Mazda MX-5 Miata 2008

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  • wilzapwilzap Member Posts: 107
    Not on my '08 MX-5 or on my '07 Mazda 3 either, you would think they should have an automatic turn off at about 10 mins,if I get some lower back pain they are great, its like a heating pad :)
  • rdmanchesterrdmanchester Member Posts: 1
    I wanting to buy a 2008 PRHT automatic Touring Miata between now and the spring. When would be the best time to buy to get the best deal? There are 6 dealers in my general area but none of them have the PRHT automatic Touring Miata in Galaxy Grey. Are dealers willing to negotiate on the price when the car has to be ordered from Mazda? What is everyone's thoughts.
  • wilzapwilzap Member Posts: 107
    You would think so in the winter (depending on the area) unless they save them for trade bait with other dealers...
  • manybmwsmanybmws Member Posts: 347
    *BMW 3-Series

    *Cadillac CTS

    *Chevrolet Corvette

    *Chevrolet Malibu

    *Honda Accord

    *Honda Fit

    *Mazda MX-5

    *Mazdaspeed 3

    *Porsche Boxster/Cayman

    *Volkswagen GTI
  • milkeymilkey Member Posts: 66
    From what I have read on previous posts on this and other blogs, dealers are pretty much getting MSRP on PRHT's. That's not to say that the dealers absolutely won't deal, but my opinion is that most buyers (as in my own case), given the relative scarcity of the PRHT, just feel so glad to find one that the bottom line isn't an issue. When I ordered mine on Nov.15, my dealer did have a discount on all Mazda models across the board which, on my MX-5, amounted to $600, I believe.
  • wilzapwilzap Member Posts: 107
    From what I've read and don't quote me on this , they only make 3000 of these PRHT's a year, so I guess they know they will get the $$ for these toys. and I guess I have to feel lucky I got one...
  • sher2327sher2327 Member Posts: 43
    No winter driving is planned. Maybe take it out on a sunny dry day but that's about it. I'll check into the carpeting you mentioned. I would think it helps. We did trailer home from St. Cloud, long drive but great weather so it went perfect. It is fun to be able to look at it when ever I want! Looking forward to adding a few accessories before spring. I've never had a car like this so not used to the noise level. I'm sure I won't mind when the weather is nice! If I discover anything new, I'll let you know. Later :)
  • sher2327sher2327 Member Posts: 43
    Good luck finding exactly what you want. MSRP is the standard for the PRHT, ordered in or sitting on the lot! Galaxy Grey is an awesome color!
  • sher2327sher2327 Member Posts: 43
    Hey, good deal on getting an additional $600 off! How did you do that? I checked the Mazda USA website constantly and I didn't see any deals on the MX-5.
  • milkeymilkey Member Posts: 66
    We were with the salesman and I saw a sheet of paper taped to his desk, facing him. It listed current discounts on 08 Mazdas. I didn't expect to see any for the Miata, but sure enough, there was one- $600. We asked him about it and he verified it. Walser is a "one low price'' place - don't know if the discount was Mazda or individual dealer, but will take it. :)
  • milkeymilkey Member Posts: 66
    BTW, the website I meant to pass along to you is MiataMania.com. The other one is less about add-ons & accessories as it is about OEM.
  • sher2327sher2327 Member Posts: 43
    thanks, I'll check into it.
  • wilzapwilzap Member Posts: 107
    So far so good, not a problem, not a squeak, not a rattle. Got my all weather tires on and this thing handles great in the snow (I know not a lot of you will drive in the winter) I love the car more every day I have it. The PRHT probably makes a big difference in winter... :)
  • milkeymilkey Member Posts: 66
    Glad to hear it, but... how MUCH snow are we talking about?:) It's been almost 30 years since I drove a rear-wheel-drive car in winter, so it's hard to imagine. It's good to hear your report, though, cuz we plan on driving ours 8 months of the year if we can. Are you putting any extra weight in the trunk?
  • wilzapwilzap Member Posts: 107
    got about 3-4" of heavy wet stuff Wed. night when I got off work, at least when I get off its 8:00pm so the traffic has died down, the car with center gravity preformed spectacular. I was kind of worried since I hadn't driven this toy in the snow yet, and all was good. It handled better than my wives Mazda 3 so now I guess I need to get her a set of these Blizzex...
  • milkeymilkey Member Posts: 66
    I've got Michelin X-Ice on the Mazda3, really like 'em. Paid around $100 apiece last winter on TireRack. They were the no.1 or 2 snow tire for customer satisfaction on TireRack (snows, not all-weather). You're probably right about the center-gravity thing.
  • milkeymilkey Member Posts: 66
    So help me out here. You ordered yours the middle of August and you got it the first week of Dec. That's 3.5 months. I ordered mine the middle of Nov., so do you think maybe mine will come the first week of March?
  • wilzapwilzap Member Posts: 107
    I'm sure her car will be a lot better with the winter tires...
  • wilzapwilzap Member Posts: 107
    Mine was 4 months to the day, but mine was an '08 that I ordered on May 29 '07, depends on that quarterly alotment i think, keep on the dealer for info!
  • milkeymilkey Member Posts: 66
    4 months ain't bad... April would be soon enough for me, actually. I'm just curious cuz the dealer told me March, but I haven't heard from them since I was down there. They did promise to keep me updated, so I would expect to hear something soon about a VIN #.
  • manybmwsmanybmws Member Posts: 347
    50/50 weight distribution on the MX is key to it's RWD snow capabilities - with dedicated winter tires of course. My 530i is 50/50 also and I drive it with Dunlop Winter Sport M3s and it does very well even in 8 or so inches of snow. Much above that it tends to plow. You would have the same issue with the MX. Tackling hills can get a little dICEy ;)
  • wilzapwilzap Member Posts: 107
    The dealer by me told me 4 months, I asked them just for the heck of it to see what they would say, that was after I had my car. from a lot of the posts I've read it seems that 4 months is the Avg. I have heard some horror storys though, It sounds like you should have it just in time for spring :)
  • sher2327sher2327 Member Posts: 43
    It's hard to say, so many factors. Once you get the report from your dealer on production date, it just rolls from there. My production date was 10/4, and I received it on 11/30. If you ordered in mid-November you should have the report soon. The waiting is tough!! Still haven't driven it out of the garage, just can't bear to get it dirty! Have shown the top to lots of people though, they all love it!
  • milkeymilkey Member Posts: 66
    I disagree with the waiting being the toughest part... what sheer agony YOU must be going through, drooling over that beautiful machine in your garage... and not having a 76-degree sunny summer day to take it out in! :shades: I feel for ya!
  • sher2327sher2327 Member Posts: 43
    Well, this is life in ND. I'm more happy looking at it actually. It's nice to have it home. The forums really helped get through the waiting period. You certainly learn a lot!
  • milkeymilkey Member Posts: 66
    Okay, here's something that's been nagging at me for a little while. I'm one of those people that can't stand the sight of a license plate planted smack in the middle of an otherwise gorgeous front fascia. (In my state, the law says I have to display it.) I've noticed that the MX-5 has a front license bracket which at least doesn't require drilling holes into the bumper. What I'm wondering is, can that bracket be mounted into the grill "upside down," allowing the plate to hang a little lower in the grill "mouth?" I think it might look better aesthetically, although I realize it may partially obstruct airflow into the radiator. Any thoughts on this, anyone?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I have thoughts, absolutely!

