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Mazda MX-5 Miata (2005 and earlier)

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Comments

  • logic1logic1 Member Posts: 2,433
    I had two more litres - 1.8 - but I had the 6 speed manual *. Like you, I never put the top up. What's the point?

    *n.b.: While many assume the more gears the better, in my experience, the 5 speed in the base Miata was better than the 6 speed. In my experience, at least, the 6 speed did not help mpgs a bit.
  • logic1logic1 Member Posts: 2,433
    My apologies.

    The, 'What's the point?' question above can be misconstrued as being rude.

    I mean only to ask what is the point of driving a convertible with the top up?
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    typical mazda...they have some weird objection toward gearing for mileage. My protege got 30 mpg running 70-75mph. Running from sd to arizona my pro 5 speed got 24 mpg. I was only doing 85 but the engine was way up in the stratosphere. Flipside, my old Nissan Stanza would get 30+ in 5th gear running 85 and up.

    I just read that Mazda delayed the MZ6 because the idiots at Mazda decided to change the gearing away from fuel econmy and toward power in top gear. Totally stupid decision IMHO. One buys a manual to change gears. i'm more than happy to go from 6th to 4th when I need to pass someone and we're only doing 75-80.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Mazda gears them for peak performance, not peak economy. Their motto is zoom-zoom, remember.

    Besides, Honda and Toyota have deeper pockets, so if they went head-to-head for the fuel economy awards they'd end up losing anyway. They might end up in doom-doom. :P

    Plus, if you want peak economy shouldn't you be going a little slower? 55 maybe?

    -juice
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    Uh, you can have both. Nobody says BMW isn't fun to drive. Their 6th gear is a legit cruising gear. Gears 1-4 (or 5) can be ratioed for performance and make the top gear really tall for relaxed freeway cruising.

    Remember if someone buys a manual, he's probably inclined to shift. I'm still livid over news that Mazdaspeed6 was delayed so they could make the final drive shorter. As if a turbo 4 cylinder isn't already inclined to get bad mileage!
  • m1miatam1miata Member Posts: 4,551
    " Were you driving with the top up?

    I almost never put the top up. I only rarely did better than 20 mpgs in mine. "
    :::::::::::END QUOTE::::::::::::::::
    Top up or top down, is was not all that different. Most of the runs recording around
    27 MPG were with top down. The 30 MPG was freeway, with mostly top up. If you
    got only 20 MPG, there was something wrong with the engine. May be in the sensors.
    It was really using too much gas. I don't think I could ever get it to go less than 24 to
    23.

    Loren
  • m1miatam1miata Member Posts: 4,551
    Why drive with a top up?
    Oh yeah, easier questions coming my way.
    - answers -
    1) Keep rain out of car
    2) Keep wind out of car
    3) Keep heat on the outside of car - cool inside car.
    4) Keep heat inside car
    5) Keep dust out of car
    6) Better gas mileage on freeway - especially when windy
    7) Keep sun from burning self
    8) Keep items inside car out of sun.
    9) P.O. other members in your club when driving that believe it is a top down only car.
    10) When washing car, keep in closed position.
    11) Keeps cats out of car.
    12) Keeps kids out of car.
    13) Keeps bird crap out of car.
    14) Keeps tree dropping out of car.
    15) As requested by passenger, with the long hair.
    16) Suggests the car was bought for its handling characteristics, and not drop top.
    17) Gives you arm exercise putting it up and down.
    18) Just too lazy to put it down this morning :D
    19) Sign at beach said, " topless not allowed "

    Loren
  • logic1logic1 Member Posts: 2,433
    Responses:

    1. Don't drive the Miata when it is raining.
    2. If you can't stand the wind, by a coupe.
    3. Wear a parka.
    4. See 3.
    5. Oh for heaven's sake.
    6. Yeah. But then, coupes handle better anyway. If you are not happy with top down character, buy a coupe.
    7. Sun screen really works. Vitamen D is necessary for healthy bones.
    8. Huh?
    9. Somewhat juvenile.
    10. Speed keeps cats out of car.
    11. See 10.
    12. See 10.
    13. See 10.
    14. See 10.
    15. Passenger either cuts hair, puts it up, or walks.
    16. Top up does not make much difference with ride and handling. Rigidity does.
    17. Bally's.
    18. Garage the car and do not put the top up in the first place.
    19. Silly.
  • logic1logic1 Member Posts: 2,433
    If you got only 20 MPG, there was something wrong with the engine. May be in the sensors.

