Mazda Miata: 2004 Miata MP3 Player Option - Cautionary Tale

Seth,

I'm considering the 2004 MazdaSpeed MX-5 Miata, would you mind letting the
group know how you like it, and what you paid for it?

Thanks!

"Seth Brundle" <com> wrote in message
news:google.com... 

Ive posted before, but will reiterate...

I paid $26k with Mazda 3.9% financing.

I bought the car because I wanted a second car which was a
convertible. Test drove 350z, regular Miata, and S2000, considered the
Z3/4 but didnt have enough interest in either (although my primary car
is a 2000 540i).

The 350z was a POS, the regular Miata was underpowered but great in
every other aspect, the S2000 was awesome - I never liked them until I
drove one. But I wasnt looking to spend $33k on a second car when I
could get the Miata MazdaSpeed for $26k - it was just too good a deal
to pass up.

So within an hour of the first two arriving at my dealer I test drove
one and bought it before service could even inspect it for sale. The
silver color and default package with cool wheels, great stereo, was
icing on the cake.

I love the car but I have to admit it is a bit frustrating driving a
car you need to wind up to 4500 RPM to play with. I can own the road
at any speed with the 300HP V8 540i, but only certain circumstances
with the Miata - not enough room to wind it up around town, and not
comfortable at high speed California freeway driving at 80+ because
you are low and the suspension is very stiff. Otherwise its awesome.

Bottom line is that it is a very fun convertible at an unbeatable
price, and I dont regret the purchase at all - it delivers what it
promises.


"Mike Gortych" <net> wrote in message news:<com>... 

com (Seth Brundle) wrote:
 
 

It's probably a good thing you didn't buy the S2000 then. I find it interesting
you liked the S2000 but make the above comment about the Miata. The S2000 you
have to wind up to about 7k to play with.
---
Craig Wagner, craig.wagner(at)comcast.net
Portland, OR

"Don't ban high-performance vehicles, ban low-performance drivers!"

In article <com>,
com says...
 
interesting 

The newer S2000 have had their engines re-tuned to provide more torque
at lower rev's than the earlier models. So you don't have to rev them
up as high as before.
--------------
Alex

Not only that, but there is so much spare horsepower that they are
plenty fun at lower RPMs.

BTW, I just went up against a Ford F-250 an hour ago and the
MazdaSpeed is in the body shop




Alex Rodriguez <edu> wrote in message news:<c9l86a$ah9$cc.columbia.edu>... 

Seth Brundle wrote:

<snip>
 

'04 MS Miata:

0-60: 6.64 seconds
Peak torque: 4500 RPMs
Peak HP: 6000 RPMs

'00 BMW 540i 0-60: 5.5 seconds
Peak torque: 3600 RPMs
Peak HP: 5400 RPMs

I'll admit to not understanding the statement "wind up to 4500 RPMs" like
it's some ridiculous number. I have a stock '95 Miata, and unless they've
seriously changed the 1.8 engine since then, it's no problem getting to peak
torque/HP and they don't happen in my car until 5000/6500 RPMs. Heck, that's
half the fun, right there. If you don't bounce off the rev limiter a few
times a week, you're probably doing something wrong.

You simply cannot compare the Miata to a 540i and keep a straight face.
They're both passenger cars with sporting aspirations, but that's like
comparing a minivan and a 3/4-ton Dodge Dually because they can both haul
stuff. The Miata isn't about "owning the road at any speed", it's about
feeling *connected* to the road at any speed. The Miata isn't an
intimidation car like a 540--it's a very personal car designed to evoke a
more intimate feeling.

Anyway, long story short, you must be seriously tearing up the town if a
Mazdaspeed Miata doesn't have enough performance to satisfy you on a trip to
the supermarket. OTOH, if you were talking about the Interstate, you'd have
a point.

--
tooloud
Remove nothing to reply...

> You simply cannot compare the Miata to a 540i and keep a straight face. 

I like the way people consider *their* level of performance
'intimate', but once you leave their price range it becomes an
'intimidation car'.

LOL!

BMW drivers reputations for being intimidating is well-deserved, but
its not their personality its the car's. We are actually very
embarrased at the way we drive, but its the way the car wants to be
driven, I assure you.

Im sure MazdaSpeed owners would need to make the same apologies to Geo
owners.

The 8-cylinder BMWs like the 540i especially are autobahn cruisers,
and feel as safe at 100 then most production cars feel at 65. As a
result, 65 feels like driving 35 on the freeway in a Miata.
 

Absolutely on the interstate.
I love my little Miata, but not only is it less fun to drive on the
Interstate then my 540i, its less fun to drive on the Interstate then
most cars in general, unless you have an exceptionally well paved
freeway. Sitting that low on suspension that stiff is like reading the
asphault in braille.

[rec.audio.car snip]

com (Seth Brundle) wrote:
 

Sure you can. It just needs practice.

....
 

Slow? Almost all BMW drivers I see are *very* slow to accelerate,
providing an instant traffic jam, and not very fast in the curves.
They are however, again almost all I see, *very* fast on the
straight ends (interstates.)

And it is not just that the car is really for business reasons
(price) necessarily targeted to an older audience. I had a
young friend with one. She had some long-term disagreements with
the local police about speed limits, but starting from rest
it was more than my patience would stand. I think it is the
car that invites such driving.

Leon

--
Leon van Dommelen Bozo, the White 96 Sebring Miata .)
To reply to me, the word Miata must be in the subject.
EXIT THE INTERSTATES (Jamie Jensen)