R&T short article on changes in new 2019 Mazda Miata
04-09-2018, 03:48 PM
#2
Thanks, cool. I've owned three already, but have to admit I'm considering a fourth. Still love the 8, though. And I can only have one car. I really shouldn't have any. But no CD player? Could be deal breaker for me.
Last edited by New Yorker; 04-09-2018 at 03:52 PM.
The following users liked this post:
gwilliams6 (04-09-2018)
04-22-2018, 02:05 AM
#4
Smoking turbo yay
Move everything to your phone, done.
Or buy an old iPod/iPod knockoff for $20, move everything on there, done.
And no, you won't notice the difference unless you are a huge audiophile.
I am actually glad that my factory navigation unit hides the CD ports. Can't even remember the last time I see someone with a music CD.
Or buy an old iPod/iPod knockoff for $20, move everything on there, done.
And no, you won't notice the difference unless you are a huge audiophile.
I am actually glad that my factory navigation unit hides the CD ports. Can't even remember the last time I see someone with a music CD.
04-22-2018, 09:49 AM
#5
///// Upscale Zoom-Zoom
Move everything to your phone, done.
Or buy an old iPod/iPod knockoff for $20, move everything on there, done.
And no, you won't notice the difference unless you are a huge audiophile.
I am actually glad that my factory navigation unit hides the CD ports. Can't even remember the last time I see someone with a music CD.
Or buy an old iPod/iPod knockoff for $20, move everything on there, done.
And no, you won't notice the difference unless you are a huge audiophile.
I am actually glad that my factory navigation unit hides the CD ports. Can't even remember the last time I see someone with a music CD.
- far better audio quality
- prevents SiriusXM interruptions
- can take a large collection with me on a trip
The following users liked this post:
zoom44 (05-01-2018)
04-22-2018, 12:26 PM
#6
Smoking turbo yay
XM interruption isn't all that common for me. Might be more common for different locations.
And isn't a phone/iPod more convenient than a bunch of discs?
I just think it makes sense for the manufacturer to get rid of a feature that 99% of the population don't use anymore. The only thing the CD slot is good for for most folks is that there are those CD slot phone mounts you can buy.
It's kinda like wanting car manufacturers to give you a tape player like my 99 Corolla had.
05-01-2018, 07:50 AM
#8
Water Foul
The quality, like I mentioned, isn't really a concern for me. To each of their own, I don't really think I can tell much of a difference, especially with the road noise, and sometimes I find that I don't even listen to music at all if I am out for a spirited drive.
XM interruption isn't all that common for me. Might be more common for different locations.
And isn't a phone/iPod more convenient than a bunch of discs?
I just think it makes sense for the manufacturer to get rid of a feature that 99% of the population don't use anymore. The only thing the CD slot is good for for most folks is that there are those CD slot phone mounts you can buy.
It's kinda like wanting car manufacturers to give you a tape player like my 99 Corolla had.
XM interruption isn't all that common for me. Might be more common for different locations.
And isn't a phone/iPod more convenient than a bunch of discs?
I just think it makes sense for the manufacturer to get rid of a feature that 99% of the population don't use anymore. The only thing the CD slot is good for for most folks is that there are those CD slot phone mounts you can buy.
It's kinda like wanting car manufacturers to give you a tape player like my 99 Corolla had.
And, when I want higher quality sound, I can have it with real CDs.
The following 2 users liked this post by Steve Dallas:
UnknownJinX (06-02-2018),
zoom44 (05-01-2018)
06-02-2018, 01:58 AM
#9
Smoking turbo yay
After reading these replies, I actually decided to give the CD a try.
The reason is that, like people mentioned, I'd rather have my hands completely off my phone as I am driving. Also, blank CDs don't cost much and I have a DVD/CD writer sitting around.
With the 320 kbps songs, the quality is very good. It has the advantage of not being interrupted like Sirius XM sometimes does.
One nice bonus I found is that the Bose Centerpoint only works with CDs on S2 RX-8s with Bose. It doesn't work with anything else AM, FM, XM or AUX. The Centerpoint works really well in the car and simulates a surround sound. Pretty cool.
Guess that CD player isn't as useless as I thought it is, though on newer cars, I can see how they are being replaced by CarPlay/Auto.
The reason is that, like people mentioned, I'd rather have my hands completely off my phone as I am driving. Also, blank CDs don't cost much and I have a DVD/CD writer sitting around.
