All of sudden, I find myself yearning to buy....
 

....a Mazda MX-5 Miata.

Never had a 'vert before, or a roadster. I suppose those are the main reasons of my current obsession. I'd definitely get a stick.

So, to those who have owned a Miata, what are the pros and cons ?? What generation or model years should I avoid ?? And more importantly, was it worth the price of admission ??

Thanks in advance.

There's a white 2012 with a 5-speed for $17,999 located 90 miles from me.

(I do like the shape of that generation, so I suppose I should stick to looking at the 3rd gens.).

But that price seems a bit high. What would do you think would be a fair price for something like that with 50k miles on the clock ??

(BTW, what's the friggen point of putting slushboxes in these things anyway ?? I don't get it....).

People seem to love Miatas. You can get a nice C4 zr1 for that kind of money though. :)

Miata
Is
Always
The
Answer

That sounds high for a 6 year old example. You can buy a brand new one with 0 miles for under $25,000.

I’d go new as well. The car is so much better looking these days—and, given that you keep your cars forever, you would get your money’s worth.

The new car is more "Miata" than the NC (Third gen) car was. The NC got larger, more luxurious (I guess?), heavier and was sloppier in the handling department. The ND returns to the small, light, flickable formula.

Miata has always been a sore subject for me . . . I can still remember the excitement before they were released . . . and I remember my huge disappointment when I could not fit into the first one that arrived at my local dealer.

My legs are just too long.

The newest version is very sharp looking, but doesn't the Fiat version come with a slightly tweaked motor?

The NC is the bigger heavier one. That said, I love mine. The factory sport suspension and a stiffer front sway bar utterly transformed the car form the NC's I drove in '06 & '07. Those rolled a lot. Mine is very flat without being ridiculous.

To me the key to their enjoyment is:

- Avoid highways as it is geared very low and is not quiet. It will get tiring quickly.
- It's no frills, so adjust expectations.
- Drive it hard, otherwise it will feel slow and you will start noticing the shortcomings in comfort. Luckily its low gearing allows you to wind it out at totally normal speeds.
- Don't drive it daily. It will wear thin fairly quickly. But as an occasional fun car that is cheap to own, it's pretty perfect.

Now that I got my new steering wheel, I love it even more.

I think Lou would like a Miata.

He has a Harley, a motorhome, and a pick'em-up truck, none of that screams Miata owner to me. :lol:

This man has some VERY GOOD advice ... absolutely get what you mean .. these sports cars are good ... in d o s e s !!

But also chill, happy-go-lucky (in a good way or so he seems on the internet) and a 325i rwd sport. Not east coast. Miatas would be a blast out by Tahoe.

I would look for a 2010+ retractable hardtop NC Miata. I think 2010+ models look a little better and the retractable hardtop would be more comfortable in bad weather? I think they look cool with the top up and still can go all the way down like a normal Miata.

The 2016+ ND Miata is a better car, but they are still really expensive and their transmissions go boom.

I'd end up with a stack of speeding tickets, lol.

I see what you did there.

Maybe it is......maybe it isn't.

Perhaps I need to rent one ??

It does sound a bit high.

Not really interested in paying a premium price for a new one. A "cream puff" with low miles and around $10-15k is what I'm after.

Heh, yeah. I do seem to keep my wheels forever.

A new one would be nice, but I'm not so sure if I'm going to like it for that long like my current 3.

I suppose when my Bimmer is starting to nickel and dime me to death, I'd spring for one.

I don't know, I'm so friggen lost....

I didn't know that, that's good to know.

I need to test drive one of these things.

I remember a pic of you next to your big-ass RV, and you're pretty tall.

So yeah, you'd have to be sitting in the trunk of the Miata in order for you to drive it, LOL.

Thanks for that feedback.

I'm lucky in that twisty, mountain roads aren't very far from me, and this is the vehicle I'd take every time to get my kicks.

I really think I would. It's just so different to what I'm accustomed to driving.

And then I started looking at S2000s....

