Faults:

Bought this car for $2000... Rear windshield had fallen out. Prior owner was at a loss to fix it (he was told $2,500, needed a new top)... I watched YouTube and did the job for $75 and 14 hours.

Had some electrical issues that I fixed.

Needed front end work and tires cost me $1400.

He had a nasty dent in the side from the car rolling backwards and the open door hitting a tree (????)... Looked nasty, but I got a guy to fix and paint it for $800... So I'm in it for about $4500, but it had only 46,000 and his maintenance records were meticulous (oil every 3,000 or 3 months, never missed).

General Comments:

After taking care of the above, this car is absolutely awesome... Runs and drives like a true sports car. Convertible top is a marvel. Has a ton of life in it. I'm not really a sports car guy, but the low miles and purchase price, I couldn't turn it down. So, now I own a really cool sports car with low miles. Could easily sell for what I'm in it for.

Faults:

Throttle body had to be replaced (known issue, lots of information online).

Clutch slave cylinder (located inside the clutch housing, very expensive to replace).

Alternator pulley.

Steering stops (common issue).

Coolant reservoir leak.

Driver's side (inner) door handle.

Passenger door lock actuator.

Exhaust clamp (rusted and fell off).

Washer fluid level sensor.

Oxygen sensors.

Battery.

General Comments:

This is a wonderful car. The design is timeless, looks terrific from every angle. The interior is very comfortable, ergonomics are excellent except for the buttons behind the steering wheel which other reviewers complain about, although in my case I didn't really mind. Amazing sounding stereo and very comfortable seats.

The car is seriously fast, both in acceleration and top speed. However turbo lag is quite noticeable, especially on the 5 speed manual.

The car feels extremely stable on the highway. Unfortunately handling is on the poor side, probably due to being relatively heavy and FWD. This is despite having the factory sports suspension, which can be quite harsh on uneven pavement. Gas mileage is surprisingly good, about 8L/100km highway driving. The steering is precise and provides good feedback. Unfortunately the turning radius is atrocious.

Rear visibility is poor. Getting people into the back seat can take some time due to the front seats moving electrically.

The car never ever failed to start except for the time the battery died, which was actually my fault since it had been giving me signs of being on its way out several days before. The only time the car left me stranded was when the clutch slave cylinder failed (clutch pedal wouldn't return and a pool of brake fluid appeared under the car).

In summary, while far from perfect, this is a truly great car.

Faults:

Nothing has broken, or failed to work.

General Comments:

Quiet car with the hard top up, and has an adequate throttle response.

No leaks, and the car is rattle free at speed.

The engine is 5 cylinders, and that helps with the fuel economy (21 round town and 25+ on a good run).

Solid built car with solid performance.

Looks good, and I have had plenty of nice comments on the design of both the exterior and interior.

Faults:

- Front shocks

- Front shock mount

- Radiator

- Front leather seats cracked and teared

- Small leak in the convertible hydraulics

- Engine torque mount

- Code 1711 - lean fuel mixture - cause yet to be determined

General Comments:

This car is a large convertible with 4 comfortable seats. The legroom in the back is large for convertibles and can seat a tall passenger without discomfort. Front power seats are very comfortable and have the heated option.

The interior is of high quality material, however the central console is not wooden, only a simulating plastic which I did not expect to see in a car of this price tag. The plastics used at the controls are all gray, which is rather unpleasant with beige interior, and I would prefer to see it in another color (even black).

The controls are logically laid out, most system buttons are traditionally located below the dash (much better than the newer series). The climate control is rather odd, buttons and knobs are small and are analog, I wish they were digital with LCD display like in other higher class cars. By the way, most of the illumination bulbs in my car were burnt out, original parts cost 10$/bulb, I went with Radioshack and cost 50c each.

The suspension is hard (or maybe it's my Bilstein shocks) and together with a non-rigid body gives a not too firm feel when going over bumps. The handling is OK, the car is understeered and makes sharp turning quite difficult, and given the large turning radius it's hard to maneuver in the city. Despite McPhersons in the front and semi-independent suspension, the car has a very good grip to the road.

The T-5 engine is a very capable machine that have a lot of torque from 2500rpm and very elastic. It's not fuel efficient as expected, but very fun. The engine torque mounts are weak and often require replacement. Do not replace the timing belt according to the scheduled 105k miles (160k km), change them much early, mine got cracked at 105 and could have broken at anytime.

I'm not a fan of the automatic transmission, but it does the work fine. The is a bit of hesitation when the pedal is pressed hard.

The engine compartment is cramped and the computers are located in the front, therefore I think it might be exposed to the high heat (in german cars, the computers are behind the firewall). The hoses from the turbo are blocking the way to the transmission dipstick, and it's impossible to check it without removing the hoses.

As expected the trunk is small, just enough for groceries. The rear view is really bad and the mirrors in US are not the curved ones that you see in EU and I really wonder why. The sound proofing is very good, and the noise level is comparable to a sedan on the highway.

The audio system is very good. Great sound and quite natural. The radio is rather crappy, has a 3CD changer and many buttons. In my case, one day it just died and I had to remove it and leave it for sometime before it resurrected. I'm thinking about changing it to a DVD-Nav combo.

All in all, it's a very nice cruiser for the sunny days.

I don't really like the interior due to the color and cheap wood-like decoration. The engine delivers good power and the handling is OK. I would recommend this car for a person who can fix things or at least have enough knowledge not to put it into dealers hands.