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Coupes & Convertibles Mazda Miata Mazda MX-5 Miata (2005 and earlier)
4340 messages, Last post on Aug 25, 2009 at 9:51 AM
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Replying to: blueguydotcom (Sep 06, 2005 8:43 am) Performance wise, the Miata may be better. It has air conditioning standard and a roll bar, yet it looks like a modified puffy sided 1990 Miata, and not as fresh as the Solstice For those going by the numbers, Miata may be the winner. For sales, it will not be the winner. Loren ( former '96 Miata owner )
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Replying to: m1miata (Sep 09, 2005 10:43 pm) totally subjective. in my eyes the miata is simple and classy. the solstice screams pontiac cheapness and bulbousness. Otherwise, folks you are looking at Solstice out selling MX-5 ( formerly called the Miata, which sounds better to me ), at a rate of at least 3:1, and perhaps 5:1 or higher. Uh, the solstice is not an every day driver given the lack of a trunk, bad gas mileage and lousy top mechanism. The mx-5 has 15 years of loyalty. It's akin to all the upstarts taking shots at the 3 series. nobody has put a dent in 3 series sales even with the tl andg35 getting 12k sales a month. It's hard to knock off the king when he has over a decade of loyal followers. Panic should set in and MX-5 should shed around $3K to $4k off stickers in the $24K range. A 26k mx-5 comes with options not even available on a solstice...like lined top, keyless start, xenons, etc. I'll gladly pay 1k extra alone for xenon lights...yes, they're that important to me as driving at night is my favorite time. Look for $20K MX-5s or lower soon. Already exists. That is IF the Pontiacs are not overpriced on side stickers. Both these cars are worth $20K or less. They are fun but all too pricey. $24K - $29K??? Why? both seem to have decent pricing. a fully loaded mx-5 is 27k...that means by next spring I should be able to get one off a lot for at the most 25k. Shrug...seems decent. The MSRP on my last car was 43k. 27k seems downright cheap! BTW, once word gets out about the solstice's mileage and trunk space sales will only go to hardcore people looking for an extra car. the kind of people who can afford extra or weekend cars rarely look at american products unless the nameplate is viper or vette. sorry the solstice after a year or two of success will turn into another mr2 spyder. decent lines but lack of everyday practicality limits the cars appeal to only a few in an already limited niche.. |
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Pontiac has a lot of dealers to help sell them, go ahead and add Saturn dealerships while you're at it. GM will have a hit with it, IMO. They priced it right, question is can GM make a profit at those prices? They already had production delays and top fit/finish issues so don't expect too much quality or reliability. I think people who usually buy imports will stick with the MX-5. -juice |
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One big weak point for the Pontiac is the fact that the car was not designed and built from the ground up as a roadster like the Miata.. It's built with whatever spare parts GM had laying around. It has a GMC truck transmission with the same gear ratios, seats from some other GM car and a long list of other things. Here is a list of a few Miata advantages 400lb lighter better power to weight ratio better fuel economy 25/30 vs 20/28 one hand top operation more cargo space standard ABS and side airbags available 6 speed manual and auto with paddle shifters better turning radius 30.8 vs 35.1 available run flat tires available advanced keyless system better leg room more shoulder room and the big one....a spectacular proven track record. and historical heritage. I'll come up with a few more once I have my morning coffee...
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Replying to: audia8q (Sep 10, 2005 6:11 am) As for parts cars, remember the greatest success story of all times for a car release, the Mustang, is a Falcon chassis. The MX-5 remains a great little car for sporting around in. The pie however is getting cut into so many pieces, it is hard to believe sales will skyrocket for the latest Miata. All though say a Mustang is not the same class as the MX-5, it's convertible sales will eat into MX-5 sales. To increase sales, I would think a hardtop version of the MX-5 would be in the cards. If Pontiac dealers get too greedy and overprice their cars, that would help Mazda. If it creates a frenzy to own roadster sports cars, the rising tide could raise all boats. One way or another, October sales numbers for these two cars should be interesting. Loren |
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Don't see it as competition in any way. Never even crossed my mind to look at a Mustang. Big, flabby, ungainly, ford engineering. no thanks.
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Replying to: blueguydotcom (Sep 10, 2005 3:11 pm) ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::END QUOTE::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: First of all, it is competition to the Miata. All sporty convertibles have the potential to siphon sales from the MX-5. Second, someone else may never think to look at a smaller car like the Miata, but nonetheless it is taking a piece of the pie. The Mustang is looking a bit fatter these days, just like the jump from '68 to '69. It is not a whole lot bigger than say the '94, but yeah, it does look it. If they stop there - not too bad. Looks are great, but perhaps a little too close to the original of '69 and thus slightly too retro / replica car. But I do like it. Last and I guess lest to say, don't forget Ford owns a large chunk of Mazda. That 1.8 engine was also used in Escorts and other econo cars, like a Kia Sephia. Loren
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Replying to: m1miata (Sep 10, 2005 6:34 pm) Totally different markets. People generally don't test drive 4000 lbs 4 seaters v6s/v8s against 2 seat 2500 lbs roadsters. Just like I can't think of anyone even comparing a z4 to the mx-5. The mx-5 is in its own niche - until the solstice. That 1.8 engine was also used in Escorts and other econo cars, like a Kia Sephia. What 1.8? The MX-5 has a 2.0. |
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Replying to: ryanrec (Sep 09, 2005 11:35 am)
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| The miata is not a comfortable freeway car. I'd suggest the Civic, Corolla, or Mazda3. All get good gas mileage and have decent comfort. | |
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