4C vs F-type vs Evora vs GT350
 

Hoping I could get some input from folks as I've been wrestling with a 3rd car decision recently. I have a 2014 CTS Vsport and 2017 Audi Q7 already and am now in the market for a sports car to serve weekend + occasional commute duty.
My price range is $40-60k and I only buy used to avoid steep depreciation curves.
I'm looking for something with good power, torque, great handling, ideally manual tranny and not too radical (i.e. trackday specials)
I've considered a bunch of different cars like 2013 Audi TTRS, Ford Focus RS, Camaro SS 1LE, Cayman S, NSX, etc. and narrowed it down to:

- Alfa Romeo 4C
- 2011-14 Lotus Evora S
- 2016 F-type V6 S
- 2016 Mustang GT350

I've driven the Alfa extensively and love the lightweight, raw gokart feeling. This would probably be a no brainer if it was manual. I've driven an F-type and enjoyed it but it wasn't a manual. Never driven the shelby or lotus.

What would you guys lean toward? Any obvious choices I'm missing?

I owned the Evora for a few years, have done a lot of driving in a GT350, and my Jaguar has the same engine a V6S (XE is supposed to handle better than F Type S)... At 40-60K I would strongly consider an Aston Martin Vantage V8 4.7. It's like all of those rolled up into one car.

*Evora - best handling and braking car you'll drive south of a McLaren. Steering feel is like nothing out there. Ferrari used an Evora as a handling benchmark on the F430. Never an engine worry. Not so easy getting in and out. Parts and dealers aren't everywhere. Great forum support network. Not a ton torque, brilliant engine sound. Feels like an event every time driving. You're grand prix rockstar when driving this car. Can attract too much attention while driving. I would like to own another, most likely a 400 at some point.

*GT350 - wicked beast of a car. Feels kind of big. Incredible drive train and brakes. Handles well with nice steering feel. This car can put you in a ditch real quick. Not a toy. Very loud. Interior is lacking quality materials beyond the seats. Tons of torque and power.

*Aston Martin Vantage V8 - Very similar to a 911S in performance. Wicked engine sound, great shifting. Very direct steering with nice road feel. Highest quality materials and refinement. You really feel like James Bond driving it. Cooler than F Type. When that car starts up, there's nothing like an Aston Martin.

I’m in the same boat as you.

ive decided on a gt350.

IMO the evora is not worth it (I have a lot of experience with lotus). Dealer network sucks. Very unreliable for the stupidest things. Very infuriating. But amazing car to drive.

If I had another space in the garage a 4C would be up on the list, but it's too much toy for a primary car. I only drive about 4-5k a year, but need some utility...

I've heard the newer Evoras are much better put together. Clutch change still requires disassembly of sub-frames, I think? $7K job, I believe, all said and done...

So I guess I should chime in. I recently sold my FRS and was itching for something a bit more eventful on the increasingly rare days I get to drive for fun. All those cars you mentioned at some point I considered. The F Type as I would want it either cost too much or cost too much and didn't exist (v8 stick), and if I could afford it would probably kill me on the maintenance and repairs. Plus the closest jag dealers service centers around here are crooks, a theme that seems to be pervasive. I do know some good local guys but I dunno how well versed they are on the newer jags. In any rate, from what others have told me the drive is very GT and less sporty, no unicorn attributes here. The Evora is hard to get under 60 let alone 50, and things like a clutch job and one other thing I'm forgetting that can be costly to fix got me worried. No dealers around me, and I guess for me it wasn't worth the hassle. The 4c I thought long and hard about. Met a guy at the track with one, loves it, and I surpsingly fit in it, but it really it really is a toy car, and of course long term reliability and durability but it does share the engine from I forget what but still.
Which brought me to the gt350, which I'm a fanboy of admittedly. I followed this car from rumor to debut to production, loved it and I've always had a soft spot for the s550. It was my attainable dream car. Someone near me has one and I hear it every once in awhile since he drives like a douche at night. Anyway, couple buds drove them and say it is special. Yes it's big and heavy, and really not that fast anymore. The camaro ss 1le is just as fast and imo is a bit easier to drive and much better value, you should seriously consider one. But Ford knew what they were doing from in marketing standpoint. This was never an arms race car, this was fords first crack at making a car with intangibles and not objective criteria.
So this weekend I took the plunge and bought one. I love it, does alot well, nothing over the top well, nothing bad either. It's actually pretty practical although ingress and egress with the recaros is a challenge, I'm gonna destroy the side bolster in no time. But flip the exhaust switch and ring it out to 8250 and man... worth it.
I haven't gotten a chance to really put it through its paces yet but it feels very capable thus far and I can't wait.
Lastly I like it because it is special but not a complete attention whore, people who know thumbs up it, general public just thinks it's a nice mustang.
If I didn't have the huge hole in my bank account, after buying cars for under 25k and generally lost no money on my entire life, if it wasnt for that id be totally in gaga. With higher price tag comes more scrutiny from my accounting side of my brain, but right now I'm loving the honeymoon.

OP, why did you rule out Cayman S?
Boxster Spyder? Rare, does not depreciate much, manual, reliable.

^^ but Cayman R

Definitely some good opinions, thanks guys. I've read a lot about poor Lotus quality which definitely makes me nervous. Didn't realize clutch jobs cost that kinda of money, yikes!

On the Aston, I did consider it briefly but the wife talked me out of it. For the money, I'm looking at a 2009-ish which is a bit older than I'd like. And, apart from the look and sound, I didn't get the sports car feel from it. Definitely drove more like a GT for me. All of that plus the iffy reliability and expensive maintenance put it in the cut pile.

I have been reading about the F-type being more GT. That's ok and I didn't feel that as much when I drove one. But I'm a bit worried about the V6 being underpowered and haven't experienced their manuals. But man, that coupe is sexy as hell.

I think the GT350 could be a good option but no one will let me drive one around here. Every dealer say's it's "too special" and "we need to respect the future owner." I think it's comical that I can't get a test drive in a $50k car when I'm pulling up in my $90k Q7. I even had a dealer refuse me a test drive in a used one with 10k miles. So this may be a no go for now because I refuse to buy without test driving.

The 1LE looks great on paper but when I sat in it I really felt like it was too big. I know the dimensions aren't bigger than the mustang but something about this and the corvettes....they just always feel much bigger than their size.

On Porsche's, I've owned a 997.2 GTS and a Cayman S in the past. Part of it is me wanting something new but another part is that I just never felt the wow factor. They are clinical, a little underpowered and absolutely everywhere in the bay area.

I had a Miata RF recently and forgot how much fun manual is which is why I'm hesitating on the 4C; otherwise, it meets the all of the criteria and pulls at my heart strings. I don't mind something being a bit more of a toy since I have the sedan but I can't be going so far as Atoms and the like.