swordfish1 Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 yep - everytime you mention muslim you hear bad things. Newer models had changes to the head and gasket - i personally don;t know anyone with a newer one who has ever had head trouble.My neighbours just bought a Lotus - excatly the same engine yet we never hear of the head going on them!! Really? I had a TF and it had been changed once (by a Rover dealer) and was already going again. I was also a member of the owners club and the MG forum and went on quite a few meets. Head gasket failure was rife. Also ill fitting carpets, leaky roofs, playschool interior, and the wiper arm linkage was pure comedy. One great thing was that I only lost £200 in 3 years of ownership. The faults give them character...but they aren't a good car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paranoid Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 the horror story about the head gasket problem was going around when i had mine, but to be fair, i never had any real problems with my mgf (other than the window mechanism broke one time, but i managed to fix that myself with the help of a friend) i went through the same decision making process - mgf vs mx5. at the time, i decided to opt for the mgf because it was a rarer car. as you'll know, mx5's have been around for a long time. but now a days, there are loads of mgf's around as well, so my choice today would be the mx5. having said that, after the mgf i purchased an mr2 and that was a better car. then i traded the mr2 for an s2000 and that was better still (but to be fair it is in a different league to the other 3) captain slow - basically, it cost me a bomb to insure. just over £2300 for the year if i remember correctly. at the time i was living at home with my parents so i didn't have a mortgage etc and i've always worked full time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perplexed Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Anyone got any advice on which is the best soft top car between the mx5 and the mgf. Looking to buy one for a present for someone. Depends if they're male or female. If female, either. If male, neither. Sorry, rubbish joke. A friend of mine had the MG, and was glad to get shot of it in the end. Lots of niggles. But that aside, he used to constantly fret about it's safety, and was like a cat on hot bricks when he had to park it anywhere which didn't supply armed guards. Which is obviously everywhere. I can't recall hearing anything bad about the MX5. What about one of those convertables which have a folding tin top rather than a soft top? I think the soft tops are vandal magnates, so would go for the folding metal myself. Good luck anyhow! Wish someone was buying a car for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L00b Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 MX5 An entirely-biased opinion from a male Mk1 owner (1998 1.8 Mk1, 54000 miles, owned for the last 9 years, commuting everyday with it) Looks & drives like a Lotus, but build and running costs like a Toyota Try and find a limited edition, they've usually had a much 'better' life. High miles shouldn't put you off if the history is comprehensive and well documented. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lizmachin Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 What about one of those convertables which have a folding tin top rather than a soft top? I think the soft tops are vandal magnates, so would go for the folding metal myself. Good luck anyhow! Wish someone was buying a car for me! I have a Mercedes SLK which has the metal top. I love it to bits. It is the new shape, and I understand that the old ones are not very nice at all. When the roof is down there is still a good boot space, but as the roof lies on top of the luggage it makes big items difficult to remove. It is cheap to run and returns around 32 mpg according to the computer. The only problem I have is that it is very wide. My flat in Sheffield has very limited parking, and it is not easy to reverse park. A friend bought an MX5 about a year ago which has the identical roof. It is a lovely car but I wouldn't swap with him even if he offered £10K. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paranoid Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 A friend bought an MX5 about a year ago which has the identical roof. It is a lovely car but I wouldn't swap with him even if he offered £10K. i should hope not as yours will have cost a lot more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 I've driven both and I'd say MX5. But if it's budget I'd say S2000 or Z4 or Boxster over the first two any time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 MX5 An entirely-biased opinion from a male Mk1 owner (1998 1.8 Mk1, 54000 miles, owned for the last 9 years, commuting everyday with it) Looks & drives like a Lotus, but build and running costs like a Toyota Try and find a limited edition, they've usually had a much 'better' life. High miles shouldn't put you off if the history is comprehensive and well documented. I guess you've never driven an Elise? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 That is probably because no one ever does any mileage in a Lotus. One of my mates commutes in his and has since he bought it in 98. He does all his own maintenance and tracks it half a dozen times a year as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 If you want to enjoy driving get the MX5, if not still get the MX5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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