With the 320 kbps songs, the quality is very good. It has the advantage of not being interrupted like Sirius XM sometimes does.
One nice bonus I found is that the Bose Centerpoint only works with CDs on S2 RX-8s with Bose. It doesn't work with anything else AM, FM, XM or AUX. The Centerpoint works really well in the car and simulates a surround sound. Pretty cool.
Guess that CD player isn't as useless as I thought it is, though on newer cars, I can see how they are being replaced by CarPlay/Auto.
06-02-2018, 08:39 AM
#10
I’m an avid audiophile; I can hear the difference between CD and other audio sources. The difference is slight to none in a car - particularly a noisy roadster - but at home, no contest. And I prefer having one medium for both home and car. So if I get one - big “if,” as I still love the 8 - I might go for a CD-equipped ‘18.
That said, if you can’t hear a difference between CD and ripped music - and most people can’t, or don’t care - why bother with CD? Go for convenience.
That said, if you can’t hear a difference between CD and ripped music - and most people can’t, or don’t care - why bother with CD? Go for convenience.
06-02-2018, 05:53 PM
#11
Smoking turbo yay
I’m an avid audiophile; I can hear the difference between CD and other audio sources. The difference is slight to none in a car - particularly a noisy roadster - but at home, no contest. And I prefer having one medium for both home and car. So if I get one - big “if,” as I still love the 8 - I might go for a CD-equipped ‘18.
That said, if you can’t hear a difference between CD and ripped music - and most people can’t, or don’t care - why bother with CD? Go for convenience.
That said, if you can’t hear a difference between CD and ripped music - and most people can’t, or don’t care - why bother with CD? Go for convenience.
If the 2019 MX-5 has more power then I think that will be a winner. The current 6800 redline is pretty pathetic, seeing how my 08 Accord V6(lots of more moving parts) has the same redline while an Accord I4 EX-L from the same year has a 7200 redline, and that was for a family car. There is definitely more room for more power.
08-22-2018, 11:03 AM
#12
After reading several articles on the 2019 MX-5, I see many rave reviews (other than the price) but I don't see what transmission they have put in the car.
the original tranny was trash and I believe they put in a heavier duty unit in as the replacement. However, in the recent Motor Trend article, the author said he loved the 2016 that he owned until the original tranny sheared its gears and then the replacement did the same. With significantly higher Revs than the old engine, if the transmission is not beefed up, I see many failures upcoming.
Anyone have any input?
the original tranny was trash and I believe they put in a heavier duty unit in as the replacement. However, in the recent Motor Trend article, the author said he loved the 2016 that he owned until the original tranny sheared its gears and then the replacement did the same. With significantly higher Revs than the old engine, if the transmission is not beefed up, I see many failures upcoming.
Anyone have any input?
Last edited by Hi Flying 8; 08-23-2018 at 09:56 AM.
08-23-2018, 07:59 AM
#13
Water Foul
I have no verified information to add. I can only say that the Fiat version uses the old NC trans, which is a nice unit. Hopefully Mazda went back to that one.
08-23-2018, 02:56 PM
#14
Registered
Mazda is and likely always will be hush-hush about the root-cause of the Sky-M gearbox, but looking at the parts replacement in each transmission revision, it infers the challenge was partially related to manufacturing faults with the 2nd gearset, metallurgical specification for the surrounding assemblies, and even a concern with case flex affecting gear mesh.
It'll take time before we really know what other changes took place that Mazda marketing didn't see fit to share, especially since they still have lots of 2018's still on the lots to sell. Visually, the engine block has changed, including what appears to be an additional bell-housing bolt location and reinforcement webbing. The lower-bolt position matches the larger 2.5L engines, so it is possible they are matching components across the 2.0 and 2.5 now. Previously, the SkyActiv motors were physically scaled around their displacement, including the attached components. Always seemed wasteful to require a dedicated parts for each displacement package to fit the size, but Mazda claimed weight savings was made possible this way versus the previous shared casting model. The part number for the transmission has changed, but several internal components are still the same as the last revision Mazda was shipping for the 155bhp cars.
155bhp 2.0L Sky-G (ND1) versus 181bhp 2.0L Sky-G (ND2)
(Image source: Flyin'Miata)
Mazda3 2.5L Sky-G
(Image source: Autoblog)
They won't have reverted to the NC transmission as that goes against their corporate mission and efforts with the SkyActiv programs. They will continue to revise the Sky-M as-needed to meet their original design goals (lower drive losses and lower weight) while resolving any durability concerns.
