"As a pure driving proposition, it's superior to nearly every other sporting vehicle on the market."

[Reli]

All this arguing to find cars that are better than the Miata, when the hidden motive is that Miatas are "too gay".

Are we really saying that a GTI or a Mini is less gay than a Miata?

 

[Reli]

There are any number of small sports cars that will handle every bit as good as a Miata anywhere but in a Mickey D's parking lot. But since when were we discussing 'urban' environments in this thread? Is that how/where one judges whether a car is 'as a pure driving proposition, superior to nearly every other sporting vehicle on the market'? You think they were writing about tooling around the streets of San Francisco?

I think you're confusing the words compact car with the words sports car.

I am saying that the Miata's light weight, small size, and good suspension are attributes that can be enjoyed without going to the track. Unlike Challengers and shit like that, which are too big to enjoy their handling on public roads. You simply can't hustle a Challenger on a tight mountain road, you can't even see the painted lines because it's so fucking big, and the tires don't communicate until they've suddenly broken loose. You'd be sweating bullets the whole time. Not my type of fun.

 

[Marcoose]

Meh. I like driving the lady's Mini with the top down every once in a great while (mainly because the blind spots are massive with the soft top up), but usually I don't even like sunroofs on cars.

Njoy the cowl shake. Haven't driven a roadster yet (even one designed as one) that doesn't feel like lots of stuff is flexing around when driving over a railroad crossing.

Yes, because there are rail crossings at every other junction.

If you don't like roadsters and convertibles, that's totally OK. I don't like 4-door saloons. I find that the B pilar is in my field of vision. But flexing comes with roadsters. You can't help it.

Like Il Comandatore said, "serious car guys don't drive roadsters". He's right. Roadsters are for the little playboys inside us. It's supposed to be fun without taking yourself too serious. It's supposed to have style without making you look ridiculous. It's supposed to cure spring fever without a second mortgage. You want outstanding performance? Buy a Skyline.

 

[TheRobSJ]

Yes, because there are rail crossings at every other junction.

If you don't like roadsters and convertibles, that's totally OK. I don't like 4-door saloons. I find that the B pilar is in my field of vision. But flexing comes with roadsters. You can't help it.

Like Il Comandatore said, "serious car guys don't drive roadsters". He's right. Roadsters are for the little playboys inside us. It's supposed to be fun without taking yourself too serious. It's supposed to have style without making you look ridiculous. It's supposed to cure spring fever without a second mortgage. You want outstanding performance? Buy a Skyline.

B pillar in your field of vision? Damn how far back do you sit? The A pillar is always at a bad spot for me to see through corners and I find myself moving forward in the seat all the time when trying to look at a corner exit. But every car has an A pillar so not much can be done about that.

 

[SM610]

Last year, the wifey wanted a fun car, so we looked at Miatas. Ended up finding a MR2 Spyder. Similar idea, just not as useful...as in, bring your toothbrush or your toothpaste - not both. Any bagger bike has more storage.

The little thing is quite possibly the best handling car (under 80mph) I've ever driven. And I've driven some fancy cars. To say that the steering is crisp and lite is an understatements. Turn in is amazing, and it grips and slides like a go cart on the crappy tires that it came with. When we replace the tires with something grippy it might ruin it!

If the miata is anything like the MR2, the gayness is a misnomer. Although once I yelled to my pals in outside a bar "IM NOT GAY!" and they yelled back "YES YOU ARE!!"

 

[stan23]

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Miata

Some funny definitions haha

 

[Reli]

Why aren't female F150 and Suburban drivers called lesbian? After all, what "real woman" would drive those?

 

[Enchanter]

It. Is. Not. A. Roadster.

Marcus, seriously? You are calling someone out for something that you yourself do?

Bored at work, old man?

I think there's a FWD version for the hairdressers and a Quattro version for the poseurs. I put the Quattro in the same basket as the RWD roadsters. But that's just me. YMMV.

 

[Enchanter]

The Miata is great for the money but is ultimately nothing special.

Thank you! I've felt the same forever. Nice car, cute, handles (very)well, but it is nothing special.

 

[Reli]

B pillar in your field of vision? Damn how far back do you sit? The A pillar is always at a bad spot for me to see through corners and I find myself moving forward in the seat all the time when trying to look at a corner exit. But every car has an A pillar so not much can be done about that.

I am only 5'9" yet the B-pillar of my BMW 4-door is always in my field of vision if I try to turn my head. How could it not be?

 

[Reli]

Thank you! I've felt the same forever. Nice car, cute, handles (very)well, but it is nothing special.

What makes a car special?

Being rare? There aren't many rare cars under $50K.

Being fast? OK, but if super-fast cars are special, can't super-handling cars be as well?

