2007 Mazda Miata...I mean MX-5

[PricklyPete]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
I think when people sell miatas they generally regret it. Can you buy this and keep it indefinitely? Do you have the room, even when you get a third car with kids?

Yes...we will have room to keep it. My plan would definitely be to keep it and not sell it...but instead buy my wife a boring family car sometime down the road when we need it...and just hang on to the Miata for a track toy/weekend car. it would be something fun to work on.

 

[PricklyPete]

Well Sonofabitch! Looks like the Miata was sold this week as I didn't see it on the lot last night or this morning (it is on my way to work). I will still check with the salesman there this weekend...but I have a feeling it is gone. The car has been on his lot for months, I drive it on Monday...and it is sold on Thursday...pretty funny. So my plan has been foiled...but after reading up on the car and driving it, I'm really wanting one now. I think I'm going to monitor prices and cars going up for sale over the next few months and see what I can work out sometime in the fall when convertibles become "out of favor". Who knows...it really is a fun little car and there seems to be a huge aftermarket which can be a lot of fun if I plan on keeping it for the long run as a "toy".

 

[Mermaidman]

Bahahah! You sound just like me. I was SO CLOSE to buying a brand new Miata last year, but with a unpredictable job situation, I decided to hoard the cash instead. Now I'm waiting to see what mfg incentives will show up for the redesigned 2009 models when the 2010s start showing up, maybe in October?

Hope you score on that MX-5.

 

[PricklyPete]

Originally posted by: Mermaidman
Bahahah! You sound just like me. I was SO CLOSE to buying a brand new Miata last year, but with a unpredictable job situation, I decided to hoard the cash instead. Now I'm waiting to see what mfg incentives will show up for the redesigned 2009 models when the 2010s start showing up, maybe in October?

Hope you score on that MX-5.

Thanks man...I'm also thinking about seeing what kind of deal I could get on a 2009 model in the fall...I do like some of the redesign elements...but we'll see how much I'm willing to spend. Most likely a 2007/2008 for a good price will be the more likely purchase. We'll see if I can talk myself back into spending the cash in the fall.

 

[MiataNC]

Check craigslist in your area and towns nearby.

You can pick up a clean 94-97 (best years for modding in most opinions) for less than $5K-6K. If you are lucky you can find one with all of the suspension upgrades and roll bars already done, and you have a weekend/track/commuter toy on the cheap.

The MX-5 is so pure and so well designed, that any year will give you the same satisfaction to drive.

 

[PricklyPete]

Originally posted by: MiataNC
Check craigslist in your area and towns nearby.

You can pick up a clean 94-97 (best years for modding in most opinions) for less than $5K-6K. If you are lucky you can find one with all of the suspension upgrades and roll bars already done, and you have a weekend/track/commuter toy on the cheap.

The MX-5 is so pure and so well designed, that any year will give you the same satisfaction to drive.

I had thought about that...but I had a girlfriend in college who had one from that vintage (that i drove a number of times) and I don't remember fitting that well. I was actually really surprised that I fit in the NC platform and was comfortable. Maybe my memory is off...but I distinctly remember feeling like I was two tall for the vehicle (6'5").

The principle of the car is what has really attracted me as I've done research on it and drove it. I love how lightweight and "simple" it is. Just pure fun. I have to say, the new 6 speed didn't seem quite as slick as the 5-spd I remember my old girlfriend having...but it is still ton of fun.

I also did some research on the Solstice/Sky and S2000...but I'm just liking the MX-5 the most (although I like the more "butch" looks of the others)...the MX-5 just seems to have something more pure about it. I may test drive an S2000 just to see how it compares driving wise. Aftermarket/long terms prospects seem better on the MX-5 and S2000.

 

[DeviousTrap]

Originally posted by: PricklyPete

Originally posted by: Mermaidman
Bahahah! You sound just like me. I was SO CLOSE to buying a brand new Miata last year, but with a unpredictable job situation, I decided to hoard the cash instead. Now I'm waiting to see what mfg incentives will show up for the redesigned 2009 models when the 2010s start showing up, maybe in October?

Hope you score on that MX-5.

Thanks man...I'm also thinking about seeing what kind of deal I could get on a 2009 model in the fall...I do like some of the redesign elements...but we'll see how much I'm willing to spend. Most likely a 2007/2008 for a good price will be the more likely purchase. We'll see if I can talk myself back into spending the cash in the fall.

If you're willing to wait until the fall, would you be willing to wait until the winter season? If you're looking at a relatively new miata, the prices fluctuate hugely when the car is out of season.

For example, remember those auction prices I posted for you earlier? (Average $15,586, for a car with 15,106 miles) Manheim gives me historic averages. In Dec 2008 the average car sold for $11,952, with 19,868 miles. Granted the used car market was really depressed this past winter (by far the worst year in recent memory), but a swing of a couple of thousand dollars between summer and winter results isn't too unusual.

