Anyone having any problems with PRHT model?

I thank everyone who posted on my previous question - Z-4 or MX-5
PRHT...which should I get?

I'm 95% sure it's going to be the MX-5. Now I'm wondering - has anyone had
any problems with the top? or anything else?

I have monitored this group for quite some time and have seen very few
problems mentioned with '06 or '07's (unlike the BMW Z-4 group - lot's of
problems).

Thanks in advance.

In article >,
"Herm" > wrote:

> I have monitored this group for quite some time and have seen very few
> problems mentioned with '06 or '07's (unlike the BMW Z-4 group - lot's of
> problems).

Miatas are made by craftsmen in Hiroshima. Z4s are made by hillbillies
in South Carolina. Next question? :-)

Seriously, there aren't very many PRHTs on the road yet., but Mazda
reliability is legendary among Miata owners. The dependability of my own
Miata (13 years old, flogged mercilessly for 140k miles, runs like new)
was a large factor in our buying a Mazda3 last Saturday.

the new top design is really amazing. it is simpler than the previous
designed that spanned the life of the previous 14(?) years with only one
slight modification (a spring to accommodate the folding of a top with a
glass window). fwiw, i have heard rumor that the new retractable hard top
is in very limited production/supply because mazda does not want to kill off
the soft top sales and get stuck with the soft tops on their dealers lot.
the dealer i recently spoke with said that he could have sold a lot of
retractable hard top versions if they were available. if you like the idea
of the retractable hard top then you might want to wait for it. i have not
seen it in person but it appears to have a different profile than then soft
top and adds a collar around the rear of the top that in my opinion makes it
less attractive. but the convenience of it probably outweighs the
appearance issue for most people.

"Herm" > wrote in message
...
>I thank everyone who posted on my previous question - Z-4 or MX-5
>PRHT...which should I get?
>
> I'm 95% sure it's going to be the MX-5. Now I'm wondering - has anyone
> had any problems with the top? or anything else?
>
> I have monitored this group for quite some time and have seen very few
> problems mentioned with '06 or '07's (unlike the BMW Z-4 group - lot's of
> problems).
>
> Thanks in advance.
>

On Wed, 03 Jan 2007 18:42:57 -0600, Lanny Chambers wrote:
> In article >,
> "Herm" > wrote:
>
>> I have monitored this group for quite some time and have seen very few
>> problems mentioned with '06 or '07's (unlike the BMW Z-4 group - lot's
>> of problems).
>
> Miatas are made by craftsmen in Hiroshima. Z4s are made by hillbillies
> in South Carolina. Next question? :-)
>
> Seriously, there aren't very many PRHTs on the road yet., but Mazda
> reliability is legendary among Miata owners. The dependability of my own
> Miata (13 years old, flogged mercilessly for 140k miles, runs like new)
> was a large factor in our buying a Mazda3 last Saturday.

My wife has a 2002 Protege5. She did manage to blow a speaker, which was
replaced under warranty. Other than that, absolutely nothing has gone
wrong with it.

I think the Mazdaspeed program is interesting. The Mazdaspeed3 looks like
a fantastic deal to me. I'd love to test drive one. And I expect the next
Mazdaspeed MX-5 will be competitive with sports cars that cost thousands
more.

Christopher Muto wrote:
> the new top design is really amazing. it is simpler than the previous
> designed that spanned the life of the previous 14(?) years with only one
> slight modification (a spring to accommodate the folding of a top with a
> glass window). fwiw, i have heard rumor that the new retractable hard top
> is in very limited production/supply because mazda does not want to kill off
> the soft top sales and get stuck with the soft tops on their dealers lot.
> the dealer i recently spoke with said that he could have sold a lot of
> retractable hard top versions if they were available. if you like the idea
> of the retractable hard top then you might want to wait for it. i have not
> seen it in person but it appears to have a different profile than then soft
> top and adds a collar around the rear of the top that in my opinion makes it
> less attractive. but the convenience of it probably outweighs the
> appearance issue for most people.

