Boxster vs miata handling
 

Just bought a 2001 miata. The miata handles
Unbelievably well. With the same tires, what
Would handle better, the miata or a 986? The
One I bought has been set up for driving fast, flying
Miata springs, bilsteins and some really nice
Tires I need to give back. My 2000 S has bilstein HD's, and
Lowering springs but the tires are questionable.
It feels like the miata does but maybe I
Just haven't pushed the 986 as hard.
Just curious. I know the 986 is faster.

I've had an NA Miata R-Package that I sold to buy the 986S.

My Miata had the Flyin' Miata Stage 1.5 suspension, chassis rail braces, butterfly brace, Hard Dog roll bar, 205/50/15 Dunlop Direzza ZII's on 7.5" wide wheels, and a bunch of other stuff done.

My 986S has had a comprehensive suspension refresh (with all worn components replaced), new Bilsteins at all 4 corners with new hardware, and new Continental ExtremeContact Sports installed on the OEM 18" wheels.

The Miata had much more 'go-kart' handling feel compared to the Porsche. It also was much more of a momentum car. It wasn't fun on the freeway; one reason I sold it was it was tiresome to drive any distance at speed. But it would attack lower speed corners with ferocity.

The Boxster definitely feels heavier (which it is), and the midengine layout is very different; you feel the car rotating around the center of the car (where a majority of the weight is) unlike the Miata. The Boxster is less unsettled by mid-corner bumps, which is an issue with the Miata due to limited rear suspension travel (extended rear shock mounts help this which are OEM installed on the NB's).

I preferred the Miata's unfiltered manual steering over the Boxster, although the Boxster is light years ahead of the no-feel electric system in my Mk7 GTI.

I also...
 

....switched from a heavily modified 1990 Miata to my 2004 Boxster S with M030.

I concur with what the above posters posted.

The Miata is a more "pure" go-cart, and a blast on a twisty back road.

BUT, the Boxster is a better cross-country car.

I'd put it this way: The Miata is more fun to drive on the Tail of the Dragon, but I'd rather drive the Boxster the thousand miles to get there from my house, and it would still be fun on the Dragon.

But, if I LIVED on the Dragon, I'd rather have the Miata.

Since I live in Louisiana, Im glad I switched to the Boxster.

:cheers:

We have both, his and hers. I prefer driving the Box as it has much more power to dive into turns and punching out of those turns. The Miata may out handle at slow speeds. The Box has more room and In my opinion is more fun to drive - for MY taste.

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2861/...a2eb9588_m.jpg

I agree with the above posters, in that the Miata is typically more fun than the Boxster at sane street speeds. On the track I'd call it even because the Boxster is a lot faster and has better brakes.

One nice thing about both cars is that you can use the throttle to steer (or at least affect the attitude) of the car.

I'm not entirely sure why people keep comparing the 2 cars, the only common thing between them is that they have a convertible roof.

One has twice the HP of the other, bigger brakes, a suspension set up to cross continents and the other is a basic roadster. The only thing the Miata has is a sweet gear change and apart from that it's a cramped little car that's fun for 10 minutes, I certainly wouldn't want to go across country in one and i have a european trip planned for later this year in the Box.

The other thing about the Box is i've never had a car before that begs you to throw it into a corner and see how big your balls are than this car. I've tried it in a Miata before and tbh it felt nowhere near as accomplished, it could have been the car i was driving but i wouldn't have the confidence to push that where i know i can with the Boxster.

Both 2 seaters. Also a new car to me. If my old Saab felt as fast, I would have asked about the Saab. Anyhow, it sounds like it does handle as well.
Not my intention to question the excellence of the boxster. I was just curious if the miata did handle as well as it felt or if it was just the case of a slow car feeling fast. I do not track cars so I leave the answer up to those that do.

I've autocrossed both heavily and frequently run with Miatas on the track. Miatas are certainly very tossible and fun (more fun than a Boxster I think) but almost nothing (honestly) has more mechanical grip than a Boxster. It is also an incredibly easy car to get around a corner, it's hard to get yourself into much trouble.

