Just picked up a new to me 03 Mini Cooper S a couple months ago, joined this forum and now I'm curious what you people think of miatas. I have owned a couple miatas throughout the past five years and absolutely love everything about them. The first miata was a 2000 silver LS (tan everything, bose, silver exterior, and most importantly the torsen.) Bought a double diagonal roll bar about a week after i picked the car up and didn't stop modding after that. Bought an intake, enthuza xr lightweight exhaust, corbeau seats, harnesses, better shocks and springs plus a larger front sway bar, then came the wider wheels and fender flares . Then i lost my job.... sold the car and bought a 93 red miata with hardtop for a grand. Lady said it had major problems but all it needed was a rear main seal, which gave me the perfect opportunity to throw in a ACT 6 puck. Found a new job then started modding again. This time with better suspension and maybe a little crazier on the styling . I did a good bit of autocrossing for about two years and then did a couple HPDE's recently at Carolina Motorsports Park. Went with a mustang club and was running by alot of the GT's and was giving a gt500 a good run (bad driver). Was also able to outrun a newer honda civic with alot of money dumped into it and on full slicks... I do love some Falken Azenis tires. Let me know what you think of miatas, haters are welcome to chime in too

 

I really like the miata and have since they came out. I would have gotten one new if not for the extra dealer markup. I'm glad I didn't though because my crx turned out to be the ultimate classic. (would have had to trade in at that time)

They are fantastic cars. I had MGs, and they are like MGs that you do not have to push down the road, and start when it is below 40 degrees.

We are thinking about getting them for our daughters.

I'd get one now but the deal (the big deal, the baby deal) was
"you can get as many little hondas as you want if I get a baby"
the miata was not considered at that time nor negotiated.
So of course I quickly dragged 4 into the yard. Two with titles.

My point being if I didn't have a yard full of CRXs, I would have a yard full of
miatas. I think they are fantastic.

 

I like them a lot. I think the new MX-5 is a sweet little ride as well. My girlfriend thinks they are a little too girly and prefers the MINI, oddly enough. I am thinking about test driving one just for kicks.

 

I think the first gen Miatas are one of the great cars of our lifetime. Since then it has been a long slow slide into upper-middle-class luxury toy.

I think the second gen cars are perhaps the best balance between modern engineering and still having some 'cool' about them, but even those are far less appealing on a visceral level than the original Miata.

If I was buying a roadster today my first choice would be a used Toyota MR-2 Spyder. I think that car has aged very, very well.

 

I'm a fan. I do own one.

It's turbo




Car drives great, looks great and is quite reliable. Easy to mod as well. I could have 300+ hp pretty easily but I've kept it in the low 200's. Definitely lacks some of the creature comforts of my MINI but it's a darn good little car.

 

The one thing that kept me out of the Miata (and Boxster) is no coupe version. Other than that, I like them a lot.

 

lol good luck finding one

 

heres a couple more shots of the little roadsters

 

Right after I finished most of my work

 

I'm glad you got rid of those wheels that came with the 05 mazdaspeeds, never been a fan of them plus the TE37's look awesome.

 

I used to rip on a guy that had one that he modified the crap out while I was in high school. Now that I look back and own a MINI I have no idea why I did. Other then I was in the "I drive truck" faze. Now I thnk they are pretty neat. It is going to be the new British roadster in about 10 to 15 years and the resale is going to go through the roof.

 

I had two ,a 1999 and a '03 Shinsen Edition,The '03 was hit in the rear($10,000 worth of damage) and after it was fixed never ran right As for owning another,I needed a "little " larger car, hence came the MINI.The Miata is a fantastic trouble free out of the box, fun, top down experience.

 

When i bought my MINI, the Miata was the other car i considered. I have always loved them and i think the styling keeps getting better over the years without changing the basic shape.

Now they have the retractable hardtop which removes many of the rag top maintenance issues in the colder climates.

The deal breaker for me was simply not enough room for longer trips. My daughter is grown and it's just my wife and me and we take long driving vacations.

Aside from that one issue i might have chosen the Miata over the MINI.