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512s are considered an all-season at M.net. You also have alignment issues. What are your alignment numbers (camber/caster/toe)? I've heard decent things about the 912, but to be honest if you want a true dual-purpose tire the T1R can't be beat. For something more aggressive, try the Bridgestone RE-01R. I've heard it's a fantastic tire, but you do pay for it.
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Oct 27, 2007 02:03
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goml23 posted:Jesus dude, you can't fault the tires for that. Get an alignment when you get new tires.
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Oct 27, 2007 02:38
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I've got a miata question here: Does the american version come with timing belt or chain ?
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Oct 27, 2007 20:14
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All NA and NB Miatas use belts. The new NC uses a chain.
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Oct 27, 2007 21:04
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I'm seriously considering a Miata as my next car; probably a 2003 or 2004. But before I go out of my way to test-drive a miata... When people talk of tall men fitting comfortably, do you mean "plenty of room, not knocking knees against the column, etc" or "legs splayed sideways around the wheel with about an inch clearance to the door" comfortable? Because I don't really consider the latter comfortable. How are the other cars in this class? Do any have as much room as the Porsche Boxster? Also, dumb question- are NA, NB and NC actually different cars, or just different option packages? Does that apply to all model years? I haven't noticed any references to them outside of chat forums.
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Oct 27, 2007 21:24
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grover posted:Also, dumb question- are NA, NB and NC actually different cars, or just different option packages? Does that apply to all model years? I haven't noticed any references to them outside of chat forums. NB - 1999-2005 NC - 2006-* The NA and NB are essentially the same chassis, but the NC is significantly different. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_Miata
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Oct 27, 2007 21:38
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The Nwhatever refers to the body shape. NAs were produced between 1989 and 1997 and had pop-up headlights. NBs were produced between 1998 and 2005 (though the US apparently didn't get a '98 model) and had fixed headlights and a slightly different front end shape. NCs are the shiny new ones (2005 to now) and have flares over the wheel arches. The "roadster" version has a electrically operated fold out roof. Edit: beaten by seconds
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Oct 27, 2007 21:38
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grover posted:I'm seriously considering a Miata as my next car; probably a 2003 or 2004. But before I go out of my way to test-drive a miata... When people talk of tall men fitting comfortably, do you mean "plenty of room, not knocking knees against the column, etc" or "legs splayed sideways around the wheel with about an inch clearance to the door" comfortable? Because I don't really consider the latter comfortable. You need to sit in one to figure out weather you like it or not. I know tall guys that get cramped up in there but don't seem to mind. quote:How are the other cars in this class? Do any have as much room as the Porsche Boxster? Again, you'd have to sit in other roadsters to compare, it's pretty subjective. Besides, you're going to spend a hell of a lot more money on Boxster, so it depends on your budget. Miatas are the way to go on a tight budget. quote:Also, dumb question- are NA, NB and NC actually different cars, or just different option packages? Does that apply to all model years? I haven't noticed any references to them outside of chat forums. NA (1990-1997), NB (1999-2005), and NC (2006+) pertain to generations, NA being the first. NA and NB are very similar mechanically but different cosmetically, while the NC is a complete re design.
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Oct 27, 2007 21:39
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For what it's worth, if you're shooting for a 2003-2004, consider that the car was more or less identical between 2001 and 2005. 1999 and 2000 were also the same bodystyle but could be had with fewer options, and have the early NB bodywork - the styling was facelifted in 2001.
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Oct 27, 2007 21:48
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leica posted:Again, you'd have to sit in other roadsters to compare, it's pretty subjective. Besides, you're going to spend a hell of a lot more money on Boxster, so it depends on your budget. Miatas are the way to go on a tight budget. I'm in good shape right now as cars go. My '94 Camaro is aging, but is paid for, still runs, and as soon as my wife's 4Runner is paid off, I can afford pretty much any used car I want- could probably afford a new Boxster or Corvette, but I'll be damned if we'll be car-poor, if I'd be just as happy in a $12k used Miata. But by the same token, this car will be my daily driver, and I'll be spending 2 hours a day in it- I don't want to skimp. Does the miata stereo play mp3s/can I put in standard aftermarket radios? Edit: vvv Was planning on yanking the $150 Wal-Mart mp3-playing radio out of my camaro before I sell it. Thanks! 
grover fucked around with this message at 22:05 on Oct 27, 2007 |
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Oct 27, 2007 21:59
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All NA and NB Miatas can fit standard DIN-size radios. Some / most? of the NB factory units can be modified to allow for an auxillary input, but any aftermarket radio will fit perfectly. Keep it low key since for obvious reasons, a radio is easily stolen from a convertible.