    In fact, that is EXACTLY what I did.

    I have a '93 Miata. The front license plate holder would get pushed back, and then put two dimples on the front bumper.

    C'mon, guys, be honest, you all have dimples, don't ya? :D

    Any how, I got a new bumper after some body damage, and wanted to keep it perfect. So I flipped the bracket upside down. The license plate hangs a bit low, but if it gets pushed back, it goes down towards the grille opening, and not up towards the bumper.

    The bumper is perfect to this day! :shades:

    Edit: the bracket did require a bit of hammering, but nothing too bad.
  • wilzapwilzap Member Posts: 107
    The dealer were I bought mine said they had to put the plate on (rules) after a couple days when I washed it I noticed the dimples and pulled the plate right off and now run mine (against the law ) with no front plate. In Illinois they can't give you a ticket for it but they can give you a warning and the next time you get stopped they can give a ticket, so when I first get a warning I will put it on the other way. I was not a happy camper when I saw those dimples! also after going on an outing with the Windy City Miata Club I saw about 3 out of 50 Miatas with front plates, so I decided to be a rebel and go without ;)
  • sher2327sher2327 Member Posts: 43
    hey milkey, I can take a photo of it if you like. It doesn't look that bad. The dealer installed it.
  • milkeymilkey Member Posts: 66
    That's kind of you, but actually I've seen pics online. I'm glad to know that the bracket has some flexibility as far as mounting locations go, 'cuz I AM convinced that a location somewhat lower on the fascia would be an improvement (albeit small). I'm gonna ask my dealer if he can do that when it comes in. So, have you gotten your new car out onto a frozen street yet? :shades:
  • sher2327sher2327 Member Posts: 43
    Hi, I think where my plate is sitting it looks just fine. Not sure how to post a photo here or I would, just took some in the driveway. The tires look really big. Just got back from a short cruize on I-94. Everyone talks about the high rpms but mine is sitting at 2.5 at 80 mph. Seems to be working great. It's a smoother ride than I expected, and it's very quick to turn. Wish the speed limit was a bit higher, this car wants to go fast. The heated seats are great. Just 4 more months to go and it's top down weather!!
  • milkeymilkey Member Posts: 66
    Yeah, I know the plate thing is my own bugaboo...not a big deal, just everyone's personal preference. I've heard others comment about the 17-inch rims maybe being a bit much on this car, so you're not alone. Glad to hear about the RPM's. I've read conflicting stuff in various blogs & reviews about unusually high revs at highway speed. My Mazda3 runs around 3000 at 70mph, so I would expect the more rev-happy MX-5 to be similar if not higher. Of course, the 6 speed should make a little bit of difference over the 5. What can you say about road/wind noise?
  • aviboy97aviboy97 Member Posts: 3,159
    What I'm wondering is, can that bracket be mounted into the grill "upside down," allowing the plate to hang a little lower in the grill "mouth?"

