Eunos! Cheaper my a@#e!!!!!!!

[Miataman]

Hey guys and gals!

I've got a quick question regarding your opinions on the price of 5's compared to Eunos Roadsters.

As you may know, come February my wee endownment will hopefully return a reasonable amount, hopefully enough to buy me my second MX5 (BRG Monza RIP.....)

I've considered a Eunos, especially as I'm gonna tough it out for a Laguna Blue, and good examples seem a wee bit rare on the ground.

Every pricing guide I seem to see claims that Roadsters are cheaper to buy than UK models, however everwhere I look Eunos seem to be up to ?1500 dearer than equivalent Uk 5's.

I know the differences in spec, the insurance issues etc, and I know I can probably haggle a bit on prices (although I dunno about places like Dandy cars, Select Imports etc) but surely I wont be able to haggle to the tune of these figures.... is this just the trade off you pay for air con, power steering etc???

Anyway rant over, maybe i'm just a tightwad who doesn't like to splash the cash!!!

Make sure you all have a merry Crimbo and a damn happy new year!

Spare a thought for the poor wee red headed Glaswegian hufddled around his one candle coz he's trying to save for his next car.......

[Fee]

I can't help you at all on your quest, but just wanted to wish you a merry crimbo

Maybe Santa will bring you a 5, might be worth writing a letter just in case

Fi

[Phil]

Unless things have changed recently, the 'Eunos' model was always cheaper than a UK model, it does have a better specification but the argument over price was always Insurance and the fact that 'in theory' parts were more expensive.

WE know that parts are not more expensive and that some insurer's are quite happy with imports now.

If you are willing to haggle over price, act ignorant, say Insurance is going to cost more and that Mazda Dealers are not willing to service/repair cars.

Best of luck and Merry Christmas.

[DouglasH]

Spare a thought for the poor wee red headed Glaswegian hufddled around his one candle coz he's trying to save for his next car.......

All is not lost Miataman, for that extra Christmas cheer and to warm your heart, you can always put the candle behind one of your clear side repeaters you bought earlier this year, then blow it out, then re light it etc etc.. this will give you hope for the year to follow

Merry Christmas...hope to see you soon in your Laguna Blue.

[Hardtrack]

Welcome to the real world prices of Roadsters .The biggest myth on the whole Roadster v mx5's debate is price,Roadsters are cheaper,you find this is blx when you go look at them unless they are junk.I bought my Roadster simply for the reason...........every uk 5 was spartan and rusted compared to all the Roadsters i looked at.You will pay top dollar for a good Roadster,but you get the benefits of a much higher spec.........leccy windows,aircon(a must unless you like the whole cabin steaming up like a sauna in the first drop of rain),power steering,sometimes leather or suede,high level tweeters,headrest speakers,decent steering wheels.....central locking,interior boot pulls,chrome foot plates .............the spec is endless on some models,i just listed some of mine!.You can get a lot of this on uk models ,but they are few and far between.Roasters are as a rule 99% of the time in much better condition than 5's,i feel i can back this statement by having travelled all over the UK in search for one.........the comparison was shocking!
Also remember if you buy a 1.6 mk1 after 93 .........these are the elastic band powered 88bhp engines compared to the 114bhp 1.6 Roadster engines although both mx5 and Roadster 1.8's are the same 130bhp.............i won't comment on performance of the 88bhp engine as i will start a war in the forum as most know my thoughts on the performance of the 1.8
As of insurance.................there is no problem with an import,i'm 350 quid a year for mine as a 2nd car and that was starting from 0% no claims as you go back to 0 when you take out any car insurance policy outwith your current car.The parts are the same, CONSIDERING THEY ARE MADE ON THE SAME PRODUCTION LINE ........the only thing i know of being different is the glass is supposedly thinner on a Roadster.
I hope you find the car you are looking for within your budget as you will have now......found out that Roadsters are not cheaper...usually more expensive due to higher spec and condition.This is a fair justification of price .
I would have no problems buying a UK mx5 if it had the spec and condition i was looking for.........it just never happened for me,so i bought a Roadster and was very happy at the price it cost me..........dec 31st is always a good time to smack pound notes on someones table and watch their eyes light up

[mike9jr]

Having just changed form a uk 5 to an import, I found a similar problem.

What I did was avoid Dandy cars and other importers (after looking at them all first of course) and bought one from joe public, who'd already taken the hit from the importer. Then you WILL find that the Eunos is cheaper. Had to travel to Newcastle to get it mind you.

I did find a peach on Dandy Cars at first, ?1500 more than I eventually paid. While i was on the phone to him about the car someone else put a deposit down, so i lost it anyway!! No principles these places, its all money money money. I did like David tho..

Importers are in business, they load the prices accordingly. Look in the small adds, auto trader etc and pick a Eunos up from there. Much cheaper. Honest...

Mike
Aberdeen

[Colin M]

My UK MX-5 has electric windows, power steering, leather Nardi Torino steering wheel (whoever that is), central locking, interior boot pull and chrome thingies under the doors that say "MX-5", so the only things I'm missing from Hardtrack's list are the air conditioning and better sound I think. (It also has ABS) I thought most of them were like that (excluding ABS and the scuff plate things), are they not?

I also had terrible bother trying to get insurance for an imported Roadster when I was looking to buy, as me being under 25 seems to mean they're not willing to touch me with a barge pole.

(Oh, and Hardtrack, I assume you're the same one as from the other forum? )

[kristoff]

Oh, and Hardtrack, I assume you're the same one as from the other forum?

Perish the thought there would ever be two Hardtrack's roaming the streets

[Hardtrack]

very good Chris ..........if you read my post clearly,i did say you can get all these extra's on a UK mx5,but harder to find