Cheap automatic sports cars that don't suck

For health reasons (recovering from a stroke/temporarily lost the use of my left side), and, they tell me, only temporarily, I need an automatic to drive. Currently I have an appliance so I'm not trapped at home, in the form of a 98 Toyota Camry. I like Porsche 944s, but the automatics suck. Before this happened, I didn't want to own an automatic at all & I even converted my then -current daily driver 1991 Jetta from automatic to manual. Are there any reasonably priced (sub $5K) automatic sports cars that don't suck?

Since you like 944s but need an auto the 928 immediately came to mind, seems lots of people say the auto suits the car. Not sure $5k will buy one worth owning however.

Otherwise, the more cylinders the less the auto will suck IMO.

Idk if there are any that really count as sports cars, but automatic mercedes are good. 280zx maybe? XJS?

The DSG in the GTI is a pretty solid auto. I imagine the 2006's can be found pretty cheaply nowadays

I like the Datsun 280ZX idea. I have to admit though, that the only two brands of cars that I categorically dislike are Mercedes & Jaguar. How horrible would an automatic E30 be?

The doctors say that by summer, I should be back to normal. That assumes I was normal to begin with, though. My left side IS coming back, so maybe, if all automatic sports cars suck, then I should just wait it out.

If you don't want to drive an automatic wait until the summer. My wife had a mild stroke about 11 months ago and she is back to about 90%. She has good use and control on her right side but her sense of feeling is still coming back. Her docs said that after a year you get about as far as you are going to get so at that point if a manual is out of the question still than worry about settling on an automatic. Good luck, even though she has been able to go back to work and is more or less independant the second 6 months have been a bit more painful as the sense of feeling returns.

My vote would go to a Pony car.

Wally,

Thanks for the thoughtful reply. I'm sorry to hear about your wife. The one year thing makes sense, as my stroke was in August of last year. I'm back to about 70%. I can work & walk & all of the sensation has returned, but I have effectively no use of my left hand (arm works though).

At the moment, I can drive a standard, but shifting requires taking my hand off the wheel, which I see as unsafe because I don't have enough control over my left hand to steer with it.

Call blasphemy, but I've heard the NC Miatas are pretty good. The auto also tend to be a fair bit cheaper than a comparable manual.

C4 Corvette?

The C4 vette is a good call. Also, my E34 auto in sport mode isn't awful, that engine and trans combo was also available in the E36 325i. That would probably be better than not awful.

Mazda 3s (and probably 6s too) with auto have a manual mode with switches on the wheel.. I think there a number of other brands with a similar feature.

I know you said you don't like Jags, but how about the Ford/Jag hybred Lincoln LSV8? The poor mans BMW 540.

In this case, Corvette is the best answer.

I thought "C4 Vette" when reading the title. Good show, chaps...

Looks like I'm going to start looking for a C4 Vette. I have to test drive one first, to be sure I can get in &out of it on my own. I recently got stuck in a friend's MGBGT &had to get my wife to pull me out.

honestly.. I would wait to see what happens. I know you want to get behind the wheel of something sporty again, but why waste the money on something you are probably going to hate because you had to "Settle" for an auto?

C4 would get my vote. Sc400 would also on my list. Both should meet your budget requirements.

My dad's had a '96 C4 Vette with an auto for a long time. It's honestly not bad. Torque is everywhere with that motor, so you wouldn't be shifting much by yourself anyway. And the auto allows it to transform into a pretty relaxed cruiser, too.

Autos behind anything other than a V8 suck IMHO. Go for the Vette or a Pony car.

She has been coming along very well. Hopefully your recovery goes as well. C4's are fun even with the auto but they can be difficult to get in and out of.

Another vote for the C4. You won't hate it later when you could shift again anyway.

Corvette or maybe stretch a bit for a Boxster. The 1st gen Mercedes SLK was also pretty decent with the auto. Just make sure to a get a V6 model. The supercharged 4 sucks.

Turbo powered cars are usually a good pairing with an auto. You can brake-torque to get a hard launch with one foot, and the smooth shifts keep the turbo spooled. A MR-2 Turbo or a DSM might be just the ticket.

Camaro / Firebird. 93-97 LT1 cars can be had for reasonable prices and are an easy sell later if you wish. Just don't try to work the motor beyond an oil change. They're packed in there horribly.