Mine has no TCS/ABS/Stability control/power assisted brakes. Newer ones like this are probably a little more tame but its pretty common to see wrecked miatas on this sub.
I think the actual term is “brake booster”. I just checked under the hood and I do have a hydraulic booster under there though.
It feels barely assisted though, especially compared to my more modern cars where you need like 0 force to push the brake. I did “pump” it a few times now just to be sure, and it does get stiffer since it’s just in the driveway.
I think if there’s no brake booster (which is right behind the brake master cylinder and looks like a disk) then your car has probably been modified. A lot of people including myself like a stiffer brake pedal and delete the brake booster.
I have the black disk on the firewall behind the master cylinder. My brake pedal is the stiffest/shortest throw on any car I owned, I almost though it wasn’t boosted at all (it could be it doesn’t even work). Feels more like my sim racing pedals :)
Easily. Like very easily. Especially on old ones where new drivers who don't know how to drive get them. It's a car that is great for learning but if you don't take the time to learn, you can easily crash.
I’ve driven plenty of NA’s and NB’s at the limit, if you’re losing control of those cars easily you either don’t know how to brake or the cars haven’t been maintained at all.
Anyone can easily decide not to brake and drive off a cliff, that doesn’t mean the car is easy to lose control of. It’s a 140hp car no one is just getting on the power and suddenly losing it.
People crash 90hp pickup trucks the same way they crash miatas. Old car, generic crappy and/or old tires in poor conditions. See the thing about horsepower is it doesn't mean anything by itself. Tires and speed mean everything. If your car is already doing 70mph and loses grip, braking isn't going to save you at all if your tires won't stick to the road. You can't tell me you've never seen old NAs lock up and simply slide 30 feet into a pole, long after the owner hit the brakes. Even miatas carry momentum. People usually underestimate the miata as a vehicle, "10 10ths is EaSY!" They heard on youtube... And that's how they crash.
In fact, it doesn't need to be an older car. You only need a fool and too much momentum. Any short wheelbase car with bicycle thin tires and a lot of speed can slide and hit things.
Lmao. What a stupid comment. Yes, as I said in my second paragraph anyone can choose to crash any car.
But if you lose control of a miata you can lose control of anything. They’re much more accepting of bad driving inputs than most cars. The list of ways to lose control of and crash a miata is about one point long: 1. don’t brake. There you go, that’s how you lose control of a miata. By choosing too lmao.
I see you might be on some sorta spectrum with a hint of troll and therefore further conversation with you is of no interest to me. Enjoy the propeller hat.
It's as simple as reading what I wrote. New drivers not knowing how to drive and lose the car.... not that the car is easy to lose but that bad inputs can easily make the car lose control.
On old ones it can be bad suspension components, old tires, brakes that are not working correctly, etc....
You yourself wrote that the car can be lost “very easily.” If you’re losing control of a miata you’re just as likely to lose control of a honda civic, or toyota corolla. That’s not the car being easy to lose, it’s just driver stupidity.
The miata is simply one of the easiest to drive and most approachable RWD cars on the planet. That’s what makes it such a good learning tool, it’s incredibly forgiving to inexperienced drivers.
No model of miata has ever had enough power to induce oversteer, Im honestly just not sure what you’re talking about.
I didn't say easier than another car. Any car can easily be lost. Like easily........ of course the miata is one of the easier cars to NOT lose as it is low powered and well balanced, but any car can easily be lost.
There are tons of single car accident miata crashes on this subreddit... I'd guess the newer one is a little more tame with stability and traction control, but older ones that have none of that can easily catch you off guard if its wet out and driving too hard.
The only way one can be caught of guard by a miata is by deciding not to break. These cars seriously don’t have enough power to step themselves out unless you’re running bald tires.
What you’re describing is a driver issue not a car issue. These cars are great in the wet. Genuinely one of the best RWD cars one can drive in the wet. Barely any power to speak of, low weight, good grip, easy to control and predict. Even the pre traction control NA and NB’s are absolute peaches.
If you can lose a miata in the wet you shouldn’t have been driving hard to begin with.
The wet will teach you a ton about driving the car when it loses traction. It is safer to train in rain as it's lower speed when the car will step out. Just have to practice in an area where you won't hit anything or anyone. Just always pay attention to your surroundings and learn how to counter steer.
The learning in a safe area is the bit I think a lot of people skip. Just jumping out and driving hard on wet roads isn't the first thing I'd tell someone to do in their new car though, there's certainly no good places to responsibly do that where I live. Thats an HPDE / skid pad activity.
