So I drove an MX-5 Mk3 - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

geraintthomas · 03-16-2016, 05:57 AM

My friend wanted to spend a few thousand on a new car, as his old Mk2 Clio turned a fish tank by the end of the stormy winter.

We both went to view an MX-5 MK3. Metallic blue, anthracite alloys and red calipers. Owner looked after it greatly, and was in superb condition. Originally I thought "Cool! MX-5. Nice little car that", while looking at the Porsche as a comparison thinking "...but it's no Porsche".

And then I drove it.

Wow! What a phenomenal car to drive. The steering is precise, driving position is low down and laid back, the gearbox is absolutely out of this world too. It's not quick, being a 1.8 it does 0-60mph in around 9.5 seconds, but I didn't care. It was such a joy to drive.

Obviously it's no comparison to the Boxster S at all, but if I drove both before buying the Porsche, it would have made it a very hard choice indeed - purely because of the way the MX-5 drove. It's outstanding.

Anyone else surprised by how good they are to drive?

DrCactus · 03-16-2016, 06:12 AM

I have never owned one or anything but I have been in the passenger's seat in one and it is pretty nice. It handles pretty well and little slow due to the engine size and all. The one negative I found was the size of the interior... Im 6'1 and I felt like I was being squeezed and when the top was up even worse... needed the window down to breathe! (little dramatic I know...hehe) I think the important part is to look at the costs and service issues - end of the day we all want to drive whatever car we have and not have it sitting in a garage.

Perfectlap · 03-16-2016, 06:45 AM

I don't think it's surprising at all because it's probably the most common previously owned car (or raced) among Porsche owners. Here in the U.S. it is a pretty rare occurrence not to see at least one generation of Miata at any SCCA (or other club) track day or autocross (our version of parking lot time trials). The new MX5 Cup car looks like a ton of fun for small money. I grew up with karting as a kid, I've not driven a Lotus Elise but I would say that of all the Porsches, BMWs, Japanese and Domestics I've drive, the Miata is still the closest thing you will find to a "go kart".

When I first got into my Boxster S, (it was the first Boxster I ever drove) one of my first thoughts was that it doesn't feel that much different than the pre-996 Carrera as far as feeling like a "full sized" road car. Part of me was hoping that the first purpose built Porsche roadster since 356A#1 (the first Porsche ever) would still have that more compact, shorter wheel base roadster feel that Miata and Elise drivers love. You know what I'm talking about, no waiting for anything to happen or come around, you turn the wheel hard and the car is already there before you. But instead the Boxster to me felt more like a 993 with the roof cut off. Until of course I took it to the local autocross that weekend and realized why mid-engine Porsches are the most special to drive. But still I can say without hesitation that the Miata is a lot more fun to drive than all but maybe one or two Porsches I have driven... which is only logical because the Miata is closest thing we have to a kart for the street with some presence of safety.

Racer Boy · 03-16-2016, 06:58 AM

Miatas are terrific cars! I've owned two, one of which was a Spec Miata race car. Not only are they really fun to drive, but they are pretty bullet-proof, unlike our fragile, and questionably-engineered Porsches.

I'm 6' 1", and when I drove the Boxster the first time I was frankly disappointed that there wasn't any more leg room than my '94 Miata had.

For the money, a MX-5 can't be beat, especially when you factor in the operating costs.

Giller · 03-16-2016, 11:14 AM

I just watched a Top Gear episode from a couple years ago where they drove across the Middle East. Clarkson drove the Miata - and by the end thought everything about the car was 'nice'. Everything worked, it was comfortable - but as he said, he never bonded with it. It has no personality.
There is no doubt the Boxster and similar priced cabrio's have a little something special about them....but then you are paying 10's of thousands of dollars more.

grc0456 · 03-16-2016, 04:51 PM

I like 'em. Cool little car. Neighbor had one that I got to drive a little. Extremely tossable and great shifter. But I'll choose my Box any day of the week - solid and precise, flat six power, torque and sound, and last but not least - two trunks. Important factor when going away with one's better half!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

BOOTLEG · 03-17-2016, 01:24 AM

Neither of my 2 MX5s ever even heard of IMSB issues. They are well behaved, easy to work on and cheap to keep. I keep the Box in a separate garage near my tools!

Retroman1969 · 03-17-2016, 07:10 AM

Ive driven them a couple of times. The first time was back when the first one came out. I've always liked and admired the Miatas, but never loved them. To me, they drive like a very nimble and competent Japanese car. Nothing outrageous. Not brimming with personality. Because of the reliability and low maintenance cost probabilities of them, I had thought a time or two about getting one to replace my work Boxster for the long haul, but in the end, the seating is too cramped, and the cargo space is nearly non-existent, even for a sports car. I'd find an excuse to add one to the stable if it had that "gotta have it" factor.... but for me it just doesn't.
Doesn't stop it from being a very good car though.

