Bought a new car. 2011 Mazda Miata 6M GT PRHT in Silver

[The Stigenator]

I gave myself a birthday present. A 2011 Mazda Miata 6M Grand Touring PRHT with 5800 miles on the clock. Its a CPO. I did not pay what is on teh sticker a bit lower than that. Still a great deal.

I drove it home around midnight (deal finalized around 10:30, had dinner then after dinner drove it home). Car immediately threw a 'TPMS' light leaving the dealership at midnight. Turns out all 4 tires were at 20psi. I filled them up and drove them home. On the way home the oil pressure gauge was >75% on the freeway, so I drove it at 55-60 all the way to my uncles place, left the car there, drove home in my TSX from that point.

I think there is no issue with the oil gauge, it seems that is the normal for it, it varies as you drive based on speed and gear. It is something to get used to.

The other thing I got to get used to is the RWD on it, the TSX is FWD and they are a different monster, apart from weight and what not else.

Oh the engine is quite rough (coming from the TSX), the shifter vibrates quite a bit at idle. Its so weird. Interesting thing though that is all I will say.

Here are some pictures, and now you guys can tell me what I should do next. I will be doing an oil change (dealer needs to re-look at the car tomorrow due to the CPO paperwork said automatic, its a stick). I am going to make the dealer do an oil change (apparently they did an oil change per the paperwork I was about to sign but did not sign, but i checked the oil when I got to my uncles place, it was not changed. So I am going to make them change it tomorrow as per the CPO guidelines. This is the CPO checklist: http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/pdf/cpo/cpo_150-point_veh_insp_summary.pdf

Any other suggestions

 

[jlee]

Oil pressure should vary by RPM. Does the gauge show numbers in PSI, or just high/low?

 

[The Stigenator]

Oh it just has an L and H. Which is kinda deceptive.

 

[NutBucket]

Eh, better than a dummy light. "Check Oil" really means "You're fucked".

But anyway, oil pressure varies from maybe 10-20psi at idle to over 60psi at say 2k rpm.

 

[The Stigenator]

Eh, better than a dummy light. "Check Oil" really means "You're fucked".

But anyway, oil pressure varies from maybe 10-20psi at idle to over 60psi at say 2k rpm.

Its just weird that it stays close to 80% of that range at 65mph, which makes you think that if you go any faster than the legal limit you may reach that "H" on the far end.

 

[jlee]

Its just weird that it stays close to 80% of that range at 65mph, which makes you think that if you go any faster than the legal limit you may reach that "H" on the far end.

It's fine - no need to worry.

 

[Zivic]

I


Oh the engine is quite rough (coming from the TSX), the shifter vibrates quite a bit at idle. Its so weird. Interesting thing though that is all I will say.

it vibrates because it is likely directly connected to the trans. Your TSX is has linkage that attaches its shifter to the trans.

Great car. I plan to own a miata some day!

 

[Howard]

Time to put a V8 in it!

 

[unokitty]

Nice car. Very different than your TSX.

But if you enjoy driving, you will enjoy the Miata.

One note, only the early Miatas (90-940 had oil pressure gauges. What your car has looks like an oil pressure gauge but is actually an idiot light. See, Miata.net

Also, if you get a chance to attend a performance driving school, do it! A few decades ago, when I had my 93), I attended a weekend long performance driving school at Sebring. The class was limited to Miatas.

It was a great chance to meet a few people and to learn an awesome amount about driving a Miata around a racetrack.

Best of luck,
Uno

 

[ballmode]

The vibrations you feel in the tranny is different from the TSX because of the way it is designed. Since its FWD on the TSX you get a cable tranny.

The Miata's is directly connected to the transmission so when pushing it hard or going over bumps it will wiggle/vibrate around.

It's normal, in fact I like it because it feels more connected because well it is. Although for smoothness it is not.

I thought 94 was the last year of the real working oil pressure gauges, I don't know why they don't bring them back especially since it is raced alot.

 

[ballmode]

in my humble opinion unless you had to have the folding hard top, I would have paid that money for the S2000

 

[thedarkwolf]

Time to find out where the closest autox group is.

 

[NAC]

Wonderful car - congrats!

Definitely have them change the oil. And I'd look over the car very closely for anything else which CPO should have caught. But I'm sure it'll be fine.

I miss having a Miata, I will definitely get another one someday!

 

[Ferzerp]

Its just weird that it stays close to 80% of that range at 65mph, which makes you think that if you go any faster than the legal limit you may reach that "H" on the far end.

