Nope, I'm not planning on ditching my Mini, I'm very happy behind the wheel.

But I was reading some good user reviews online of the Miata and RX-8, and was just wondering whether anyone can give me a comparison of how the Mazdas handle in relation to the MCS (preferably from someone who has actually driven them).

 

I owned an RX-8 for 3 years prior to getting my MCS. It's a really fantastic car. I loved everything about it, except the 16 MPG!! Obviously, the MINI wins out in MPG.

It handles extremely well in tight turns and has a smooth ride. My MCS handles equally well (if not a bit better) on twisty roads but has a much stiffer feel.

The RX-8's acceleration from a stop is not very good but once you get into 3rd gear, it will fly!! In fact the acceleration is quite terrible when you consider the MPG. My MCS will fly...anytime, any gear. MCS wins.

 

I used to have a 1992 Miata back when they had the 1.6l engine. The Miata handled really well, but some of that was due to it being a low car with a low seating position. With rear wheel drive it handled much different than a FWD car. I had limited slip in the Miata and would lose the backend on occasion. I think the biggest difference is FWD versus RWD. The newer MX-5 will have more power than the one I had making it more comparable to a MCS.

I wouldn't go back to a MX-5. While the cars are a similar size to the MINI you really feel small driving one. With the MINI I feel like I am in a small car with big car attitude. I think MINIs are easier for other drivers to see since the roof is higher.

I haven't driven a RX-8. I think they are great cars that consume a bunch of oil and get lousy fuel economy. The rotary technology is pretty cool though. Handling is supposed to be great. I think it will be redesigned soon so if you were to buy one now it is probably getting near the end of its current design lifecycle.

I think there are a lot of former Miata owners on this board so I bet we'll see a bunch of responses from drivers more knowledgable than me. A Miata is a fun car, but for me I just figured out I was not a convertible person while owning one over a few years. I like quiet and climate control too much.

 

One other thing about the RX-8. I basically had to park it if there was more than 2" of snow on the road. It's the worst handling car I've ever owned on the snow. Thanks to RWD and its very light weight.

 

Don't forget the fact that the regular cooper probably makes more torque to the ground.

 

I currently own a 2007 Miata Power Retractable Hardtop and a heavily modified 1996 Miata w/a '93 LE interior.

I love my Miatas, but am considering trading the '07 for an R56. I'm having a hard time justifying giving up such a fun car in my PRHT, but the thing that keeps me coming back to the R56 is that my experience driving Minis is that they're just as fun, with slightly more practicality. I'm having a hard time justifying having two sportscars in the garage.

The other good thing is that my wife will enjoy driving the Mini. She is a fair-skinned redhead and convertibles just aren't her thing. And to think that she was driving an E30 convertible when I met her...

 

Call me nuts--but after years on NAM and reading about the Miata I finally test drove one last Spring. Handled nice --but no real kick in the pants acceleration and too quiet for me. I was very disappointed. After nearly 4 yrs with my 7/04 build '05 MCS with the Alta CAI and Magnaflow exhaust I think I am spoiled. Now if they build a Speed Edition and make it sound like a car with some gonads I will check it out. Nick

 

I'm coming from a '96 Miata. The difference in power is huge, in favor of the Mini, but the thrill is still on the side of the Miata. The handling between the two is about a wash (thanks to Miata mods), but the overall lowered seating position just gives a much higher perception of speed.

 

I used to own a 07 miata grand touring 6 speed and it's a lot softer than the r56. it's got a lot more power than the base cooper(what I have) and when you put on a roadstersport dual exhaust it sounds like it should from the factory. factory exhaust is really buzzy in that car. My only issue is that it looks like an infinity fx from the profile and pretty damn ugly from every angle. no idea what i was thinking buying a car so ugly, but it drove really well and has amazing grip. rear wheel drive is so nice in that car. I wish I still had it, ugliness and all.

 

When I was looking for a car about a month ago, I was looking at a mini, miata and GTI. I drove the mini first and loved it. I was really scared that I would like the miata more from all the rave reviews. I was scared because the miata didn't get as good mpg and not as practical space wise bla bla bla.
After I drove the miata it wasn't even close which was more enjoyable to drive. The mini felt much more solid and stable and felt more powerful. The miata felt cheap in comparison and the body roll was too much for me.
My mini is all the way should be here in a week. Can't wait

 

If it helps, the body roll is easily fixed with two sway bars and an afternoon.

 

The new MX-5 is not a real miata. Its a bad imitation. If you want a real Miata, buy the first gen NA. My Miata has twice the power and twice the handling but twice the PITA.