    Given the sucky local Mazda service, I would not be surprised if they missed a sensor problem. But I brought the car in several times to separate dealers, all of whom gave it clean bill of health.

    From Miatanet and other buff sites, I gather my NB 1.8 mileage was not out of the norm. I don't drive often. When I do, I drive all out.
  • m1miatam1miata Member Posts: 4,551
    Mazda should make a Miata Coupe for USA market, but sadly they don't.
    Miata.net is a good source for info. and the forums a place to chat about this n' that.
    I think you will find on a search there, that MPG seems to fall into the 27 to 30 MPG
    range for most people with the 1.8 engine. If memory serves me right, the 1.6 gets
    about that too. I take it the new 2.0 liter will get a wider range of MPG when mostly
    around town, or back roads? In first tests compared to Solstice it can out better in
    MPG. I think it is the Car and Driver mag?

    Loren
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    MPG just isn't a priority for them. Besides, what was the rating again? 19/28? That's not half bad given the performance.

    If they'd geared it taller the car mags would whine about turbo lag.

    If you want fuel effiency, you'd get the Mazda6 with the 2.3l engine anyway.

    For Loren I suggest a hard top, plain and simple. They seal better, offer some rigidity, and probably less aerodynamic drag than a soft top.

    The 1.6l was rated at 25/30 mpg by the EPA. That dropped with the 1.8l, but oddly enough with the 2.0l it's back up to 25/30 again.

    Maybe they could offer a de-tuned version of the 2.0l with more fuel efficiency, but I'm not sure anyone that wants an MX-5 would not want the extra HP.

    -juice
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    I know it's not a mazda priority...and I don't for a second believe it would hinder performance. 1 ans 2 should be good up to 63-65 mph. From there mix up the gears and make six really tall. Just like Honda and BMW.

    Nobody complains about that setup with the Vette or the 330i, so I can't see it being an issue with a Mazdaspeed6.

    Sorry not buying decent, intelligent gearing would hurt the car's image or sales. Bad mpg figures do hurt the car. Why blow 33k on a Mazdaspeed6 that scampers to 60 in a startlingly bad 7 seconds when one can spend less than that on a 325i and get a more nimble chassis and better mpgs?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Vette has what, 6 liters, and BMW has 3?

    The MazdaSpeed6 will have just 2.3l, and low compression ratio at that. So off boost it will perform more or less like a 2.0l.

    They don't want the press too hit the gas and see zero results. Those guys go out of their way to look for turbo lag.

    -juice
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Let's take this discussion over to the MazdaSpeed6 thread.

    The Miata's MPG seems fine, in fact that would be a reason to pick it over a Solistice. So that's not an issue for this thread.

    -juice
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    sorry miata folks. :)
  • davidg3davidg3 Member Posts: 16
    OK for spinning in the country on a Saturday, or impressing the ladies on a Friday night, but for a 100 mile daily commute? Anyone have a positive experience using the car this way? Of course, the '06 might be a different story and I can't imagine anyone has that experience. :D
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I say no, you'd be taking the Miata out of its element.

    Go get a grand touring coupe/sedan or something more quiet and comfy. For a boring, 100 mile highway drive I'd rather have a Town Car or a Lexus ES330, floaty ride and all.

    A Miata is better at running quick errands, short commutes, going the long way (not that long), twisty roads, short weekend jaunts, stuff like that.

    100 miles in a straight line? Then it's cramped and you get wind burn. You'll be comfortable for the first hour, maybe, but towards the end you'll be anxious to get out and stretch.

    -juice
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    I honestly suggest earplugs for long highway trips with the top down. The wind noise/pressure gets fatiguing. I wear them when riding my motorcycle which is noiser and even less comfortable than a Miata, but a long trip in a Miata isn't that fun.

    ~Colin
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Interesting idea. I use them all the time for yard equipment, which can be obnoxiously loud.

