I finally drove the ND Miata. And it is freakin good. [VIDEO]
 

I was given a mid-level 2016 Miata MX5 6 speed for a week. It was so light and so sweet and I absolutely did not want to give it back.

It is not just good 'for the price', but it is categorically, universally good. Good with no excuses. The steering is razor sharp yet wholly organic, it talks like an NA but with the grip and grunt of a decently respectable 2015 car. It's stiffer now, still a little flexy when you hit certain types of bumps and both the side windows judder, but for the most part the suspension hides the flex very well. It is light... so damn light and you feel it in all its response. For me, this feels like the true spiritual successor of the NA. Everything I love about the NA, only more of it now and everything I could possibly want in a street-biased fun car.

I'm a huge FRS/BRZ fan -- you may remember my previous FRS/BRZ videos -- but this is on a whole other level. The ND is superior, for me, in just about every way except maybe chassis stiffness. But it's a convertible! You get to put the top down. Still love the FT86, but if they made a Miata coupe... how awesome would that be? Maybe the new RX Vision concept car will hint at a return to a Miata-like, RX7-like coupe?

Nothing nothing nothing, and now it's almost the end of the car as we know it, and we're suddenly getting all this inexpensive good stuff.

Anyone getting an ND Miata or have got one already? How would you spec it? What trim would you get and what color? I wish they had the old school solid red, not a huge fan of the new metal flake red.

can't wait to thrash one around in 2 weeks :chairdance:

<3

not Netflix and chill. so this car isn't going to get you laid

You're doing it wrong if you need a car to get yourself laid

:rukidding:

2016 ND Miata: $31,900
2.0L DOHC Inline-4 155 hp, 148 lb-ft

2016 370Z Coupe: $29,998
3.7L DOHC V6 332hp, 270 lb-ft

How the hell is the 370z so cheap now!?!

but the ND is 1000lbs lighter

With the new 370Z pricing, it's definitely hard for many people to be convinced looking at paper specs. People who are after miata are enthusiasts who believe no amount of hp can replace the nimbleness of a lightweight car. Even then, I still feel miata is quite pricey for what it has to offer.

I got laid driving a rebuilt Corolla that made weird noises and unmatching hubcaps so.....this is nothing

They've been cheap since spring:
2016 370z starting price slashed to $29,995 Canadian!! - RedFlagDeals.com Forums

Cost aside, I'd take the ND>370. Only options I'd want are LSD and HT, maybe BBS's.

Those pictures make the car look way better than it actually looks in person. It's still a box of tampons on wheels.

If all things were equal based on styling alone you'd be insane to choose this over the 370

The argument about being light weight/nimble is less of an argument than why you need a 700hp car on city streets lol, at least with the 700hp car you have spurts of driving. Being "light weight" is awesome when your diving into those parking lot ramps and hugging those curves on freeway merges lol..

Are they officially released yet?

I followed a blue one last week along Pacific past Rogers Arena; kept close as I hadn't seen one on the road, thought maybe it was a test model. The guy had the top down, looked like he was having fun. It started to rain and I was curious to see how the roof went up. At a stop light, he reached behind him and in one swift motion pulled the roof over his head with one hand; definitely quicker than any automatic roof could.

I've never owned a Miata and don't know them well, but I was pretty impressed at how easy it went up. And on a brand new car it was refreshing to see a manually operated feature like that. Just adds to the coolness of the ND :thumbs:

Sadly I can't rightly own one; someone who's 6'5" getting stepping out of a car that small just isn't right...

http://i.imgur.com/DcH5YRI.gif

But how are they able to sell the car for that cheap
I remember pricing one out few years ago and It was like 45k for a mid high speced model.
For under 30k that's a lot of car for the money.

The base 370Z comes with an open diff. It's also quite the heavy car (3362 lbs).
Granted, the Miata lacks an LSD in the base model as well, but it also has a lot less weight and power (2,332 pounds).

Saw one the other day by Wolfe Mazda. Back end is ugly as fuck.

looks like shit

meh..

http://cdn-ak.f.st-hatena.com/images...0706230635.jpg

Back looks alright. The front looks ridiculous compared to the promotional pictures

No one is buying ND for city driving. Some people are just compromising because they can't afford a daily and a weekend warrior.

I see a Dainese tee

$31k? god damn... would buy another ITR :troll:

I test drove a GT top of the line 6spd. Interior is fancy and in the short 30 minute window, the only thing I didn't like about the interior was the screen that is just sticking out.

I am very surprised that the Mazda on boundary had a top spec 6speed to display, seriously . The lady who was looking at it prior to me and a couple of friends could not drive stick. Too bad for her because it was a great row getting the car to accelerate.

This carwas definitely worth the 45 minute wait for the sales guy.

I am pretty convinced that I want this car in my future.

Me too. When it's under 20k though

Agreed!

Here's what I've noticed though. They removed a lot of convenience/livability features features in the base model. 4 speakers, basic brake system, no heated mirrors, no rearview camera or noise cancellation, no auto dimming rear view mirror, manual seats, no lumbar adjustment, no bluetooth streaming audio.

Here's what one journalist at "TheTruthAboutCars" had to say about the 370 (albeit a rental auto):

The seven-speed automatic transmission felt clunky and forever inbetween gears. The six-cylinder VQ motor sounded like it was being simultaneously strangled and flogged with a Cat O’ Nine Tails. There wasn’t a seating position that I could find that even resembled comfort. The stereo’s display looked like it was straight out of a Tandy tape deck, and the sound it put forth was sonically wretched. It was decently quick, but any similarly priced Mustang or Camaro would look better, sound better, and be at least competitive in a straight line with the woefully outdated Z.

It occurred to me as I drove it to Auto Club Speedway today with my good friend Matt Farah, who alternately described the sound of the the VQ as “rough” and “worse than a GM 3800″ as he squirmed uncomfortably in the passenger seat, that Nissan, the company who used to make things that kids actually put on their walls as aspirational dreams, doesn’t manufacture a single, solitary car that anybody would consider to be the best or most desirable car in its class. Not one.'

Some of you guys can can talk about how Miata is lighter and all that all day long, but 370Z has a lot more power and don't forget, it is a sportscar. If your first priority is livability, convenience and all the luxury features, go buy a BMW, Lexus, etc.

Not saying Miata is a bad car, but I think the biggest point of Miata is having fun without a lot of power and hurting your wallet.

I have always been looking at Miata as a fun and affordable sportscar.
If they are getting more expensive than the 370Z, I think it has lost it's attractiveness.