It will take more than a hard top to save the miata.

Like cease production of the far superior Solstice and Sky…

The Miata has sold what 1! since those two arrived? Ford and Mazda could have saved a whole lot of hassle if they just dropped the Miata in the first place since everyone would rather have a Solstice or a Sky anyway

ha ha, you’re so stupid. Again, your comments must be a joke.

This car looks good.

Everyone would rather have a Pontiac Solstice or Saturn Sky over this wreck of metal

If its such a “wreck” why is it still selling. You guys are in a prallel universe.

People eat at McDonalds every damn day that doesn’t mean it’s not crap.

“Everyone would rather have a Pontiac Solstice or Saturn Sky over this wreck of metal.”
Says, who? Not most of the publications I’ve read or owners I’ve talked to.
The new MX-5 performs better, offers better quality, fit, finish, more trunk space and better mpg than either the Sky or Solstice.

The Kappa cars, Solstice/Sky are consistenly outselling the MX5. Yes it’s true. Look it up for yourselves.

Hardtop Solstice/sky are in the works as we speak.

The miata is overrated. I don’t know about the sky/solstice because I haven’t driven them but I know the miata is all hype.

the whole reason there is a soltice/sky is because of the Miata…it is still king in my book. The GM twins would deff be the better choice over the previouls Gen MX5 but not the current model. just all around a better car.

“The Kappa cars, Solstice/Sky are consistenly outselling the MX5. Yes it’s true. Look it up for yourselves.”
I could care less, as I know which car is superior. Thats not to say that this isn’t a great first effort from GM, and there is some hope for them yet if they can continue to produce and design more cars like this. When they sell over 700,000 of them like the Miata since it’s introduction let me know.

“The miata is overrated. I don’t know about the sky/solstice because I haven’t driven them but I know the miata is all hype.”
Tell that the the thousands of racers that race them every weekend.

Chick car, even with a hardtop. Gimme a SKY!

Tuh…I like it. Especially now that it comes in a hardtop version. Not that I don’t like the Sky/Solstice, but I’d rather wait and see how those do in the long run. Maybe they’ll be my choice the second time around.

Lots of people think the Miata is a chick car. A recent poll put the Saturn Sky at the top of the “Gayest Car” list.

Is it me or is everyone taking this whole “car x is crap”, “car y sucks” thing a little too far?

Judging a car based on styling is strictly a matter of opinion. Performance has some basis in fact, but also depends greatly on ones own perception.

Get over yourselves.

I’ve said it a hundred times, “High sales numbers do not a great car make�. If you’re asserting that the Miata is great because lots of people buy them then you must concede that other cars that sell well are also great. It is not true. It just means that the car in question appeals to the lowest common denominator. Or should I say low-class.

PS: Todd your thinking is not progressive. Go back to whatever red state you came from.

AND????????

The Colbalt outsells the Cayman too…guess that’s a better car huh?

Some of you are complete idiots. This is one of the best handling cars you can buy at ANY price. Just read the clippings. The kappas are better in only one regard…styling. The engine, susp, balance, storage, mpg, quality, etc are so inferior it’s not even funny. Did you hear about the upcoming recall to replace all rear ends on the Kappa? Wait till THAT happens, then we’ll see what sells.

The rear window profile doesn’t look very attractive (too vertical). It’s not as sleek as the removable hardtop or more sophisticated hardtop convertibles like the SLK.

The reason the Sky and Solstice sell so well is that they are brand new cars. The Miata is new, but it is not a new model so it doesn’t generate the “buzz” that the new kappa cars do. Auto mags have more or less chosen the Miata over the other two. I will take a Miata please. I prefer the looks, the engine and even with the hard top, it still undercuts the Kappa cars’ weight by 2-300 lbs with the same power (GXP/Rediline excluded, but there is a Mazdaspeed Miata on the way). I still am hopeing to a pure coupe miata at some point. I know it is not in the roadster spirit, but it would be amazing if it were to happen.

todd, you are an asshat
“A recent poll put the Saturn Sky at the top of the “Gayest Car” list.”

actually a recent gay magazine’s online website released a list of the vehicles most searched for on their site. Also on the list is the ‘anti-gay’ ’silly fairy’ Caliber. if the gay community is claiming that dodge is anti-gay, why was the caliber on that list?