 

the RX-8 is quite a different kind of animal than the MCS. i used to have an RX-7 and was really into the 8 (and mazdas) for a very long time, driven it many times. it's rwd and a pretty **serious** sports car with really sharp neutral handling, well balanced, drift-able, etc. (case in point: it has 50:50 weight distribution, engine is low and completely behind the front axle line, and even has a rigid *backbone* frame linking the engine/tranny and rear diff) it's a decently light car that's better balanced than the 350z and the high-strung nature makes it more like a 4-seat S2000. the rotary engine, 13B-MSP, in the 8 is supposed to be better, cleaner, and more efficient, but the gas mileage, as tjtull said, is horrid, sometimes dipping as low as 13mpg. oil consumption is normal in rotary engines. torque is paltry but you really just have to rev it like you hate it, since it redlines at 9k (!) and fuel cut-off is close to 10k (!!), and power peaks at 8500rpm. it's a slightly different kind of driving experience, and most people are not used to that kind of engine behavior. but the output isn't very high and it's not very easily tunable, so it's not a fast car. still, it's a car i love to love, as you can probably tell the gas mileage is really what keeps me from it nowadays

i've only driven the nc miata, and it's pretty fun. it's light and tossable but i think i'd much prefer the original car. the miata is more close in nature to the MCS 'cuz it's a small light simple sports car that's a bit retro and has more of a sense of humor than the RX's. the MCS is more practical

 

The Miata is the very embodiment of this thread: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=136771

The RX8 is a dinosaur. Why Mazda continues to cling to the Wankle engine is a mystery to me. It was a bad idea in the 50's that has gotten no better despite decades of attempts to make it compete with good piston designs. This smiley sums it all up (look at the eyes)...

 

For what it's worth, the NC Miata is based on the RX8 chassis. It has the same weird rear suspension, and the sway bars are virtually the same. You can upgrade an NC Miata's sway bars by using factory RX8 bars, which are cheap because the RX8 guys are upgrading.

 

My comment after owning my NC for a year was my NC is a better sportscar, but my NA is a better Miata. It's a feeling you just won't get until you've lived with the original. I'll never trade my first-gen. Ever. I'll have her until I die.

 

I'd have to echo tjtull's sentiments on the RX-8. I took one for an extended test drive and found that it was a bit disappointing in the lower revs (I knew that going in but was still surprised). Coming from a B16-equipped CRX, I was familiar with revving a car to extract some power, but to me it seemed like I would tire of it on a daily basis. The mileage and winter practicality put an end to that idea. Great car, but not something I wanted as my only car.

As with all car a vs. car b comparisons, you really need to drive them as much as possible so that you can pick the best one for you.

 

Or split the diff between NA and NC and get an NB! Mechanically and driving-wise still prioritized simplicity, light weight (2300lbs for one like mine), and driving feel, even right out of the box (but gets even better with mods, as that7guy posted above). Will never be as pretty as an NA though... losing popup headlights was a tragedy that mazda should not have let happen (and, as an aside, cabin space got more cramped too in the NB, how the hell they managed that has baffled me for nearly 10 years of ownership!!). Pics of my NB in my gallery... no turbo or SC (yet, as all my local miata friends are running FI and it is "catching") but just about all else is, as they say, "more than sorted".

The NC got noticeably larger (width is the biggest problem) and the massive body roll and ridiculous 4x4 ride height from the factory is a disappointment to those that have driven or owned NA's or NB's.

 

It's not that much bigger when parked in my garage next to my NA, but it is definitely a larger car. I took care of the roll and height with some JIC coilovers. :D

 

that's a bit harsh, writing off the miata as a *chick* car when in fact it's basically the modern embodiment of the lotus elan and one of the best and funnest handling cars out there

the rotary engine was a bad idea in the '50s? when it came out in the 50's, and up until now, it's the only alternative design for internal combustion engines and it caused such a storm that everybody, from mercedes to gm, jumped in on the development. were there challenges? sure, as would any totally novel engineering concept. mazda was really the only company at the time who succeeded in developing in the material science department and put out commercially viable models using their proprietary engine construction. the other companies eventually abandoned the concept because of the gas crisis; it was much easier to further develop and economize the piston engines that's already been around for ~70 years. are there any advantages to the rotary engine over piston ones? light weight, small dimension, WAY fewer moving parts, smoothness (since nothing reciprocates), higher revs, and coolness of the concept. does it matter? rotary engines often do a lot better in racing because they're a lot more durable and never break down in long races, due to some of the above reasons. the RX-7 is the winningest racer in imsa racing. but since nobody makes it and it has quite a bit of competitive advantage over piston engines, it eventually got banned in many classes (ie le mans). is it a dinosaur? all internal combustion engines are dinosaurs and we're probably gonna be able to keep running 'em only for another 50 years max. why does mazda keep making them? 'cuz they have a fan base. to each his/her own

 

Chick car this:

 

Totaly agreed!

But you have no excuse for not having a JR SC in your NB when you have FI friends

 

I've only driven NA and NB Miatae that were set up for autocross or track use (including riding passenger in some spec Miatae).

I love the Miata.

My favorite is a 94(?) R package with manual steering. It's the only car I've driven with more steering feel than my 2003 Cooper (with suspension mods).

I find the Miata and the Cooper to be very similar driving cars. Well, my Cooper with suspension mods and Miatae with suspension mods. At least until you get all the way up to the limit, where the rear wheel drive vs front wheel drive differences show up.

And, neither the Miata nor the Cooper are fast cars.

If I ever find an R-package with manual steering for sale, I'm buying it.

 

FWIW, all R-package cars had manual steering. If you can find an R, you're golden.

 

just for reference

the RX-8 is B Stock
the Miata is C Stock
the MCS is G Stock

so strictly from an autocross perspective that's the pecking order...