    -juice
  • m1miatam1miata Member Posts: 4,551
    Ear plugs are illegal for obvious reasons. The Miata roar is not all that bad, even in the oldest of series. You can hear the tunes coming out of the tail pipe. Yeah, the noise cancels out any hope of good stereo, but that is not what the car is for. Personally, a long trip in a Miata is anything over 300 miles, but I am older now. Some people drive and drive in these things all day. For commuting and freeway, there indeed are better options. For the fun factor it is the little car that can. I own a PT now, so I mainly cruise, though it takes the corners better than expected.

    The new Miata adds a lot of the stuff which people had to add on before, such as grill and roll bar. I hope it is a roll bar. It says style bar on the Internet. Hard to tell from diagrams how beefy the roll bar is. Will it keep from folding backwards on impact? All in all, function wise a good redo of the car. Style wise it won't compete with the Solstice, so they will lose some sales along that road. Oh well, don't shoot me, I am but the messenger.

    Loren
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    you are flat out wrong unless you are referring to California, which has strange verbage about "custom" earplugs on its books: http://www.webbikeworld.com/Motorcycle-news/california-earplugs.htm

    in all other states there is no law against earplugs. some do prohibit headphones.

    you can hear fine with earplugs, they only reduce extreme harshness. you would most definitely hear a car horn for example.

    ~Colin
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Even headphones are OK - for one ear. I used to ride motorcycles and investigated that, and found that I could use a walkman on one side. The concern is that they want you to hear ambulances.

    -juice
  • m1miatam1miata Member Posts: 4,551
    Oh my God, tell me this ain't so. You mean to tell me that people in other states do not have to listen for emergency vehicles. Yes, I live in California. Count one as correct on the books in California.

    The ear plugs for shooting which only lock out the dangerous range of noise are pretty neat. I got a pair, and they seem to work when watching the cars on the track. I got the other more basic plug types too. I guess you can hear a car horn with those, but I don't know. Seems to me it would cut down on hearing a siren at a distance. Yeah, on the freeway the sirens don't carry that far anyway, and you go mainly on sight. The CHP still do use the sirens though. In town, I always roll the windows down a crack so I can hear sirens. OK, we are talking top down? It is amazing all the things one hears on the roads with a Miata - top down. Personally, I don't like the plugs. It seems to be something which some people like or dislike more than others.

    As far as honking at cars, it doesn't seem to help much most of the time. Now I know when in other states, they may not hear me anyway. Always best to see and be seen more than honking anyway, and scramble out of harms way when possible. When I had the Miata people in other vehicles, particularly trucks and SUVs many times seemed not to see me at all. I was invisible. That beep-beep toy horn didn't work when they started to cut you off. I just looked to bail out of the situation. Whew, some got close!

    I bet the new Miata, being third gen, is a lot more quiet now. Test drive it and see if the stereo can be heard. They are not quiet like a Caddy, but I bet more quiet than first gen.

    Loren
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    yes, I'm talking top down. at >60mph, there is a whole lot of wind noise and air pressure. ear plugs help and are not insanely dangerous nor illegal as your less than open-minded posts have been suggesting. :blush:

    I'm glad you are speaking for a position of experience. :P I shoot pistols for sport and competitively and I bring plain old foam earplugs with me for guests. There is nothing magical about them and the same plugs work well when on a motorcycle or in a convertible at speed. I do have some fancy Peltor earmuffs with noise cancellation and I know they now make noise cancelling in-ear style (earbud) headphones, but none of that is what I'm talking about.

    ~Colin
  • m1miatam1miata Member Posts: 4,551
    For a couple bucks more, you could by the better ear plugs which only cancel out the loud noise. Don't be so cheap ;) And the economy plugs work - yeap, they do. I got some at an industrial supply store. Those bright orange plugs, with a plastic string do work and are so cheap. Funny how the same plugs at a department store or drug store, become three times higher in price when packaged, but that's volume and packaging for ya.

    Hope you do not run into an emergency vehicle.

    Peltor muffs are good ones :shades:

    Now how is the New Miata compared to the Solstice for noise and wind?

    In California there is a new law requiring the dealer to install front plate brackets, beginning in Oct. Looking at the Solstice I see no place to put the plate. And yes, I never had a plate on the front of the Miata. Born in 1996, that car never did have a plate on it, I guess. Never spotted an holes.