 

[theeedude]

I am so >< close to buying a Miata every summer One day I will.

 

[LS21]

s2000 is faster but if its for your wife the miata may fit her "personality" better

 

[PricklyPete]

Originally posted by: DeviousTrap

Originally posted by: PricklyPete

Originally posted by: Mermaidman
Bahahah! You sound just like me. I was SO CLOSE to buying a brand new Miata last year, but with a unpredictable job situation, I decided to hoard the cash instead. Now I'm waiting to see what mfg incentives will show up for the redesigned 2009 models when the 2010s start showing up, maybe in October?

Hope you score on that MX-5.

Thanks man...I'm also thinking about seeing what kind of deal I could get on a 2009 model in the fall...I do like some of the redesign elements...but we'll see how much I'm willing to spend. Most likely a 2007/2008 for a good price will be the more likely purchase. We'll see if I can talk myself back into spending the cash in the fall.

If you're willing to wait until the fall, would you be willing to wait until the winter season? If you're looking at a relatively new miata, the prices fluctuate hugely when the car is out of season.

For example, remember those auction prices I posted for you earlier? (Average $15,586, for a car with 15,106 miles) Manheim gives me historic averages. In Dec 2008 the average car sold for $11,952, with 19,868 miles. Granted the used car market was really depressed this past winter (by far the worst year in recent memory), but a swing of a couple of thousand dollars between summer and winter results isn't too unusual.

I'm not in any rush...her car works perfectly fine...a MX-5 is just a "nice to have"...so waiting till the winter is probably a good idea for us then. I'll just monitor them over the next few months and see how prices are going.

 

[PricklyPete]

Originally posted by: LS21
s2000 is faster but if its for your wife the miata may fit her "personality" better

Yeah..it is technically for my wife...but longterm it is more for me....and she pretty much likes all of them because they are convertibles...that is really the only part she cares about.

 

[cheesehead]

Originally posted by: PricklyPete

So how much will we regret buying this? Has anyone else used a Miata as a primary car? My wife will obviously have access to my truck for more "practical" needs (most days I walk to work)...and she doesn't have to use it to drive to work each day.

The only thing you might regret is that you might want one that's even older and cheaper - they're very reliable and cheap to maintain. The guy down the street from me has a Miata for his only car, and loves it to death. The fact that it shares the engine with the Ford Focus and Mazda3 makes it slower than its' competitors, but it also makes it far more practical to deal with day-to-day.

IIRC, the 2006 and later Miatas even have traction control and the luxe model has a limited-slip diff. Slap some appropriate tires on, and you can even use it in winter. You can get a really good one for around $10k.

I would recommend the soft-top. I've never actually seen a hardtop Miata, but having opened and closed the soft-top I can tell you it's very easy and completely idiotproof. The only downside is impaired rear visibility with the roof up, but you can also get a bolt-on hardtop quite easily which can be installed or removed in an hour or two. Other advantages include increased simplicity (less things to go wrong), lower price, reduced weight, and lower center of gravity.

 

[thedarkwolf]

The 50/50 weight distribution makes them all fairly good in the snow. I've only been caught driving in snow once in mine, summer only tires too, and was extremely impressed with how easy it was. Getting up the hill to my house can be a PITA in my fwd van with snow on the road but the miata went right up it no problem.

There are some tricks you can do with the seats in the older cars to fit a bigger guy in them. http://www.miata.net/garage/headroom.html Not sure how that affects the car for shorter people if you are sharing the car but if you screw around on the forum you could probably find out.

 

[MiataNC]

2006 and newer requires the "suspension package" which includes bilstien shocks if you want a limited slip dif. This is available as an option on all trim levels.

 

[cheesehead]

Y'know, I'm surprised that no one has nothing bad to say about these cars.

It's a bit eerie, really, considering that they've been making them for almost twenty years.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Well I'll give you something bad. The NA, first gen, cars have horrible hydraulic lash adjusters/lifters. Its pretty common to get into a car and hear them tapping when you first fire it up and mine pretty much does it all the time now. When I get around to changing the timing belt here sometime this year I'll replace all of mine. The slave cylinders are also prone to failure.

 

[Jumpem]

I"d prefer one of the newer retractable hard-top varinats, or an 04-05 Mazdaspeed.

 

[NAC]

Buy it. Buy it.
You wont regret it.

Oh how I miss my Miata :brokenheart:

 

[imported_Imp]

I'll probably get one off these for my mid-life or even one-third-life crisis. Here's hoping, hot little car.

 

[PricklyPete]

Originally posted by: Cheesehead
Y'know, I'm surprised that no one has nothing bad to say about these cars.

It's a bit eerie, really, considering that they've been making them for almost twenty years.

This has been what has attracted me to them so much since I've started looking. Seems like a pretty pure car. It's not perfect, but overall it drives well, is reliable, and is relatively cheap. I think we've definitely sold our selves on one...now it is just which one when are we going to buy it.