Why buy a Miata?

[NestorGonzalez]

Hey guys im looking for a new car and I think I already made my decision, but what some last opinions on the benefits of a Miata? The care im learning towards is an 91 MR2 Turbo.

 

[njaremka]

why NOT buy a miata?

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/08/boomerang-basement-bolides-first-place-mazda-miata-phrt/

 

[Traum]

The simple and short answer is -- you need to get yourself a test drive in a Miata to really find out why you want a Miata. With every iteration of the car (NA/NB/NC), it is very much the quintessential driver's car.

You'll hear the same adjectives being used to describe the Miata experience over and over again -- neutral, perfectly balance, responsive, direct, easy to drive, affordable, reliable, easy to service, etc. It has both phenomenal OEM and aftermarket support. And most important of all, it has a phenomenal fan base, and their collective knowledge and wisdom about this car (and cars in general) are just incredible.

I am not nearly as familiar with the 2nd gen MR2 as I am about the Miata, and I agree that the MR2 is a great car and a fun car to drive. However, especially when equipped with a turbo, the MR2 has quite a few more quirks compared to the Miata. The combination of short MR, short wheel base, and big power makes for a twitchy car to drive at or near the limit. Essentially, the moment you lose your rear end, you are pretty much doomed and left at the mercy of physics. It is very, very hard to save an MR2 once it loses control. With the Miata, it is extremely tolerant. Even if you screw up, there is either plenty of warning, or time for you to correct. Even if you lose control of the car, vehicle speed and the pace at which things happen are also a lot slower.

For someone who has no previous RWD experience, I would definitely recommend a Miata over an MR2. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't ever recommend any MR cars to an RWD newbie. IMO, a driver really needs to know what he is doing before stepping into an MR.

Also, bear in mind that service costs will be higher for the MR2. Parts are nowhere nearly as common, and working with that midship engine bay is jut a pain in the butt.

 

[NestorGonzalez]

How hard and expensive would it be to turn an NA to a turbo? I have a protege 5 and i love the way it handles i just wish it had more power. I also read the miata's can cut your field of view if you're taller due to the window size. How roomy are these cars? I'm 5'11'' 300lbs. I drove an Mr2 Spyder and i had to duck down in order to be able to see up the road since my vision was being cut off. I'm open to suggestions which is why i came on here.

 

[NestorGonzalez]

Thanks i'll read this when I have a chance at work.

why NOT buy a miata?

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/08/boomerang-basement-bolides-first-place-mazda-miata-phrt/

 

[Traum]

With the NA/NB Miata, FI options are plentiful -- both SC and turbo options are available, and the BP engine responds to FI well. Everything is tried and true because of the car's long history and phenomenal support base. The bugs have all been worked out if you follow the established formula. The popular (dramatic) power upgrade with the NC is a 2.5L engine swap + tuning. All 3 generations can also be made to swallow V8 LSx crate engines if you really want crazy power, with established builders and kits all ready for you to tap into. Like I said, everything is already tried and true.

The bigger problem is fitting you into the car. If you are more legs and less torso, 5'11" shouldn't be a problem. But the 300 lbs aspect makes it less certain. The only practical suggestion I can make here is for you to try fitting yourself in, and see how well that works.

 

[NestorGonzalez]

With the NA/NB Miata, FI options are plentiful -- both SC and turbo options are available, and the BP engine responds to FI well. Everything is tried and true because of the car's long history and phenomenal support base. The bugs have all been worked out if you follow the established formula. The popular (dramatic) power upgrade with the NC is a 2.5L engine swap + tuning. All 3 generations can also be made to swallow V8 LSx crate engines if you really want crazy power, with established builders and kits all ready for you to tap into. Like I said, everything is already tried and true.

The bigger problem is fitting you into the car. If you are more legs and less torso, 5'11" shouldn't be a problem. But the 300 lbs aspect makes it less certain. The only practical suggestion I can make here is for you to try fitting yourself in, and see how well that works.

I am more torso then legs but only slightly.

I need some help here Traum?

NA?
NB?
FI?
SC?
BP?
NC?

Im assuming NA is Naturally aspirated, FI is forced induction, and SC is supercharged.

 

[Traum]

My bad. Been too used to my Miata lingo.

NA - 1st gen Miata -- 1989 - 1997
NA6 - 1st gen 1.6L Miata
NA8 - 1st gen 1.8L Miata
NB - 2nd gen Miata -- 1998 - 2005
NC - 3rd gen Miata -- 2006 - 2015
ND - 4th gen Miata -- 2016+
FI - force induction
SC - supercharge
BP - the Mazda B engine family that was used in the NA/NB

The real place to look for Miata info is probably Miata.net.

