Spport vs trouring; gauge lighs on Solara

[micky]

I'm starting out early shopping for a used car and I find that

Masda MX-5 Miata has models called grand touring, but some are called sport. Nissan 350Z has models called Touring, grand touring, just to confuse me. sport touring

I've found that "touring" means a comfortable ride like old fogeys like, and sport means "great handling" but a bumpy ride. I just want a soft ride.

Do these model labels for Masda and Nissanrefer to the suspension or are they just catch phrases?

Do any cars give any indication in their names if they have a soft or "sporty" ride? Especially if they make both kinds. Especially for convertibles.

Is there any central place for looking up models to learn their suspension or do I have to reseach separately each make and model? ----

I went to cars.com to look what's available, and among the others, I found 2 Toyota Solars, one just like mine, same year 2005, same colors (white with tan), only half the mileage, 72,000, and it's for sale only

45 miles from here for $14,995!!

Five years ago I paid 4000 for mine. I got a low price perhaps because check engine light was on, but others were only 6000 or 7000 Is the rise in price because it's hard to get a convertible with a real back seat now? And all things being equal, longer cars have softer rides. (there are still Ford Mustangs and Chevy Camaros, almost as good.)

Anyhow, I'm still trying to find out if my car's dash lights were designed wrong or if the lights for 3 of my gauges are broken, so tomorrow is to be in the 60's and I'm going to go look at my car's long lost brother. Separated at birth. I don't think they even remember each other.

Hmmm, the 2008 with 105,000 miles is only $10,820 and the 2008 with

94,000 miles is $12000. I wonder why the 2005 is 4 or 3000 more, just because its mileage is 30,000 or 20,000 lower???

[Dean Hoffman]

I suspect it's a bit like the Pawn Stars show. Start with a big price, negotiate, and hope. I'd suggest something like a 69 Caddy but you'd have to fix it yourself. Do modern mechanics know what timing lights and feeler gauges are for?

[Scott Dorsey]

"Touring" literally means an open car with two or more rows of seats, although German car makers use it to mean a station wagon.

I think if you want a soft ride, you probably are looking at the wrong cars altogether. These are not soft-riding cars no matter what one may do to them.

--scott

[micky]

It was a combination of things, trying to understand the two words, which might be used by other makers too, but also they are 2 of the few convertibles left on the market. None of the ones I would want are big, long enough to give s soft ride, and even some of the small ones that are made don't have a navigation screen. I'm really hooked on that. Esp. android for auto. Alas.

Here are two intereresting links about GPS

[The Real Bev]

Both Miatas I drove in were miserable just going over RR tracks. Nice for what they are, but 'comfortable' isn't it.

Another word for "comfortable" is "wallowing". 1988 Cadillac was really comfy...

[rbowman]

A friend had a '59 Buick Electra 225 with air ride. It reminded me of a power boat both the way it heeled over in turns and the way there was a lot of activity in the engine compartment before getting underway.

[Scott Dorsey]

"You could drive right over the curb and not know it, it's that smooth!" -- My friend Jim, talking about his Continental

[micky]

I was afraid of that. Probably fun for the first 30 minutes, but no longer.

5 years ago for a short while I had a Chrysler Sebring. I thought it would be like the LeBarons, but every bump in the street was annoying, bumps I didn't even know the street had with the previous car.

Now unless I can get rid of my new back pain, it would be worse.

They had a 60's Cadillac Eldorado convertible on display at the used car dealer I went to on Thursday. White leather seats. It was so long, longer than I remembered. Perfect condition. "Do Not Touch". Nor for sale.

But no navigation. They may still make add-on navigation that sticks to the windshield, but I don't want that.

[rbowman]

Absolutely the truth. I had a '62 Continental. 5500 lbs curb weight with a

430 ci engine you could drive over Volkswagens and not notice.

[AMuzi]

"no navigation"

I drive mid-1960s cars and use the classic navigation system- Look at the map, grab some cash and drive. This requires an additional accessory, "pilot software", to remember the map but it works for me.

[Scott Dorsey]

Have you ever actually seen these cars? The Miata is as close to an MGB as you can buy today. It is a very fun car; it is light and low to the ground and handles well. It is almost exactly the opposite of what you are looking for.

--scott

[micky]

Yes.

:-) sounds good.

;-) sounds wonderful.

Alas, yes.

[micky]

I did that for years and it's good, but since I've had the on-screen map, I love just driving and when I get to a corner, I look at the map and decide which way to go. Thursday it took 3 hours to go the 45 miles from Frederick to Baltimore, and I enjoyed every minute.

I call it "navigation" because that's what the car websites call it, but I don't need direction, I don't even want directions, I just want a map and to know where I am I guess I could buy an external GPS -- they must be really good by now, if they still make them, and if they don't (but they do, I think), the most recent models should be verrry goood. maybe I'm compulsive but I liked that it had a defined place on the dashboard, instead of my hunting for a place to put it, like I've had to do with the cell phone. Wherever I put it, it covers something.

7 INCH CAR GPS Navigation Portable Truck Navigator 8GB 256MB free USA Canada MAP

$40. That's certainly cheap enough. "Free Lifetime Maps". That's good.

-- I hate when there is a cord dangling down that you have to plug in somewhere,

$65 9-inch. Car & Truck GPS Navigation Navigator Sat Navi 8GB 256MB Canada Mexico US

OTOH, Crutchfield has models up to 800 dollars! Maybe they are better.

Of course I could skip the whole thing and just do what I have done sometimes, turn left, then right, then left in the hopes I'll go the direction I intend, and use the phone to figure out where I end up.

[The Real Bev]

Absolute best car I've ever driven is my friend's Honda S2000. Comfort, performance, and it's PRETTY!

[micky]

How do they do that when afaict it's no longer than a Masda Miata?

I like pretty. When the car doesn't work, you can usually fix it, but if it's ugly or mediocre, you're stuck.

Oh owe: Why is S2000 so expensive? Yes in markets worldwide the Honda S2000 prices have been surging upwards the past few years. This would be due to it becoming a true cult hero. It is also recognised as a great little roadster in its own right. Also the styling hasn't dated at all and looks better than most current efforts. Why is the 2004 Honda S2000 so expensive after 17 years on ... - Quora quora.com

› Search for: Why is S2000 so expensive?

20,000 miles, $39,490