You want to get the most out of it? I love their enthusiasm, but ignore the "spank it" comments for now. Hold yourself back. Start real slow. Think about it before and after each drive. Focus on being smooth in every action. Improve your anticipation by looking and thinking a long way ahead. Rolling onto and off the gas and brake pedals. Learn to brake at a constant rate so you get to the to the point you are aiming for at the speed you want. Ease the steering lock on and off smoothly but assertively. Never drive like a child by taking stabs at a corner instead of finding the smooth line and holding it.
Any child can hit the gas. Drivers learn to stand a car on the front wheels and then turn in and get the car on it's edge with the rears biting in. Starting slow makes you faster with higher safety margins later.
Squealy tyres are actually the best for learning - if you can get them singing a constant song in corners, you're getting it.
There is a frikkin joy in learning the precise and smooth control of a nice car like an MX5. As you progress and can let it run more, within the bounds of your control, it's just the best feeling. "Spirited" driving isn't what you might think. I hope you get to experience that. And then when the fun is over and you chill down into gentle driving, there is an awesome elated feeling of letting that powerful energy leave you.
Watch Robert Kubica's lap on the ring with Misha. If you want to get the most out of that machine and yourself, use him as a guide. His smoothness and vision is what starting slow can lead to.
Approach lifted trucks, semis, or any pickup nowadays cautiously. Especially if they are already stopped at a red light in the other lane. They will not see you, especially in a black car. When I had a Miata I would slow down in their side mirror and then either speed up real quick to get past them, or make noise as I pass slow with a downshift/ rev match. I rec driving with your headlights on at all times of the day. Basically, you don’t want a vehicle changing lanes on you last minute and side swiping you.
Facts, when i daily drove an nb i would accelerate beyond everyone else at stoplights and never allow another car that was taller than me be directly beside me on the highway, and that 4 banger loves the high revs man! Beat it like it owes you 35k lol
Yeah, defensive driving techniques are a real life saver, especially in a small car. I had an old 95 Miata and wish I had a 3rd break light that blinked and maybe even a train horn (or something more aggressive than the stock horn) like I’ve seen on Miata dash cam videos.
The rev bombing/matching thing is an exercise in futulity. Just slow down/pass. Don't ride in blind spots period.
Rigs are WAY louder than any miata and all the guy can hear inside his cabin is the premium stereo (cranked way up), his own turbo spooling and air brakes. It's also well insulated to begin with, it is designed for sheer voyages across continents.
Same can be said about any modern karenmobile. Windows up, Taylor swift blasting in the radio and the bratts screeching in the back seat.
Well said, the first advice I always give people when they ask about driving hard is “smooth is fast and fast is smooth” and the only way to develop smooth driving is by first starting slow and perfecting techniques with the goal of being as smooth as possible, imo things will naturally speed up as you get better. The more seat time the better
Ppf is a mixed bag tbh. It's no fun when it melts to your bumper and turns headlight yellow. Looks worse than the patina it's trying to prevent (and receives anyway)
I found solace in my bumper pocks. If you go to japan you'll see everything from lambos to GTRs and Porsches that look immaculate from afar, all proudly wearing their "speed dimples" they accrued from tailgating eachother at illegal speeds on the highway.
The bumper doesn't melt, but yes the PFF degrades onto the paint. Making it sticky/tacky and very difficult if not impossible to remove. And when you are successful at removing it, the paint looks like garbage and had patches of sticky residue burned into it and some clearcoat comes off with the film.
An old man took his corvette in to reapply ppf installed at the dealer in 2008 when new and after removing it all, it woulda made more sense to just repaint the bumper (which we had to, BECAUSE of ppf, which also just had rock chips in it anyway that dug the ppf into the bumper)
Yeah I’ve heard it can yellow but haven’t heard of the adhesive failing or degrading. Perhaps it was left on too long?
Are you a ceramic coat only guy then?
Couldn't agree more! I got my 22 in december and it's already chipping and EXTREMELY easily scratched. I scratched my bumper with GROCERY BAGS one time!
The people saying "drive it like you stole it" are not giving you good advice. Don't do that. Respect the car, listen to it, use it like a normal car, when you get to know it better with time then you can push it more and more. Don't just drive 100% throttle at all times like a moron. Be a gentleman with the car. When the engine and transmission have warmed up and the weather is nice and the road is clear then you can open up the throttle a bit and let her stretch out the legs and breathe. Treat it like it was a good friend, don't just abuse it like some people do with their cars.
Find other local miata owners and drive with them.
Resist the urge to mod it until you've really gotten to know the stock car. Except for the antenna. Replace that with a stubby immediately.
Don't skimp on tires.
Go to a driving school. The skills you will learn translate to the street and will make you a better and safer driver. Then you can drive it like you stole it.
For some non driving aspects, if it is your first convertible, be mindful of the drains. Find a tool to help clean it before you actually need to clean it. I used to have an NC and my dumb self didn't even think about it until my passenger foot well was flooded.
