Why shouldn't I buy an NC Miata?

[Jesda]

I'm having a bit of trouble bonding with the car. The shifter has short, tight throws (I prefer the NA's longer, more reassuring action) and the clutch is lower and heavier.

Steering is heavier too which is nice though it feels a bit artificial. I always felt like my NA was loosey-goosey over 45mph and harder to keep in a straight line.

Maybe it's the rain getting in the way of spirited driving, but I'm not in love yet. With my Saab on the other hand I felt the magic within 10 feet.

Maybe it's because it's newer and doesn't sound like a bucket of loose screws, and my idiot brain interprets that as character and feel.

[AZhitman]

One word: Tires.

Seriously, the right tires take a Miata from, "Wow, this thing is cool!" to "Holy crap, I can't find fault with it!"

[Ace2cool]

Also tires being mounted correctly.

[Bubba1]

One word: Tires.

Seriously, the right tires take a Miata from, "Wow, this thing is cool!" to "Holy crap, I can't find fault with it!, we'll except for it needing more power and lotsa young males shout at you that it's a chick car."

FTFY.

Greg is right about the tires. And the loosy-goosy feeling in your NA above 45 mph means a problem with your NA you did not address, not the species.

[Jesda]

The higher speed looseness is something I've noticed on every NA. I think it may be due to the overassisted power steering.
I wouldnt quite call it wandering, just a lack of pure linearity. The NA is -on- the road surface while cars like the Solstice feel like theyre -in- the road, slithering under the pavement.

[AZhitman]

It's not the PS. Jes. It's the chassis. Well-known in the Miata community. Even the NB suffered from it to a lesser extent. If you look at the design of the chassis, it's subject to torsional twist, which causes that uneasy looseness (some include a shimmy free of charge) at speed. It's like cowl shake but in a different location.



FWIW, the FM Butterfly Brace completely cures it and restores the linearity. I can lift 3 wheels off the ground with the jack on one corner.

[frapjap]

The higher speed looseness is something I've noticed on every NA. I think it may be due to the overassisted power steering.

It's not the PS. Jes. It's the chassis. Well-known in the Miata community. Even the NB suffered from it to a lesser extent. If you look at the design of the chassis, it's subject to torsional twist, which causes that uneasy looseness (some include a shimmy free of charge) at speed. It's like cowl shake but in a different location.
.

What he said. When you drove my NA, it was a car that was produced with power steering.
A bad shimmy at 65mph on an NA is usually due to a poor wheel balance, too.

[Kompresshun]

Yep mine has a bit of a shimmy around 65-70mph too. I think mine is from wheel balance though, because I never have felt like it feels loose at any speed. I do have coilovers and a boss frog rollbar in mine though. I need to get a butterfly brace for mine next, because I haven't heard a single person say it's not worth the money.

I plan on always keeping my NA, but if I do ever have to purchase another one it will be a NB MSM(Mazdaspeed Miata) like Greg has. The only way i'll have a NC sitting in my driveway is if it's V8 swapped by Flying Miata

[AZhitman]

It's not wheel balance. It's the chassis. Don't mess with the wheels, add the brace, and you'll see.

[OriginalWheelman]

I know what you mean about the shifter. It never feels quite right. I think the ratio of left/right to up/down movement is bad. It is wide but short.

I've never had a problem with cornering, but mine is brand new. This is the most precise handling car I've owned, but not driven. Still the list of cars I've driven that out handle it are just the less comfortable lighter roadsters. I have to agree, tires.

Ignore the young males. I pulled up at the gas station next to a body kit'd 370z with 20" wheels and such. Painted nice, lowered, exhaust, looked good. His GF in the passenger seat eye banged the Miata the entire time. To the point he was giving me dirty looks, and made sure to rev a few times before he left. Guys hate the car, girls love it. Just be you, enjoy your car, and enjoy knowing they are too insecure to drive anything that doesn't look 'masculine.' Honestly, I'm kind of sick of girls always staring at the thing. Oh, and every god damned lowered Civic wants to race me. Idk why.

[AZhitman]

Mine gets a lot of "hater stare," but it's usually by some snapback-wearing mouthbreather in a 3rd-gen Eclipse with an unpainted bodykit. Ain't care.

