Leon van Dommelen wrote:
> "chance" > wrote:
>
>> I am SERIOUSLY considering purchasing a new 2006 Grand Touring MX-5.
>> Would be interested in hearing feedback about the car, int/ext
>> colors and options.
>
> I have a white GT. White prevents the pronounced contours from
> becoming
> too offensive, in my opinion, but so does red if a white Miata is too
> fast for you.
>
> I am happy with the car, but I do have a couple of gripes. Number one
> is the handbrake position. Why do I need to dig my fingers in the
> knees
> of a passenger to secure the car? What was Mazda thinking? The
> second gripe is that compared to the M1/M2 Miatas, there is a
> definite hint of "SUV" about the new one. The fact that it is bigger
> and higher, those steering wheel buttons, all those cupholders, and
> other "convenience" features such as auto-window down, the radio box
> that is called the key,
> the door locks (on a convertible??), etcetera, all tend to detract
> from
> the image of a true sports car to me.

C'mon, Leon, get over it. It's 2006. One of my cars is a '95 Miata M-edition
with a crappy radio, a cheesy cupholder adaptor for what appears to be an
ashtray, power windows that take forever to operate, and, get this--you
actually have to stick a key in the door to unlock it. How quaint.

I don't have the slightest idea how *any* of these things detract from the
Miata's sports car characteristics. People that complain about power windows
in a Miata tend to be, well...old guys that haven't yet learned to deal with
the fact that cars are evolving and aren't like the ones they owned in the
'60s. Meanwhile, your '06 Miata in all of its power-windowed goodness will
run circles around whatever you were driving 20 years ago.

> Then again, maybe my ideas of sports cars are colored by the fact
> that I
> am not rich enough to drive the really expensive sports cars.

You'd probably have a bigger list of complaints if you'd purchased a car
that cost twice as much.

> I have the suspension package, and I believe there is lots of griping
> on miata.net about the springs being to soft and the shocks being too
> soft. I think this is true but the fact is that I am *much* faster in
> autocross in my 2006 than in my lowered, *supercharged* 1996 with
> R-springs in rear, Koni shocks all over, and much stiffer antiroll
> bars. And in
> my new Miata I am in C-Stock rather than Street-Mod! )

Exactly--some people just like to have something to bitch about.

> While the car does have a lot of lateral motion, the shocks, however
> soft, seem to take the brunt out of it before it comes to hunt me.
> The car is quite forgiving of coming in a bit too fast too, unlike my
> 1996.
>
> I am impressed with the Michelin Pilot Precede(?) tires, though I do
> not think they will last me very long.
>
> I am also getting ready to admit that the steering wheel is a lot
> better than the M1 "cookie box" design, buttons or not. It no longer
> really bothers me, and I do like that it is adjustable.

<shocked> It's OK, Leon. Let it out.

> The trunk is smaller than the one on my 1996, even while it does
> *not* have a spare tire in it (the car comes with a tire-repair kit
> instead), and the trunk lid design makes getting anything big in it
> difficult. However, I believe this was intentional: by reducing the
> opening, Mazda should have been able to increase stiffness a lot.
> They did really work on getting a stiffer, very light car:
> http:://www.dommelen.net/miata/other/102305/index.htm
>
> The Bose sound system is good. I am not going to argue with
> audiophiles about the detailed balancing of every frequency, but
> simply note that the sound is much more audible and understandable
> above wind and engine noise. And I believe it would be considered of
> very good quality by any reasonable person even sitting in the car at
> rest with the engine off.

If you can hear it with the top down, it's a step up from my '95.

> Despite naysayers, I like the interior. It is a lot less
> spartan/depressing than the standard M1/M2 interiors. The leather
> seats give me good lateral support, and I have the CG lock when
> needed.
>
> I thought the seats in the base Miatas too hard for long trips, and
> too unsupportive, and that and the need for cruise control pretty
> much forced
> me to the GT package. The suspension package was a no brainer to me,
> despite the criticism on miata.net.
>
> Somebody else tried the traction control package and found the car to
> be lethargic until it was turned off. If the computer is constantly
> braking
> a wheel or two, you are not going to go very fast. Gee. And my
> idea
> of a keyless entry system on a convertible is to leave the doors
> unlocked, not stupid gizmos.

Well, some people (like myself) have hardtops. I also have the keyless
ignition and doors on another car and wouldn't give it up.

> I did get the polished aluminum fuel tank lid, of course. One can
> never have enough shiny parts on a white Miata.
>
> Let me know if you have any specific questions

People sure complain a lot about the fancier bits on newer Miatas, but you
don't see many people buying stripper models.

<waiting for a factory nav system>

--
tooloud
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