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I've had three Mini dealerships from three different states look for 2015 mini Cooper S roadsters ... Apparently there aren't any available that come close to my 2013 S roadster as far as options. The Miata has never been on my radar screen until now. I love the new look.... I live near a Mazda dealership, and today I got the opportunity to sit in the new Miata. My tennis bag does fit in the trunk ( barely ) ; however, my hair touches the roof...
Obviously , this is an area of concern in addition to winter driving ... Couldn't test drive, but I will when another one comes in. Will report..
Last edited by Jonack; 08-02-2015 at 12:38 PM.
Reason: Title Error
Yes the 2015 is the last of the roadsters, there are still some left around and dealer demos that are fully loaded, call your local MINI dealership and they can do a search on other dealers inventory.
You might want to check out the Fiat 124 Spider (Abarth version). It is based on the MX-5 but will have significantly better performance. It is coming next year. It has my attention but so does the new M2 and Superleggera. I like the looks and preliminary stat's of both.
David,
Have you seen the lines on the new MX5? It really looks sweet, even my wife likes it ... The Miata was never on my radar, but it is now ... I will test drive and post as soon as I can. The Spider is interesting.. I'm happy that we will have choices to fill in the gap until the Superleggera is out. Must cool my jets, though. My roadster has been exemplary so far; certainly capable of taking me to the Superleggera...
I don't dislike the 2016 Miata. The interior is a bit unmemorable though. But most importantly I hope they fixed the passenger side leg room which my wife and I couldn't possibly be comfortable in it.
I wonder how much trunk space is available also. I'm guessing it isn't much better than the previous model.
Jonack,
I have seen the new MX-5 and I do like it from many angles. I am sure that it will be reliable and have good fuel economy. I think that you will find it lacking in performance but then again, it will be very nimble. I look forward to your review.
Jonack,
I have seen the new MX-5 and I do like it from many angles. I am sure that it will be reliable and have good fuel economy. I think that you will find it lacking in performance but then again, it will be very nimble. I look forward to your review.
This was posted on the Miata forum:
Probably the only other car that will be as fun to drive and will be light weight will be next year's Lotus Elise. At 2400 lbs and over 300 HP with RWD it will reach 60 in just over 4 seconds and a top speed of 170 MPH. But you could probably buy two MX5's for what lotus will want. And the lotus is a coupe.
The Mini does make a smaller roadster (due to end production this year) but its still heavier and has FWD understeer. Most drivers prefer the MX5's RWD handling characteristics and the ND has faster straight line acceleration then the cooper (even though it has less HP). I see the Lotus being the only real competitor for light weight sports car and RWD. Z4's and SLK's are just plain heavy these days and lack the nimbleness of the MX5. You can have as much HP as you want but there is nothing like lighter weight. The Lotus manages both higher HP and extreme light weight which probably make it a very dangerous car Lol.
This was a response to a question on the Miata forum : how does the ND compare to the Mini S roadster?
Probably the only other car that will be as fun to drive and will be light weight will be next year's Lotus Elise. At 2400 lbs and over 300 HP with RWD it will reach 60 in just over 4 seconds and a top speed of 170 MPH. But you could probably buy two MX5's for what lotus will want. And the lotus is a coupe.
The Mini does make a smaller roadster (due to end production this year) but its still heavier and has FWD understeer. Most drivers prefer the MX5's RWD handling characteristics and the ND has faster straight line acceleration then the cooper (even though it has less HP). I see the Lotus being the only real competitor for light weight sports car and RWD. Z4's and SLK's are just plain heavy these days and lack the nimbleness of the MX5. You can have as much HP as you want but there is nothing like lighter weight. The Lotus manages both higher HP and extreme light weight which probably make it a very dangerous car Lol.
There we are again. Wanting these little roadster to be what they're not . . .
There are various ways to segment roadsters. They typically are more sporty in intent than a convertible car (since there is only two seats which limits how many passenger weight will be hauled) but not as much as the professional car enthusiast want to make you believe, I truly think. That's why they often are critical of the MINI roadster in favor to the Miata. And I'm not denying the Miata's quality by saying that. I'm just pointing out the bias of car critics.
However, this makes it tricky because it's always a dance between rear and front wheel drive. However my hunch is that a good majority of roadster owners still pick the car for it's sporty but life style attributes more than its purely sport characteristic, and where speed is not as much a priority car enthusiast would want.
I think the tendency these days is to do away with rear wheel drive. Instead car makers will rather pick all wheel drive when possible to gain more everyday and geographical versatility. I found myself partially agreeing with this since we've had a RWD in the past and winters were always an issue.
