how many of you guys owned miata before graduating to boxster?

[Maxodus]

...yap current Miata 2001 LS owner here. very fun car in autox and twisty roads and highly reliable. but amazed it is less fuel efficient than the Boxster.

[kelly1005]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

OMG I can't believe you stuck a DelSol in this thread...

Oh yea, well I'll add to the sickness. I too had a vtec del sol (a '95 maybe?). AutoXed that for a year and won my rookie season it in. I remember my times improved with the top on as the body flexed so much with the roof off. Not a lot of structure in that tin can.

Then I switched to a '92 miata and then later got a '90 miata. The miatas were great, and I think I managed to sell both of them for more than I paid. Gotta love buying cars on the low end.




For someone who doesn't like the sun, I sure end up with a lot of convertibles. I thought about getting a new(er) miata as my fun car this time around but the wife said I had "been there, done that" and she wasn't impressed with the size of the new ones. Good thing she never rode in either of the old ones.

[blue2000s]

Originally Posted by trogdor

Steve, I too had a couple miatas.. a 94 and a 2001, traded in the 94 for the 01 on a whim and the 01 was totaled by someone pulling out across traffic in front of my wife.. pics here post 2

The replacement

Now have a 2000 S and really like it, of course. although already the parent of one of my wife's tutoring students backed into it.. 1200 bucks later (they paid not wanting to get insurance involved) I hope its all good. Also picked up a nail in a rear tire and had to have that patched... grr..

Anyway, while waiting at the dealer last month, I decide to stroll on over to the Mazda dealer and check out the new Miata. It looked nice and a bit bigger but I was shocked to hear that it had porked out to over 3000 pounds!!! holy crap, my 94 was about 700 pounds lighter as I recall!

Funny, I told the sales guy who wanted to show me around it that I just got a boxster but he was still trying to tell me how well it handled and that the bigger 2 liter engine with 170 hp could be a better car...hmmm, down over 80 hp and 200 pounds heavier...

The power of the boxster, the two boots and styling are all so great but the best thing is theres so much more interior room. I now feel like I'm driving a real car, not a go cart that I'm a cramped into! The only thing I really don't like is the plastic rear window.. on a car the originally cost 62k... kinda weak...

Who told you the new Miata was 3000 pounds? They're about 500 pounds off.

[racer_d]

Does NOT having owned a Miata make me unqualified? yup. No Miata. 914. 911 and some VW's along the way.

[MNBoxster]

Hi,

I don't see it as graduating from one to the other as they are totally different cars.

The Boxster is a Pudgy (2800-3000 lb.) mid-engined Luxo Sun Cruiser while the Miata is much closer to a traditional minimalist (2070-2414 lb.) front-engine, rear drive, Sports Car.

While I've not owned one, I did do several thousand miles in a brand new one (Gen 2) over a two week period on Maui back in '01.

The Miata is a great car for what it is. The Boxster is a great car for what it is.

But, frankly, I believe it takes more skill to drive a Miata at the limit than it does a Boxster. To me, this is important - a Sports Car shouldn't be as easy to drive as an Accord - it should take some skill (Driver Input) to make the car perform at it's peak.

Honestly, after two years ownership, the Boxster is beginning to bore me. It has never delivered the sort of visceral response I've had from nearly every other Sports Car I've owned, and I may well be graduating to an MX-5 in the near future...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

Sounds like you want a new M roadster. With its tail happy ways and unforgiving nature.

Originally Posted by MNBoxster

Hi,

I don't see it as graduating from one to the other as they are totally different cars.

The Boxster is a Pudgy (2800-3000 lb.) mid-engined Luxo Sun Cruiser while the Miata is much closer to a traditional minimalist (2070-2414 lb.) front-engine, rear drive, Sports Car.

While I've not owned one, I did do several thousand miles in a brand new one (Gen 2) over a two week period on Maui back in '01.

The Miata is a great car for what it is. The Boxster is a great car for what it is.

But, frankly, I believe it takes more skill to drive a Miata at the limit than it does a Boxster. To me, this is important - a Sports Car shouldn't be as easy to drive as an Accord - it should take some skill (Driver Input) to make the car perform at it's peak.

Honestly, after two years ownership, the Boxster is beginning to bore me. It has never delivered the sort of visceral response I've had from nearly every other Sports Car I've owned, and I may well be graduating to an MX-5 in the near future...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by boggtown

Sounds like you want a new M roadster. With its tail happy ways and unforgiving nature.

Hi,

Not at all - the last BMW I ever liked was the '72 2002tii I owned 20 odd years ago.

Since then, these cars have slowly lost their Soul, not that they're bad cars, they are just coldly efficient...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[Peer]

Here's my graduation project:
http://ccrma.stanford.edu/~peer/roadstermods.html

-- peer

[blue2000s]

Originally Posted by MNBoxster

Hi,

I don't see it as graduating from one to the other as they are totally different cars.

The Boxster is a Pudgy (2800-3000 lb.) mid-engined Luxo Sun Cruiser while the Miata is much closer to a traditional minimalist (2070-2414 lb.) front-engine, rear drive, Sports Car.