I have both. And prefer the Miata. I agree for highway driving the Boxster is better. But for handling and connectivity the Miata, in my opinion, is far superior. Driving the boxster in comparison feels like a GT car. To be fair my '99 miata has a good set of coilovers, which definitely improves the car.

To me, this car is more inline with the BMW Z3/4 or even the Merc....not the Miata. Just two very different cars from very different price points.
I think the Miata is a great little car, but it's just outclassed by the Boxster, as it should be. If it wasn't, who would be crazy enough to spend that extra dough on the Box?

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1490217066.jpg
I like them both. Not selling the box anytime soon.

So the answer is the boxster will out handle the
Miata with equal tires.
I'll save the fun factor question for
Another day.

I've owned both. My Miata NB was great, until I wanted to travel on a highway. There, it felt very much out of its element. I definitely prefer the mid-engine feel of the 986 even in around town slow driving.

Camber compensating suspension geometry = advantage Miata. (Boxster = mac strut all around. Miata is multilink / twin a-arm)
Lighter weight = advantage Miata. (2850 vs 2350 lbs curb weight. Not close! 20% extra weight in the porky Boxster!)
Weight distribution, mid-engine = low rotational moment of inertia = advantage Boxster. (Miata = front engined)
Horsepower = advantage Boxster. (c'mon, 2 extra cylinders!)
Wider available wheels and tire = advantage Boxster. 9" wide on the back is a factory option on the Boxster. No way is that fitting in a narrow-bodied Miata.
Badge = advantage Boxster "there is no substitute" or "zoom-zoom"?
Lower cost to acquire and maintain = advantage Miata.
Aerodynamics = advantage Boxster. (I would go so far as to say that aerodynamics are a Porsche core competency.)

^ This.

I've never seen a "My other car is a Mazda" bumper sticker....

I am actually thinking about buying a Miata for a track car.
They are much much less expensive to build and fix. A Miata motor can be had for under $1k. I know several guys running Miatas for the track and several have dropped superchargers or Toyata/Honda motors and are in the low mid 200's for HP. That HP with the lower weight will out run a Boxster at the track.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Boxster, but I can build a Miata track car for under $10k and when it breaks, I don't have to get a 2nd mortage

ditto. been thinking the exact same thing. plus, run spec and it keeps you from getting stupid and spending $ on power, suspension and fiberglass.

The expense and frustration of owning a Porsche will be substantial compared to a Miata.We have 2 Miatas and a Boxster S.The Miatas cost very little to run,seldom need repairs,are easy to work on,have full technical manuals (try getting a FSM or OBD manual for the Box!), every conceivable issue on a Miata has been researched and reported on in multiple locations on the Internet. I just wish there was a Miata for tall people.

I too have owned both and had lots of fun with them, can't say a bad word, but now own only the Boxster and love it. :cheers:

Strongest aspect of the Miata is low cost maintenance & consumables. Although I'm always tempted to AutoX our Boxster, the Miata is just the perfect tool for it.

I think for the purposes of this thread: handling, a Miata is really tough to beat - just look at the Solo Nationals entries.

Simply put, sports car enthusiasts would never cross-shop a Miata and a Boxster, just like supercar buyers won’t cross-shop a 2016 Ferrari 488 GTB and a 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06. Different strokes for different folks.

2016 Mazda Miata VS 2015 Porsche Boxster | car News @ Top Speed

Comparing some slightly newer models....

We have 2 Miatas in the family along with my Boxster. I barely fit but they are fun to drive. I took my stepdaughter to a big parking lot and we did some braking exercises (no abs) and how to steer when braking, and then I took it for a few donuts, it was easy to catch and drive through a slide, it was a lot of fun :)

I still like the Boxster better though ...

After 10 years driving Miata I bought my first Boxster 2 weeks ago. I'm still evaluating the differences but most noticeable is the power increase. I the car feels way more stable and solid. The feeling of speed is less, I find myself near 100 going up a freeway ramp feeling surprised how smooth the ride is. I haven't tested any limits in corners but it has great steering feel and so steady. I'd like find a wet parking lot to see what happens. The sound of the flat six it addicting.

I've changed my mind since yesterday. If I wasn't such in the hole financially with my S I would seriously consider selling and buying another miata. The boxster is far superior but the accountant in me says the miata just makes so much more sense. Cost of entry is less, parts are less, simplicity is better, light and nimble. I find working on the boxster to be daunting because one bad move and your easily in for another $100. A friend scratches it, a kids bike wacks it, reAlly not a big deal.
Yes The S has way more power but is that really that important for a street car? You can't really use that unless you want a ticket or worse yet, to cause an accident. I
I drove this miata 10 years ago, maybe I should have bought it then. Sure Felt like that on Saturday.
I was talking to my friend about the confusion. His response," a miata for a Porsche, really?"
He's probably right. I likely just have new car fever. We will see how I feel in a month.

Well, you can compare the two cars. They are both small convertible sports cars. They are in different market segments, but you can compare them all you want. When I owned a Miata, I drove a co-worker's Honda S2000, and I compared the two cars. It' s just what people do.

No doubt the Boxster is a more expensive car, built to a higher standard and quality of materials, but for the price difference, it should be. For a daily driver, the Boxster is better, because it has slightly more room for taller drivers, is way more serene on the highway, and has more luggage space.

The advantage of the Miata is it is more fun to drive. Sure it's slower in a straight line, but as far as handling goes, the Mazda is just more responsive and direct, so for a lot of drivers, that makes it fun.

One thing to keep in mind is that the Mazda is better engineered, We all love our flat-sixes and the wonderful noises they make, but the Miata in comparison is bullet-proof. I can take a stock Miata, put R-compound tires on it, and thrash it for years at track days without worrying too much about it huffing the engine. The Boxster? No way. I bought my Boxster to do track days with, and I run street tires on it because I know that higher g-loads will starve the bearings of oil pressure. Not to mention the other number of things that are known for failing on these cars. It's always in the back of my mind.

Finally, one of my best friends has a bunch of cars. He has a Ferrari 355, a new Corvette Z06, a 986 S, an older 911, and a 914. He says the 914 is the most fun to drive of these cars. But he has owned and raced quite a few Miata's over the years, and he says that a Miata is more fun to drive than of any of his current cars!

"the first-generation model seemed to a smaller, cartoonish version of the 911 Convertible"

Another reason to feel inadequate as a Boxster owner. As if it wasn't bad enough already knowing I was driving a hairdresser's car... :D

not always the case. I was looking at NC Miata's. Drove several, liked them fine just hadn't found the right one. Saw the Boxster I ended up buying on CL, went and drove it. My wife told me forget the Miata, buy the Porsche. Looked at several other Boxsters and a couple of Miatas. After reading about weaknesses of Boxsters, I went into it eyes wide open. I do my own work and nothing about Boxster really concerns me with exception of IMSB replacement. I'll pay to have that done.

Thus far, I have absolutely no regrets choosing Boxster over Miata. For the price, I was looking at a high mile early NC Miata (older ones are too little for me). Miata is more of a go kart but it's my daily driver, Porsche is more comfortable.

Interestingly similar to my situation so I have to ask- why didn't you buy a Z4 ? I am asking myself that same question !

Probably because mid-engine trumps front engine? Plus more luggage room? And of course, it's a Porsche, whereas the Z4 is but a BMW. BMW's are a dime a dozen.

I daily drove a Boxster S for 4 years -- can't imagine doing that in a Miata.

On track, I have a lot of respect for a well driven Miata.