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Oct 27, 2007 22:01
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grover posted:
i managed to put in a different CD player without much hassle but i don't know if that was luck or what. velocityJE fucked around with this message at 22:12 on Oct 27, 2007 |
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Oct 27, 2007 22:06
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leica posted:Jesus dude, you can't fault the tires for that. Get an alignment when you get new tires. Maybe it's the driver. He could constantly piling on too much lock and under steering everywhere.
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Oct 28, 2007 00:13
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Another question in the way of maintenance for the NB: Shocks. I realized after a back-to-back drive in our '99 and my sister-in-law's '95M that the shocks in our '99 have seen better days - the '95M just drives over the speed humps in the neighborhood with no real jostling around, while the '99 takes a second to settle again afterwards. What shocks are you guys happy with?
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Oct 28, 2007 03:08
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I liked the KYB AGX for an affordable shock. Lots of people like the Konis too. As long as you get adjustables, you can set them to your liking, then reliability becomes the only issue really. Stay away from Tokicos, in my experience (at least with Miatas) they wear out WAY too quickly. If you want to go all out, you could get TEIN coilovers, but it will cost you.
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Oct 28, 2007 03:20
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Definitely trying to keep it near or below $100 per shock, no need for coilovers on a car that spends most of its time rolling down freeways
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Oct 28, 2007 04:22
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If you are staying with stock springs, do Tokico Illuminas. If not, do Koni Sports or revalved Bilsteins. The KYB is a mediocre bargain-bin shock.
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Oct 28, 2007 06:44
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Savington posted:If you are staying with stock springs, do Tokico Illuminas. If not, do Koni Sports or revalved Bilsteins. The KYB is a mediocre bargain-bin shock. Sorry, but Tokicos are poo poo. They have a rep for leaking and failing for no apparent reason, and I've seen it first hand on more than one car. Not to mention they RAISE the ride height of a Miata with stock springs. If you don't believe me, just read the reviews at Miata.net. KYB AGX are a MUCH better value Than Tokico Illuminas.
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Oct 28, 2007 14:02
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Is the MX-5 a good first car for a budget of $8000?
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Oct 29, 2007 03:10
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prezbuluskey posted:Is the MX-5 a good first car for a budget of $8000? I'd say most definitely, provided it fits your needs. Fun, cheap to insure, reliable. Asking AI if a Miata is a good choice for a car is kinda like asking is the world round, though 
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Oct 29, 2007 03:31
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velocityJE posted:I'd say most definitely, provided it fits your needs. Fun, cheap to insure, reliable. Asking AI if a Miata is a good choice for a car is kinda like asking is the world round, though Agreed. The Miata is most certainly fun, cheap to insure, and reliable. The handling is great, and it is a very "connected" for the driver. Nothing about it should scare away a new driver at all. It's also a pretty good car to learn basic maintenance on. However, there are very real practical concerns that need to be taken into consideration. It is a small, two-seater convertible. Although it can carry a relatively large amount of stuff compared to other small sports cars, it is still pretty limited. You cannot drive more than one other person. Convertibles are inherently less secure in terms of break-ins and theft, so it is not a particularly good idea to park in high crime areas. If these things are not issues for you, then by all means go for it! Personally, my 95 is my only car, and I survive just fine (but I'm also young and single). Guinness fucked around with this message at 03:55 on Oct 29, 2007 |
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Oct 29, 2007 03:52
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leica posted:You need to sit in one to figure out weather you like it or not. I know tall guys that get cramped up in there but don't seem to mind.  Compares favorably to the Boxster in the comfort department. It was rush hour so I didn't bother test-driving it, but I might this weekend.
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Oct 29, 2007 23:07
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How could you have trouble with the top? You must have been doing something wrong. I bought Bilsteins for my Miata a while back, and I've been very happy with them. The miata.net people say they are a bit firmer then stock, but last a good long time. No complaints from me so far.
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Oct 29, 2007 23:12
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n8r posted:How could you have trouble with the top? You must have been doing something wrong. grover fucked around with this message at 23:40 on Oct 29, 2007 |
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Oct 29, 2007 23:22
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grover posted:Not difficult, just not as easy- visors were in the way for both latches on the NC, and you have to lean way over to undo the passenger's side. Have you done the top on an NC? It's a single latch in the middle vice 2 on the sides, and you can do it 1-handed in 2 seconds without effort or even really stretching. You can raise the top, too, without ever unbuckling your seatbelt. Doing the tops on an NB and NC back-to back, it was like night and day. Boxster has a similar latch as the NC, but the top is powered, and even easier because it automatically cracks the windows for you, too. I imagine the power hard-top on the miata is similar. Sorry the way I read your post I thought you were talking about the NB top.