The appearance is definitely not an issue with me.

I already do not like the looks of the NC in particular, but the
retractable hard top will likely be the selling point, otherwise I will
probably get a 2001-2005 M2, which are selling for surprisingly low
costs now.

If overall appearance was a top priority for me I would have to stay
with maintaining the original design forever, which is the best-looking
miata/MX-5 of the 3 generations by far, imho.

Pat

Look at Pat trying to start trouble! Just kidding. I really like the
exterior design very much on all 3 versions. I think the NC is a logical
modernization of the NA car rather than a further development of the
'series' I would also say that the NA's weak point (vs NB) is mainly
interior design which IMHO Mazda goofed up on again in the NC. Horrible
steering wheel, not great instruments and horribly tacky looking plastics
(in the Tan version especially). Uh oh, someone's going to say I'm trying to
start trouble now! Let me get it back OT: all three are better true
sportscars than an overweight / overly complex Z4!

Good luck in your decision Herm,
Chris
99BBB

"pws" > wrote in message
...
> Christopher Muto wrote:
>> the new top design is really amazing. it is simpler than the previous
>> designed that spanned the life of the previous 14(?) years with only one
>> slight modification (a spring to accommodate the folding of a top with a
>> glass window). fwiw, i have heard rumor that the new retractable hard
>> top is in very limited production/supply because mazda does not want to
>> kill off the soft top sales and get stuck with the soft tops on their
>> dealers lot. the dealer i recently spoke with said that he could have
>> sold a lot of retractable hard top versions if they were available. if
>> you like the idea of the retractable hard top then you might want to wait
>> for it. i have not seen it in person but it appears to have a different
>> profile than then soft top and adds a collar around the rear of the top
>> that in my opinion makes it less attractive. but the convenience of it
>> probably outweighs the appearance issue for most people.
>
> The appearance is definitely not an issue with me.
>
> I already do not like the looks of the NC in particular, but the
> retractable hard top will likely be the selling point, otherwise I will
> probably get a 2001-2005 M2, which are selling for surprisingly low
> costs now.
>
> If overall appearance was a top priority for me I would have to stay with
> maintaining the original design forever, which is the best-looking
> miata/MX-5 of the 3 generations by far, imho.
>
> Pat

Chris D'Agnolo wrote:
> Look at Pat trying to start trouble! Just kidding. I really like the
> exterior design very much on all 3 versions. I think the NC is a logical
> modernization of the NA car rather than a further development of the
> 'series' I would also say that the NA's weak point (vs NB) is mainly
> interior design which IMHO Mazda goofed up on again in the NC. Horrible
> steering wheel, not great instruments and horribly tacky looking plastics
> (in the Tan version especially). Uh oh, someone's going to say I'm trying to
> start trouble now! Let me get it back OT: all three are better true
> sportscars than an overweight / overly complex Z4!
>
> Good luck in your decision Herm,
> Chris
> 99BBB

Starting trouble are two of my many middle names. ;-)

I agree on the interiors, and it did take a few years for the M2 to grow
on me. Maybe the NC will as well, but I will never like the interior as
well as the M2, especially with that new round piece of ugliness that
Mazda calls a steering wheel right in front of me.
(Is that starting trouble?)

I don't think the NC looks "bad", (except for that steering wheel), and
I certainly can't expect Mazda to keep the exterior design looking the
same forever, though Acura managed to leave the NSX alone for a great
many years, they also didn't sell quite as many as NSX's as Mazda did
miatas. :-)

I think we can agree on the Z4 as well. Good luck, Herm!