:rolleyes: :eeps:

That is why I'm so intrigued with the car.

To me, being behind the wheel of a 2-seater, no-frills roadster is driving in its purest form.

Gosh, I envy guys like you: you worked your butt off, and have enough disposable income to purchase some of the hottest wheels on the planet.

:cool::cool:

You have me pegged.

I used to be high-strung and always on-the-go, but ever since I moved out West from NJ, I've become more laid-back and enjoy life at a more leisurely pace.

I guess that's why I love it out here, and have all my toys to enjoy it with my friends and family.

There's a Miata Club that runs around here. I need to get with that group somehow....

Even their manuals ??

That's odd. I've never heard of Mazdas having crappy gearboxes.

:dunno:

It seems to only be the manuals. It might be concentrated around the autocrossers and track people I know, but there have been at least a dozen blown transmissions of people I know and many others from "people on the internet." I think there was an update to 2017 models to supposedly fix the problem, but Mazda has been good about replacing each of the transmissions under warranty. I think all of the fast ND Miatas that I autocross against are on their 2nd or 3rd transmissions. I'm not sure about linking to other message boards, but you will see results if you google it.

I would still consider a ND Miata, but I would opt for the 2017 model and hope the transmission issues are ironed out. They are still outstanding cars.

I think anyone who has driven a Miata loves them, but I'm in the camp where I need something slightly more usable (and I like having a roof).

Definitely a great car to have if you also have other useful cars, which Lou does.

Mazda went to great lengths to remove weight from the ND Miata. It seems as though this led to some fragile transmissions. As Chris noted it's been fixed, but there are still some cars out there with the pre-update transmission.

If you're set on an NC (and they're great cars), I'd definitely try to get a later one like FC mentioned. You might consider searching miata.net... guessing you could find a better deal there than at a dealer.

Don't do that

That's going to be way out of his budget anyway.

Yes, do it! :D

I haven't been behind the wheel of a Miata outside of a single test drive back in... 2004. Even though they're similar vehicles, I sort of get the feeling that the Miata and S2000 have rather different personalities.

I loved my S2000. If not for some life-related factors that made it the least practical car to continue owning beyond a certain point, it's a vehicle that I would've enjoyed pulling out of my garage every morning for the rest of my life.

I wonder how easy it would be to find one in great condition these days. It's now been out of production for 8 years.

I'm sure they're out there - probably on BAT right now or soon. But you'll pay through the nose.

https://www.nalleyinfinitimarietta.c...6d0f73c4e2.htm


I guess you'd need to deal with the airbag asap.

Wasn't the rap always that although neither of those cars had much power, the S2000 in particular really needed to be thrashed into high revs (kick in the VTEC, yo) in order to get out of its own way?

Aside from a brief encounter with a Miata in the early '00s I haven't driven either, so I don't have any relevant first-hand experience to relay, just remembering what I've read.

We drove both when shopping the Z3 in 2001. I hated both of them.

It depends upon your definition of "get out of its own way". If you're the type that drag races away from every stoplight, then you might feel this way. But I always felt that the car was very sprightly at any RPM.

It does take a bit to get used to the short gearing. Rowing gears in that gearbox is very rewarding, though. So never a chore.

Don't think I've typed it out loud before, but the ND is a dark horse in the race in my head.

Like JV and Chris mentioned, 2016 transmissions are time bombs, but the only hassle is arranging the tow from wherever it strands you. Also sounds like the replacements are pretty speedy these days. If it's a concern, I'd limit 2016 contenders that have already the work done, but if I were buying today, I'd be looking for a new leftover 17.

Definitely try an S2k. They have a very different personality than a miata. I really don't like them in the street as they are very frenetic and "serious" feeling but lots of people like the racy feel.

I probably won't auto cross the car, so I'm wondering if all those tranny failures are due to them being driven hard on the course. :dunno:

I do try to have a variety of vehicles in my fleet. I could never understand how some households have two minivans. Gosh, one minivan is enough, LOL.

Thanks for that Miata.net tip.