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Oct 29, 2007 23:34
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n8r posted:Sorry the way I read your post I thought you were talking about the NB top. Edit: I've got a bit spreadsheet comparing all the cars I was looking at, and thought this comparison was rather interesting: code:grover fucked around with this message at 00:30 on Oct 30, 2007 |
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Oct 29, 2007 23:41
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The Miata will be cheaper in the long run. The NC has a timing chain now instead of a belt which was a significant job every 60k for the NA and NB. Not only will maintenance alone cost more on a used Boxster, but if anything breaks, you will be paying out the rear end for labor and parts. I really don't see how a used Boxster can cost under a grand less to own over five years than a brand new Miata. Don't forget, the Boxster will be out of factory warranty. If you plan on buying a warranty, you need to add that to the bottom line.
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Oct 30, 2007 00:54
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Using his numbers, the Miata is cheaper but most of that is figuring on future resale, which the Boxster will most likely win on - it's already depreciated considerably so it won't lose value as fast as the Miata will. Ignoring resale, the Boxster is a considerably more expensive car to own, and I think including resale in there is not that wise since it masks the fact that until you sell the thing again, the Boxster will cost you more.
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Oct 30, 2007 01:04
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grover posted:I swung by the dealership today; that had a 2003, 2006 and 2008 on the lot. I did NOT like the NB, I quite simply didn't fit. And found the roof to be difficult compared to the other cars I'm considering. I absolutely loved both NCs though- comfortable, easy one-handed roof (even if it is manual), good visibility with the roof up, plenty of cupholders and most importantly- ample leg room. If I was 6'2 or 20lbs heavier, I might have an issue, but I fit and was able to move my legs without having me knees against the column. No need to rip out the visors either I agree that the na and nb tops are more difficult, but I absolutely love that the Miata sticks with the manual top. Why add unnecessary weight when you only have to turn around to grab the top?
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Oct 30, 2007 01:14
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leica posted:I really don't see how a used Boxster can cost under a grand less to own over five years than a brand new Miata. Boxters require servicing every 15000 miles w/15qts of full synthetic oil + an overpriced filter. ($600 at the dealer the first time to keep the warranty, then $100 myself thereafter.) The stock tires last 18,000 miles; I figure $1000 for cheaper better tires off tirerack that will longer. And two $1000 out-of-warranty repairs. For the 2008 miata, I figured $100/year in maint plus $500 for new tires. Everything else is under warranty. Throwing a 2003 Miata into the mix really skews the numbers because it just came out so much cheaper than anything else I was looking at. But I don't fit in a 2003 miata (just like I don't fit in an S2000) so it's moot. Edit: vvvvv I've got no gripes with the manual top on the NC. It's easy 1-handed and faster than a motor. grover fucked around with this message at 01:17 on Oct 30, 2007 |
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Oct 30, 2007 01:14
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Well poo poo, I guess the Boxster is the way to go, especially if you plan on selling it after a few years to take advantage of the resale. BUT.....Have you tried sitting in a NA Miata? They have more room than a NB, not to mention a "foamectomy" helps a lot too. Don't get me wrong, the Boxster is a great roadster, but I saw the thread of your home addition and you seem like a frugal guy. You could get a low mileage NA, put a turbo on it, and you'd still be at a third of the cost of the Boxster. Just throwing that out there.
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Oct 30, 2007 02:34
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HAHAHAHA. Just caught this little tidbit in GBS thread where girl thinks boyfriend is gay. "-He spends a lot of money and time on two cars, neither of which are really nice. One is a Honda Del Sol and the other is a Miata. Mark says this is self-explanatory and that they are both chick cars (funny because I drive a toyota truck) and only a gay dude would drive them. Chris says he "races" them but the only racing I ever see is him putting on a helmet and some blue tape for a number and driving around this stupid parking lot every month or so with a bunch of dudes. I don't think it's racing."
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Oct 30, 2007 06:04
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AkrisD posted:HAHAHAHA. Just caught this little tidbit in GBS thread where girl thinks boyfriend is gay. Holy poo poo, lol. That guy needs to find a girlfriend who appreciates his hobby.
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Oct 30, 2007 06:21
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I'm not trying to talk you out of buying a Boxster at all. Apparently they're great cars and I'd definitely consider one. When I looked at the Edmunds true cost to own spreadsheet a 2003 Boxster still loses out in a TCO calculation by $7k over five years: http://www.edmunds.com/apps/cto/CTOintroController Actually the numbers you came up with were totally different, so I really am not sure where yours were coming from. I would think that you could possibly find an NC slightly used for a real nice price. I'm not sure how well the NC has even been selling to be honest.