Girls don't really pay much attention to it, though. Not sure if that's because of old guy driving, or the fact that it's Titanium with gunmetal wheels and a roll bar.

Probably looks more like an assault weapon than a 'personal massager.'

[Jesda]

Something has to be wrong with the clutch on my NC. No Miata should ever be so painfully stiff.

[AZhitman]

Yep. The NC has a notoriously feather-light clutch pedal. I wonder if someone changed it out? Have you flushed / bled it yet?

[Jesda]

I haven't gotten home. I kind of hate driving it.

[OriginalWheelman]

Girls don't really pay much attention to it, though. Not sure if that's because of old guy driving, or the fact that it's Titanium with gunmetal wheels and a roll bar.

Probably looks more like an assault weapon than a 'personal massager.'

A little bit of both probably. I look like young man in a cute new red convertible. You look like an account executive with a mid-life-crisis.

[Jesda]

Now that the weather has warmed up the clutch is a bit easier and the tires are more compliant.

Like Aaron said, some time was needed to bond with the car.

I don't understand why they put the trunk release in an unsecured part of the cabin. Whenever I park with the top down I have to take my laptop with me.

I thought that was pretty stupid on the Camaro but I expect those kinds of oversights from Chevrolet, not Mazda.

[MinisterofDOOM]

That's pretty terrible. Even my non-topless Ford has an ignition key lockable trunk release button. Such a simple solution...you don't even have to worry about where the release is located, just make it lockable.

[frapjap]

Now that the weather has warmed up the clutch is a bit easier and the tires are more compliant.

Like Aaron said, some time was needed to bond with the car.

I don't understand why they put the trunk release in an unsecured part of the cabin. Whenever I park with the top down I have to take my laptop with me.

I thought that was pretty stupid on the Camaro but I expect those kinds of oversights from Chevrolet, not Mazda.

Disconnect the cable at the pull and just use the key.

My NA didn't have a trunk pull in the cabin, but later NA and NB cars did and thats how those owners deal with it.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Don't live in an area where people go through your s***?

[Jesda]

Disconnect the cable at the pull and just use the key.

My NA didn't have a trunk pull in the cabin, but later NA and NB cars did and thats how those owners deal with it.

My '93 NA at least has it stuffed inside a lockable lid though the lock doesnt work any more, which is why I go straight home after buying something nice rather than heading to the next store. This trunk release is a button rather than a cable pull so I'll have to disable it electronically.

After driving back from Georgia I started to seriously appreciate the cabin warmth and the ability to hear my music despite doing 80mph with the top down. I haven't experienced a heater that strong since my Range Rover. The stupid cupholder sticking out of the door is, well, stupid. For now, I have an empty plastic coke bottle in there with the lid tightened over it to use as an air cushion for my knee.

The heavy steering was something I got used to (reluctantly). I used to enjoy making directional changes with one finger. Now I need both hands on the wheel. The steering is linear and straight but dull and heavy, kind of like the Crossfire. There has to be a way to increase steering assist, yes?

And I may need to cut some foam out of the seat bottom bolsters so they stop digging into my legs.

I'm hoping the clutch pedal adjustment makes a difference. I hate having to dig into the carpet to change gears.
http://www.miata.net/garage/adjust_clutch/


The ride comfort is superb, something I'll really appreciate when I move to Michigan this summer. The high ride height, while dorky as hell, has a practical advantage.


I came into this expecting an enhanced NA/NB. What I got was an entirely different car. It's a good car but not a Miata, which I guess is why the "Miata" name is nowhere to be seen anywhere in or out of the vehicle. In terms of character, it's like a topless Mazda 3 -- fun and capable but not really in the lineage of the Lotus Elan, Fiat 124, or MGB.



I think I'll enjoy it this summer. Thanks to high demand and high resale value, I'll do well when it comes time to trade it in for something more my style. As a driver, I think I prefer the somewhat rickety, slightly crude, "living machine" feeling of older cars. I just wish older cars were as safe and dependable as modern ones.

