yeah that's the one thing I don't miss about the Miata, it was not a car I could sit in for more than one hour. I could feel every seam in the highway asphalt, one after the other, after the other. And with the top up the drone of the exhaust got old fast. And that clickity clacking lifter tap that the guy next to you at red light could hear drove me bonkers. The newer Miatas have addressed allot of these things but you will pay for it.
For short drives and track/autocross its as much fun as you can have short of shifter kart. But the Boxster is a much better convergence of a fun car for track/autocross and one you can actually take for a long drive.

I had a 90 from 94-00, and then I had a 99 from 03-06. I liked the feel of the 90 better than the 99, although the 99 was more refined. Bought my 04 S about 5 months ago, and I am having a great time.

I've owned a Miata since 1991. My current Miata is a Mega-Monster V8 with a KB supercharger. It is for sale if anyone wants 430HP and 461TQ. I'm getting too old to handle it, 67 in August.

Tom

Yep, I had one just before the box. It was a 2001 LS....nice car. The new one is way better than the previous car. Still of course no match for a boxster, but very competitive with everything else, including, I think, the S2000.


Just one man's opinion.


bob
2004 S

I never bought a Miata and never had the inclination to do so. I did park cars like 12 yearsa ago and I will admit that the original miatas were very well designed and balanced cars that shifted perfectly and drove really nice. The only thing was that it never had the wow factor for me to go out of my way to buy one. Plus people can say what they want about percieved chick cars. The Miata had been labeled a chick car from the beginning and the stereotype seems to be true in south florida.

In the past 12 years I leased a Jetta, a Passat and then got a Saturn Ion when hard times hit as I was laid off in 2001. Thankfully I got back on my feet and the Boxster's market value dropped substantially and I decided it was time to go after the car that I wanted from the first day I saw it in the car mags.

People can say what they want about the Box. I bought the Boxster for several reasons. I always preferred the shape of the Porsche 550 Spyder over the 356, 911,944,968,928 and 914. That to me was the coolest Porshe and the Boxster was a modern day version of the 550 Spyder.

I think the only thing that I will do is upgrade the engine to a 3.4 liter engine when my warranty expires so I can turn her into a 911 killer.

This is my first post and this is a good thread to start in!
I've had a supercharged '92 Miata for 7 years and loved it. The only time anyone said anything about the chick car thing was a teenager in a clapped out '85 Tempo. I didn't listen (obviously). I figured the car was for me and not others so it doesn't matter. Besides, out in the twisties my lowered 155hp (stock was about 95 in that year) could outrun almost anyone. I did everything from the S/C (8 lbs.)to the clutch, full suspension big brakes etc. myself, and the whole club thing up through president (never again).
Forward to now and after years of the kidney crushing ride I sold my baby and bought a pristine 01 986S. It is Biarritz White on Blue.
All I can say at this time is WOW I should have done this years ago, although the prices are sure different in the Porsche world. All I have done so far is totally de-amber it, and ordered the matching bumperettes, but give me a break - I've only had it 4 days!
I am sure I will miss the Miata for a while, but after driving the Box I am pretty sure I will miss it less than I thought.
Gotta love this car.
Kevin
:cheers:

That whole "feeling the road" thing is exactly the reason I'm going to go back to Mazda. I just don't feel like I'm connected when I drive the box. The power is a nice perk, and I do like the looks of the box, probably not better than the 1st gen Miatas, but Boxsters are pretty. At the end of the day, it feels like driving a luxury sedan, which is not the experience I'm looking for out of my convertible.

I like to be able to tell where the paint is on the road by feel.

We had a 94 R for years...it was a fun ride. Now that we have the 02 S we never drive it. I need to get it sold. It is night and day different.

Dude you had nice car that was hardly just a miata. A guy who owned the gym I worked out at years ago had a yellow Miata that he turned into a monster with engine and performance upgrades. That miata definately turned heads and could outrun just about anything simlar to your miata. The way that car looked and performed was totally superior to a plain miata. Both your miata and his miata were definately not chick cars. At the end of the day we buy cars that we like and like to drive regardless of how people percieve it or us. My statement was just an observation for the most part for south florida. No harm was meant.

I'll get another miata soon :D

I've owned six miatas! Originally an unmolested 99 followed by a 2001 BRG Special Edition (which my dad now owns) followed by a 90 SSB race car followed by a s/c 99 time trial beast that could turn 1:40s at Road Atlanta (247whp, 2078lbs, trick everything). Then I bought the 90 SSB back from the guy I sold it to (counting that car twice) and finally a 90 Spec Miata.

I hade a 1996 triple black Miata, bought used. Nice fun car but I kinda felt like I was a "bobblehead" driving it. Really small car and all the more noticeable on the freeway with the top down and being passed by transports. Boxster feels waay more substantial.

Old Post stumbled across...
 

Funny. Just came across this post. I owned 4 Miata prior to the Boxster including a 2004 Mazdaspeed Turbo. Great cars. I like the boxster better even if it isn't as quick as my modified MSM. Interesting to see how many others made the same upgrade to the Porsche.

Miatas and MGs
 

I've owned 3 miatas (94,2001,2004 Mazdaspeed). Of the 3, I liked the 94 the best. I grew up a fan of British roadsters and Alfa Romeos (I still have an MGB, a Spitfire and a Jensen-Healey). I think my 2006 Boxster S is more like the British and Italian cars, and that is one reason I like it a lot more than any of the Miatas. Even though Mazda tried to emulate an MG or something like that, I don't think they really got it - just my opinion. To me, the Boxster is a like a car that was designed by someone from 60's but with all the new technology used in just the right way.

My user name is actually Miata spelled backwards. ;) I currently have three Miatas and one 2000 Boxster S. One Miata is track only, but is still street legal, one is tubro'd and one is a parts car for the track car.

I've auto'xed both and its night and day between them. Boxster is like riding in a well behaved sports car where as the Miata is like a gocart on steriods or HGH. Race, well thats easy, the Miata. I'm too cheap to race the Boxster as often as I race the Miata.

If I had to choose which one to drive, if was longer than 2 hours, the Boxster, less than two hours and wanted to "hang it out" the turbo Miata.

Missed My M Edition
 

I had a 96 M Edition Miata for 11 years, before I sold it to my sister. Then of course she moved from San Jose, CA to Maryland and took it with her. The M Edition was Starlight Mica (a dark blue that changed hues slightly under different lighting) with a tan top and interior. I got my 08' Box S in Midnight Blue Metallic with a beige interior and a black top. With the top down it does resemble the Miata (as my relatives notice).

As much as I loved the Miata, the power, handling and solidity of the Box is just amazing. :)

Still someday I might get another Miata (though IMHO the 2nd and 3rd generation Miatas have lost some of the personality of the 1st gen).

I had a 1990 Miata when I was in college. I kept it a couple of years and got sick of it and sold it.

I test drove a new '07 MX5 when I tried a number of cars, including the '01 Boxster I eventually bought.

The Miata just felt like a little tin can compared to the Boxster. I said to myself, for what they're charging for this I can get that good used Boxster.

End of thought process, bought the Box...

Our forum RKwei has an amazing little Miata. I will see if I can get him to post pix.

He swapped engines, put on a Turbo charger and the like.

It is quite the Rocket ship.

I owned one...for my wife...yeah that's it, for my wife.
My opinion of the car:
Resale value: absolutely awesome
Mechanical reliability: one of the best cars ever built
Fun to drive...until I sat my ass in a Porsche
Now, I really have to stay away from those Lambos