My 2016 suffered transmission failure at 11,000 miles and was replaced with a Rev2 transmission that felt slightly better and did not fail after another 16,000 miles of hard use. I sold it and presume it is serving the new owner well, though some have seen failures in Rev2 transmissions as well. Mazda was up to Rev4 on the last ND1 cars.
It'll take time before we really know what other changes took place that Mazda marketing didn't see fit to share, especially since they still have lots of 2018's still on the lots to sell. Visually, the engine block has changed, including what appears to be an additional bell-housing bolt location and reinforcement webbing. The lower-bolt position matches the larger 2.5L engines, so it is possible they are matching components across the 2.0 and 2.5 now. Previously, the SkyActiv motors were physically scaled around their displacement, including the attached components. Always seemed wasteful to require a dedicated parts for each displacement package to fit the size, but Mazda claimed weight savings was made possible this way versus the previous shared casting model. The part number for the transmission has changed, but several internal components are still the same as the last revision Mazda was shipping for the 155bhp cars.
155bhp 2.0L Sky-G (ND1) versus 181bhp 2.0L Sky-G (ND2)
(Image source: Flyin'Miata)
Mazda3 2.5L Sky-G
(Image source: Autoblog)
They won't have reverted to the NC transmission as that goes against their corporate mission and efforts with the SkyActiv programs. They will continue to revise the Sky-M as-needed to meet their original design goals (lower drive losses and lower weight) while resolving any durability concerns.
My 2016 suffered transmission failure at 11,000 miles and was replaced with a Rev2 transmission that felt slightly better and did not fail after another 16,000 miles of hard use. I sold it and presume it is serving the new owner well, though some have seen failures in Rev2 transmissions as well. Mazda was up to Rev4 on the last ND1 cars.
Last edited by furansu; 08-23-2018 at 03:03 PM.
08-27-2018, 10:34 PM
#15
Super Moderator
Me too!!, for many decades and you will NEVER convince me that Digital is better than Analog.
Yes it has vastly improved over the years, but the improvements are not at the 'source' but in the delivery of...a pig is still a pig no matter what you do.
Digital is Digital it can not be altered, how it is transmitted and amplified to analog speakers is where the human ear adjusts and notices.
There really can not be any difference between an album of Music that is Digital on a CD Disk over that of a Digital Musical File on a phone or
Digital hard drive or flash drive, they are all the same.
Reluctantly I have personally had to adjust to what a studio engineer says is right sound quality to what others who know what analog think.
I have spend a fortune on state of the art hardware and software and still IMO nothing competes with a properly made analog vinyl album
through a studio reference turntable, through quality Amplifiers and the final Speakers.
My friend owns a Retail Outlet for high end home sound and visual.
Time and time again he and we and I see those who invest in new hardware the wrong way around.
Improve the Source First, Then Amplification, then Speakers in that order.
Having the Best Speakers money can buy and using a cheap turntable will always sound crap.
Where a good source (Turntable or CD player) through average Amp or Speakers will always sound better.
And agree in Automobiles (like Mazda) unless it is built like a tank (like a Bentley), ANY internal vibrations destroy the signal and end experience.
Everyone has the ability to listen to quality sound, they just have to be shown it.
I recall when I was a young musical know it all that POWER was all the go and all I needed, I slowly built up some great analog pieces
made in Scotland, but there was one missing part of my new system that I was waiting on, the Amplifier, that being a "Yamaha" 1200 watt per channel,
I also had new pair of huge tall ADR Floor Speakers, had it all ready, but no Pre-AMP/Amp. So my store friend loaned me this small and VERY Simple
NAIM (expensive) 70 watt pre- and main amp.
Plugged it all in a thought WOW this sounds fantastic!, could not wait for my new Yamaha 1200 watt Amps which would blow this NAIM amp out
of the water, well when the Yamaha arrived and plugged it in I was never more disappointed with a purchase ever!, compared to the little NAIM Amp 'loaner' the
Yammy sounded bloody terrible, it was Harsh, Hard and had no soul, my ears had been conditioned to hearing rock music on that small NAIM Amp.
Consequently store owner agreed to refund the Yammy and I bought a new 5 times the price way less power NAIM Amp.
To this day, to me Digital is still a long way from REAL Music as it will never overtake great Analog.
From that day I was converted that power and size means nothing, in fact it can be detrimental to listening pleasure..
Sorry to go off topic.