    Yes, we do it as general practice at our store
  • milkeymilkey Member Posts: 66
    Excellent! I plan on asking my dealer to install it that way. (Anything I can do to make someone else's job more difficult!) :)
  • sher2327sher2327 Member Posts: 43
    The tires are a bit overwhelming. I didn't notice it until it got outside in the daylight. Looks pretty mean though. The road noise isn't too bad. It's not like my suv, but it's OK. It wouldn't be much fun to drive long distances with the top up, like for an entire day. It's definitely a summer car. I'm just surprised that guys fit these cars. It is small. I am looking forward to a drive to Fargo though for BonJovi!!
  • milkeymilkey Member Posts: 66
    I noticed that the gas mileage rating on the '08 has been lowered by a couple of mpg's, from 30 and 24 in '07 to the current 28 and 21 (6M). Is this simply reflective of an adjustment the manufacturer made after two years of real-world experience, or an actual change made to the mechanics of the car? :confuse:
  • destrydestry Member Posts: 58
    I have a new 2007 and the gas is 30/24 and it's pretty accurate. Don't know why the 2008's would be and different?
  • wilzapwilzap Member Posts: 107
    Don't know if the AT should get better MPG than the 6M, maybe because its 6th gear is for MPG but when I'm not using the manual mode of my AT I'm getting 29 / 32 MPG since I got the car,all my life I drove MT's and it was always a fact that MT's got better MPG. note now that I have my snow tires on I'm getting about 2 miles less per Gal. Even when I'm beating the car its still getting no less than 26 MPG :confuse:
  • milkeymilkey Member Posts: 66
    Wow! I think that's incredible that your AT is getting those kind of numbers. That gets me excited for what I might expect out of my manual. But I'm a little confused as to what changed from '07 to '08 to cause the "official" estimates to drop. I always thought that window sticker numbers ended up being inflated over ''real world," not the other way around... but, hey, I'll take it!
  • wilzapwilzap Member Posts: 107
    No matter how ya slice it, these cars get good MPG,which helps alot when you put in high octain...
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The EPA adjusted the measuring procedure. Most models dropped about 10% in the ratings.

    It's the EPA's measuring, no change to your Mazda.
  • milkeymilkey Member Posts: 66
    Thanks...that's just what I suspected.
  • manybmwsmanybmws Member Posts: 347
    http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/214446/mazda.html
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    So they are saying 2.0l and maybe 200hp.

    I'm surprised they don't just shoe-horn the Speed3's 244hp 2.3l in there. I wonder if it would fit? :confuse:
  • manybmwsmanybmws Member Posts: 347
    Prolly just a guess on their part. For MY 2005 there was a 36 HP diff - 178 vs. 142. Also, this article written in the UK talks about a 158 vs. our 166 hp output here in the U.S. So the UK diff in the article was 200 - 158 = 42. Adding this delta to our base HP you get 208 but who knows.

    Anyways, I like your idea of the 2.3l shoe-horned though. I'd pay for that. Mazda are you listening?
  • pavementhungrypavementhungry Member Posts: 1
    Hello all! Called a dozen local(<75 miles) dealerships in late October. Picked up my baby November 15th. What a great driving car! Paid s-plan pricing, which is approximately 2K under MSRP. After reading pricing postings, feel that I got a great deal on a GREAT car! Has anyone applied the 3M clear bra film on their MX-5?
  • babyrocketbabyrocket Member Posts: 54
    I'm interested in a 6-speed Grand Touring PRHT MX-5, and reading the threads about the limited allocations was making me nervous. But upon checking availability among area dealerships, it looked like there were at least a few in the area. Are these models finally showing up on the lots in quantity, without waitlisting? It will be a birthday present for my wife's early April birthday, and I need to make sure I find one in time!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The Mazda dealer in Rockville, MD had a red one on the showroom floor. Sticker was $27k and change.

    Oddly, they had a used PRHT and the price was the same! May as well buy new, I suppose.

    They also had a used 06 but it was an auto.

    I may replace my 1993 Miata with a newer one this year, probably used 06+.
  • m1miatam1miata Member Posts: 4,551
    Ah a '93 Miata, what a handsome car. If you got a hardtop for your car, I would say you would then have a much more attractive car than the new PRHT MX-5. From every angle, there is truly no comparison. And the glass area is no more than on a soft top when up, so there is nothing gained in that respect. This new power top looks too small in relationship to the new stubby shape, with higher belt line car. Kinda looks like a little cap, a size too small to fit. Add a hard top to your '93 and it will be real eye candy, with a nice view out the rear window, IMHO. - Loren
  • miatamama1miatamama1 Member Posts: 41
    Yeah, but my PRHT has the best of both worlds...12.5 seconds flat.
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