land into on a S2000. After the salesman called the manager this is how it went down.

(lease)

2nd offer: $11,500 down, $300 a month
My Reaction: BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.... 11.5k down on a lease....BHWAHHAHAHA

I told the manager that im not going to put more than $2000 and he told me that hes going to work out some numbers. I told him to not waste my time because im not going to put $2k down and pay $900 a month. He said that he will run some numbers.

2nd offer: $2500 down $422 a month
Reaction: "$422 is too high"

3rd offer: $2500 down $410 a month
Reaction: "still too high"

final offer: 0 down, $400 a month.
Reaction: "How about I put the $2500 down and you drop my payments to $300"

I guess he wasnt expecting that answer because after I said it, he told me to come back when the Lexus is sold lol

 

How many months is this lease for?....you didn't say. They typically run two to four years. $400 a month for two years is considerably less, of course, than $400 for four years.

And you might be better off with the no-money-down offer. If you hand over that $2500 check to the dealership right up front, it is gone. Keep it and just pay slightly more each month and you can take that $2500 and invest it instead in a bank CD, mutual bond fund, or something else that pays interest....or just use it to pay off the high insurance premiums this car is probably going to cost.

 

Insurance on my C5 'vert was more than a Z06 since its a 'vert.

Insurance on my 'vert was the same as on my '98 GS400, about $60/month.

I am a young male, I have my fair share of tickets.

 

What do you really want out of the car? Speed, performance, brand name, reliability, handling, "NEW" car? Don't say you want everything.

 

I think an S2K falls into each one of these categories except "brand name"

 

I hope you don't plan to use the s2k as a daily driver. I drove my s2k for over a year and had to get another car because of the rough ride the s2k has and it was extremly noisy on the freeway. The s2k is a fun car to drive and has been reliable. My s2k has almost 100k and still runs great!

Why don't you get a loan and get a used s2k? I've seen a few s2k's for sale for under $20k w/ an aftermarket supercharger.

~Josh