While I've not owned one, I did do several thousand miles in a brand new one (Gen 2) over a two week period on Maui back in '01.

The Miata is a great car for what it is. The Boxster is a great car for what it is.

But, frankly, I believe it takes more skill to drive a Miata at the limit than it does a Boxster. To me, this is important - a Sports Car shouldn't be as easy to drive as an Accord - it should take some skill (Driver Input) to make the car perform at it's peak.

Honestly, after two years ownership, the Boxster is beginning to bore me. It has never delivered the sort of visceral response I've had from nearly every other Sports Car I've owned, and I may well be graduating to an MX-5 in the near future...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

I've had the polar opposite experience. When comparing my dad's 1999 Miata with the 6-speed, sport suspension and 16" wheels to my m030 2000s, his is the car that feels much softer. His suspension isn't as stiff, his clutch is much softer and his steering, while great, isn't as communicative as my Box. I like the light weight of the Miata, but going directly from one car to the other, my Boxster is definitely my preference.

The 99 box was more softly sprung and I'm sure the automatic transmission takes away from the driving involvement. I guess there's alot to be said for a few differences in basically the same car.

I've owned an Accord, and they're actually very sporty for a family sedan, but neither of the cars drives like one.

[Perfectlap]

I might have to disagree as well (btw, when was that posted? sounds old).
Driving a Miata on the limit will not get you nearly into the trouble a Boxster at the limit will get you in. For many reasons.

That's the great thing about the Miata you can take some chances with it because on power its not overwhelming. I think my first driving instructor said the same thing. No huge 'moment of polar inertia' either.
And if Miatae did have bigger power it would be hmmm what's the word....dangerous? Great car but its a tin can that I would not want to be in a high speed collision with. Either on track or on the open highway against a Yukon or Sequioa. My buddy lost his Miata to an SUV as it innocently sat parked in front of his apartment. SUV totaled it crushed it like a tin can. Hate to think what would have happened if my buddy was sitting in it.

I've had a miata for 14 years. With the exception of the early first year crank snout problem, they're ALL bullet proof compared to the box. Miata gearbox is second to none (w/redline MTL in it).


I recently purchased an 02S. I find it's almost as easy to get the tail out if I turn PSM off In stock form, the box is a much more capable car, as it should be. It does everything well with less drama.


Shortcomings (for me) of the box are the rubbery feel of the turn signal and wipers, vinyl rear window, vague and sloppy shifter. Everything else is what I'd expect from Porsche.


Yes, I miss the miata's more intimate/cramp feel and reliability. I beat the hell out of that car and it ran like a tank. Oh and I miss the simplicity and accassability that allows me to easily work on it myself. Routinely checking the box, I found those dealer hacks left the rear brake sensor elec. line unsecured in their clips... they were just about to wear through from dangling and rubbing on the CV. Nothing like working on your own car... I also miss the huge aftermarket support. Doubling the HP wasn't hard to come by for a miata. The box is sorely lacking in that department.


Having said that, I'm lovin the box

[Sparky2]

How about one step further? How many owned an MGB before the Miata, before the Boxster?

Still have the B, just got the 01 Boxster S. Miata is gone. Kind of like a natural evolution of the roadster...

Great forum!
(first posting)

[Grizzly]

Originally Posted by Sparky2

How about one step further? How many owned an MGB before the Miata, before the Boxster?

Still have the B, just got the 01 Boxster S. Miata is gone. Kind of like a natural evolution of the roadster...

Great forum!
(first posting)

I've had two MGBs and a Midget. I wouldn't be caught dead in a Miata.

[funster]

I've never owned one, but my first track experience was in a friend's Miata. It's a fun car to drive, great personality.

[beersnob]

Seems to be a pretty natural progression with Miata in the mix. I had a '93 with a Greddy turbo, intercooloed with Koni shocks. Fun car but had overheating issues with the turbo. Moved on to a Z4 and now the Boxster.
The Boxster reminds me of the Miata in many ways or as I tell people, the Boxster S is like a Miata on steriods.
Jeff

[kabel]

Still have our miata. It' our primary autox car now, the Boxster is my daily driver.

[Hugh D]

I love Miatas... never owned one though.

I came to the Boxster from a convertible Chysler Sebring.... some farmer in the middle of no where totalled that. I still miss it, but compared to the Boxster.... BLEGHGHGHHG.

[IowaS]

Had a '90 Miata for 15 yrs, sold it to a friend, purchased my current 2000 S, and have driven my old Miata several times since I sold it....and I don't miss it at all. It does put a smile on my face because of good memories, but besides the shifter and reliability, I like my boxster just fine. I can not compare on an AutoX course because I have not AutoXed the Boxster yet...

[FIG]

HAD 3!!!!!!! LOV'EM

'92



'98



'99 10AE

[jbarrow]

I've owned five Miata (but never more than two at a time) and will probably own one again. I really like the 1.6L models from '90-'93 and unmolested examples are getting harder to find.

-James