Pat

i am with pat, the na is the best design, but i do understand their need to
update the appearance of a car to maintain its popularity. i hated the nc
at first but it is beginning to grow on me. the z4 does nothing for me and
i feel it has a pretentiousness (is that a word?) that makes it undesirable
as it attracts the wrong kind of attention (a completely subjective
opinion - perhaps it is exactly the kind of attention some people want their
car to have). but i have driven one and it is a pleasure to drive (but like
a moped, you just don't want anyone seeing you drive it). if i were in the
market for a new car and the z4 was in my price range i think i would also
look at the lotus exige for not much more. it is a little unusual looking
(the batmobile comes to mind) but i like it and i admire the purity of the
overall philosophy of the car. it completely lacks the modern day luxury
and gadgetry built into the nc or the z4. there is not even a cup holder in
the thing. it is a true sports car much as the na was. air conditioning is
the only modern day luxury that i need, the rest is just a bunch of stuff
that will result in trips to the dealer to fix.. in fact it seems like
lotus took pride in not trying to eliminate the many squeaks and rattles
that make it seem like my 10 year old na. i also look forward to checking
out the smart roadster when it comes to our shores but i think it may
disappoint.

"pws" > wrote in message
...
> Chris D'Agnolo wrote:
>> Look at Pat trying to start trouble! Just kidding. I really like the
>> exterior design very much on all 3 versions. I think the NC is a logical
>> modernization of the NA car rather than a further development of the
>> 'series' I would also say that the NA's weak point (vs NB) is mainly
>> interior design which IMHO Mazda goofed up on again in the NC. Horrible
>> steering wheel, not great instruments and horribly tacky looking plastics
>> (in the Tan version especially). Uh oh, someone's going to say I'm trying
>> to start trouble now! Let me get it back OT: all three are better true
>> sportscars than an overweight / overly complex Z4!
>>
>> Good luck in your decision Herm,
>> Chris
>> 99BBB
>
> Starting trouble are two of my many middle names. ;-)
>
> I agree on the interiors, and it did take a few years for the M2 to grow
> on me. Maybe the NC will as well, but I will never like the interior as
> well as the M2, especially with that new round piece of ugliness that
> Mazda calls a steering wheel right in front of me.
> (Is that starting trouble?)
>
> I don't think the NC looks "bad", (except for that steering wheel), and I
> certainly can't expect Mazda to keep the exterior design looking the same
> forever, though Acura managed to leave the NSX alone for a great many
> years, they also didn't sell quite as many as NSX's as Mazda did miatas.
> :-)
>
> I think we can agree on the Z4 as well. Good luck, Herm!
>
> Pat
>

Christopher Muto wrote:
> i am with pat, the na is the best design, but i do understand their need to
> update the appearance of a car to maintain its popularity. i hated the nc
> at first but it is beginning to grow on me. the z4 does nothing for me and
> i feel it has a pretentiousness (is that a word?) that makes it undesirable
> as it attracts the wrong kind of attention (a completely subjective
> opinion - perhaps it is exactly the kind of attention some people want their
> car to have). but i have driven one and it is a pleasure to drive (but like
> a moped, you just don't want anyone seeing you drive it). if i were in the
> market for a new car and the z4 was in my price range i think i would also
> look at the lotus exige for not much more. it is a little unusual looking
> (the batmobile comes to mind) but i like it and i admire the purity of the
> overall philosophy of the car. it completely lacks the modern day luxury
> and gadgetry built into the nc or the z4. there is not even a cup holder in
> the thing. it is a true sports car much as the na was. air conditioning is
> the only modern day luxury that i need, the rest is just a bunch of stuff
> that will result in trips to the dealer to fix.. in fact it seems like
> lotus took pride in not trying to eliminate the many squeaks and rattles
> that make it seem like my 10 year old na. i also look forward to checking
> out the smart roadster when it comes to our shores but i think it may
> disappoint.

You need A/C in New York? Wimp. ;-)

That is the one feature that my car lacks that I would like, (besides
the folding hardtop, of course), especially in Texas during the summer.

I know that it gets hot in NY as well, but we had a summer not too long
ago where it went well over 30 days with the temperature never dropping
below 80 at night and quickly going back up over 100 during the day.
A/C becomes somewhat mandatory at that point.
Of course, it was also 76 and sunny yesterday afternoon, perfect
spring-type weather for places that actually have four seasons. I guess
you take the bad with the good.