BECAUSE IT WAS SIMPLY SEARCHED FOR. As were all the vehicles on the list… and all vehicles were new-for-2007. Huh. wow. what a coincidence.

asshat.

If the Miata is all hype then so is the Solistice. Give me a break….both great cars in a small niche market.
And Todd’s remark made more sense than any of your comments Jon’O….there are a ton of great cars on the market today and few if any of them are crap. Grow up you idiot.

id rather have a slk55 that things as fast as a corvette but looks so much better

The Sky and Solstice sell better than the Miata because they are brand-new cars in a segment the the Miata was the lone car for the most part. The Miata does perform better, and is rated higher in almost every category, but a Solstice GXP with more power and better suspension might outperform a Miata.

Or you can just get the Solstice with the LS7 and be ridiculous.

The Soltice/Sky are the new kids on the block. Just by media and general word of mouth they are better looking in most opinions than the old Miata. Therefore they sell better.

Which is best? Depends on how you define. For the company it would be which sells the most with the most profit for the company and I would say GM is happier than Mazda.

If you are the buyer the best is the one you buy!

I’d rather buy a real Lotus Elan used than a Japanese knockoff.

pretty good idea, but is there really any demand for a folding hard top MX-5?

They need to offer a hardtop if the want to sell in Temperate climates where we get snow..

If the styling looked more like the concept than i would say hands down, the MX-5 is more desirable, but if you want to just drive down the main avenue looking good, the Solstice/Sky isn’t a bad choice…

TO GMrules,

You think GM is so cool, well do you drive a GM?
Hey I tracked you down, you live in Vancouver, WA and you go to clark college, and you use the downstairs comupter in the library to response. Don’t talk smack bro.
GM sucks.

ha ha, VV #30, i hope u really found him. I’d love to get the address, go over and blast his face off with a shotgun. GMrules is 40 and lives with his mommie!! GMrules is GAY!!!

Buy/Lease Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Mazda, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, and whatever Ford owns!!

It is really sad that people on this website think “gay� is an insult.

To GM is CRAP!!,
Hey I really did found him, just watch, he has not responded yet when he get online he will be shocked. I will tell you later how I found out, but he will be shocked.

I’ll be passing you guys by in my MX-5 when your Solstices and Sky’s are hanging off the back of tow trucks. I’ve had 3 MX-5’s with over 100K miles on each without a single breakdown ever.

#33 V V, u should copy that message on all future stories on LLN so GMrules can read them. I dont think he’s gonna come back to this one. He might miss this one. Keep it going, VV!! I can’t wait for him to be shocked and never ever comment a friggin’ word about GM success on future comments!!

GM is CRAP,
Bro that is exactly what I am going to do, and I will put that irational person into some scary crap. I feel you, he is so dumb. Instead of discussion cars all he does is diss on manufacture.

Now the real question about GMrules… can you shut him up?

The Miata is a very good car.
The Sky is a good car.
The Solstice is a good car.

The hardtop is appealing to some people… like me for instance. I dislike convertibles but I like the lightweight and RWD.

The Miata now needs to have a 250 horsepower turbocharged model to keep up with the category it created years ago.

Looks great the mazda mps version should be amazing, 2.3l 260hp turbo anyone ))

Wow, do any of you know anything about cars?

Calling the Miata a piece of crap? Wow. The amount of ignorance and fanboy-ism towards Solstice/Sky is astonishing.

The hype is on the Sky/Solstice, which is EXACTLY why they are selling like crazy.

Do you know how long the MX-5 has been in existence and how many have sold? Do you think that either Solstice/Sky will sell 720,000 units? Because that’s how many MX-5s have been sold over its 17 year life span. And the MX-5 is the best selling sports car in history. Period.

#36 VV, great! Lets see how it goes. GMrules, ur going down like GM sales!!

He probably will get scared and change his screename. Won’t be hard to find him cuz all we have to do is to find a comment raving about GM success. That’ll be him! lol. Such a loser!

Looks good. The lines are a bit S2000 this time around, which isn’t a bad thing and the hardtop is a nice touch. Hopefully, the extra weight doesn’t affect its nimble attitude.

Forgot to say, I’m really liking the decision NOT to try to make this look like a coupe. The G6, Eos, and even the Focus CC look wierd with the top up because their backs are too long for a coupe style roof line.

i like it, though i think the rear windscreen is placed at too much of a vertical angle. i doubt there was any other way to engineer it effectively though.

the miata is a great car… it’s considered a “chick car” simply because women find it desirable, even though men find it desirable as well.

the solstice/sky have this thing beat on overall looks, and thats about it. mazda trumps pontiac and saturn in virtually every other area.