    Does the New MX-5 meet the German requirements for pedestrian safety? Car are going to be getting taller, and I guess less sharp up front? New laws in effect yet? Won't this limit cars sold within Germany, as well as, those made within Germany?

    Loren
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Dealers ought to have a front license plate frame.

    My '93 has one that comes out of the top of the lower grille opening and stick out to hold the plate. It used to aim upward, but any little bump would put dimples in my front bumper.

    So I flipped it. :surprise:

    By that I mean I moutned the bracket upside down, so now the plate sits a little lower but doesn't rub up against the bumper and cause those dimples.

    -juice
  • m1miatam1miata Member Posts: 4,551
    I see no place to put that license plate in the front. It will just look aweful. And by law, the dealer has to stick the darn thing on there. I bet they mount it to the bottom lip of the bumper where the screws coming out won't show, and you can easily rid the car of the hiddeous front plate. I like how they did it on the C5 Corvettes. If you had to put the plates on, it was right there incorporated into the front bumper design. When you did not add a plate the cover kept it slick looking.

    Loren
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    That works if the bumper is US-specific. Euro plates are shaped differently (wider and not as tall).

    -juice
  • erics6erics6 Member Posts: 684
    I drove my old 90 about 4000 miles (in a week) with a buddy, on desert SW trip about 10 years ago. Lot's of interstate and back roads. Noise wasn't too bad, but I'm not sure how I'd deal with it now. A day of driving my 93 now is pretty exhausting. At least the 93 has cruise and air... getting soft in my old age. ;-)

    I can hear fine with ear plugs. If I were doing a long trip, I'd wear them on the boring interstate sections. Probably not in the urban areas.
  • mic2074mic2074 Member Posts: 1
    I'm looking for a 2006 Miata hard top. I recently purchased the 3rd Gen Limited edition which does not have an option for the hard top. Plus, I can't even buy it seperately as accessories or parts yet.

    Therefore, if anyone is looking to buy a 2006 Miata and do not intend to purchase a hard top with it - if you option for the hard top and sell it to me, I will pay you $300 CAD on top of the option price.

    I prefer if it's black, but will take any other colour. I live in Toronto Canada (that's why I need one for the winter). I prefer to deal locally, but will travel as far as 100 miles.
  • ClairesClaires Member Posts: 1,222
    2006 Pontiac Solstice vs. 2006 Mazda Miata MX-5

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  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I haven't seen or even heard of one yet. They should have one soon, though, hoppefully by winter.

    -juice
  • davidg3davidg3 Member Posts: 16
    Any thoughts about the safety and handling of this car in snow? Snow tires would be a must. The '06 has a traction control option. Any ideas? :confuse:
  • m1miatam1miata Member Posts: 4,551
    They dropped the ball. Mazda badly needed a coupe version of the MX-5. They did not need to drop the Miata name. The new one just looks like a modified first year version. I like the first one better, looks wise. Solstice coming out will be punch one, and the hardtop next year the knock out punch.

    As for a Miata for snow country, I would go with a Subaru Legacy.

    Loren
  • thelthel Member Posts: 767
    Saying that Mazda "hit a home run" or "dropped the ball" or other cliches b/c the car doesn't jive with what one thinks Mazda should've done is kind of a waste of time IMO.

    I can see comparing it to its competitors (Solstice, etc) to decide what is best for oneself, but blanket statements are pompous and not very helpful.

    I got a chance to look at the NC this weekend up close. I didn't drive it since I have NO intention of dropping $27k for a brand new 2-seater with a second kid on the way, but I got to sit in it. I think Mazda addressed most of the drawbacks of the NBs and the NAs. The car has more leg room, a tilt wheel (if you need it), a nifty folding top, and in general it just makes even more of the limited space in the car.

    My 90 has a tiny console and a glove box with two cupholders right behind the shifter. The NC isn't a ton bigger but has far more useful storage areas: door storage, two center consoles, storage cubbies behind the seats and map pockets behind the seats as well. Not to mention the windblocker and the 7-speakers they manage to cram in there.

    Mazda also addressed peoples desire for more power. According to most reviews I've read, the NC has plenty of pep for the buck.

    Are there things I don't like about it....sure. Gigantic wheels with the high-priced rubber and high moment of inertia that goes with them does not appeal to me at all. but I could probably replace them with some 15" Toyo T1-R's and Konig Heliums for about 80% of the price of replacing the 17" tires when they wear out.

