Secondhand Gems
Secondhand Gems: Highway To Hollywood
The digital pages of Winding Road are typically filled with our presumptions on what makes driving enjoyable. To reach these conclusions, 99 times out of 100 we’re scribing about essential, elemental motoring characteristics such as vehicle balance, dynamics at the limit, handling prowess, usable horsepower, driver feedback, and so on. That being said, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to 100.
Secondhand Gems: $33,000 Roadsters
Look closer at the segment, however, and one finds a roadster sweet spot just about in the middle, in the vicinity of $33,000. At that price point there exist three roadsters in the secondhand market that have the ability to deliver everything an enthusiast could ever want. Each machine has a different personality. All share a front-engine/rear-drive configuration with a manual gearbox, and the ability to properly carve corners. At $33,000 you can probably guess the two Japanese makes on the list, but the American entry just might surprise you.
Secondhand Gems: $20,000 Family-Sized Fun
In our search for responsible, affordable family machines that aren’t completely mind numbing to drive we’ve rounded up a pair of crossovers and the aforementioned minivan. They all rank well in terms of safety equipment and crash worthiness. They all offer three-row seating. They all achieve at least an EPA-highway rating of 24 miles per gallon. And at approximately $20,000, they’re affordable by the masses.
Secondhand Gems: Ferrari Dreams
There are cheaper, quicker, more reliable alternatives to owning a Ferrari. There are other machines that look positively stunning from all angles while still delivering pure motoring brilliance. There are other vehicles that motivate drivers with endless powerbands and delicious aural soundtracks, born from the act of converting gasoline into horsepower. There are cars that deliver all the above without the need for frequent service schedules that can top $10,000 per visit; in fact some of them can even reach 100,000 miles with just some oil changes and a few sets of tires. There are many sensible, logical reasons why an auto enthusiast shouldn’t purchase a Ferrari. But for many, that’s exactly the reason why they do.
Secondhand Gems: The Round Up
In an effort to expand the readership of our monthly Secondhand Gems column from Winding Road’s digital magazine (and capitalize on the near-slavish following that the intrepid Christopher Smith seems to garner with every new article), we’re going to publish each new Gems column on WindingRoad.com, from here on out. You’re welcome.
Secondhand Gems: Grand Touring, Three Ways
We’re going out on a limb here to assume that, as a Winding Road reader, you like to drive. (Bold, we know.) Let’s try another tenuous branch and say that not all driving enthusiasts are always enthused about driving, especially those who are required by work or other circumstances to spend a significant amount of time behind the wheel.
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