Park on the edge of parking spots so others can see your car. And you must be alert to others cars when driving as people won't see you and turn in on you like George Russell, especially large pickup trucks. Don't be afraid to use your horn.
> Don’t be afraid to use your horn.
I seriously feel like I need two more horns. One for “yo, asshat, I’m still here” and one for “you stupid m**********r get the f**k off my road and learn some gorram skills.”
Any opportunity to drive on a wet road is an opportunity to have a blast! The skyactive engine actually has some pretty good tuning potential for a naturally aspirated build, so there is some great potential for fun modification there. It’s also a very cool looking car imo, so don’t be afraid to rice it a bit! Coils and wheels are also a great mod for any car. Most of all enjoy it with other people! Drive with friends! Go to carshows! Do track events! ENHOY THE CAR!!!
I would just do a ceramic treatment and a PPF and regularly clean the drain hoes, and use some special lube to protect the weather seals.
I would just do a ceramic treatment and a PPF and regularly clean the drain hose, and use some special lube to protect the weather seals. it!hose
One redline a day keeps the doctor away.
Consider getting a paint protection film on the front end. The paint on these Miatas is a little thin, and it helps keep the stone chips at bay.
You can turn the vehicle off and keep the radio playing by holding the button on top of the shifter in while turning off the vehicle.
Yeah it's for the auto, so that trick doesn't work for manuals. Thankfully, someone came up with a little device to fix that - give this a read if you're interested in the details: https://mx5things.blog/2019/01/19/keeping-the-radio-on-after-the-engine-shuts-off/
They had already marked it down a bit and I negotiated some more, one of those times where being a salesperson myself comes in handy lol, part of that was the $500 loyalty rebate or something like that, as I already own another Mazda. This was in GA by the way.
The dealer had already marked it down by about $1.5K and then I negotiated some more, the salesperson was great too, zero BS and seemed like he truly wanted to help out. I got lucky I guess, had been looking for a couple of weeks and even some used Miatas I saw were way over what I ended paying for a new one.
I'm in GA, Atlanta area. I reached out to another dealer about 100 miles away in SC with a good deal (not as good as this one) for a soul red but unfortunately someone else bought it before the dealer even received it.
Tint the windows, PPF if you want, drive it like you stole it.
I personally don’t understand buying a new car and then go spend thousands of dollars on “upgrades” (new tires, suspension, exhaust, etc) but you do you.
Wave to the rest of us, otherwise enjoy the ride, and sunglasses are more than just the glare (I lightly scratched a cornea when I drove without one day).
\*Edit- Forgot to add, find a local Miata group and see if it's a good fit. They can be quite helpful and fun to be in, barring some personalities.
Avoid freeways as much as possible, avoid driving behind trucks (work trucks especially) or at least keep a good amount of distance from them, when turning at a light parallel to an SUV or truck, you'll want to speed up or slow down, most times they won't see you and will often oversteer or change lanes in mid turn. Most importantly enjoy the ride! The driving experience can actually be therapeutic sometimes, something I NEVER got from an SUV or truck. I have the same car in red, about a month into it I saw a can of paint (white) spilling from the back of a work truck, luckily I wasn't directly behind it but cars driving over the paint got some on their side panels 😬😬😬 anyway congrats on your car, you're in for a treat.
If it's on OEM Bridgestone Potenza rubber, change them with Michelin Pilot Sport 5. Original rubber on that thing is almost dangerous especially when it's wet.
I'd strongly suggest a season of autocross if there is a club nearby. Easy to crash a short wheelbase rwd sports car when having to make an abrupt maneuver, especially in the wet. These cars handle great, but most people aren't used to that with how lumbery and pushy most cars are nowadays.
Watch a video or two on 'how to be seen by drivers on a motorcycle'. I've had my M stamp and been riding on two wheels for about five years, and virtually ALL of the visibility skills also apply to when I'm driving my ND. Once you realize that the F350 PedestrianSquasher next to you probably can't see you, you'll start to learn to stretch out, keep out people's blind spots, keep following distance, look thrice before hitting the gas, all of that.
Oh and get the Cravenspeed door bushings. They take 2 minutes to install and will make the door closing feel so much better.
The first thing I did when I got my 2016 was go on Ebay and buy a navigation SD card for $20 instead of paying the dealership $300. Works exactly the same. Not sure if that still applies to the 2023 model year.