The MX-5 is a great car. Those who think the brand new GM sprots cars are better are crazy. This is a third generation Jap car, refined and honed to the point of perfection.

First year GM anything is a scary propostion. If you drove these cars back to back you would pick the MX-5

I do not have to worry about any of them. I have an S2000, which is one of the coolest drivers’s cars on the planet and it has No Equal in its price class.

The S2000 is an amazing car. I laugh at the jokers in their Solstices and Skys, they are good looking crap.

There is much to say about the S2000. But even with all it has to offer, the S2000 lacks the character of the MX-5. Mazda has created a real legend with the MX-5, which the S2000 is not. Although you might argue from Honda’s past, that the S600’s and S800’s were inspiration for a legend. Those vehicles from the past really were not commercially available to most of the US. Pure driving excitement is a part of both vehicles, but if you think the MX-5 is not equal to the S2000 you are crazy. If you want justification for “tuner” performance, just look at http://www.flyinmiata.com These are the fastest roadsters period. With the right forced induction system added, performance is far superior than the S2000. After these modifications, the price point on a MX-5 is still in the same class as a stock S2000. Most of the Mugen setups I’ve seen for the S2000 are not cost effective.

I am not crazy and I love the MX-5, but it is no S2000. Modifications do not count here. However the if we are talking mods then you have to realize that the S2000 is already a hot rod right from the factory.

You really can not hop up teh S2K a lot more. It has very high compression in the motor as it is.

Honda draws from a very rich racing heritage. F1, MotoGP, Superbike, CART, IndyCar…. Tehy know a thing or to about high performance. The S2000 is a real deal. It is actually a very exotic little machine that just does not cost a ton.

The SLK isn’t really in the same class as the others… Yeah sure it might be better, but is very much reflected in the price too.

#49 –Patrick– Awwwwwwwwwwwww yeah. Tell them blind GM ‘tards how it am!

Those MX-5’s are great. Don’t you love the shot with the trunk open and the top down. There is still luggage space. Teh Kappa twins can’t accomplish that with a soft top, much less a hard top.

Mazda to GM -”Suck It!”

Let’s just keep things in perspective. If a person doesn’t care about performance and they just want to experience the joy of driving a roadster, the MX-5, S2000, as well as several different cars will give you that. Although if you value your dollar, the MX-5 costs less than most any other roadster available I know of, unless KIA starts to make one. The S2000 and MX-5 both have build quality going for it, unlike the Saturn Sky, and Solstice. If you value performance and just want to keep a stock roadster, both the S2000 and MX-5 offer similar stock performance innovations built into them from their racing heritage. But now the MX-5 has another advantage going for it with a powered hardtop. People are more likely to focus on it instead of other roadsters like the Saturn Sky. Which is a pain in the rear to raise and lower the top. Neither the S2000 or MX-5 have that much torque from their engine in stock form, the edge definitely goes to the lighter MX-5. The factory engine of the S2000 is tuned for power at high rpms so unless you rev the S2000 engine to 7,000 rpm or so before every takeoff, accleration will be similar and so will body roll, and braking.

However, if you value performance and don’t care about keeping it in stock form, there are more differences. The mazda engine has a lower compression ratio, so its actually more turbo friendly than the higher compression honda engine. Oh, let’s see the MX-5 has been one of Car and Driver’s ten best for several years. Did the S2000 actually make it once? The S2000 is no Acura NSX or Lotus Elise for that matter.

This just further proves my point against the Saturn Sky…….

http://money.cnn.com/2006/07/19/autos/carreviews/saturn_sky/index.htm

Jeremy D — your ingnorance is showing. Aside from it being a 2-door Jap roadster, the MX-5 and S2000 aren’t in the same class. I like the Miata but it is nothing like the S2000.

The S2000 shares almost no parts with any other Honda product. The MX-5 shares many excellent parts with other Mazdas. Nothing wrong with it, but you just have no idea how unique a car the Honda is. It is built in the same factory
as the NSX and that is all they build there.

As far as 10 best goes here is a small blurb on some of its awards.

