Considering an NC Miata

[erod550]

The only C5 I would drive is a Z06. Otherwise there's just not enough power to make up for how cheap the car feels.

I say go for it on the NC. You're not getting it to impress other people so who cares about the "it's still just a Miata" crap. You know they're a blast to drive and who cares what non-car people think?

[roninsoldier83]

I took an NC Miata out for a spin yesterday afternoon after the weather cleared up. It was a 2006 GT package w/6MT. I'm pretty sure it had the sport package on it, but never confirmed.

I liked it a lot. True story.

It's certainly not fast, but it was peppy and had plenty of mid-range torque to be fun and pass in 6th gear. It doesn't hold a candle to the last AP1 S2000 I drove power-wise, but it wasn't bad at all. I could see wanting to mod it for more power though lol.

I really liked the steering- much more feedback than the S2000! I didn't get to push it too hard, but it had a lot more feel to it than the vast majority of vehicles on the road and the rack ratio felt "right" as well; quick enough to transition well without being darty. A bit "smoother" than my MSM, but still had lots of feedback.

The chassis seemed very composed. No cowl shake- much stiffer than my MSM. Seemed about on par with the S2000.

It rode pretty smooth and still managed to handle transitions with a lot of poise and a noticeable lack of roll. I didn't push it through the corners very hard (roads were still a bit damp), but overall, it felt good at about 7/10ths. I'm sure I would eventually swap suspension anyway, so it's a moot point, but it wasn't the Buick/Lincoln boaty suspension that some people make it out to be... probably not quite as sharp as my old MSM or an S2000, but still very fun.

Interior was perfectly adequate. Nothing crazy fancy, but not sparse either. It easily felt roomier than my old MSM in almost every way- save for maybe headroom with the top up, and even though, it was likely a wash. It beat my MSM in the leg-room department pretty handily- no more right knee touching the center console or steering wheel! The tilt steering wheel helped- I could actually heel-toe without having to be conscious about my knee touching the wheel! It actually seemed like it might be roomier than an S2000 as well- other than again, headroom. The leather interior probably didn't help that. I would prefer cloth if possible, and they would likely offer maybe 1/2" more headroom due to sinking in further.

I liked the side bolstering in the seats- I was very snug. Although the seat bottom was a bit harsh and didn't have much in the way of thigh support. Tilting it back just a bit would likely improve on that considerably (as well as increase headroom).

-It had a [tasteful] aftermarket shift knob, but otherwise seemed stock. The clutch and shifter worked well. Smoother shifter than my MSM. Smoother clutch than an S2000. The S2000 still has a better shifter though. All the pedals seemed in the "right place" and had ideal feedback. Good pedal box setup.

-The Z-top was very cold and brittle and initially tough to put down. I was told the car had been sitting on the lot for a month. I believe it. After I got it down once, it seemed easy to repeat up and down. The top's latch system makes it look much cleaner than my old MSM's setup.

Overall, I enjoyed driving it a lot! I'll still have to test drive a few more cars, but it easily helped solidify its position at the top of the list.