I have wanted a Miata for a very very long time, just never had the luck to finally end up with one. I almost bought one last January, my cousin works at car auctions and called me with a car just how i wanted it, for a great price. I had the money in hand, but knew I wouldn't be able to keep up with the insurance so I didn't buy it.


What are you thoughts on the Miata?


looking through my old flying miata catalog put the thoughts of this car back in my head (sleeps dreaming of a built 2.0 motor with a ubercharger in a 03 blue miata)

 

Well my friend bought a his miata in 2000 brand new. He has had it for almost 7 years now and has put 66k miles on it. No engine problems, interior is held up, and it is pretty speedy. He bought the extra hard top which was way worth it. The car is overall a dream. Two seater and a reliable car. Better yet the front end looks like a smiley face =) haha I like them and I would buy one.

 

I do have a MINI, but my first love was the Miata. Did you know that when it first came out it was supposed to sell for around $12k? Did you also know that it never did. Supply and demand made that car sell for waaay over what it should have and since the mfr could sky the price they did and that's why I never bought it. Won't buy to this day for that very reason. Dealerships, in my mind since the price was advertised, ripped people off.

As for not being able to keep up with the insurance...well you're a grad student so have patience and wait till you can afford it.

 

My GF bought a 99 this year as a play car..... she also has a 330CI convertible.... she drives the Miata 90% of the time..... We take it on trips to the mountains because of the convert top...... great car..... there is a white one in Atl with a SC about 160 whp for $7K in very nice condition..... I have put a lot of miles on it as the driver and it is great fun..... not nearly as fast as my Mini and I wish it had a taller gear to cruise but it is a cliche to say that Mazda "nailed it"

 

I had two Miatas previously. Bought both of them used from enthusiasts who kept them really nice. Never a bit of trouble with either of them and they were tons of fun.

I bought my MINI because it handles like a Miata with a back seat,

When I retire, another Miata is on my list.

 

Miatea make great track toys. Cheap tires and brakes, and they're pretty darned quick - much like a MINI. There's got to be a reason why around half of our local sports car club (autocrossers / track day folks) have a Miata.

 

My husband recently bought a '99 Miata--traded in his 2000 Ford Ranger (and $700). He's been really happy with it.

 

Are you sure it wasn't the dealers jacking up the price and not Mazda itself?

Don't worry, patience is one thing I do have. I figure a Miata in the future with insurance that I can actually drive is better then having one right now without insurance that would just tempt me to drive it everyday.

why do you feel it is cliche to say that? I think Mazda did a great job in creating an overall well packaged fun to drive car. Besides the taller gear, what do you wish they had?

 

I also went from a "99 sport package Miata to an MCS because I needed a back seat. I truly miss my Miata. Absolutely bullet proof. I put 60,000 on the Miata with nothing more than oil and filter changes. My MINI has 45,000 miles and has had a wheel bearing go bad at 5,000 miles, a cracked winshield, a power steering pump that went out, a seat elavator control broke, a noisy clutch/flywheel, a bunch of electrical gremlins, and a hatch that occasionally won't latch. Although they are both a blast to drive, there is a lot to be said about getting in a Miata and knowing that nothing is going to go wrong. Reliability/durability just makes motoring more fun.

 

Pontiac Solstice GXP....

Ok ok the miata is a very strong car ie: engine, trans, rear diff.

Light weight, well engineered, and fun. Great track/autocross car!

Plenty of aftermarket to support the the performance minded owner. (there is a 400hp miata at my local autox )

Awesome platform, front engine/rear wheel drive. 50/50 weight front/rear or pretty close to it.

I almost bought one a few years back. I was looking for a 95' 1.8L white with a black top and black interior.

The only downside i can think of, is putting up with the dumb people who call it a girl car. Some people just never learn...

 

My son owned a '90 Miata (purchased used) all through college, and no major problems beyond ordinary wear (clutch, top started to leak, foggy plastic rear window). He bought a new '05 a bit over a year ago (Mazdaspeed!), and has had no problems. Commutes about 60 miles a day in it. He loves, I love it. For a time after buying the new one, the old one sat at our house, and I drove it at every opportunity.

