Have Miata, WRX - add E30?

First time poster, long time reader. Some people don’t like these kinds of posts, and it focuses exclusively on street driving and not track use, but I’ve seen a lot of good advice flow through this forum and similar topics (http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/what-would-you-do-e30-e36-wrx-content-very-long/13702/page1/), so here goes:

I currently drive two cars – a 2006 Saab 9-2x Aero (=EJ255 WRX wagon, 82k miles, very good condition) and a 1997 Miata (73k miles, excellent condition) that I bought last year. I haven’t taken either to the track, although that may change in the future. The Saabaru is a good practical car and lots of fun when I can let it stretch its legs on backroads. However, most of the time I’m driving it around town so there’s not much opportunity for fun – it just kind of drives like a normal car with a heavy clutch at low speeds.

I love the Miata more because of this – I can drive it hard no matter where I’m going and not get in trouble. Keeping the tach high, flinging the light weight of the car around – I never knew how much I loved ‘slow’, lightweight cars that you can really put to work until now. It’s definitely more enjoyable on a regular Saabaru. I drive each car about 6 months out of the year – Saabaru rain, Miata shine.

I’m realizing that I would have more fun in winter if I drove the Miata year round. I don’t like driving with the cloth top up because visibility is terrible; using a hard top seems to improve rear quarter visibility for me, but I have to hunch down to look through the windshield at stoplights (I’m 6’0 and considering a foamectomy; I’m probably too tall in the torso to safely drive the car car regardless).

I’ve been wondering if there’s another cheap car that I could get as a winter counterpart the Miata. Additionally, my wife and I are planning to have our first kid in 1.5-2 years, so something with a back seat would be nice so I could bring the little tike along.

So, I’m thinking of buying an E30 to go along with the Miata, specifically a 318is. I’d keep the Saabaru because I got a very good deal on it, it has low miles, no issues, good for hauling things, probably better on road trips – it’s just too solid of a car to get rid of. I’ve also always wanted an E30 and feel like I should indulge soon since they’re an endangered species.

Financially I can afford another car, but something about me feels ridiculous about have three daily drivers just for myself (my wife has a Civic), especially when two of them (Miata and E30) have such similar feel and, when it comes to driving character, fill similar niches. Would having one of each in the driveway seem redundant to you?

My wife is also opposed to it, even though it’s not really a financial issue. She doesn’t really understand cars and is afraid of catastrophically expensive repairs, even though I do most of my own work and have never run into an issue I couldn’t solve or had to spend a lot of money on. Buying the Miata took several months of negotiation between us; she likes riding in it since it’s a convertible but doesn’t have much interest in learning how to drive it.

It would be neat to have the internet-car-guy Triforce of Miata, E30 and WRX, but it also feels a little hoard-y when I’m not using any of them as purpose-built track cars. I could suck it up, keep driving the WRX in winter and with the kid, and put the E30 money towards a nicer Miata replacement, like an Elise.

Something lightweight that I could have fun dailying (within reason, don’t want to shake the baby) with a toddler in the back still has strong appeal, though.

Should I go for the car dweeb triple threat, probably straining my marriage or Sock away the E30 money with the rest of my savings and (not to sound ungrateful or like I take it for granted) ‘tolerate’ driving the Saabaru around town at tractor speeds?

Do some tall guy mods to the Miata and you won't want the E30 anyway. I'm 6'2" and daily'd a 96 for 2 years with a hard top. It was great.

I know at least 8 WRX owners who also own e30s. Seems to be a common trend.

I owned an E30 and a Miata at one point. I don't think they are very similar. They behave very differently, the Miata felt much more direct and performance oriented, while the E30 felt more wild and loose as far as handling goes. The E30 sounded better though, and it was much more DD friendly for sure.

If you think about it, the stock Miata suspension setup is much more capable than the stock E30 suspension. But both cars are very tossable in the corners for sure. You can't go wrong man. I say buy the E30 for sure, if you can afford it. Plus, those things are only appreciating now. Might as well buy on the upswing and sell once things start to plateau.

Get rid of the miata and get an e36 convertible you can share with the missus.

Duck and run for cover.....

Desmond wrote: I say buy the E30 for sure, if you can afford it. Plus, those things are only appreciating now. Might as well buy on the upswing and sell once things start to plateau.

Yeah, I wonder how it would turn out. The one I'm look at is a 318is w/ 175k miles that I would hopefully be able to buy for 4k (they're asking 5). I'd at least want to do new seats + other interior trim and RTABs. I figure I'd be into it at least an additional 2k on the purchase price after all the surprises are found.

Don't do it.

1. The e30 is not that exciting of a drive stock and you have enough daily possible cars already.
2. I don't really see them appreciating as much as I see good ones being comparatively expensive to mediocre ones b/c they take a lot of maintenance money to get back to par. You'll still lose out on whatever you dump into the car. It won't be a car you can get $6k for when you are done with it.
3. Wife is against it so she'll make a bigger issue of it and the other cars once the kid comes along. Unlikely she'll 'feel safe' putting the kid in the 20+ year old tin can that the e30 is.

I have a WRX and a Miata. Like them both. That's it.

I've had my '91 Miata since 1997. I've had my '90 325i since 2010.

Ever since I got the E30, the Miata has been sitting a lot. The E30 has become my daily driver. Maybe it's because the E30 can fit my 50 lb. dog in the back seat? I do prefer driving the E30 in traffic because it feels like there is a little more metal between me and the person looking at their phone in the crossover. It has also needed much more maintenance than the Miata.

Both cars are fun to drive.

I think if you are pondering getting an E30, maybe you should drive a few and follow your heart.

I've owned three E30s and thought they were the bees knees until I moved on to Miatas and my E36 M3. I don't see myself needing to own another. That said, the modified E30s I see on the road these days sure do look cool. As do the modded E21s, and E12s and E9s and 2002s... Time for a non-DD classic car project?

All three cars are great in their own right. I have a suggestion, however. Rather than running with the pack, why don't you grab up something more vintage? Instead of an E30, what about a 2002 or Bavaria? Perhaps a Volvo 242 or 122? Maybe an Alfa GTV? Maybe even go crazy and get a '65 Corvair Corsa. They mightn't be as quick, but they're a lot more fun to work on, have more panache' and open you up to the world of vintage car events.

amg_rx7 wrote: Don't do it. 3. Wife is against it so she'll make a bigger issue of it and the other cars once the kid comes along. Unlikely she'll 'feel safe' putting the kid in the 20+ year old tin can that the e30 is.

I disagree with point #1, but point #3 is dead on. I had one, and would never have put my toddlers in it, much less my infants. This is a no-go.

What about a P71? It's cheap, safe, and one of 'The Answer' cars.