Joel Helmes looks at the best car options when your life needs some excitement.
It’s a terrible term isn’t it? ‘Mid-life crisis’ Well, whether you are actually having a crisis, or you just want a fun car that gets your heart racing without crippling you financially, you’ve come to the right place.
Fortunately, there are some really good options out there that will do both!
Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ
The co-developed and produced Toyota/Subaru sports coupé’s deliver amazing ‘bang for your buck’. With excellent handling, a fun but also quite practical interior, great fuel economy and a very reasonable price tag (from $29,990) there aren’t a lot of drawbacks.
Go for the manual version though, and no, a convertible version isn’t available (yet).
You can read a review of the Toyota 86 here.
Mazda MX-5
Once the undisputed king of good clean, cheap, top-down fun, the MX-5 has slipped off the radar a bit in recent years.
The near-disappearance of this once much-loved model can be put down to the abundance of quality alternatives on the market today and the Mazda’s price tag – it starts at $47,280!
The Mazda MX-5 is a quality little car, but you can get just as much fun out of something else, for less.
BMW 1-Series Convertible
Priced from $53,800, the 1 Series Convertible comes with a choice of either a 1.8 litre diesel or 2.0 litre petrol engine.
Yes, the topless beamer is the most expensive mid-life crisis vehicle on the list, but that famous BMW quality and the driving feel exhibited by the 1 Series is quite addictive.
In all it’s a great mix of luxury, fun and practicality, just be careful not to tick too many options boxes or you could end up really blowing the budget.
You can read a review of the BMW 1-Series here.
Hyundai Veloster
True, a convertible version isn’t available. But, the Veloster certainly grabs plenty of attention thanks to some really fun colours and that distinctive three-door styling.
Go for the turbo-charged model though, the naturally aspirated Veloster is embarrassingly sluggish!
Still, the cabin is fun and funky, and with prices starting at just $24,490, a fun new you can have some wheels to match without ruining your retirement!
You can read a review of the Hyundai Veloster here.
Jeep Wrangler
Want to go in a different direction? Then maybe the Jeep Wrangler is what you want.
Yes, you get top down fun and the Wrangler does commands plenty of attention. It also has more than enough off-road ability to take you just about anywhere you could ever want to go.
Prices start at just $32,500 for the soft-top version!
You can read a review of the Jeep Wrangler here.
There you go, five very different options all aimed at bringing out the fun in you, without necessarily breaking the bank.
Have fun!!
Joel Helmes
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