Quote:
Originally Posted by blue2000s
There's nothing mediocre about the Miata. Besides it's storage space.
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As an 11-year owner of Miatas (94-'04)and lover of same, I have to disagree. While the Miata can be great fun and was a pretty good handler when it came out in '89, the world moved forward and Mazda stayed still in both power and handling for 15 years, then made a small jump forward in each 7 years ago. As a result, recent comparos like the annual C&D Lightning Lap reveal the Miata's lap times to be slower than many of the front-drive economy sedans that have been tested. Yes, the car is still fun, like an MG-TD can be fun, but in any objective sense it has slipped to merely mediocre.
EDIT: I just saw your edited statement about suspension sophistication. Yes, theoretically the double-wishbone design of all generations of Miata has characteristics that make it better than strut-type suspensions. But execution is even more important than theory, and in this regard, at least U.S.-spec Miatas have too many compromised features to qualify as well-executed. (Of course, modified suspensions serve to reveal what a good platform the Miata offers, but any car can be modified, including Porsches. I'm talking what you get at the dealer.)
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