There are many JCW on this forum (as it is expected from car enthusiast) but the reality is that most MINI roadster I have seen on the road are not (just from all those I've seen). I would argue that there is little intent from Mazda to make a super fast car from the Miata. I see quite a few of them actually and I've never seen a Miata driver in a mood to race that much. I believe balance between sporty - or more specifically fun factor - vs everyday use is more what is looked for in an affordable roadster and that is not an easy task for this niche market. Those with more performance in mind might gravitates more easily towards a used convertible 911 Porche or other used roadsters from what I've seen.
At least that what I believe when seing consumer patterns on the road.
Usually my wife and I don't fit typical markets but with our MINI roadster we did to a degree. I would have picked the JCW possibly but when we look at its everyday use we didn't feel the lack of a fraction of performance was necessary in comparison to my wife's needs, fuel consumption, and added price tag. Somehow it means something and I suspect it means a lot more to the average affordable roadster buyers.
FYI, Lotus makes for a very unpleasant everyday cars due to their very low chassis and very stiff sport attributes (not even mentioning how cramped they are inside). It's not a bad thing if what you are looking for is a true small sport car but that is not especially the market of affordable roadster. Secondly Lotus cars are still very expensive in comparison ($45-70k) so I very much doubt they fit in the Mini Roadster or Miata market comparison.
Hi David, Mazda has not contacted me yet. I believe the MX5 I sat in must have been one of the 2016 Miata launch roadsters. In the meantime, I have been researching the new Miata on YouTube, the Miata roadster website, and in magazines. I haven't seen a negative review yet. If you get the chance, explore some of the YouTube reviews of the 2016 MX5. I want to test drive a manual transmission Miata, and I want my wife with me. When I do that, I will be able to pass on both of our impressions. Best, John
Looking forward to your review! I've been wanting a Miata for a while and have almost bought a few NA's but couldn't pull the trigger. I'm looking very hard at the ND's now
You might want to check out the Fiat 124 Spider (Abarth version). It is based on the MX-5 but will have significantly better performance. It is coming next year. It has my attention but so does the new M2 and Superleggera. I like the looks and preliminary stat's of both.
that looks nice might have to trade in my mini when it gets released
I participated in the MX-5 Drive Experience today. This event is touring the country. At the event you could test acceleration, braking, handling and drive it around a track for three hot laps. Here are my thoughts on the car after the event:
Pro's
1. Car looks good from many angles
2. The manual transmission is very good
3. The brakes are feel very good
4. At speed (on the track) the car feels nimble
5. Size wise, the car fit me well
6. The manual top is easy to operate
Con's
1. Acceleration feels very slow. The car feels very under powered. This is especially true for the cars with an automatic transmission.
2. The car didn't seem to want to turn in very well on the small autocross course. Could have been the questionable tires or that the car didn't have a sports suspension.
3. The truck does not seem large enough to handle golf clubs
Take Away
Good convertible that would be a good daily driver and would be a lot of fun at autocross events if the car had a sport suspension and good tires. However, I would have a hard time living with the lack of power/torque. After the event, I got back in Trinity and found myself enjoying Trinity much more than the MX-5 with the exceptions to that statement being the brakes and manual gearbox.
Good luck on your search. FYI - Here is the latest picture of the MX-5 based Fiat 124 Spider Abarth. I will give this a serious look.
Having had two Miatas ('99 NB and '08 NC w/ PRHT; both MT), I've only "test sat" in the new 2016 MX-5. I'd made my R59 purchase decision prior to having had the opportunity to drive it and chose the R59 just based upon:
* End of the R59 was imminent
* Just a cursory look at the new Miata, told me inside space was even less than my prior two Miatas...no glove box at all, smaller trunk (boot in MINI speak) and a compromised passenger footwell.
* Doubt very much any "real" golf clubs would fit in the new Miata's trunk, or in my situation, parlor guitar case.
I'll likely accept an opportunity to drive the new Miata sometime but I'm very happy with our R59...takes a bit of getting used to FWD again after 15 Miata years, but Motoring Fun makes it all worthwhile. My 2016 MX5 Miata choice would definitely be the Club Sport edition with the BBS/Brembo wheel/brake option (assuming I could keep the R59 too! )
The new convertible came out. Still not a roadster... but I'd consider it if I had not too many other choices. I wouldn't stop looking to other options though.
Follow-up on our '15 R59 S.... Just returned from MITO in Eureka Springs, AR. Fantastics driving roads in the area...140 MINIs had a great experience. This was our first long distance drive in the R59..with top up, much quieter than the top up NC or NB Miata...was not nearly as "tired" at the end of our 6+ hr drive. The boot in the R59 held much more baggage than our Miatas...nice rectangular shape but would still recommend soft sided luggage for max flexibility.
07-27-2015, 04:05 PM
At least not until that thing is revised! I can't say I liked much from the concept :-/
might have to trade in my mini when it gets released
)
