Looking at a miata

[Xcelr8to1320]

Hey guys, I've been thinking of getting a new daily driver. Good mileage but still fun to drive and very enjoyable. Only problem is that its gonna be used year round, and even though it'll have winter tires, really not sure how well one of these would fair in the winter. Also if there are any big pros/cons it'd be greatly appreciated if you guys could shed some light on them. Also the best years to look for and why, how stout/reliable the engines are, etc.

Thanks!

~Alex

 

[mx5x2]

I personally would look for a 94 or newer to get the larger engine, definitely stay away from 91 and older with the shortnose crank. Not great in the snow due to the RWD, but if you have experience driving in those conditions, there are plenty on the miata.net forum that would say they use theirs year round. Hard top would be a handy accessory in the winter time as well. I personally dont drive mine often not for lack of want. That being said I know of several that make a trip from Canada to Mrytle beach S.C. for a few years straight now(Miatas @ Mrytle beach"MAMB") Hope this has been some help, and good luck.

 

[Xcelr8to1320]

Thanks for the info. I was planning to try and find around a 2000 miata, I figure it will be higher miles but given mazda's history and assuming the previous owner(s) took proper care of it I'm not too worried about higher miles. What kind of mileage does a miata typically get?

~Alex

 

[noclue119]

Thanks for the info. I was planning to try and find around a 2000 miata, I figure it will be higher miles but given mazda's history and assuming the previous owner(s) took proper care of it I'm not too worried about higher miles. What kind of mileage does a miata typically get?

~Alex

we just got a 2009 miata, it gets around 28.3 mpg. I have to be honest, at 80mph i can tell the miata drifts a little.

 

[PhantomIPG]

Subscribed for more info.!

 

[Canecreekfreak]

I've had a '94 Miata, and currently have an '06. Both were daily drivers. My friend has a 2002 that he daily drove from 2003-2008. All have been very reliable cars.

Things to watch for in my experience- plastic radiator tops sometime crack and need to be replaced. Shocks don't really feel like they need to be replaced, but should be done in the 60k-80k mile range. You'll notice the difference once you do. Timing belts should be done around 75k miles, along w/the water pump. Make sure the one your getting has a decent top as well. Look for cracks, holes, repairs, etc.

There's probably other things I've missed, but those are the major and obvious things I thought of. Also, I prefer the minor styling change they did in either '01 or '02, plus they came with projector headlights which make the HID upgrade easy. Otherwise Miata's are surprisingly reliable.