There is no question that the more parts that there are, the more
problems there will be, given comparable quality.
My car will never have a problem with a power steering pump because it
does not have one, and I do not need or want power steering on a car
this small.
I read that some new vehicles come with up to 16 airbags now. Increased
safety is great, but almost every new thing that is added increases
weight, complexity and cost of repairs.
16 airbags is going to require a LOT of wiring running throughout the
car, there is already a lot of wiring and extra parts just for one
airbag on the miata.

Pat

"Chris D'Agnolo" > wrote:

>Look at Pat trying to start trouble! Just kidding. I really like the
>exterior design very much on all 3 versions. I think the NC is a logical
>modernization of the NA car rather than a further development of the
>'series' I would also say that the NA's weak point (vs NB) is mainly
>interior design which IMHO Mazda goofed up on again in the NC. Horrible
>steering wheel, not great instruments and horribly tacky looking plastics
>(in the Tan version especially). Uh oh, someone's going to say I'm trying to
>start trouble now!

Actually, except for the classy steering wheel, I thought the NB was a step
back from the NA in interior. While the (standard) NA has an austere,
absolutely boring and totally nonimaginative black interior, it was good
quality functionality. I thought the NB plastics shiny and cheap looking
compared to it, and missing that no-nonsense touch in design.

To call the NC steering wheel "horrible" looking in a company that includes
the NA is just ingenuous. It is nowhere near the incredible ugliness of the
NA steering wheel; as far as I know, the most ugly steering wheel ever put in
a sports car. While the NC steering wheel does in my opinion have a definite
"Buick" look to it, it certainly does not look like the dreaded NA "lunch box"
wheel. The only reason I did not replace Bozo's wheel any earlier was because
there were no options (and AFAIK, still are not in the USA; I got my replacement
from Germany.)

I would by no means call my tan interior beautiful, (make that my car's tan
interior), but it is a lot less boring than the NA interior plastics, is
not shiny, and it absorbs a lot less of our Florida sun.

And I can (most of the time) throw my cloth top down in 300-500 times less
time than it takes the NA/NB top to be lowered and covered, and about 10
times less time than it takes the RHT to retract itself. And similar numbers
for raising it. It makes a difference if you are caught top-down in
a Florida downpour.

> Let me get it back OT: all three are better true
>sportscars than an overweight / overly complex Z4!

Leon

>Good luck in your decision Herm,
>Chris
>99BBB
>
>"pws" > wrote in message
...
>> Christopher Muto wrote:
>>> the new top design is really amazing. it is simpler than the previous
>>> designed that spanned the life of the previous 14(?) years with only one
>>> slight modification (a spring to accommodate the folding of a top with a
>>> glass window). fwiw, i have heard rumor that the new retractable hard
>>> top is in very limited production/supply because mazda does not want to
>>> kill off the soft top sales and get stuck with the soft tops on their
>>> dealers lot. the dealer i recently spoke with said that he could have
>>> sold a lot of retractable hard top versions if they were available. if
>>> you like the idea of the retractable hard top then you might want to wait
>>> for it. i have not seen it in person but it appears to have a different
>>> profile than then soft top and adds a collar around the rear of the top
>>> that in my opinion makes it less attractive. but the convenience of it
>>> probably outweighs the appearance issue for most people.
>>
>> The appearance is definitely not an issue with me.
>>
>> I already do not like the looks of the NC in particular, but the
>> retractable hard top will likely be the selling point, otherwise I will
>> probably get a 2001-2005 M2, which are selling for surprisingly low
>> costs now.
>>
>> If overall appearance was a top priority for me I would have to stay with
>> maintaining the original design forever, which is the best-looking
>> miata/MX-5 of the 3 generations by far, imho.
>>
>> Pat
>
--
Leon van Dommelen Bess, the Miata Bozo, the Miata
http://www.dommelen.net/miata
The only thing better than a white Miata is two white Miatas