What do you think is better? 2004/5 Mazdaspeed MX-5 or S2000?

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: senseamp
$17K, go for S2000 or NC (2006+) MX-5.
I just don't see myself spending $17K on a NB Miata, turbo or not. With NA and NB, I'd go for value. You don't really need a lot of power to enjoy a RWD roadster anyways.

In my opinion, and after driving on NC, it is really toned down from the NA/NB experience. It's cushy.

 

[overst33r]

Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
Actually the vette gets 3mpg better then the s2000 on the highway and only 1 less in the city with the manual. I think the only change the turbo in my miata made to its character is its a hell of a lot more fun .

Not if you go by EPA ratings. Just as people get 30mpg out of a corvette, there's people getting 35 out of S2000s...

 

[MiataNC]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
In my opinion, and after driving on NC, it is really toned down from the NA/NB experience. It's cushy.

You have to upgrade to the Mazdaspeed springs and sway bars (or similar) to get the NC to handle as well as an NA/NB. Once you do the NC is on rails.

Sadly I needed a 3rd seat, so I trade mine in last week on a 40th Anniversary RX-8. I am going to miss my NC, but I will get another down the road.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Originally posted by: mariok2006

Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
Actually the vette gets 3mpg better then the s2000 on the highway and only 1 less in the city with the manual. I think the only change the turbo in my miata made to its character is its a hell of a lot more fun .

Not if you go by EPA ratings. Just as people get 30mpg out of a corvette, there's people getting 35 out of S2000s...

Just going by what edmunds says. Even honda.com only claims 18mpg city and 25mpg highway out of the s2000 so I really doubt anybody is getting 35. The miatas don't get all that great of mileage either. The window sticker for my 94 says 22/27 and that's exactly what I get.

 

[overst33r]

Originally posted by: thedarkwolf

Originally posted by: mariok2006

Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
Actually the vette gets 3mpg better then the s2000 on the highway and only 1 less in the city with the manual. I think the only change the turbo in my miata made to its character is its a hell of a lot more fun .

Not if you go by EPA ratings. Just as people get 30mpg out of a corvette, there's people getting 35 out of S2000s...

Just going by what edmunds says. Even honda.com only claims 18mpg city and 25mpg highway out of the s2000 so I really doubt anybody is getting 35. The miatas don't get all that great of mileage either. The window sticker for my 94 says 22/27 and that's exactly what I get.

www.fueleconomy.gov lists them pretty much dead even, with the S2000 having an edge in city mpg while the corvette has the edge on the hwy. Such is the trade off with aggressive gearing.


I find EPA figures to be trivial from car to car. I get anywhere between 26mpg-35mpg on my miata, with the low figure including an autocross, which is nowhere near the EPA estimates.

On the other hand, the old estimates match my parents Impala dead on.

 

[nismotigerwvu]

Both are very fun cars, but in my opinion, I feel the miata is the better car here. In my experiences, the S2000 always felt almost incomplete anywhere but the track. The lack of torque made it feel less fun and unless I was staring at the tach (which sounds like a recipe for disaster) I could care less about what RPM is revs out to. Before you point fingers and call me a sissy, my daily driver is a lightly modded S14 240SX and my toy is a heavily modded z32 300ZX TT. To really hammer home my point, the 240 is a million times more fun to me than the S2000. It just feels like the S2000 has the lag of a massive turbo with barely any kick (in relation to the lack of bottom end). These are just my opinions and I don't mean to insult any owners of S2k's here.

 

[Koing]

S2000.

I bought a 2002 model 3 weeks ago . It's fun to drive and the lack of torque? Just keep the car in the correct power band. If you want more torque get an STI/ EVO and mod that. The S2000 doesn't feel that fast after 120Mph though. But will reach 150mph on a ridiculous straight

The S2000 is rated as one of the best handling cars out there. If you like it go for it. If it sucks for your style then don't get it! The car is worlds apart from my 96 1.4l Vauxhall Astra beater that handled like a boat.

The MX5 has a 'chick car' stigma in England also, but same with the TT being a hairdressers car. WHERE does this stuff come from?!

I get 25-28mpg with boots of hard driving but not all out. It'll be interesting to see what I get on the track!

Koing

 

[ballmode]

I own a NB miata. I could have bought the S2000 (MY 2000) but I chose the NB because of the more forgiving limit (first RWD car)

If you had under 10,000 to spend I would go Miata

If you had under 15,000 to spend I would go with a 2002-2005 S2000 (best years for both AP1/AP2)

Anything over 15,000 I'd go for a C5 vette 6 speed which would blow the doors off the miata/s2000, great aftermarket, and gets better gas millage than the S2k 1500rpm 6th gear 80mpg = 30mpg

 

[RollWave]

I've found my Audi to be absolutely trouble free and its taken a BEATING.

 

[overst33r]

Originally posted by: ballmode
I own a NB miata. I could have bought the S2000 (MY 2000) but I chose the NB because of the more forgiving limit (first RWD car)

If you had under 10,000 to spend I would go Miata

If you had under 15,000 to spend I would go with a 2002-2005 S2000 (best years for both AP1/AP2)

Anything over 15,000 I'd go for a C5 vette 6 speed which would blow the doors off the miata/s2000, great aftermarket, and gets better gas millage than the S2k 1500rpm 6th gear 80mpg = 30mpg

Good luck finding a decent condition Ap2 for $15k.

 

[Crassus]

Now if I knew how to post pics ... anyway, I went with a MY 2005 black-on-black S2k, 35k miles. Drove it from Chicago to NoVA, doing 37 mpg on the first leg of the trip (Indiana/Ohio toll road). Towards the end it went down to about 31 mpg. My biggest mistake so far: I forgot the sunscreen The car feels very solid, and a wee bit more roomy that the Miata. I still have to get used to random people chatting me up at gas stations etc about the car. Oh, and I went ever-so-slightly outside my price range

Torque is a non-issue for me - it's got plenty of power to get around, and I'm too old to care about some ricer trying to race me (and care about my license and insurance rate a little too much).

 

[thedarkwolf]

I did 7 hours in a day in my miata top down and remember the sunscreen but I couldn't put any on the part in my hair. Burnt the hell out of that small stripe on the top of my head. Looked like I had some bad dandruff a couple days later when it started peeling. Mine still only got 28mpg which is a new high.

 

[Srfrbum]

Z3 M ROADSTER FTW.