Pkskull77

I was made a proposition today, and I’m actually thinking about taking the offer. I brought my 8 in for service and spent some time in the showroom admiring the MS Miata. A salesman offered to take it off the showroom floor so I could take it for a spin.

The car was a blast to drive, and although the overall experience was not better than the 8’s, it’s hard to forget the feeling of the wind in your hair, and the sound of turbo kicking in.

I’m not delusional, I know the 8 is faster, and can swing the curves just as well as the Miata (If not better, I admit I’m not sure). I also know the utility of the Miata is far less than that of the 8, and in reality I’m losing money on the deal, even though they offered a strait trade. Finally, I know the Miata is about to become dated because they are releasing a new model next year, but the car is just so damn good looking.

Despite all this I’m actually considering the deal, any thoughts, advice or suggestions?

Mugatu

iTrader: (1)

as long as you don't mind a 2 seater go kart, then go for it. however i never compare apples to oranges when it comes to cars.

Pkskull77

I agree, the size is a bit of a problem with me. I may take a look at a WRX.

crossbow

Check out the legacy GT.

SilverEIGHT

Tell the dealer you want a week to think about it. Try to concentrate on something else for a while and see if you are still so enamored with it later. Time can be a real advantage to you when you have the hots for one vehicle. If you go back to the dealer, sit in it and still get the seat wet, then you need to trade that puppy and get her on the freeway and enjoy the breeze in your hair.

Pkskull77

What is the MSRP on that car?

VikingDJ

This is something I was considering as well, but bailed on. What year, mileage, and options do you have on rx8? That is a pretty decent trade to be straight up depending on your rx8 and it's current mileage. What prevented me from trading in rx8 was when I realized I have an STI, and don't have use or need for another car. I ultimately wised up, and will be selling rx8 next week, rather then trading it in, as it buys me time to make a wise decision on my next car purchase. I'm curious, what was the rock bottom price of the MS Miata? It sounds to me like you really want that Miata, so I'd say go for it, as long as sale price, and your trade in is fair. Good luck in your decision!

BTW MSRP on the Legacy GT is $26,245, and add $2500 for the GT limited package. Now that car will be faster thenyour rx8 no doubt, but of course it's not as nimble.

Steiner

Do they make those Miatas for guys too?

m477

When you say it didn't have enough room, do you mean interior room? Or storage? The s2000 has a bit more interior room, especially legroom. I really liked the MSM, and though I could manage the small trunk, but in the end I just didn't fit very well in the driver's seat.

Also, if you really like the razor sharp, nimble, tossable feeling of the MSM or RX-8, you probably won't enjoy the WRX as much.

Sigma

In my experience when you're getting all wishful-thinking about this car or that car or that car or this car then just sitting down and thinking it over for a bit helps calm that down a bit. You just got a little idea planted in your head and it doesn't want to let go -- exactly what the salesman wanted to do.

Give it a week or two, don't put a lot of thought into a new car, and see if you still feel the same way after the intial day-dreaming has passed. That, and if you're a modder, think about what you could do with the car you have that could rekindle the passion for that car.

Pkskull77

To clarify on size, let me say when I bought the 8 I had a long time girlfriend who had an SUV, so carting stuff around in the car was never a consideration. Now that she's gone size has become an issue.

I fit into the car just fine, I was talking about space to fit my dogs into. As it stands with the 8 they don't really fit in it all that well, so the Miata would not make much of a difference. It's nice to have the 8's back seat but honestly I never use it.

I agree I probably wouldn't like the handling of the WRX but it has 4 doors, is as fast as the 8, and has all wheel drive. After last winter in my 8 I'm a little nervous about going it without an SUV around in an emergency.

s13lover

I woundn't worry about the ms being dated. Personally, I like the looks of the current Miata much better than the new one.

XDEEDUBBX

i drove around a miata NB miata for a year and a half prior to the 8. Its a great car just too dam small. The MS miata is a little peppier. If your not haooy with your 8 i think the ms mx5 would be a great choice

dmp

FlyinMiata is doing GREAT things with the MSMiata....If the rX8 is faster stock, It won't be after some FlyinMiata-Lovin'.

RPIRX-8

PM Speed Racer. He just made this trade, 8 for MS Miata.

snizzle

mmmmmm, MS Miata. I must admit it's simply the best looking stock Miata i've ever seen... i'd buy that one before the new MX6 which looks like a bar of soap on wheels.

From car and driver:

Highs: Good power, nimble handling, charming character, fantastic bargain.

Lows: Limited cockpit space, tire roar on poor surfaces.

The Verdict: The best reason ever for buying one.

Pkskull77

Cost is an issue with that car.