” * The S2000 was on Car and Driver’s Ten Best list for 2000 through 2002 and 2004.
* The S2000 was the highest-ranked model in the J.D. Power and Associates 2004 Vehicle Dependability Study’s “Premium Sports Car” class, and consistently holds one of the top three positions.
* The F20C engine won the International Engine of the Year award in the “1.8 to 2 liter” size category for five years from 2000 through 2004.”

As far as turbocharging goes who needs it whe you have one of the most powerful naturally aspirated engines available.

The ultra stiff chassis, the unique In wheel front double wishbone suspension like an open wheel race car. Very exotic differential. The engine is behind the front axel, creating a front mid design. The Mazda has it roots in an economy car.

You clearly have no idea what makes up an S2000. The current writings really do not even compare the S2000 with the other roadsters, b/c it is so much faster and more expensive. They know what is. In fact one of its biggest criticisms is it is Too Hardcore. Yes it does not have alot down low but the top end is a freak show. The car becomes a fire breathing monster in the upper revs once the VTEC hits.

BTW the Honda has a powered top. Standard. Unlike the optional one on the MX-5. In fact the Honda has no options at all. Everything is standard, th eonly choce you have is color.

Go out and test drive one. Get on it. You will not believe it. This cars closest competitor is the BoxterS.

Also you can even compare the racing heritage of Mazda with that of Honda.

You seem like a hater of the Honda, and that is clearly out of ignorance. I actually like the MX-5 very much. But when you are pricing them out, to get an MX-5 with the equipment that an S2000 has, the price goes way up on the Mazda. It gets real close. Especially that you vcan get a Honda for about $31,500, and the well equipped Mazda hits about $29K.

The Honda walks away with the logical argument. Real car guys know the difference.

Give it a mazdaspeed option ans sign me up.

If you try hard enough, you can score an S2000 for around 29 grand… This Miata is great looking and a nimble performer but still just one step closer to an S2000. Not a knock on the Mazda, just a comparo from numerous test drives (And almost a purchase). The S is a screamer, a visceral beast if you work for it.

5.4 seconds and 13.9 quarter for a 6 year old design with STILL! one of the highest hp/l WITHOUT forced induction is quite respectable. It’s not for the guys who like F-bods or Mustangs, but for those who have driven old Alfa Spyders or TR6’s, the little Honda shows its influence.

The closer and closer that Mazda gets with the MX-5 though…

The hardtop is a pointless exercise… unless this is just prep work for merging the rx-7/8 and the Miata.

They already share firewall hard points, and a new rx-7 *would* need a hardtop to compete with SLKs and the like.

“Although if you value your dollar, the MX-5 costs less than most any other roadster available I know of, unless KIA starts to make one.”

-

Kia *did* make one… just not in the US. they bought the tooling for the old Lotus Elan… rebadged it and sold it as the Kia Elan.

granted the Lotus Elan was probably one of the lamest cars Lotus ever built. i mean really… a FWD Lotus roadster? with an Isuzu Impulse engine? sounds great… er…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kia_Elan

Read all the numbers you want. Bottom line is that both cars are extremely fun to drive and both have similar performance as stock. But the MX-5 was the original. The Legend. You can get a new mx-5 around 21,000 plus tax. Not only is the upfront cost of the S2000 more but so is the insurance, maintenance, and gas. 2 of my co-workers have s2000’s and they all consider them in the same class as my mx-5, they just pay more. None of them got much below the MSRP of 33,000 from the dealer. If that price difference is nothing to you then you should drive the Mercedes SLK roadster. It flat out beats the S2000 and MX-5 in acceleration, and is smoother at high speed for under $40,000. The S2000 maybe built at the same location as the NSX, but’s not another NSX. If it was so, then the engine would be behind the driver not infront. The balance is good not perfect, like the miata. Also the bodyroll would be nonexistent, which is not the case. If you look beyond the performance, the headroom on the new MX-5 is much better than sitting in the S2000, and the plastic interior of the S2000 is nowhere near the quality feel of the MX-5. The basic warranty that comes with the Honda S2000 isn’t quite as generous as the Mazda MX-5 Miata’s. Look for the S2000 to be discontinued soon….it’s no legend… just another good roadster.

In October 2005, Honda’s Motoatsu Shiraishi said the “S2000 has not been a success for us.”