    The front end styling is going to have to grow on me as well...it hasn't yet.

    Did Mazda make the perfect Miata for me? No.

    Does that mean that Mazda failed with the NC? No.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Will the bigger brakes fit inside those smaller rims? They might not.

    Even if you can drive around nicely in the snow, it's the other folks I'm worried about. Overconfident folks in 4WD vehicles slide around and I don't want to play bumper cars with them in my tiny Miata.

    Mine stays parked, and I take the Forester. Get a beater used Subaru for winter, they're perfect.

    -juice
  • thelthel Member Posts: 767
    I've heard of MSM owners ditching the 17" Racing Hart wheels for 15" rims with good results. I don't know if the NC has bigger brakes than the MSM, but I doubt it.
  • m1miatam1miata Member Posts: 4,551
    If the New MX-5, with its overall functional improvements and great drivability, sells well, we will all know soon. If it outsells the Pontiac, the numbers will do the talking. Mazda has a great track record for building cars which are fun to drive and handle superbly. Miata clubs are everywhere. The car has a following. Will this be enough when it goes up against the Solstice? On looks alone, I don't see it as better than the original classic. A huge part of selling a car is how it looks. The Solstice and Sky may look better to the buyer's eye. This will be interesting to watch as it unfolds over the next few months. Buyers will be voting with their pocket book. Did Mazda drop the ball?

    Loren
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    It's not just outsell in the short-term, it's outlast in the long-term.

    Trendy roadsters may come and go, but which one has thrived for 15 years now, and made the Guiness book for the world's best selling open sports car ever?

    You guys should read what that funny Brit from that show on TV said about the Solistice, he was just brutal. What's his name again? Jeremy Clarkson I think?

    -juice
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    It was actually in a review for the Mustang. He's the host of Top Gear, and tends to be brutal when criticizing a car (he complained incessantly about the Jag S-Type diesel's turbo lag on one of his shows):

    http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,12529-1794313,00.html

    The excerpt:

    The new Pontiac Solstice is America’s first attempt at making a sports car in more than 50 years. And not since David Beckham’s wayward penalty kick against Portugal have we seen anything go so wide of the mark. It is comically awful.

    Keep in mind that's one opinion, and from a Euro perspective, but the Solistice will have an easier time here in the home market than it will over in Europe.

    -juice
  • m1miatam1miata Member Posts: 4,551
    Well apples to apples, is usually the test criteria. Take a Mustang track car on the track next time. The review is humorous, like you said, and also meaning less. There is no comparable British car to compare the Solstice or Mustang to, is there? In the same price bracket. I guess a GT40 never won against a Ferrari? American never built a sports car? The Corvette is all in my imagination? Yeah, a Lotus is a nice track car, but it costs plenty, around $44k to $47K for one with that 1.8liter modified Toyota engine. For daily driving, I would gladly take a Solstice or Miata over an overpriced VWGTI FWD car. More likely to have a car that did not spend its time in the auto shop. A base Mustang, with a V6 out of the SUV, has more HP and torque than a VW GTI without have to turbo charge it. Don't know why people want those turbos, but to each his or her own.

    The guy giving the review points out some weakness in American made cars, which is fine . On the balance, compared to Brit cars that leak oil, use oil, and plain ol' fall apart, I doubt the Brits have much room to talk -- without some humor. Oh sorry, that is past tense, those cars are no longer made. Until you get into $30K cars, what Euro car can you think of which is a better buy than a US or Japan make. Maybe a starter BMW for under $30K on sale? Ah those crude, rude and unrefined Americans, however do we all get bye? Old push rod engines for people to complain about, and blah, blah, blah. As for engineering excellent in a sports car for around $20K, MX-5 may be a best bet. For looks, it is still in favor of the Solstice. In road tests, they may not be as far apart as some think. More tests to come, I am sure. That said, most people do not buy the cars for the track, so unless the Solstice is way off in performance, I doubt it will matter as much to most people

    I have watched the Old Mustangs on the track at Laguna Seca, and it looked like they were having some fun. They still have brakes, lap after lap, and did not crash. I love that track. The Team Compuware Corvettes 3 and 4 love that track too, and went on to American Lemans Series win in class last year.

