I had wanted an MGB as a kid, loved the idea of a small two seater roadster.
By the time I could afford such a car (late 90s), it was the F or the MX-5, so I test drove them both a few times.
MX-5 did nothing for me and I actually prefered how my 200,000+ miler 2.0i Sierra drove.
F seemed straight away to me to be a real driver's car you could look forward to driving everytime you sat in it. So I paid 13,000 odd for an 18 month old VVC, which I drove to work 100 miles round-trip every day for 4 1/2 years and I loved every single mile.
That included snow and ice and all sorts of adverse conditions, and it always handled so well, almost like it was part of me.
Sold it in 06 due to job change circumstances, and it was much missed, but last year I realised I could just buy another one for peanuts (considering what you get for the money - and indeed what else could you get for that sort of money?) and the car had lost none of its allure. Still love driving it.