[frapjap]

I think I'll enjoy it this summer. Thanks to high demand and high resale value, I'll do well when it comes time to trade it in for something more my style. As a driver, I think I prefer the somewhat rickety, slightly crude, "living machine" feeling of older cars. I just wish older cars were as safe and dependable as modern ones.

That is the biggest dilemma with wanting a new car vs an older model. If there weren't so many texters and distracted folks out sharing the road, I'd be more lenient of that fact.

The clutch adjustment will make loads of difference. I like mine as more of an 'on/off switch' and usually adjust it pretty high. You could always trade that bad boy in on the second round of new Miatas when they arrive and the initial price drops.

[OriginalWheelman]

My NC steering is razor sharp and I turn it with one finger all the time. Mine has a lot less miles on it, but that shouldn't change it too much. One thing I might look into is air pressure. NXer can tell the tire pressure is off before the TPMS. I'm not sure what the range is before it triggers the light but it is too low. The car gets soggy just a couple lbs short.

[AZhitman]

My NC steering is razor sharp

...not until you put some 100-treadwear 225mm Rivals on it.

I had mine on the lift last weekend and found that I've tweaked the endlinks... the suspension components are failing before the car ever breaks loose in hard cornering. THAT'S awesome.

[Jesda]

Air pressure is set to factory spec.

I think the NC1 just has too much resistance dialed in. It's porridge-like and way too heavy, likely remedied on the facelifted NC2. The steering feels more like the Chrysler Crossfire and Mercedes SL.

It's almost as if Mazda got tired of the gay jokes and overcompensated with the third generation, ruining the magic and delicacy of the original.

It's a fun car though, especially after adjusting the clutch for a higher engagement point, but it's not a Miata. That's fitting since the word "Miata" isn't anywhere to be seen on the car.

Additionally, I remember the 2014 Miata I drove feeling much friskier and lighter. I suspect all the things I dislike about this one were fixed in later years.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Just sell it and get an NB already. Why waste any more of your life driving a car that obviously leaves you wanting more?

[Kompresshun]

^Agreed.

It sucks. You're trying to make yourself like it and that defeats the purpose of it.

[AZhitman]

It's almost as if Mazda got tired of the gay jokes and overcompensated with the third generation, ruining the magic and delicacy of the original.

...and to NA/NB owners, the NC is actually the most (and overweight). Not a great combo. It's like Ian with wheels.

Just sell it and get an NB already.

An MSM is an instant collectible. Prices are actually going up, after being soft for a few years.

[Jesda]

Just sell it and get an NB already. Why waste any more of your life driving a car that obviously leaves you wanting more?

Because there's financing criteria, a bit of cash that needs to be raised from selling the NA, some debts, and other concerns. The bookstore is no more and I'm getting ready to move and go back to school.

I looked at newer NCs and older Solstices. The later NCs are excellent drivers with most of the early NC's dullness corrected -- I didn't expect them to feel like such vastly different cars. The Solstice and Sky are better drivers than the early NC but quality isn't as high. I'm surprised by how differently NC1s and NC2s drive. It seems as if Mazda got a scare from the brisk-selling Kappa twins and scrambled to improve the MX5, which they did.

I also considered a DTS, STS, ATS, another Volvo S60 T5 manual, another BMW 3-series, and the Buick Regal. The ATSs in my price range only had the harsh 2.5 with the auto while the STS is a reliability concern. Only one Volvo in the country fit my price and option criteria (T5 turbo with a manual) and the manual Buick Regal was out of my price range. I've already done a 3-series in E46 form and the E90s are kind of dull.

So, through the process of elimination, NC1 became the most reasonable choice.


If Nissan had built that IDX concept that they teased a couple years ago, I'd probably be driving one right now.

[Bubba1]

Going back to the thread title, I just saw this and thought it was amusing....

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3MhS_TzPbA[/youtube]

[OriginalWheelman]

I'm watching videos of the ND and something struck out today. They went back to skinny tires. I kinda felt like this is where it lost some of it's 'Miataness' but I'm not sure. It just sticks too well. It never really slides. When it does slide, it feels similar to the Z33 in that you have to have the weight perfectly balanced. If any of the weight is transitioned to the outside, it sticks. :/