 

[Enchanter]

What makes a car special?

Being rare? There aren't many rare cars under $50K.

Being fast? OK, but if super-fast cars are special, can't super-handling cars be as well?

Balance. I don't mean it in terms of handling.

My point is that being a great handling car isn't enough. Rare isn't enough, super-fast isn't enough. Over simplification: A car needs to have a good balance of power, handling, and weight (and comfort, etc...). The Miata has a couple of those down in spades, it's short on a few more.

I understand handling over horsepower, my trackbike is a RS125, and I've driven a Spec-Miata. I understand why it's easier to learn (some things) with a lightweight, low horsepower vehicle. It's just not enough to make me fall down and worship at the Temple of Miata, or Lotus 7, or Mini, or Suby-ota.

 

[GAJ]

But the hype/myth of the Miata as an amazing sportscar is just nonsense.

The unanimous plaudits and the fact that it had been the most raced car in the world over the years mean nothing I guess.

You may not understand, the new Miata shares no body panels from the last one and this new Miata has the engine behind the front wheels for the first time ever.

Promises to make an excellent little sports car even better.

Mass centralization, mass reduction, perfect 50/50 weight distribution and lower polar moment of inertia = .

I doubt any of the cars you're thinking of have their front mounted engines fully BEHIND the front axle.

I personally can't wait to drive one even though I am in no way in the market for a replacement to my long paid off vehicle.


"Mazda achieved this lower mass thanks to – you guessed it – aluminum components, as well as increased use of high-strength steel. And because it's all about the details, the Miata team added aluminum in areas furthest away from the car's center of gravity, to keep the bulk of the mass as close to the ground, and middle of the chassis, as possible. That's also the reason for moving the engine 13 millimeters lower, and 15 millimeters backward on the chassis. It now sits fully behind the front axle, technically making the Miata a front mid-engined car."

http://www.autoblog.com/2015/01/30/2016-mazda-mx-5-miata-first-drive-review-video/

 

[GAJ]

OMG a Corvette in a mall, hope everything was fine re: door dings!

The Line about Miata and groceries I've actually heard from this short Italian dude I knew, who literally said the same. (Long time ago if I recall correctly): if you have one more person you can't even get groceries.. "[he] hate[d] it" so he had just bought a German C230 hatchback.

My wife used to take it to Costco; solo mind you.

I've had the car since '94 and the spare tire has stayed in the garage ever since which freed up a lot of space. A cell phone and AAA were my "spare" but I've never had a flat.

I also was able to pick up large Usher tower speakers in the Miata because they wouldn't fit in her TSX.

With the top down you'd be shocked what you can stuff into that front seat!

Mind you, because I also bought a center channel speaker it took three trips.

 

[flying_hun]

Obviously you're not a golfer.

I could never commit to spending that much free time doing that when I could be riding a motorcycle instead.

 

[GAJ]

Guess you don't play golf? Try fitting a full bag in a Miata. The Corvette can swallow up two cart bags and lots of room for more.

Easy peasy with the top down...one bag anyway.

If you want to fit two golf bags then definitely get a Golf.

 

[GAJ]

Meh. I like driving the lady's Mini with the top down every once in a great while (mainly because the blind spots are massive with the soft top up), but usually I don't even like sunroofs on cars.

Njoy the cowl shake. Haven't driven a roadster yet (even one designed as one) that doesn't feel like lots of stuff is flexing around when driving over a railroad crossing.

Zero cowl shake in the MX5.

Now, my wife's dearly departed Saab Convertible put on quite a cowl shake show as it was not a purpose built convertible first and foremost.

 

[GAJ]

Last year, the wifey wanted a fun car, so we looked at Miatas. Ended up finding a MR2 Spyder. Similar idea, just not as useful...as in, bring your toothbrush or your toothpaste - not both. Any bagger bike has more storage.

The little thing is quite possibly the best handling car (under 80mph) I've ever driven. And I've driven some fancy cars. To say that the steering is crisp and lite is an understatements. Turn in is amazing, and it grips and slides like a go cart on the crappy tires that it came with. When we replace the tires with something grippy it might ruin it!

If the miata is anything like the MR2, the gayness is a misnomer. Although once I yelled to my pals in outside a bar "IM NOT GAY!" and they yelled back "YES YOU ARE!!"

Liked the weird looks of the original MisterTwo but not so much the newer more refined looking ones. Definitely great handling little cars.

The only publication I recall picking it over the MX5 at the time was Consumer Reports.

 

[Reli]

I'll probably wait till next year... 1st-year models usually have more bugs.

 

[GAJ]

I'll probably wait till next year... 1st-year models usually have more bugs.

On that I think we can all agree.