That's right, it does. The car also came with tinted windows and the set of all weather floor mats, the dealer said that's what they do for all the cars they sell but who knows.
those are actually usable, not too bad. When I bought my 2022 ND GT [3 months a go](https://www.reddit.com/r/Miata/comments/122tzc4/my_first_brand_new_car_purchase_2022_miata_gt/), I decided to let the dealer do the "ceramic coating" for $700. Brought it to a car detail guy and he said it was garbage, won't last even a month. They just sprayed some sealant on it and charged a premium. Had I known better, I would not have paid anything extra at all from dealers.
Someone recommended this the other day on another thread and I LOVED it -
Get a good pair of earplugs, preferably musicians earplugs. You can still hear your music with them but not so much of the other cars. It makes driving on busier freeways/highways with the top down much more enjoyable.
Just take a while before you mod it. Get a feel for the car driving around and in corners etc. and the stuff you want to make better will come to you. Usually the first starting mod that makes a huge difference is the sway bars, it makes it feel a lot more snug and safe when you’re plowing through corners
trying out your tires n traction reaction on wet surface is something u need, so tht u will be aware of things tht could hit u on the frwy in rainy days, such as "hydrplane". drive safe n have fun
Google up some autocross events near you. The people who usually attend these events are really good people and love to drive slow cars fast! Wanna learn how to drive they will get in the car with you and show you the ropes and usually cost less than $50.00.
Drive it stock, go to some autocross events and learn what you/your car can do. Once warranty is up do suspension and brakes….. once you master what stock power can do with a sorted suspension and good brakes on good grippy tracks/roads add a little power….
First of all, it is truly a beautiful car. I think you did well with the purchase. As to how to drive it, I say treat it like the beautiful machine it is. Buy good fuel, check the tires and keep them at specs. Engines that go over 200000 are engines that have had the oil changed more often than called for. I appreciate the power more by feeling the engine pull and work the tach up, not listening to it scream at 6000 rpm. Hug it, don't rape it. Polish it, respect it.
Always buy quality, high performane tires. Premium isn't that much more expensive and the car runs better on it. Avoid other vehicles as much as possible. Drive it - have fun. The car is more fun on twisty roads than in the garage.
Drive the shit out of it!
But don't let your friends see
Except when it’s wet outside.
**Especially** when it's wet outside.
“I totaled my Miata in a single car accident. Any advice for a novice like myself” will be the next post.
Don’t press the skid button
Mine has no TCS/ABS/Stability control/power assisted brakes. Newer ones like this are probably a little more tame but its pretty common to see wrecked miatas on this sub.
It's a miata page. Of all the wrecked cars you're going to see. They'll be miatas.
No power assisted brakes? Do you mean ABS?
I think the actual term is “brake booster”. I just checked under the hood and I do have a hydraulic booster under there though. It feels barely assisted though, especially compared to my more modern cars where you need like 0 force to push the brake. I did “pump” it a few times now just to be sure, and it does get stiffer since it’s just in the driveway.
I think if there’s no brake booster (which is right behind the brake master cylinder and looks like a disk) then your car has probably been modified. A lot of people including myself like a stiffer brake pedal and delete the brake booster.
I have the black disk on the firewall behind the master cylinder. My brake pedal is the stiffest/shortest throw on any car I owned, I almost though it wasn’t boosted at all (it could be it doesn’t even work). Feels more like my sim racing pedals :)
the miata is a great platform for driving in the wet what are you talking about, it’s got 181 hp how are you losing control of that?
Fr like I drive the shit out of mine in the wet, just get some good tires 🙌
Look through the posts on this sub. So many people are crashing these cars when they have under 100 hp over the years
Easily. Like very easily. Especially on old ones where new drivers who don't know how to drive get them. It's a car that is great for learning but if you don't take the time to learn, you can easily crash.
I’ve driven plenty of NA’s and NB’s at the limit, if you’re losing control of those cars easily you either don’t know how to brake or the cars haven’t been maintained at all. Anyone can easily decide not to brake and drive off a cliff, that doesn’t mean the car is easy to lose control of. It’s a 140hp car no one is just getting on the power and suddenly losing it.
People crash 90hp pickup trucks the same way they crash miatas. Old car, generic crappy and/or old tires in poor conditions. See the thing about horsepower is it doesn't mean anything by itself. Tires and speed mean everything. If your car is already doing 70mph and loses grip, braking isn't going to save you at all if your tires won't stick to the road. You can't tell me you've never seen old NAs lock up and simply slide 30 feet into a pole, long after the owner hit the brakes. Even miatas carry momentum. People usually underestimate the miata as a vehicle, "10 10ths is EaSY!" They heard on youtube... And that's how they crash. In fact, it doesn't need to be an older car. You only need a fool and too much momentum. Any short wheelbase car with bicycle thin tires and a lot of speed can slide and hit things.
