Ha, I get it... the hype around them is a bit much...but I do now get why it is so. I love cars that you can beat like a rented mule, and this one will take it with a smile.
Which Miata have you tried sitting in btw? This gen (NC) is the biggest one of all, and I would say doesn't feel much tighter than say a Mazda 3 inside. Still probably not made for the tall man (I'm 5'10 and it feels just right), but if there's one that may fit, it's this gen.
I drove an NC. Sadly it was an auto, but I was so damn happy to finally get the chance given the hype. It was great. But my head was absolutely above the roll hoop. No way I could pull it off with the roof on. That's not a unique problem to Miatas for me however.
Congrats, and good for you for saying screw it and getting the fun thing. I knew a guy that had 3 of them and autocrossed them all the time. He was a very above average driver with seat time in a lot of cool cars and just raved about them.
The Following User Says Thank You to Bill Bumface For This Useful Post:
In 2018 my friend was in an autocross in a parking lot, and lots of regular but interesting cars out there. This guy was just givin' 'er in his little red fun box.
The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Fuzz For This Useful Post:
I drove an NC. Sadly it was an auto, but I was so damn happy to finally get the chance given the hype. It was great. But my head was absolutely above the roll hoop. No way I could pull it off with the roof on. That's not a unique problem to Miatas for me however.
If there's one thing I would change, it would be to raise the height of the windshield frame (and thus roof) an inch. Even at my height it's a touch low and hinders visibility a bit.
I've heard the Auto is not too bad on these, but I have to say the manual itself is basically perfect. Just a great shift feel, and the clutch weight is light enough without feeling flimsy. It might lead to my downfall, but I think I may try to teach my wife to drive stick in this car...
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Table 5 For This Useful Post:
Just in time for winter...it's new convertible time.
It's hilariously slow, sounds like a whispy fart, and disappears in a sea of tall trucks.... but man, what a total hoot. Around town, this thing is 3x as fun as my 911.
The hairdressers had it right. Why did I wait so long?
145-ish HP in that one? But you get to use it all at up to 7k RPM in the city, that's what makes it so fun!
I've never had the chance to drive an NC. Love the PRHT, makes it a true year around car, at least where I live.
I have a couple of NBs. My wife forbids me from ever selling the '99 but one day I'll swap the '04 Mazdaspeed for a 2018+ ND - roughly same power as the MSM but heated seats and all the modern tech, and somehow it's still within 100lbs curb weight as the 2nd gen cars.
If there's one thing I would change, it would be to raise the height of the windshield frame (and thus roof) an inch. Even at my height it's a touch low and hinders visibility a bit.
I've heard the Auto is not too bad on these, but I have to say the manual itself is basically perfect. Just a great shift feel, and the clutch weight is light enough without feeling flimsy. It might lead to my downfall, but I think I may try to teach my wife to drive stick in this car...
I lowered my butt a good inch-and-a-half by doing a 'foamectomy' on my '99's driver's seat. No loss of confort. Not sure if that works with the NCs as well
I am going to be in Japan this month and will be renting a JDM car for 24 hours to do a mountain/country drive to an onsen.
Gtr r33 (can't find 34), rx-7, supra, nsx, or Toyota AE86 are going to be considered. What's your guy's dream JDM car?
Decent chance it's somewhere around Hakone? I went there last year and remember the roads to be tight and twisty. I'd get something small and nibble...like a Miata perhaps!
In 2018 my friend was in an autocross in a parking lot, and lots of regular but interesting cars out there. This guy was just givin' 'er in his little red fun box.
I drove a 23 Civic Si while going through separation and gained an appreciation of driving a low limits car with a manual transmission after previously owing BMW M vehicles and Model 3 Performance. I generally think that car is one of the best bargains today as the 1.5L isn't anything special but the midrange power makes it feel quick at full throttle, the manual shifter is one of the nicest I have used, and Honda is great at probing the limits of FWD handling. It was an honest car that never over-promised or under-delivered. If anything it over-delivered as it was so frugal on gas considering how spirited I drove it regularly. It wasn't a perfect ownership experience from the dealer perspective but the car itself was really good and the perfect vehicle for a young adult or someone on a budget looking for something sporty and fun to drive.
The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Erick Estrada For This Useful Post:
Agreed. I was actually looking at current gen manual Civics as a city runabout (not just the Si, but also the hatchback Sport) because of that exact reason... it's an honest compact car that's still engaging and fun to drive around town. In many ways a throwback to the "good old days" many of us complain about losing. The only downside is that they are no longer particularly cheap new, and the used ones retain their values well, which doesn't jive with my cheap bastard personality.
The latest gen interior is actually a nice place to be at the price point. I never felt like I was driving a cheap car save for some of the annoying interior rattles which to me was probably one area where the vehicle could use some improvement. I had to hunt down several rattles and just gave up on one constant one in the C pillar area that I just couldn't track down. Still at this price point you can't expect perfection but IMO this is the best post-90's Civic.
I've driven a CRV with that same powertrain and it felt quicker than 9.0 seconds but it didn't have to deal with front wheel spin. I imagine you have to get it into a eCVT launch mode for an ideal time. I would save my money and get an Si as you get the slick manual shifter and it still gets great fuel mileage.
Poked my head into the interior shots of the Prelude. Holy fk am I ever tired of those tablets poking up in the centre of dashes. Integrate the GD things.
Audi A3/S3 did such a good job of that in such a small car. It's totally doable.
I will say you get used to the tablet look quickly when you own it and it's nice having it high up to glance at and interact with, but I'm sick of the interior of cars looking so samesie samesie and it's too ugly. I can't deal with it, anymore.
The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to Sliver For This Useful Post: