Comments: 1-15, 16-27
Belt to water pump snapped causing radiator to blow at 65,000 miles-VERY PRICEY.
Needed second brake job at 50,000 miles.
Unresolved problem with suspension resulting in very rough and bumpy ride, was later discovered that all Miatas do this and there are aftermarket components to reduce the uncomfortable ride.
Ragtop came undone at 55,000 miles.
Catalytic converter came apart, blowing back into the muffler at 49,000 miles resulting in replacement of exhaust system components-VERY PRICEY.
Replaced headlights 5 times in 10,000 miles.
Speakers failed at 48,000 miles.
The Miata looks very nice and gives the driver a 'cockpit' type of feeling when driving. The handling is top notch, better than any car I've ever driven and would compare it to the handling of a $60,000+ Lotus.
It is a rear wheel drive vehicle, which is great. These days it's hard to find a RWD vehicle that isn't either a truck or a high dollar performance car. That's as good as it gets.
The performance on the car is terrible. Even brand new the 0-60 time is in the 9 second range. Top speed is about 117 mph provided you have a few hours to creep up past 100. This gets worse over time. At around the 60,000 mile mark you're left with a performance 'looking' car that does no better than Granny's Cavalier station wagon, possibly worse. The Miata phenomenon was designed from the beginning to be a 'looks sell' kind of deal, as the car was modeled very close to the Lotus Elan. This was no accident, nor was it an accident that the car was made to be very tame and underpowered in an effort to keep the price down and attract customers that wanted the exotic car look, but without having to pay the exotic car price.
The suspension provides for a very bumpy ride. I had the alignment checked and redone several times, even replaced the tires... no change. I was fortunate enough later on to ride in a couple of other Miatas that did this exact same thing. It shakes, rattles, and vibrates like some old Harley Davidson and you'd swear the thing is going to come apart at 55 mph. Going past 55 up to 70 it smooths out a little, but not by much.
There is plenty of road noise as well, but I've largely overlooked this due to the fact that most convertibles have their share of road noise.
Trunk space is non-existant. One would have a hard time putting a small cooler in it, but nobody buys a Miata for the space anyway.
The A/C is terribly weak. With a perfectly functioning system fully charged with coolant, only the maximum setting on full time could make driving the car on a hot day with the top up even possible. The heater on the other hand is so hot that at the lowest setting on cold days it must be continually turned off or you will cook.
I would never buy another Miata, and would be extremely cautious with any Mazda for that matter.
Oh boohoo. Sounds like you were expecting a bit more from the car. Did you bother to test drive it before you bought it? By the way, sports cars don't make good daily drivers.
Mmmm, you may be better off with a Camry. You won't be disappointed.
Real performance cars do not make good daily drivers. The Miata looks like a performance car, but it isn't. Thousands of dollars of repairs at the 50k mile mark for this type of car is unacceptable.
Strange - my last MX-5 (UK version of the Miata) did 120,000 problem free miles. These are known for being reliable and well put together.
A broken fan belt sounds like poor maintenance by owner. I have been to the USA and no where did I see a speed limit for 100 miles per hour. You do not deserve to own a mx5.
I own a 1996 Mazda Miata, the same year as yours. I think you many of your comments are off base. My Mazda has been very reliable. It has 148,000 miles, and very little as gone wrong with it. The lifters are noisy, and I suppose at some point I will have them fixed. I had a new clutch slave cylinder installed at 145,000 miles. A bolt for the air condition belt tensioner fell off at about 120,000 miles. I've had a new valve cover gasket installed due the old one leaking. I had new shocks installed at 100,000 miles. I installed a new headlight at 120,000 miles. I had a new water pump installed when I had the timing belt changed at 143,000 miles. Beyond tune-ups and other regular maintenance, those are the only mechanical things I have done to the car. In short, it is very reliable car.
The performance is good for a 1.8 liter engine, and I would remind you that the speed limit in the US is 75, so whether the car can go at 100 or 117 mph is moot.
The ride quality is very sensitive to tire pressure. I keep my tires at the pressure recommended by the manufacturer, and the ride can be harsh at times, BUT IT IS A SPORTS CAR.
It is great for commutes - it gets good gas mileage, good performance, handles well, and is fun to drive. Long distance drives can be a bit of a chore due to road and wind noise, but the car wasn't designed for interstate cruising.
A belt breaking (your car) is no fault of the car - either you didn't change it on time or there was a flaw in the belt. I've never had a belt break on mine.
I agree with this individual that the Miata is not for everyone. Personally, I enjoy the heck out of the little buggy. I have owned cars in the past that were not my particular cup of tea, for whatever reason, but I know there are plenty of people in the world who like that particular car. I have just found it easier to get rid of the car rather than completely hate the experience for years on end. Under most circumstances, cars can be traded in or sold privately and easily replaced. My only advice would be not to buy a small sports car and complain the trunk is small and it has a stiff ride, it is what it is. Do not compare a $30,000. car to a $60,000. car. Do not think a small sports car is going to be as practical as a mid sized car built for commuting. Enough said.
1. Justifying the Miata's lack of performance by stating the speed limit is beyond silly. This attitude is typical of granny-mobile drivers of cars like the aforementioned Cavalier Wagon. The speed limit has nothing whatsoever to do with what a car should be capable of. Citing the speed limit in defense of the car's poor performance only proves my point; that the Miata is a "looks sell" type of car, and obviously Mazda found their audience.
2. I understand that it's supposed to be a sports car, and that the car is expected to be bumpy. The Miata's suspension however is unacceptable. The ride is so bumpy that you sound like you're in front of a fan talking, and you can't hear the radio either because of the noise and vibration. Perhaps that's why every Miata I've seen had broken or replaced speakers; the driver trying to get the radio to a level of volume that he/she can hear because of all the other noise.
3. You're probably right, I don't deserve a Miata. I'll leave them for the teenagers infatuated with it thinking that it's a real sports car when in fact it's nothing more than a granny car piece of garbage that requires citing the speed limit and low cost as a justification for its existence.
Actually, anyone who buys a Miata thinking that it should even qualify as a sports car deserves exactly what they get.
I was concerned about the bumpy ride on my Mazda and after having the tires balanced it was still bumpy. I had the drive shaft balanced and found some of the problem then had the footprint weight on each tire checked and found one tire had a 25lb footprint instead of the normal 5 to 10 lb. I still check the tire pressure often to keep it in compliance. now I find it rides much better.
I have a 1995 Miata with the Thorsen limited slip rear end. I bought it in 2001 with 78,000 miles on it from a good dealer. The car looked brand new and had the original top. I just replaced the top in 2006 with a rear window defrost cloth top from AA Best and the car looks more expensive. People that don't know cars are impressed with it. They think it is one of those little Ferraris or Porsches. I have been from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes and almost west coast to east coast (many major tourist attractions, too) with no problems. I have 242,000 miles on it now as of 2007. I just do the usual maintenance required. The car is cheap to own. I have never broken down. One of the injectors went out (but didn't realize it until later when I returned home and did some engine checks), but it only cost me $24.95 in parts to fix it. Just look around on the internet for the cheap parts and do your own maintenance. I bring a standard zip up folding suit cover for my clothes in the trunk. Sometimes, I just pack the trunk like a suitcase. The car is small, but comfortable. I even slept in it in Telluride, CO. I got into town too late to get a room. I'm six feet tall, too. The suspension helps me navigate very tight curves. I still have not replaced anything on the suspension. No need to. I took the car up a narrow mountain road on hard packed ice to about 10,000 feet above sea level. I didn't slip once. Crazy you ask? No, just drove very slow to get to the hiking trail up there and I know my car very well. For the price, it has performance that I bet no one uses. As for traffic, I do well. I have a five speed manual shift and I downshift strategically to take advantage of certain speeds and RPM's. If you think a little 1.8L engine is a slouch in a Miata, then you just need to read your engine specifications and shift accordingly. You develop your horsepower at a certain rpm. It just takes a little practice. Once you do this all the time, it becomes second nature. You don't even know you are doing it. I don't know anything about the auto transmission. I have been places where you shouldn't even drive a car. They also use these cars for off road racing. My car is not modified in any way. After driving it for so long, I know that it just doesn't need anything else. If your car is not getting the power you need, it may just need a tune up. Find a good car to begin with. Do your own maintenance. I even installed my own convertible top (It took two days with no problems, easy. Some of you can do this faster). I have no professional or prior experience. I just have the Haynes manual from an auto parts store and read the tech articles on a very popular Miata website. Miatas are cheap to own and maintain. Are they sports cars? Yes, they are. Look at all those Austin Healeys, Alfa Romeos, Lotus, etc. Miatas are patterned after those cars in a modern way. I have driven in all weather conditions. Extreme desert heat, below zero plains temps, snow, high winds, heavy rains (couldn't see anymore, no top leaks at all), snow storms, brown out dust storms (couldn't see anymore in those), even tornado type weather (no I'm really not crazy). When you like adventure and travel a lot, you are going to find yourself out in the middle of nowhere sometimes with no gas stations, no radio reception, no cell phone reception, no people at all, and you might want a good sporty little car you can depend on. The car still looks new, by the way.
And yes, I have and still use this car as a work car.
The above review is brilliant.. though I must say 242000 miles is intense, but I love to travel to..
Anyways, I own a 95 miata with 157000 miles on it, it's an absolutely incredible car.. great build quality, great frame, handles like few others, ample power for anything, hence the reason its now one of the most popular raace cars ever (if you need more, drop the money for a vette, for those of us on a budget, the power is fine and more is a few tweeks and dollars away) the 1.8 is smooth and high revving, the tranny and clutch are excellent, and reliablility is excellent.. this review trashing the car is one of a rare breed, and for a reason, this is one of the greatest cars ever for the money.. ihave put 100000 miles on my car, and so far other than standard maitnence and new bilstien shocks, the car is great.
I drove my miata 100,000+ km and I didn't have to fix anything.. its perfect! its the best remote control car ever!
The Miata is no speed demon, but it's a 1.8 liter in a 2300 lb car. That's more than enough. It's made to be revved, not to be torquie like a V8. Drive it the right way or get a torque monster.