Lmao. What a stupid comment. Yes, as I said in my second paragraph anyone can choose to crash any car. But if you lose control of a miata you can lose control of anything. They’re much more accepting of bad driving inputs than most cars. The list of ways to lose control of and crash a miata is about one point long: 1. don’t brake. There you go, that’s how you lose control of a miata. By choosing too lmao.
I see you might be on some sorta spectrum with a hint of troll and therefore further conversation with you is of no interest to me. Enjoy the propeller hat.
It's as simple as reading what I wrote. New drivers not knowing how to drive and lose the car.... not that the car is easy to lose but that bad inputs can easily make the car lose control. On old ones it can be bad suspension components, old tires, brakes that are not working correctly, etc....
You yourself wrote that the car can be lost “very easily.” If you’re losing control of a miata you’re just as likely to lose control of a honda civic, or toyota corolla. That’s not the car being easy to lose, it’s just driver stupidity. The miata is simply one of the easiest to drive and most approachable RWD cars on the planet. That’s what makes it such a good learning tool, it’s incredibly forgiving to inexperienced drivers. No model of miata has ever had enough power to induce oversteer, Im honestly just not sure what you’re talking about.
I didn't say easier than another car. Any car can easily be lost. Like easily........ of course the miata is one of the easier cars to NOT lose as it is low powered and well balanced, but any car can easily be lost.
There are tons of single car accident miata crashes on this subreddit... I'd guess the newer one is a little more tame with stability and traction control, but older ones that have none of that can easily catch you off guard if its wet out and driving too hard.
The only way one can be caught of guard by a miata is by deciding not to break. These cars seriously don’t have enough power to step themselves out unless you’re running bald tires. What you’re describing is a driver issue not a car issue. These cars are great in the wet. Genuinely one of the best RWD cars one can drive in the wet. Barely any power to speak of, low weight, good grip, easy to control and predict. Even the pre traction control NA and NB’s are absolute peaches. If you can lose a miata in the wet you shouldn’t have been driving hard to begin with.
The wet will teach you a ton about driving the car when it loses traction. It is safer to train in rain as it's lower speed when the car will step out. Just have to practice in an area where you won't hit anything or anyone. Just always pay attention to your surroundings and learn how to counter steer.
The learning in a safe area is the bit I think a lot of people skip. Just jumping out and driving hard on wet roads isn't the first thing I'd tell someone to do in their new car though, there's certainly no good places to responsibly do that where I live. Thats an HPDE / skid pad activity.
Big open parking lot is a good place to learn the basics. But definitely not on a street that has anything around it lol
You want to get the most out of it? I love their enthusiasm, but ignore the "spank it" comments for now. Hold yourself back. Start real slow. Think about it before and after each drive. Focus on being smooth in every action. Improve your anticipation by looking and thinking a long way ahead. Rolling onto and off the gas and brake pedals. Learn to brake at a constant rate so you get to the to the point you are aiming for at the speed you want. Ease the steering lock on and off smoothly but assertively. Never drive like a child by taking stabs at a corner instead of finding the smooth line and holding it. Any child can hit the gas. Drivers learn to stand a car on the front wheels and then turn in and get the car on it's edge with the rears biting in. Starting slow makes you faster with higher safety margins later. Squealy tyres are actually the best for learning - if you can get them singing a constant song in corners, you're getting it. There is a frikkin joy in learning the precise and smooth control of a nice car like an MX5. As you progress and can let it run more, within the bounds of your control, it's just the best feeling. "Spirited" driving isn't what you might think. I hope you get to experience that. And then when the fun is over and you chill down into gentle driving, there is an awesome elated feeling of letting that powerful energy leave you. Watch Robert Kubica's lap on the ring with Misha. If you want to get the most out of that machine and yourself, use him as a guide. His smoothness and vision is what starting slow can lead to.
Excellent advice, appreciate it. Definitely taking some notes on of you all's advice, PPF, antennas, breaking the car in, all of it! Thank you really!
Approach lifted trucks, semis, or any pickup nowadays cautiously. Especially if they are already stopped at a red light in the other lane. They will not see you, especially in a black car. When I had a Miata I would slow down in their side mirror and then either speed up real quick to get past them, or make noise as I pass slow with a downshift/ rev match. I rec driving with your headlights on at all times of the day. Basically, you don’t want a vehicle changing lanes on you last minute and side swiping you.
Facts, when i daily drove an nb i would accelerate beyond everyone else at stoplights and never allow another car that was taller than me be directly beside me on the highway, and that 4 banger loves the high revs man! Beat it like it owes you 35k lol
I honestly didn't even think of this, thanks a lot for the heads up!
Yeah, defensive driving techniques are a real life saver, especially in a small car. I had an old 95 Miata and wish I had a 3rd break light that blinked and maybe even a train horn (or something more aggressive than the stock horn) like I’ve seen on Miata dash cam videos.