Gelbster · 03-17-2016, 07:55 AM

Gerain,
We have an NB and an NC Miata(& a BxstrS under repair-always!) .The NB is very different to the NC. The rare NB turbo with the Flyin' Miata upgrade(big enchilada) will shame many Boxsters for performance.

Finnegan · 03-17-2016, 09:02 AM

I owned an NB for a while. It was a very fun car, but felt vulnerable on the highways in a way that the Boxster never does. And as stated above, it lacks storage space for a weekend getaway.

Porsche9 · 03-17-2016, 11:02 AM

I wanted to drive one but at my height it's a no go. Too bad for me. Even the new, which is better with the seat going lower as you put it further back, doesn't work.

Gilles · 03-17-2016, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gelbster

Gerain,
We have an NB and an NC Miata(& a BxstrS under repair-always!) .The NB is very different to the NC. The rare NB turbo with the Flyin' Miata upgrade(big enchilada) will shame many Boxsters for performance.

Gelbster,
My cousin has one of the turbo special edition models that were offered from the factory a few years ago, and I drove the car for a half a day, on the SoCal canyons and also on the beautiful OC freeways (very heavy traffic…) I loved the car, the handling, etc., but honestly I would not consider buying one as I was pretty cramped inside.

Please note that this comments come from a guy that drove X1/9's for more than 20 years, but now at 6'2 w/ 235+lbs is too tight for me..

Regardless a nice little car indeed

coreseller · 03-17-2016, 11:50 AM

I also have a NB, absolutely love it!!! Is it as good or as capable as a Boxster? Heck No! Is it as much fun, IMO undoubtedly yes.

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Gelbster · 03-17-2016, 01:12 PM

Huge difference between the Factory Turbo and the Flyin'Miata upgrade. The factory turbo was very underdeveloped and then a fire destroyed the separate plant where it was assembled. Mazda never bothered to fix it. Flyin'Miata did.It is an interesting story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3V38lNplAI
The smart guys are on to this - a properly upgraded Miata Mazdaspeed tubo is often higher priced than an S2000.
But it is too small - agreed
and Mazda did nothing to fix this objection in the new ND ! If they had made it just a little larger in the cabin for leg & headroom ,it would have cost nothing and opened up a good chunk of the Z4, Boxster, Mustang market to them.
To address this issue we've made radical mods to the interior just so we fit. Mazda could have made the same mods but... It is a common gripe on the Miata Forums -hence the slur - it's a girly car ?But not a 6 ft. girl!

Smallblock454 · 03-17-2016, 01:25 PM

Lately i test drove this MX5 version:

Drives very nice. Engine was a 1.5 with 131 HP. Can not be compared with a Box 3.2S. Not enough torque.

There's also a 2.0 with 160 HP available, but the dealer had only a 1.5 test drive car available.

Interior also looks nice. But the car was too tight for me. Not really enough room for legs, arms and head.

And i'm not shure about the exterior. Didn't fell in love at first sight.

Regards, Markus

coreseller · 03-17-2016, 01:33 PM

For anyone considering a Miata from whatever generation......I cannot recommend them highly enough!!!!

If you do indeed go that route Miata.net is a phenomenal resource. After many posts asking for suspension advice I finally called up the Guru Himself:

Mazda Miata MX-5 Performance Projects (Motorbooks Workshop): Keith Tanner: 9780760316207: Amazon.com: Books

Keith is an incredibly approachable guy, at least that was my experience.

I called Flyin Miata, asked for Keith, I told him what I had, what I wanted to do with it and he recommended specific packages. Give them your CC # and all is well, at least it was for me.

thstone · 03-17-2016, 02:38 PM

I also owned a 2000 NB. Great car, affordable to buy, incredibly fun to drive, cheap to repair, cheap/easy to mod, tons of upgrades available, and very reliable.

With that being said, an MX-5 is no Boxster (IMHO).

But if Mazda ever gives the MX-5 275hp and a nicer interior, they could match the Boxster in performance and out shine Porsche in a lot of ways.

Gelbster · 03-17-2016, 07:43 PM

The Miata + Big Enchilada is 225hp but also gains 50 lbs-ft of torque low down. Not quite good enough - needs more displacement and space!!

jaykay · 03-17-2016, 08:04 PM

What is dis .......enchilada?

flaps10 · 03-17-2016, 08:07 PM

I've owned two NA cars. Both were phenomenal examples of what the Brits had hoped to attain years previously: a car that was simple yet a complete riot to drive - Yet, Mazda succeeded in making the car stone axe reliable.

The engine and gearbox were fantastic and the thing was a go kart with a license plate.

The trunk was a joke, especially when a spare was in it. Manual top was a plus.

Not fair to compare it with a boxster of similar age if you factor in price and upkeep.