Well said Renton. It seems that most of the comments made so far have been from people more concerned with the style of cars and whether they think they look good. I love my 2006 mx-5, I can’t fault it, and for the money i paid there is no other car i’d rather own. If I had the extra money for the S2000 i would certainly opt for it because it is a superior car. Everything Renton has said about the Honda is true. I’m sure that most of the comments that have been posted so far come from people that have never driven any of the cars mentioned so far, much less even owned one of them. It’s probably time for some people to recognise that their opinions are based soley on the thought that one car looks better than another, not on whether they are better built or better performing.

P.S. I think the new mx5 hardtop looks excellent.

this car is way sxc anyone know how much it will be in aussie dollars?

Well these are all interesting comments. Reminds me of some other car sites I’ve been to in the past. Anyhow I’ve been looking at getting a roadster and the MX-5, Solstice, Sky and S2000 have been on my list. I’ve test driven the Sky and played with the Solstice in the showroom. Either Kappa coupe failed to impress me. I’ve test driven the new MX-5 twice and rented one for a week when traveling for work. Much nicer car ergonomically speaking and in general driving character. The Kappa cars are competant with no surprises. The MX-5 feels like a go kart and more exciting to drive in comparison. A friend of mine just leased a new S2000. I’ll be visiting soon and test drive that car without holding back just like when I rented the MX-5 for a week. Granted the S2000 is a really nice car. The MX-5 currently holds the edge in my eyes due to the lower up front cost. Also the Sky and Solstice are hurting the MX-5’s sales more than the S2000. Thus the MX-5 may be easier to negotiate a cheaper take home price on.

Having just stepped out of an ‘05 S2000 (16k on the clock) after an extensive “test drive” (which includes some track time) I wish to say I really loved it. But I think I’ll go for an MX-5.

Personal reasons:
- In traffic I felt more “boxed in” with the S2000, which is to be expected of a car of this caliber and character. But I have to imagine myself stuck in traffic too.

- On the track it was incredible, razor sharp and very controllable. I used up quite a lot of rubber in the corners, it was exhilirating. I would not wish to do it in the wet though – or maybe I would. I don’t really know, the adrenaline level hasn’t subsided yet.

When the revs are up, it is a monster machine, begging for more. It is very intoxicating. I am afraid of it, it is too much for me. This will be my only car. I’ll also use it to drive to meetings etc, and if I am rushing then, this could be unhealthy under my direction. I don’t trust myself with it.

The MX-5 will be a better companion for me – reliable, a bit impractical yet a lot of fun to drive.

i used to own an s2000 and i’ve driven a 2000 miata before and both are fun to drive. the s2000, especially above 6000rpm, is just a whole different animal. but of course you pay about $10k more for it. i’ve also driven a porsche boxster s and i actually prefer the s2000. the solstice and the sky look ok, but i just don’t trust american car reliability based on my past experience. for those who are on a budget, the miata is the way to go…handles like a go-cart!!!

LOL the solstic/sky are better than miata? You mean the cars that are 76% plastic and fall apart? The miatas are THE MOST reliable cars in terms of mechanics in the world. You can shift at REALLY high rpms and the car will still last over a hundred thousand miles. Try that in a solstic or a sky and it will fall apart in the middle of the road after 10k miles.

Ignorant consumers is what allows GM to make such crappy cars and sell them to you.

Also the solstic and sky outweigh the miata by about 300-400 lbs each. Nice going.

I’ve driven a Miata since 1990 (by the way, year round in cold northern Canada) and have put on 275,000 km. No problem whatsoever and people still stop and gawk at it and wish they had it. All of you Miata haters or dislikers have no idea what an enjoyable and trouble-free sports car it is. I’m buying the 2007 MX-5 retractable hard-top knowing that it’ll last me forever and it is so much better looking than any of its competitors. I’m also keeping and restoring the original as a collector’s car.

ps.and not to be nasty, but in Canada only women drive s2000’s and Solstices

You people bashing the miata must be on crack!!! I am on my second miata. I had a 2002 miata. I traded that one in two years ago and I now drive the 2004 mazdaspeed with a turbo. What a car!! Handles the road like glue. I am getting ready to buying the 2007 miata with the hardtop. I’ve driven the solice and the sky. Nuff Said!!! Once you go miata, you can’t go back!!!!!!

Anyone who genuinely enjoys driving knows that the miata is one of the best machines out there when it comes to the driving experience. As a long time car fanatic, you people bashing the miata don’t seem to understand why car lovers love it.