how many of you guys owned miata before graduating to boxster? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

xavier405 · 11-17-2005, 02:41 PM

Dare I enter this thread?

I owned not a Miata, but a del Sol.

Fabulous little car, I loved the turbine rocket sound as the VTEC kicked in. I think it was a highly underappreciated car. At 200k miles I came to a decision - trick it out for racing, or spend that money on a Boxster. So I got the Box, but looking back I always wish I knew how my del Sol would have faired with new intake and exhaust, sway bars, wheels and tires...

Biz-z Z · 11-17-2005, 03:26 PM

I bought my 99 Miata just after the second generation hit the market in June 1998. After many mods (coil overs, s/c, roll bar, bling-bling, etc.), I still have it and now use it as my daily summer driver. Was going to sell it to help pay for the Box but my wife and daughter talked me out of it. Glad they did.

MikeinLA · 11-16-2008, 02:38 PM

I bought my '99 Miata a day after the test drive. The little bit of extra room created with the new model was just enough to make it comfy for me. I really loved that car. Sold it when I got my 2005 Boxster S last summer. If I'd had a 3 car garage, I would have kept it forever.

Mike

QuickSilver · 11-19-2008, 05:24 AM

I have owned a number of Miatas and truly appreciate the car. It is a fantastic platform for serious suspension upgrades. My recent 01' was fitted with Tein coilovers and other bits to make it feel like it was on rails. The gearbox is so easy to shift that I have never found anything comparable. Even my S2000 didn't equal the gearbox of the Miata.

I just purchased my 01' Boxster S and it's in another class. I previously owned an 88' 911, which I truly loved and now I'm back to Porsche again. I am looking forward to many years of ear-to-ear grins with my new ride.

stephen wilson · 11-19-2008, 08:29 AM

Quick, you should have some insight on my auto purchasing dilemma, having owned all 3 cars I'm considering. How was the S2000 to live with on a daily basis? I've driven it, the Boxster, and Miata. The lack of low end power is annoying w/ the S2, but the shifter is great, and it's at least $5,000 cheaper than a Porsche. I like the Boxster best, but am worried about maint. costs (and IMS failure!), and the fact that I can only afford a $25k purchase price right now, which means an older/higher milage car and more service issues. The Miata is OK, but didn't excite me like the other 2 options. Thoughts?
Thanks,
Steve

QuickSilver · 11-19-2008, 10:06 AM

"How was the S2000 to live with on a daily basis?"

Steve:

The lack of torque at low RPMs was always a detractor. If you drove it like you just stole it, the car was great and alot of fun. It's not fun missing the 1-2 or 2-3 shift at redline which happened occasionally for me. I always thought that the differential ratio was not the best for a six-speed. Also the 4-5 synchro in the tranny started to get balky at around 12k miles...weird. I think the S2k engine is nearly bullet-proof.

The value of all three used cars is excellent provided they are well maintained.

stephen wilson · 11-19-2008, 11:57 AM

Does the Honda have a rev. limiter? I thought it could use a lower first gear for "stoplight performance", of course that would make 1st unusable other than starts. Is it possible to find a good condition, reliable Boxter for under $25K?

mts · 11-21-2008, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephen wilson

Quick, you should have some insight on my auto purchasing dilemma, having owned all 3 cars I'm considering. How was the S2000 to live with on a daily basis? I've driven it, the Boxster, and Miata. The lack of low end power is annoying w/ the S2, but the shifter is great, and it's at least $5,000 cheaper than a Porsche. I like the Boxster best, but am worried about maint. costs (and IMS failure!), and the fact that I can only afford a $25k purchase price right now, which means an older/higher milage car and more service issues. The Miata is OK, but didn't excite me like the other 2 options. Thoughts?
Thanks,
Steve

I've owned 3 Miatas (still have 2 of them for the track) an S2000 and the Boxster S. I really liked the S2000 and don't have much bad to say about it. I thought the build quality was excellent and I've always thought the "lack of torque" issue was way over blown at least for the 2004-later cars. You did have to ring it out to get the most out of it, but the same can be said for Boxsters in my opinion. For me, the S2000 shifter is the best I've owned, better than the Miata and a lot better than the Boxster S even with the factory sport shifter.

The one thing I didn't like about the S2000 was the car tendencies. A Miata is extremely well balanced and can be driven up to the limits of the car pretty easy. When it starts to slide the car "wants" to come back into shape, it's very confidence building. I find the Boxster S to me much the same, very balanced, very easy to push the car hard and feel good about it.

The S2000 on the other hand tends to have a bit of oversteer build into it which turns into snap-oversteer in a heartbeat if you aren't paying attention and pre-2006 cars don't have traction control as an option. Driving an S2000 reminds me a lot more of driving a 911 (as far as tendencies go) than driving a Miata or Boxster. That's probably part of the charm for some because with the S2000 (as well as the 911), they will flat go in the hands of a capable driver. I have a bunch of track experience, etc, but even with that I still feel more comfortable in the Boxster S and Miata. Different strokes.

renzop · 11-14-2008, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xavier405

Dare I enter this thread?

I owned not a Miata, but a del Sol.

Fabulous little car, I loved the turbine rocket sound as the VTEC kicked in. I think it was a highly underappreciated car. At 200k miles I came to a decision - trick it out for racing, or spend that money on a Boxster. So I got the Box, but looking back I always wish I knew how my del Sol would have faired with new intake and exhaust, sway bars, wheels and tires...

I had a delSlo also. It was a great car. With the removable roof that did not compromise trunk space and the roll down rear window it was a true Targa. It got great fuel economy and was a hoot to drive. But the problem with it as a race car was the chassis. Without a roof the car was just too flexible to be a great handling car. You made the right decision. Putting stiff springs and bars on the car would have made it a cowl shake king.

jmatta · 11-15-2008, 01:08 PM

I've enjoyed reading the responses regarding the Miatas. I've driven them, as many friends owned them, but I never had one personally. My brother-in-law is on his second and it's a really neat car. Having two kids, my weekend car has always been a 911 variant due to the two rear seats. Now that my kids are both in their teens, I finally got my Box S a few years back to go along with my 911.

I wanted an open air sports car for my 50th BD and it had to be a Porsche. If I would have had the opportunity earlier on, I may have bought a Miata just to hold me over. Now, many of my friends park their Porsches and have bought spec Miatas for the track. They handle great, though underpowered, but a blast to drive. And you don't have to worry about a $20k + engine rebuild!

BTW, my son started to AX the Box this year...what a blast to watch.

greg9ball · 11-15-2008, 01:47 PM

I have a 05 Boxster S for my street car and a modified 1991 Turbo Miata for DE track days. The Miata is street legal and I always have a smile on my face when I am driving it. Its not unusual for me to wonder while I am driving the Miata why I even own the Boxster. Then I drive the Boxster and I am immediately reminded. They are both fantastic in their own right!