08-27-2018, 11:15 PM
#16
Super Moderator
Mazda is and likely always will be hush-hush about the root-cause of the Sky-M gearbox, but looking at the parts replacement in each transmission revision, it infers the challenge was partially related to manufacturing faults with the 2nd gearset, metallurgical specification for the surrounding assemblies, and even a concern with case flex affecting gear mesh.
It'll take time before we really know what other changes took place that Mazda marketing didn't see fit to share, especially since they still have lots of 2018's still on the lots to sell. Visually, the engine block has changed, including what appears to be an additional bell-housing bolt location and reinforcement webbing. The lower-bolt position matches the larger 2.5L engines, so it is possible they are matching components across the 2.0 and 2.5 now. Previously, the SkyActiv motors were physically scaled around their displacement, including the attached components. Always seemed wasteful to require a dedicated parts for each displacement package to fit the size, but Mazda claimed weight savings was made possible this way versus the previous shared casting model. The part number for the transmission has changed, but several internal components are still the same as the last revision Mazda was shipping for the 155bhp cars.
They won't have reverted to the NC transmission as that goes against their corporate mission and efforts with the SkyActiv programs. They will continue to revise the Sky-M as-needed to meet their original design goals (lower drive losses and lower weight) while resolving any durability concerns.
My 2016 suffered transmission failure at 11,000 miles and was replaced with a Rev2 transmission that felt slightly better and did not fail after another 16,000 miles of hard use. I sold it and presume it is serving the new owner well, though some have seen failures in Rev2 transmissions as well. Mazda was up to Rev4 on the last ND1 cars.
It'll take time before we really know what other changes took place that Mazda marketing didn't see fit to share, especially since they still have lots of 2018's still on the lots to sell. Visually, the engine block has changed, including what appears to be an additional bell-housing bolt location and reinforcement webbing. The lower-bolt position matches the larger 2.5L engines, so it is possible they are matching components across the 2.0 and 2.5 now. Previously, the SkyActiv motors were physically scaled around their displacement, including the attached components. Always seemed wasteful to require a dedicated parts for each displacement package to fit the size, but Mazda claimed weight savings was made possible this way versus the previous shared casting model. The part number for the transmission has changed, but several internal components are still the same as the last revision Mazda was shipping for the 155bhp cars.
They won't have reverted to the NC transmission as that goes against their corporate mission and efforts with the SkyActiv programs. They will continue to revise the Sky-M as-needed to meet their original design goals (lower drive losses and lower weight) while resolving any durability concerns.
My 2016 suffered transmission failure at 11,000 miles and was replaced with a Rev2 transmission that felt slightly better and did not fail after another 16,000 miles of hard use. I sold it and presume it is serving the new owner well, though some have seen failures in Rev2 transmissions as well. Mazda was up to Rev4 on the last ND1 cars.
As far as the C66M-R 6 Speed Manual Transmission used in all ND's up until the new engine ND2, I beleive this Trans was and is still fundamentally flawed as it was Never initially designed to take the extra power of the 2.0L Engine, It was only engineered for a 1.5 Litre engine and it's Power output...Now Mazda will never say this...but, 1.5l 6MT failures are almost non existent, I know of 1 in Europe.
I will say this again as I have said before, while I am obviously not an engineer, Mazda strives constantly to make their cars lighter in weight, particularly the MX-5/Miata.
From memory they stripped 27 lbs from the old and obsolete NC P66M-D Transmission, both are 6 speed, both are alloy made. Again that is a lot of weight to shave off.
My point being at what stage does this shaving off 'matter' to save weight and therefore manufacturing costs does this 'lightness' interfere in and with all parts reliability?
08-28-2018, 08:11 AM
#17
Water Foul
[snip]
My friend owns a Retail Outlet for high end home sound and visual.
Time and time again he and we and I see those who invest in new hardware the wrong way around.
Improve the Source First, Then Amplification, then Speakers in that order.
Having the Best Speakers money can buy and using a cheap turntable will always sound crap.
Where a good source (Turntable or CD player) through average Amp or Speakers will always sound better.
[/snip]
Caveat: unless we are talking about going from good speakers to great speakers, where the law of diminishing returns starts to apply.
08-28-2018, 12:29 PM
#18
Smoking turbo yay
Pardon my ignorance, but isn't a Miata softtop kinda noisy anyway?
Personally, I don't really pay attention to sounds. As long as it sounds like the stock system in the RX-8 or the 8th Gen EX-L Accord, I am not complaining. Gonna hear the engine buzzing away anyway.