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Oct 30, 2007 06:30
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n8r posted:I'm not sure how well the NC has even been selling to be honest. Pretty well, as far as I can tell. It is inherently a pretty low volume car, though. Wikipedia shows that in 2006 Mazda sold just about 17,000 NCs in the US, and just over 48,000 worldwide. The worldwide figure is the best Miata sales number since 1998 (the introduction of the NB, model year 1999). Similarly, in the US alone, 2006 was the best sales year since 2000 (refresh of the NB for the 2001 model year). I've seen a fair amount of NCs driving around in my area. Not common, but not rare. Their looks have really, really grown on me. It's like a more modern, more aggresive NA styling. Guinness fucked around with this message at 06:43 on Oct 30, 2007 |
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Oct 30, 2007 06:40
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I've seen a LOT of miatas driving around my area- Until a few days ago, I didn't know enough to know the difference, but I'll have to keep an eye out now. Z4s are all over the place here. I'm seeing more and more Solaris/Sky, too. S2000s and Boxsters are fairly rare. I'm in Norfolk/Virginia Beach area, btw. I really do like the NC.n8r posted:I'm not trying to talk you out of buying a Boxster at all. Apparently they're great cars and I'd definitely consider one. When I looked at the Edmunds true cost to own spreadsheet a 2003 Boxster still loses out in a TCO calculation by $7k over five years: I came up with the numbers based on my experience, my expectations and my average mileage (9k/year). EG, changing the oil myself (which I can do on either car), actually looking at tire prices on tirerack.com, etc. The repair costs I came up with were a complete SWAG, though. grover fucked around with this message at 10:54 on Oct 30, 2007 |
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Oct 30, 2007 10:46
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AkrisD posted:HAHAHAHA. Just caught this little tidbit in GBS thread where girl thinks boyfriend is gay. Link? [edit] Found it: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=2670024 grover posted:Edmunds also says a 2003 Miata will cost $5923 in maint costs and $2447 in repair costs over those 5 years- that in line with you guys? (lol) $6k is an awful lot of oil changes and tires- I'm not sure how they're computing those numbers. Yeah, that sounds ridiculous, I don't know where they get their numbers. The only major maintenance on NB's (and NA's) is the timing belt which is about a $600 job at a dealer. Other than that, oil changes and tires, maybe a clutch at the most and that's an easy job if you can work on a car. I'm thinking a used NC would be your best bet. Applebees Appetizer fucked around with this message at 14:09 on Oct 30, 2007 |
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Oct 30, 2007 13:51
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n8r posted:Actually the numbers you came up with were totally different, so I really am not sure where yours were coming from. I would think that you could possibly find an NC slightly used for a real nice price. I'm not sure how well the NC has even been selling to be honest. When I went shopping for my NC, I found with bargaining, you could get a brand new Miata for the same price as the used ones in the area. Used NCs were going for $21-22K, and I ended up getting my Touring with sports package and 6 disc for $21.5K. Also, I noticed that the base models were often optioned out to the tune of $2-3K (the main culprits being aero kits and stereo upgrades), which generally put them in the same price range as the much better equipped touring models. In Dallas at least, the Miata market seems really odd.
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Oct 30, 2007 17:24
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I picked up a 2006 Touring with only 8k miles for 18.5k, I'm sure I could have found cheaper if I went Private seller but I could not find any close to me.
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Oct 30, 2007 17:35
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leica posted:Yeah, that sounds ridiculous, I don't know where they get their numbers. The only major maintenance on NB's (and NA's) is the timing belt which is about a $600 job at a dealer. Other than that, oil changes and tires, maybe a clutch at the most and that's an easy job if you can work on a car. I'm thinking a used NC would be your best bet. Unless they are counting in the aftermarket stuff that so many Miata owners buy (shocks, brakes, turbochargers, superchargers, etc, etc)... :-) I have a cheap old NA and have easily spent 1500 bucks in the last year on maintenance, but that was some major stuff (TB/WP, seals, gaskets, etc) brakes, and so on, so not like it was stuff I'll have to do every year. In fact, the car will probably fall apart before I have to do another timing belt on it or exhaust. But I wonder if they don't calculate that based on the manufacturer's recommended service and intervals, based at what you will pay for parts and labor at the dealership, which is always far more than you will pay at a good local mechanic.
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Oct 30, 2007 17:42
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