We bought an '06 MCS in August, but that process began as a quest for a used, low-priced Miata. But my wife didn't want yet another "old" car (six cars, several of them more than a decade old), so we decided to shop for a new Miata. But, even though this was to be an "extra" car for us, one thing led to another, and it seemed that a back seat of some sort was a good idea, and some space for groceries, etc. would be nice, so we went for the MCS.

I still want a Miata, and I personally wouldn't hesitate in buying an older one based on my son's experience and the experience of his buddies in the local Miata club.

 

Sorry if that wasn't clear. Yes it was the dealerships that upped the price. I understand supple/demand, but once a price is quoted it should be sold at that price. When it came out there were no sports cars ( I don't consider the vette a sports car. I consider it a muscle car now.) and very few, if any, convertables. Now there are many, many choices.

 

I consider a vette a sports car ( if not the poor mans super-car), because not only is it fast but it can handle. Muscle cars on the other hand, try to keep it in a straight line.

 

Alex, I think the Miatas are great cars, and they seem to have a cult following similar to the MINI (well, it ws stronger when they first came out). Still, if it's what you want, I'd say go for it!

 

My last car was a '91 Miata. I bought it new and put 200,000 miles on it. Replaced the battery at 120k miles, clutch at 145k miles, water pump at 180k miles. Plastic rear window fogged at about 150k, replaced with glass window top. It was a blast. I almost bought the '05 Mazdaspeed but chose the MCS cabrio for the back seat (to please my wife).

 

Of course i must reply! I sold a 91 Miata for my Cooper, and sold my Cooper for another 91, and i got my boyfriend into a 93, and had an ex with an 01.

I had A LOT of issues with my old Cooper, but i loved the car to death. The miata, although small for most people, is perfect for me. I've daily driven 20k miles and counting in just a half year, all highway, and the only repairs/maintenance i've had were new tires, oil changes, brakes, and driveshaft.. all because the previous owner neglected the car the whole two years he owned it. It runs perfect, and is the most dependable car of anyone i know. There are a ton of aftermarket parts available, but it's just fine with nothing but stock.

Although it would be nice to have a newer one, the old ones were built so strong and the handling is so wonderful, i wouldn't give mine up again. Although, i'd love to add an MCS to the driveway

 

I had a 92 miata that I bought in 99 with 89K and sold in 05 with 180K... put tons of crap into it.... greddy turbo, intercooler, bigger injectors, boost controller, blow-off valve, AGX shocks, H&R springs, brake pads & SS lines, new top, rollbar, Kosei rims w/ Kumhos, Greddy exhaust, shift light, gauges, tons of new engine parts, rebuilt the engine when I blew it at 178K (too much boost and too much engine wear), etc...

great little car... just getting old and time for a new one... was looking at an 06 but had 4K markup here... wanted a hardtop and 4 seats....and something different...

Ask Fishbulb too on here... he sold his Turbo Miata for a MCS too...

 

I have a 95 Miata that I bought in 2000. I was tired of fixing my MG. It's been a great car & for me it's been bullet proof. I bought my 06 MCS & thought I was going to have to sell it. Turns out my wife loves that roadster as much as I do. She said "hey honey lets just keep it". If you do buy one you'll love it too. Classic British driving with bullet proof reliability.

 

We have a 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata and I love the thing. It's a great car.

Mark

 

I almost bought one at a local auto auction last January. I had the cash in hand for the car, but knew i wouldnt be able to afford the insurance. Two of my good friends said that if I bought the car, they were going to buy me a pink purse with my name spelled out in glitter. They made fun of the car so much, until they drove one. Now one of those friends is selling his Mazda 6 so he can buy a Miata and the other friend loves them as well.

Dave, I noticed the same things. Both the Mini and Miata communities are kind of cult-like, I love it. I plan on getting an older Miata (95-96 or so) and putting on one of the new Flyin Miata turbo kits that just came out after I get a Mini. If it happens or not we will wait and see.

sounds like a incredibly fun car. have any pictures of it?

a friend of mine has a Titanium MSM, and let me drive it once. I got out of the car and said "i need to lose 30lbs and buy one of these" It was so much fun to drive, everything felt great while driving and i had so much fun i started laughing, kind of like the first time I drove a MCS.

 

A turbo or SC can help that condition out

 

girl car? hmmm....i think NOT!







*drools*

 

they sure can. the new flyin miata turbo kits just came out yesterday. have you seen them yet?

 

wow, that is great.