Grats on having a proper oil pressure gauge! They're rare these days

 

[manimal]

in my humble opinion unless you had to have the folding hard top, I would have paid that money for the S2000

I always found the stock miata a little more confortable than a stock s2k. For a track / fun car I would probably agree with your. For a touring sporting car I have always felt the newer miatas are more comfortable and have a easier to live with ride stock.

gratz OP


Sweet car!

 

[MiataNC]

I am a Miata enthusiast and the former owner of a 2007 Touring model....

I gave myself a birthday present. A 2011 Mazda Miata 6M Grand Touring PRHT with 5800 miles on the clock. Its a CPO. I did not pay what is on teh sticker a bit lower than that. Still a great deal.

You won't be sorry. You just purchased one of the purest driving cars you will ever have the pleasure of owning.

Car immediately threw a 'TPMS' light leaving the dealership at midnight. Turns out all 4 tires were at 20psi.

Miata's spend a long time on lots waiting for an owner that appreciates them. Your dealer should have checked the pressure. I am sure your tires/wheels are fine.

On the way home the oil pressure gauge was >75% on the freeway, so I drove it at 55-60 all the way to my uncles place, left the car there, drove home in my TSX from that point.

Those are normal readings.

2nd and 3rd gen Miata's have a "fake" oil pressure gauge. What you see on the dash is a computer generated representation of what the ECM is reading. You are not seeing the true oil pressure. If you want a real gauge, there are plenty of aftermarket options.

The other thing I got to get used to is the RWD on it, the TSX is FWD and they are a different monster, apart from weight and what not else.

Once you get to know the car better, you will be able to drift it through corners controlling slip with the throttle. Welcome to the joys of RWD.

Oh the engine is quite rough (coming from the TSX), the shifter vibrates quite a bit at idle. Its so weird. Interesting thing though that is all I will say.

The Miata and RX8 are among the few remaining direct shift cars. The shifter is bolted directly into the trans, and not controlled with cables. This means it will vibrate more. It also means that it will shift like the bolt action of a rifle.

Here are some pictures, and now you guys can tell me what I should do next.

1. MazdaSpeed (or Eibach) springs
2. MazdaSpeed (or Eibach) sway bars
3. Performance/Track Alignment (The factory alignment has too munch understeer, and makes it harder to toss the car around and get the rear loose.)

Do 1-3 and you will have a car the is on rails and responds telepathically when you drive.

http://www.good-win-racing.com/
http://forum.miata.net/
Are good places to start

 

[Doppel]

Nice!

 

[The Stigenator]

So I took her back in this morning for the CPO checklist. They said it had an last oil change at 5700 miles, I picked it up at 5838 miles, it should have been clear for that little mileage, it was brownish (golden brown). So I made them redo the oil change with synthetic.

The car runs better now, stronger, I can tell by the gear shifts. Car's running good.

MiataNC, thanks for the suggestions, I shall look into the suspension stuff. First I need to get more used to it.

I'll say the car is quite noisy with the top up (engine / road noise), top down its fine. even the sound system is just not as 'pure' even though its a BOSE system.
The TSX has pampered me Heck it took 15 minutes of waiting (i was the only car in the service entrance) to get an advisor to see me, in the Acura dealership, it takes < 5 to have someone see me. Still they are differernt cars, different manufacturers and different dealers. It should be a long fruitful relationship even for a weekend car.

Anyway still having fun though.. lots of fun.

 

[MiataNC]

I'll say the car is quite noisy with the top up (engine / road noise)....

If you have the top up, you are doing it wrong. I had the top down on mine in all temps (beanie/hoodie in the cold), and only put it up when it was raining.

Which reminds me...SUNSCREEN, SUNSCREEN, SUNSCREEN. Some of the worst burns I have ever had were the result of weekend canyon carving.

The TSX has pampered me Heck it took 15 minutes of waiting (i was the only car in the service entrance) to get an advisor to see me, in the Acura dealership, it takes < 5 to have someone see me. Still they are differernt cars, different manufacturers and different dealers. It should be a long fruitful relationship even for a weekend car.

Dealer experiences vary. Mine was great. My service writer and mechanic were track/auto-x enthusiasts. You won't be at the dealer very often. The Miata is about as bullet proof as any car can be.

Anyway still having fun though.. lots of fun.

It only gets better.

 

[MiataNC]

I forgot to add...