    While meaningless, the article was kinda fun to read - thanks!

    Loren
  • audia8qaudia8q Member Posts: 3,138
    We had a 4 year Pontiac salesperson order a 2006 Miata today. I could hardly control my excitiement. He had driven both cars at a pontiac ride and drive for salespeople. His dealership is asking $2500 over MSRP for the Solstice.
    I offered him a job but no luck....
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Jeremy actually owns a Ford GT. That's pretty whacky, eh?

    The bigger point, though, it that Europeans will be more skeptical about an unproven car that on paper seems a bit overweight and inefficient (to them, at least).

    -juice
  • erics6erics6 Member Posts: 684
    I thought he gave it back to Ford after the alarm debacle he described in one of his articles. What I like about Clarkeson is his appreciation for simplicity in sports cars. I do appreciate the British journalists brutal approach to reviewing cars.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Indeed, brutal. On last night's show he dissed the Bentley Continental GT for not having the "X Factor". Basically gave it a thumbs down!

    I wonder if Bentley will send them fleet cars to test in the future?

    -juice
  • carlisimocarlisimo Member Posts: 1,280
    I have a friend who let me drive his briefly last week, and now I'm hooked. (He was driving from Seattle to Las Vegas, with all his stuff in the car!) I'm a couple of months away from getting a car, and while I never thought I'd look for a 2-seater (I was only looking at hatchbacks and wagons), I've decided it's worth it.

    Then yesterday he called me and said he had been in an accident - another car took an unprotected left without yielding and hit him head on (they probably got down to 30mph closing speed at impract). The Miata crumpled 2.5', the airbags went off, and he and his girlfriend were unscathed. It's heartbraking, but at the same time it makes me feel good about getting one.

    So... couple of questions.

    Is the trunk 2' deep? (As in, could you fit a 2'x2' plywood board inside?)

    If I'm not looking for performance numbers, but rather predictable handling in wet conditions, should I look for a car with a limited-slip differential or not? This'll be my first RWD car, and I would like to experience sliding around a bit once I get comfortable with it. I don't know if an LSD makes that easier and more predictable, or not.

    Any other thoughts or suggestions are welcome =]. I'll probably be looking for a 3-5 year old 5-spd model, and I think I'd get the hardtop as well. I'll be using it for commuting, going out, and the like. Thanks.

    (I'm a big Top Gear fan too, but if I start talking about two things at once, I won't get any responses on the Miata.)
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yes, get a model with LSD if you can. The earlier models has viscous limited-slips, and those were good in snow, and of limited use on a track. Later they got a torsen, those are the opposite, great for track, limited use on snow.

    Every little bit of traction helps, though.

    -juice
  • kymikekymike Member Posts: 115
    You could not get a 2' x 2' plywood board inside without removing the spare. Even then, it might be a challenge. The biggest challenge with a hardtop is where to store it during the seasons when it is off of the car. I built a suspended shelf in my garage for mine - but now I have two and one gets stored in the basement under the pool table :)
  • erics6erics6 Member Posts: 684
    There are other sites out there you may want to check out. Google "miata forums" and you'll find good information. Given what you've mentioned, I'd find a low mileage 99 or 00. Regular gas vs plus for 01+ M2, and the trunk is bigger than the 90-97 M1. (Not sure about 2'x2' though.) My 99 had a lot more room than my 93 does. If you want LSD, look for OE leather which came with PEP package that had LSD. Hardtops usually were more comon on loaded models with LSD.

    Before you buy a 99-00, get a mechanic to check out the crankshaft endplay. There was a TSB for an improperly machined number 4 main cap of cylinder block on a small # of 99 and 00's, which could result in premature wear of the thrust bearing, resulting in a replacement engine. Some 01 - 03's had cold start clutch chatter, requiring a new clutch. Otherwise, Miatas are pretty bulletproof.

    The nice thing about Miatas, you can find low mileage, well taken care of ones with reasonable prices.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Help - I need some urgent advice on how to proceed. I'm stuck in the middle of this brake job and the car isn't even driveable right now.

    Anyone who has done their own rear disc brakes, please read:

    ateixeira, "Stop here! Let's talk about brakes" #1164, 10 Oct 2005 12:12 pm

    -juice
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