StealthFox

yeah but the s2000 is a hell of a lot meaner and has more power potential, looks are subjective but id say the s2k looks alot better(not bashing the miata, love the car, just think the honda looks better) and a used one shouldnt hurt the pocketbook too bad after selling the 8

dmorales

but it doen't have a rotary engine...
________
Bongs

poolsidenaz

I have to confess if I were in your shoes I would be equally as torn as you are now. The miata is hands down totally tossable. I traded in my 99 miata to get into the 8 and try as I might, I have never been able to command the same rail riding ability at the same speeds in my 8 that the miata has.

You'll lose a lot lf creature comfort and sophistication going to the miata, but like you said you will gain a whole other driving experience and have the wind through your hair I also like this model more than the body of next years model; just my personal taste. I may get lamb basted for this but the Miata feels equally as quick as the 8 and I had no problem keeping up with other cars when driving it. You won't lose much speed making the switch. And the Miata really responds incredibly well to spirited driving.

Like the others here said, take your time and think it over. But with the sickening low prices people are buying their 8s for these days, a straight trade of your used 8 for a brand new MS Miata is terribly terribly tempting. Honestly I wouldn't want to face that proposition.

Good luck and please post your final decision here for the rest of us! :D

globi

Have considered buying a used Miata, add a supercharger and keep the RX-8?
http://www.flyinmiata.com/news/ubercharger.php

I'd argue that a 10 year old Miata is not that much different (wind in your hair and such) and with a supercharger it's faster than a new MS Miata and possibly even a S2000 (depending on what supercharger option you'd go with.)

StealthFox

were you thinking the miata did?

tuj

Before I give my opinion, I'm coming from 3 years of owning, modifiying, and autox'ing a 96 Miata. I've driven supercharged and turbocharged Miata's of various years and tune levels, as well as the stock 1.6 cars and the stock 99+ cars. Now I've owned and autox'ed an RX-8 for a year.

Last weekend I drove the regular 2005 Miata and the MS Miata back to back helping my gf shop for a new ride. The regular 05 Miata is without a doubt the best N/A Miata I have ever driven. The exhaust note is superb, and the handling and ride are the best combo the car's ever had stock. I wish they would go back to Toyo's or something really sticky stock, but the OEM's aren't too bad. I really enjoyed the car.

But the MS Miata was a total dissapointment. The turbo lag was terrible and somewhat baffling coming from the small turbo its got. The peak power production was really quite lackluster aside from the rapid kick that a turbo gives. It felt like it didn't start making power until almost 5.5k and with a 7.5k redline, that's not much to work with. Throttle-response suffered noticably and the retuned suspension feels amost identical to stock with perhaps a bit more rebound dampening in the rear shocks.

The 8 is peaky, but its no where near as peaky as the MS Miata. The rush from the rotary sweeping from 5 to 9k at WOT is so superior and thrilling that it makes me appreciate the 8 even more. The regular miata is a joy because the car is SO easy to drive at 8/10ths. I had the thing sliding around corners within 3 minutes with no drama. Its a wonderful, predictable car. The 8 is harder to drive like that, but it is its own special kind of joy in being genuinely faster and more dynamic. It responds better in every way.

The only things that will get me out of an 8 right now are either a new RX-7 or a NC Miata with the Renesis engine.

Pkskull77

I ended up going with a 05’ WRX. After I sat down and thought about it, I realized that I really needed something with 4 doors, so I could cart around my dogs. Additionally, I used to have access to an SUV for bad weather, but that’s no longer the case, so I figured I’d get something that was good in bad weather.

All in all, I miss the hell out of the 8, the car was so damn sexy, but I had a ton of reliability issues (and had put 20,000 miles on the car already), and my dogs just did not comfortably fit into the car. I know an 8 with winter tires is good in the snow, but nowhere as good as an all wheel drive car, and good tires would not be cheap.

In comparing the two cars I have the following comments. The WRX is a little quicker off the line, and has a much more useable power band. Because the car is an economy box, the visibility around the car is excellent, and I feel much better driving it in tight spaces. If aftermarket is you thing the WRX is your car, you can add 70 horsepower without spending over 2 g’s. I also feel more comfortable working on the car myself; the 8 seemed way too complicated for me to feel comfortable.

As for the 8, well it stops and feels much better in the turns than the Subaru. Most importantly the car made you feel like you were a superstar. I got countless compliments, and a lot of people thought I was nuts for trading her in. I’m gonging miss cleaning her too. After I got done detailing the 8 it looked so good. Oh well, thus is life.

I really like this forum so I think I will stick around for the general automotive discussions, and I will pop into the WRX forums for technical questions. Relax, I’m not going to become a Troll, I really loved the 8.