The only thing I occasionally have wanted is a big subwoofer, but the kind of trunk space I am working with on the 8... Yeah, not happening.
Personally, I don't really pay attention to sounds. As long as it sounds like the stock system in the RX-8 or the 8th Gen EX-L Accord, I am not complaining. Gonna hear the engine buzzing away anyway.
The only thing I occasionally have wanted is a big subwoofer, but the kind of trunk space I am working with on the 8... Yeah, not happening.
08-28-2018, 12:29 PM
#19
Registered
As far as the C66M-R 6 Speed Manual Transmission used in all ND's up until the new engine ND2, I beleive this Trans was and is still fundamentally flawed as it was Never initially designed to take the extra power of the 2.0L Engine, It was only engineered for a 1.5 Litre engine and it's Power output...Now Mazda will never say this...but, 1.5l 6MT failures are almost non existent, I know of 1 in Europe.
I will say this again as I have said before, while I am obviously not an engineer, Mazda strives constantly to make their cars lighter in weight, particularly the MX-5/Miata.
From memory they stripped 27 lbs from the old and obsolete NC P66M-D Transmission, both are 6 speed, both are alloy made. Again that is a lot of weight to shave off.
My point being at what stage does this shaving off 'matter' to save weight and therefore manufacturing costs does this 'lightness' interfere in and with all parts reliability?
I will say this again as I have said before, while I am obviously not an engineer, Mazda strives constantly to make their cars lighter in weight, particularly the MX-5/Miata.
From memory they stripped 27 lbs from the old and obsolete NC P66M-D Transmission, both are 6 speed, both are alloy made. Again that is a lot of weight to shave off.
My point being at what stage does this shaving off 'matter' to save weight and therefore manufacturing costs does this 'lightness' interfere in and with all parts reliability?
08-28-2018, 02:35 PM
#20
08-28-2018, 08:33 PM
#21
Water Foul
Pardon my ignorance, but isn't a Miata softtop kinda noisy anyway?
Personally, I don't really pay attention to sounds. As long as it sounds like the stock system in the RX-8 or the 8th Gen EX-L Accord, I am not complaining. Gonna hear the engine buzzing away anyway.
<strong>The only thing I occasionally have wanted is a big subwoofer, but the kind of trunk space I am working with on the 8... Yeah, not happening.</strong>
Personally, I don't really pay attention to sounds. As long as it sounds like the stock system in the RX-8 or the 8th Gen EX-L Accord, I am not complaining. Gonna hear the engine buzzing away anyway.
<strong>The only thing I occasionally have wanted is a big subwoofer, but the kind of trunk space I am working with on the 8... Yeah, not happening.</strong>
https://www.rx8club.com/series-ii-in...thread-246297/
I go to great lengths to take measurements and detail how to improve the factory Bose stereo, including adding a JL Audio 10" sub and Alpine 500W amp with ample room left in the trunk. Sounds great for a car stereo, if you are into tight bass.
I a homeless at the moment, while I wait for my house to be built, so I don't have access to most of my photos and can't re-post them.
I think this is the successor to the sub I used:
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_136933...0LG-TW1-2.html
And this is the amp:
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_500MRV...-MRV-M500.html
All these years later, the sub box is still installed via friction using a black bath towel. It has never moved a millimeter, including after a few dozen track days.
Not bad at all for under $500.
08-29-2018, 07:57 AM
#22
Hey, I'm really interested in following your footsteps on the audio front. Been bugging me for a while, and I do already have dynamat for the doors (but not in said doors 
)
No idea if the S1 Bose is at all similar, but guessing it can't be far off.
What did you end up using in the front woofer position? I haven't had a chance to read your thread in full, might be good to throw what your final happy config is into the first post
)No idea if the S1 Bose is at all similar, but guessing it can't be far off.
What did you end up using in the front woofer position? I haven't had a chance to read your thread in full, might be good to throw what your final happy config is into the first post
08-30-2018, 07:24 AM
#23
Water Foul
I have not done anything since updating the first post in that thread. I bought a set of speakers and an amp, but never installed them. It sounds good enough now, assuming I keep the fader set to +2 or +3F. If I don't do that, the rear speakers reveal too much of the EQ filters built into the Bose amp, but the rears are just for fill anyway, right?
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
bigjoe1
Series I Interior, Audio, and Electronics
13
04-09-2009 07:02 AM
alphamale
Series I Interior, Audio, and Electronics
8
12-16-2007 03:34 PM