That being said, I now have a full weight 105K mile Boxster S with roughly a Spec Boxster suspension, I can keep up with a gutted well driven SpecMiata on a Miata friendly track (H2R) and leave the SpecMiatas behind at a track like CoTA.
My lap times in my Boxster S as is, is slightly slower then a SpecBoxster (driven well).

If I stripped the weight out of my Boxster S, even at H2R the SpecMiata would not stand much of a chance.

Cost to enter the used Boxster market is cheap (maybe comparable) -- the cost to maintain is not.

Mike

I have been to sam's club and costco plenty of times when I was in NC and loaded up both trunks. Either trunk is bigger than the Miata rear trunk, the boxster has a surprising amount of room :)

Mostly this. I wanted a "sports car". Z4 didn't fit the bill for many reasons.

I have a 944 race car. Spec Miatas can run circles around me. I have a tremendous amount of respect for them. One of the things that intrigued me with Miatas is the simplicity and availability of performance parts. Not finding that with the Boxster.

I get passed by spec miatas, but rarely by non-caged and non-race prepped miatas. A few months ago I caught a Miata as part of a train, and once we got around the train he didn't point me by on the straight. I followed him.through the back side of the course, then no point. Then after 1 more lap I got the point by and passed. Afterwards he came and found me and apologized, he said he was sure that he would leave me in the curves where he usually leaves the higher power cars :) Then we had a few chuckles about how much fun it is to pass newer 991s and more powerful cars :)

Depends on what gen Miata you're comparing. Someone mentioned mechanical grip and to me the ND version of the Miata is a big step up in this regard from prior gens. Regardless, if you're looking ND to Boxster then stock to stock it's ultimately Boxster.

Boxster strengths are a brake pedal that feels like it channels Thor's hammer or something similarly magical, and more torque to pull you out on corner exit. This being said though I've driven a spec Miata and I was modulating the brake pedal through the sole of my shoe with my big toe, so there's a delicate precision that the Miata is capable of that isn't present in the Boxster.

Miata is under tire'd and under torque'd.

Modified Miata; NC with some engine and suspension and tire width to stock Boxster (the Miata would still come out cheaper to build and maintain) the Miata will dominate.

But looking down at the Porsche logo on your horn pad though counts for something that's not quantifiable.

I drove a Z3 & Z4 before buying my Boxster, I do not like the straight 6 cyl. engine, (also drove a 99 M3 & 02 330i conv.) power is good, but the sound is boring like an industrial engine. You sit too low in the Z cars & I didn't like the interior either.

Agreed . The sinking in the bathtub feeling in the Z4 was awful and I am tall. No such problem in my XKE. The SLK 350 was a little better.

There's no question which I'd have if I wanted a track day car: Miata.

Miata's are stupid simple to work on, there are a TON of reasonably affordable parts available, the drivetrain is basically bulletproof for track work (only needing a coolant reroute kit for really extreme duty), and as stated they have a better suspension design.

No way would I track a car with an M96 unless it was built by LN engineering with an iron-clad solution for each problem that the M96 presents, many of which are amplified by extreme duty and high G's. And then I'm $15k+ into a car that still needs $$$ in upgrades (suspension, brakes, cooling system, seats, roll bar, etc).

The problem with the Miata is that it's a Miata.

Really? I think everything about the older ones are cool. ( never driven a newer than 2001). Interesting body. Very responsive from the wheel. Pure sports car. The simplicity and dependability is fantastic. Nothing hidden under stupid plastic pieces. It's all right there to work on.
Also, can't be that bad. They have a huge following via forums as well Tons of track and x cross use.
Lastly, I wouldn't change a thing about them. A real fun sports car that most people can afford. Oh the horror! 😱 . Yes not a boxster but still has tons to offer for a lot less money. Not a bad thing anyway you slice it.

Yes. Really.



Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah track blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah blah track blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah track blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. :D


Track it all you want. It's still a Miata. No self-respecting 6' tall man would dare be seen in public hunched over behind the wheel of one. Have you ever seen one of those guys? It's awful. Looks like some sort of clown car. :D