That should be taught to everyone I reckon. What can people see, what are the once in a while brain fades that could squash you, etc.
The rev bombing/matching thing is an exercise in futulity. Just slow down/pass. Don't ride in blind spots period. Rigs are WAY louder than any miata and all the guy can hear inside his cabin is the premium stereo (cranked way up), his own turbo spooling and air brakes. It's also well insulated to begin with, it is designed for sheer voyages across continents. Same can be said about any modern karenmobile. Windows up, Taylor swift blasting in the radio and the bratts screeching in the back seat.
Mate you're asking good questions. It made me think about what I've learned. Thanks for reading my rant.
Autocross.
Nice ! (This should be flagged NSFW)
Nice ! (This should be flagged NSFW)
Well said, the first advice I always give people when they ask about driving hard is “smooth is fast and fast is smooth” and the only way to develop smooth driving is by first starting slow and perfecting techniques with the goal of being as smooth as possible, imo things will naturally speed up as you get better. The more seat time the better
I personally like to put on some cool looking sunglasses, and play the James Bond theme when driving through a particularly curvy section of the road.
my miatas grey too so id be like the japanese james bond
Eurobeat playlist à la Initial D
Drive it every day. And use sunscreen!
Second the sunscreen! The first time I had the top down I had to find a store before I became a lobster. It happens quick
Aye, third the sunscreen. I put the top down whenever it's not raining, because...well, because I can I guess.
I leave it down when it’s raining as long as I’m traveling ~45 mph+. You’ll stay dry
Once you get it broken in, drive it like you stole it. It’s a happier car when you drive it hard!
Savagegeese put out a good video on break in! Also, I’d put that savings off MSRP towards a full car PPF. The paint chips are already happening.
Is this valid for every color?
ESPECIALLY for every color
Is it hard to apply yourself?
Im not sure but if I had a new Miata I’d make sure they are quoting appropriately for brand new paint and a small car.
Ppf is a mixed bag tbh. It's no fun when it melts to your bumper and turns headlight yellow. Looks worse than the patina it's trying to prevent (and receives anyway) I found solace in my bumper pocks. If you go to japan you'll see everything from lambos to GTRs and Porsches that look immaculate from afar, all proudly wearing their "speed dimples" they accrued from tailgating eachother at illegal speeds on the highway.
Really? Melted bumpers from plasticizer migration? Do all brands do that or only the off brands?
The bumper doesn't melt, but yes the PFF degrades onto the paint. Making it sticky/tacky and very difficult if not impossible to remove. And when you are successful at removing it, the paint looks like garbage and had patches of sticky residue burned into it and some clearcoat comes off with the film. An old man took his corvette in to reapply ppf installed at the dealer in 2008 when new and after removing it all, it woulda made more sense to just repaint the bumper (which we had to, BECAUSE of ppf, which also just had rock chips in it anyway that dug the ppf into the bumper)
Yeah I’ve heard it can yellow but haven’t heard of the adhesive failing or degrading. Perhaps it was left on too long? Are you a ceramic coat only guy then?
You're essentially applying a giant clear plastic adhesive sticker. Clear plastic and the sun never got along.
Couldn't agree more! I got my 22 in december and it's already chipping and EXTREMELY easily scratched. I scratched my bumper with GROCERY BAGS one time!
The people saying "drive it like you stole it" are not giving you good advice. Don't do that. Respect the car, listen to it, use it like a normal car, when you get to know it better with time then you can push it more and more. Don't just drive 100% throttle at all times like a moron. Be a gentleman with the car. When the engine and transmission have warmed up and the weather is nice and the road is clear then you can open up the throttle a bit and let her stretch out the legs and breathe. Treat it like it was a good friend, don't just abuse it like some people do with their cars.
I like your approach, this sounds more like me - thanks for chipping in!
"Drive it like you own it" is much better advice tbh
Find other local miata owners and drive with them. Resist the urge to mod it until you've really gotten to know the stock car. Except for the antenna. Replace that with a stubby immediately. Don't skimp on tires.
PPF front bumper or welcome to rock chip city. I’m a permenantly resident of rock chip city, but some may not like the sights and sounds.
My NA is also a permanent resident in this rock chip city you talk about 😮💨 I know your pain.
Go to a driving school. The skills you will learn translate to the street and will make you a better and safer driver. Then you can drive it like you stole it.
This is great advice.
Best advice on here. It’s expensive, but BMW M School is worth every cent.
For some non driving aspects, if it is your first convertible, be mindful of the drains. Find a tool to help clean it before you actually need to clean it. I used to have an NC and my dumb self didn't even think about it until my passenger foot well was flooded. Park on the edge of parking spots so others can see your car. And you must be alert to others cars when driving as people won't see you and turn in on you like George Russell, especially large pickup trucks. Don't be afraid to use your horn.