 

[TheDirtyGoatee]

How hard and expensive would it be to turn an NA to a turbo? I have a protege 5 and i love the way it handles i just wish it had more power. I also read the miata's can cut your field of view if you're taller due to the window size. How roomy are these cars? I'm 5'11'' 300lbs. I drove an Mr2 Spyder and i had to duck down in order to be able to see up the road since my vision was being cut off. I'm open to suggestions which is why i came on here.

Sorry to bump your thread a couple months but I wanted to chime in since I'm on the cusp of buying my first Miata. I test drove one nearby before getting my 08 shipped to me (this happened in the last day or two and mine isn't here just yet). The third gen is what I drove and man I was floored. I've only driven one other RWD and it was a 2009 Tacoma X-Runner (definitely the best truck I've ever had the pleasure to drive or own). So this being my first little twisty eater, I was worried. The moment I took that sucker for a test drive and past my first few turns, I knew I made the best call. The car is perfect in every way. There's a reason they've sold nearly 1 million MX-5's since it's creation in '89. Simply put, it's the best sports car you'll buy, dollar for dollar.

I'm 6'2 and in the hardtop model, I didn't really notice any gaping visibility issues though I'm sure upon longer inspection, they'll be SOME.

 

[Parallax]

I've owned many RWD vehicles across a lifetime. I'm age 52 and, when I was young, RWD was pretty much all there was. Had many Volvo 240s over the years, all RWD. Then I got a BMW 330Ci, which I drove for 14 years, before replacing it with an MX-5 NC. I've driven FWD and AWDs but the only one I've owned is my wife's Lexus.

There's no question that my MX-5 is the most fun I've ever had behind the wheel of a car and I've test driven pretty much everything. The Boxter may be a bit higher in the performance department but there's no way it's worth the extra money and the reliability isn't nearly the same. I've been told by guys who do their own work that it's not hard to fix a Boxter and not expensive if you're crawling under it yourself. But that's not my gig; I want a car I can count on.

I've driven many high end cars. Few are fun to drive on regular roads. A perfect example is my 330Ci. I stayed away from the M3 because it seemed ridiculous to have that much power and not be able to use it. Even with the 330Ci, I was using such a small portion of its potential that it pretty much felt like a Mercedes. It was really refined and comfortable. It could do whatever I asked of it. But there wasn't much fun.

When I strapped myself into an NC GT (with upgraded suspension), the experience was totally different. One can use a good chunk of the driving envelope without getting on a track. One feels really connected to the road and the driving experience. I now ask myself why I drove that BMW for 14 years. Sold my mint condition 2002 330Ci with 77k miles for the same $12k it cost to buy a mind 2008 NC with 36k miles. Best trade I ever made. Could have bought a new ND but I liked the NC so much and couldn't even find an ND to test drive. Plus I lost $30k to depreciation on the BMW and had to breath toxic fumes for a year (the new car smell). Why do that again?

In a few years, if I want an ND I'll get one. Will be interesting to see how they compare given the electronic steering. With my NC, I can almost feel the lines painted on the road.

 

[Traum]

Hey Parallax,

It is interesting that you brought up the NC and ND questions right after my Mazda test drive even yesterday.

I used to daily my NC Miata in addition to the huge amount of autox (in STR class) that I did. I also track the car regularly, so suffice to say, I enjoy having fun with my NC in a variety of environments in a safe and legal manner.

The Mazda test drive event gave me an opportunity to test drive both an NC Miata w/ powered hard top and a slew of ND Miatas in GS/GT trims (think US' club trim and GT trim with LSD). The GS was an automatic, and the GT's were manual cars. The test drive setting was a tight 20 second-ish autox course, and I must have had the chance to drive 6 or 7 times.

If I could sum up my experience in a single word, it would have been a loud and resounding **WOW**. Even in stock form, the ND completely blew me away. I am not going to comment on how upscale and comfortable the car was because driving fun and performance are my primary concerns. There was a sense of nimbleness and agility in the ND that made it a complete delight to drive. I wouldn't have thought the 150 - 200 lbs difference compared to an NC could be so huge, but it was. By all measures, the NC felt like it had a lot more inertia in almost everything it does.

In terms of power, the engine was very torquey in the low and mid rpm range. In the high end, it felt like it was running a little out of breath. The NC felt happier in the high end.

Interestingly, the electronic steering felt very similar to the one we have on our Mazda2. The steering was very precise, but the feedback is not that good. In particular, I couldn't really feel the steering effort loading up as the ND got into a sweeper turn. The NC's steering was a lot more communicative in this regard.

But still, I liked the ND so much that I had a very strong urge to sell my NC to buy the new one.