The onboard electronics will act as a "nanny" to keep you from having too much fun (drifting/sliding).

Pressing the DSC button once turns off Dynamic Stability Control.

Pressing and holding it for more than 6-seconds turns off both the DSC and Traction Control. You have to shut the car off and restart it to reset the system back to "on" if you disable it with the 6-second trick.

The above will allow you to toss the car around and break the rear tires loose when cornering hard and on the gas. If you are not careful, you can lose control and spin the car. DO NOT turn off the DSC/TCS system unless you are sure you know what you are doing.

 

[The Stigenator]

I forgot to add...

The onboard electronics will act as a "nanny" to keep you from having too much fun (drifting/sliding).

Pressing the DSC button once turns off Dynamic Stability Control.

Pressing and holding it for more than 6-seconds turns off both the DSC and Traction Control. You have to shut the car off and restart it to reset the system back to "on" if you disable it with the 6-second trick.

The above will allow you to toss the car around and break the rear tires loose when cornering hard and on the gas. If you are not careful, you can lose control and spin the car. DO NOT turn off the DSC/TCS system unless you are sure you know what you are doing.

The car does not have DSC / TCS on it. I checked. In 2011 it was an option pack, the TSX has it, but this car does not have it.

 

[Sulaco]

I've owned my '06 since August of 2006, and it's been wonderful and trouble-free. I've driven plenty of sports cars, including my other toy, an '08 C6 Z06. Also, to respond to some other common comments, I've had quite a bit of time with the S2000, and while it's a fantastic car in every way, the NC has its bonuses, such as being about 400lb lighter, more nimble with the right inexpensive mods, and a better DD and around-town runner.


First off, it will all depend on your budget, but suspension is where you want to start. A simple swapping of springs/shocks/sways will TRANSFORM this car into an absolute handling BEAST.

If you can afford them, there are several quality coilover kits for the car, the cheapest/most attainable being the TEIN or H&Rs, going all the way up to the highest quality Ohlins for $2500+.

There are literally a half dozen or more different springs on the market. I went with Flyin' Miata springs, as they have easily the highest spring rate and generally considered to be the best all-around, track ready spring. Unfortunately, there seem to be some issues with this spring and NC2 PRHTs, in regards to the stance of the car being slightly raked.

Shocks are simpler, being basically the Tokico HTS, Koni Yellow Sports, and Bilstein (avoid). Tokico's are more easily adjustable with the cables, and will not lower the car any further.
Koni's are slightly harder to adjust, but lower the car an additional half inch or so. This is what I went with on my car, and I LOVE the feel, and the look.

As far as sways, this is where it gets tricky. Any NUMBER of combinations to choose from here, all serving different purposes. Personally, I have experience with Eibach (Mazdaspeed), Racing Beat, and Hotchkis.
Personally, I adore the Hotchkis. They are the thickest and stiffest, but are adjustable, and combined with a good set of springs/shocks, absolutely transform the car. It almost pivots around you through turns...it's sublime.

And never to be overlooked, tires. I'm not sure how good the stock 2011 tires are (bridgestones RE050 I believe?), but I've heard different things from different owners. I'm currently looking into a set of Michelin Pilot Super Sports or Dunlop Star Specs. Also, if replacing, go for 215 tire width. It fits the 7x17 wheel size perfectly, adds extra width and grip, better look, and surprisingly, the tire selection is better and cheaper in that size range.

Beyond suspension, I'm currently adding basic bolt on power mods to my car. Just installed a Racing Beat midpipe and Roadster Sport "Q" Exhaust, have a CAI on my door step, and Brian Goodwin has just recently fab'd a catted "Street Header" that he will be shipping in the next week or two.
If you feel the need for more power, those simple bolt ons are an easy and relatively inexpensive way of adding some grunt, and while I haven't gotten one myself, an ECU tune/reflash is another cheap of adding additional power.

Of course, there's also forced induction...turbo and supercharger kits. I have no personal experience, but if you've got the funds and interest, plenty of had great success with them.

Oh, and last but not least, remember, our cars have EASILY the BEST convertible tops in the world, soft or PRHT.
Since you have the PRHT, seriously consider the SmartTOP module. It makes the best hard top in the world even better. Need I say more? :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f29nPRdEN1o

ENJOY THE CAR!! You made the right choice.

 

[Arkaign]

Hahah I was reading the first bit of this thread and was like "holy crap change the oil!" But you already did, and that's awesome.