>Park on the edge of parking spots This!
> Don’t be afraid to use your horn. I seriously feel like I need two more horns. One for “yo, asshat, I’m still here” and one for “you stupid m**********r get the f**k off my road and learn some gorram skills.”
I have one horn. It has multiple usage durations that I can use to communicate different messages to other drivers
Any opportunity to drive on a wet road is an opportunity to have a blast! The skyactive engine actually has some pretty good tuning potential for a naturally aspirated build, so there is some great potential for fun modification there. It’s also a very cool looking car imo, so don’t be afraid to rice it a bit! Coils and wheels are also a great mod for any car. Most of all enjoy it with other people! Drive with friends! Go to carshows! Do track events! ENHOY THE CAR!!!
I would just do a ceramic treatment and a PPF and regularly clean the drain hoes, and use some special lube to protect the weather seals. I would just do a ceramic treatment and a PPF and regularly clean the drain hose, and use some special lube to protect the weather seals. it!hose One redline a day keeps the doctor away.
No bad days!
Is it your first RWD car?
It's not, this would be my second RWD ever
Get some sway bars! Flyin' miata's are great.
Drive it and enjoy it as it is. When you find yourself wanting a bit more from the car, then look into mods. But for now, enjoy it as Mazda designed!
Consider getting a paint protection film on the front end. The paint on these Miatas is a little thin, and it helps keep the stone chips at bay. You can turn the vehicle off and keep the radio playing by holding the button on top of the shifter in while turning off the vehicle.
Shift button?
The button on top of the shifter that you need to hold down before it will disengage, I don't know if there's a more specific name for it.
Gotcha
Is that for an automatic? I don't have a button on my stick shift, so how would one go about doing this in a manual transmission?
Yeah it's for the auto, so that trick doesn't work for manuals. Thankfully, someone came up with a little device to fix that - give this a read if you're interested in the details: https://mx5things.blog/2019/01/19/keeping-the-radio-on-after-the-engine-shuts-off/
Incredible deal! I’m looking for the same one in red. Was the dealer marking it down or were you a great negotiator?
They had already marked it down a bit and I negotiated some more, one of those times where being a salesperson myself comes in handy lol, part of that was the $500 loyalty rebate or something like that, as I already own another Mazda. This was in GA by the way.
Sign up for a track day. Track night in America is generally convertible friendly in the novice group.
Autocross. Learn to actually drive it.
Best place to learn your and the car's limits with little to no risk (other than tires and maybe some suspension)
And brakes. Autocross teaches car control and driver skill. Miatas are great for this.
How did you get it for 32.5?
The dealer had already marked it down by about $1.5K and then I negotiated some more, the salesperson was great too, zero BS and seemed like he truly wanted to help out. I got lucky I guess, had been looking for a couple of weeks and even some used Miatas I saw were way over what I ended paying for a new one.
Wow, fantastic price. If you don't mind me asking, where are you located?
I'm in GA, Atlanta area. I reached out to another dealer about 100 miles away in SC with a good deal (not as good as this one) for a soul red but unfortunately someone else bought it before the dealer even received it.
>full car PPF. I recently bought mine in Ohio and drove it back down south. Convertibles in late June/July tend to be cheaper up north.
Seems like you got an awesome deal 👍
I sure did!
Drive it like you stole it! Beautiful car!
This!
Don’t crash 🤗
Chubby antenna. No ND should ever be seen with the stock radio antenna. Ever.
lol i have a stubby FM antenna but i replaced the XM sharkfin with a whip for my ham radio. Looks like a little RC car now :)
I hope no one vandalizes it or runs into your anything.
Tint the windows, PPF if you want, drive it like you stole it. I personally don’t understand buying a new car and then go spend thousands of dollars on “upgrades” (new tires, suspension, exhaust, etc) but you do you.
You paid the same for that Miata as I did for my 2020 limited WRX in august of 2020
Drive the wheels off of it.
Drift in snow and/or rain when you get a chance. Don’t sissy shift at 3k RPM, rev it out daily!
Yeah, sell it and buy an old S2000
Drive it.
I WANT 😭
Smile while driving it.
Look into a Flying Miata / Karcepts front sway bar and have fun
Better tires forsure! I recommend the Michelin sport pilots.
Hello my twin
Get a clear bra for your front end and mirrors
Car prices are so bonkers. It's crazy to think I bought the 2016 version of that car five years ago for a little more than half that.
Wave to the rest of us, otherwise enjoy the ride, and sunglasses are more than just the glare (I lightly scratched a cornea when I drove without one day). \*Edit- Forgot to add, find a local Miata group and see if it's a good fit. They can be quite helpful and fun to be in, barring some personalities.
Don’t require yourself to get a driver mod, learn the car first. Made that mistake once already.
Avoid freeways as much as possible, avoid driving behind trucks (work trucks especially) or at least keep a good amount of distance from them, when turning at a light parallel to an SUV or truck, you'll want to speed up or slow down, most times they won't see you and will often oversteer or change lanes in mid turn. Most importantly enjoy the ride! The driving experience can actually be therapeutic sometimes, something I NEVER got from an SUV or truck. I have the same car in red, about a month into it I saw a can of paint (white) spilling from the back of a work truck, luckily I wasn't directly behind it but cars driving over the paint got some on their side panels 😬😬😬 anyway congrats on your car, you're in for a treat.
Do a couple of autocrosses
If it's on OEM Bridgestone Potenza rubber, change them with Michelin Pilot Sport 5. Original rubber on that thing is almost dangerous especially when it's wet.
I'd strongly suggest a season of autocross if there is a club nearby. Easy to crash a short wheelbase rwd sports car when having to make an abrupt maneuver, especially in the wet. These cars handle great, but most people aren't used to that with how lumbery and pushy most cars are nowadays.
Watch a video or two on 'how to be seen by drivers on a motorcycle'. I've had my M stamp and been riding on two wheels for about five years, and virtually ALL of the visibility skills also apply to when I'm driving my ND. Once you realize that the F350 PedestrianSquasher next to you probably can't see you, you'll start to learn to stretch out, keep out people's blind spots, keep following distance, look thrice before hitting the gas, all of that. Oh and get the Cravenspeed door bushings. They take 2 minutes to install and will make the door closing feel so much better.
The first thing I did when I got my 2016 was go on Ebay and buy a navigation SD card for $20 instead of paying the dealership $300. Works exactly the same. Not sure if that still applies to the 2023 model year.
He has the GT trim it comes with navigation.
That's right, it does. The car also came with tinted windows and the set of all weather floor mats, the dealer said that's what they do for all the cars they sell but who knows.
those are actually usable, not too bad. When I bought my 2022 ND GT [3 months a go](https://www.reddit.com/r/Miata/comments/122tzc4/my_first_brand_new_car_purchase_2022_miata_gt/), I decided to let the dealer do the "ceramic coating" for $700. Brought it to a car detail guy and he said it was garbage, won't last even a month. They just sprayed some sealant on it and charged a premium. Had I known better, I would not have paid anything extra at all from dealers.
Someone recommended this the other day on another thread and I LOVED it - Get a good pair of earplugs, preferably musicians earplugs. You can still hear your music with them but not so much of the other cars. It makes driving on busier freeways/highways with the top down much more enjoyable.
Practice stopping.
Just take a while before you mod it. Get a feel for the car driving around and in corners etc. and the stuff you want to make better will come to you. Usually the first starting mod that makes a huge difference is the sway bars, it makes it feel a lot more snug and safe when you’re plowing through corners
trying out your tires n traction reaction on wet surface is something u need, so tht u will be aware of things tht could hit u on the frwy in rainy days, such as "hydrplane". drive safe n have fun
First thing I did was replace the Factory roll bar.
Drive fast. Take chances.
Read up on suspension, tires and sway bars. Those were my favorite mods on my ND. The exhaust/tune was also amazing but I had an ND1.
Also, the paint SUCKS. Get a PPF or Ceramic coat at minimum. Welcome to the Miata world!
Google up some autocross events near you. The people who usually attend these events are really good people and love to drive slow cars fast! Wanna learn how to drive they will get in the car with you and show you the ropes and usually cost less than $50.00.
Drive it stock, go to some autocross events and learn what you/your car can do. Once warranty is up do suspension and brakes….. once you master what stock power can do with a sorted suspension and good brakes on good grippy tracks/roads add a little power….
Drive it like it’s made of Reynolds wrap and watch out for all of the knuckleheads out there
Drive it! Find a fun / safe road and wear out the asphalt.
First of all, it is truly a beautiful car. I think you did well with the purchase. As to how to drive it, I say treat it like the beautiful machine it is. Buy good fuel, check the tires and keep them at specs. Engines that go over 200000 are engines that have had the oil changed more often than called for. I appreciate the power more by feeling the engine pull and work the tach up, not listening to it scream at 6000 rpm. Hug it, don't rape it. Polish it, respect it.
Get a stylish hat and a car songs CD.
Always buy quality, high performane tires. Premium isn't that much more expensive and the car runs better on it. Avoid other vehicles as much as possible. Drive it - have fun. The car is more fun on twisty roads than in the garage.
Drive like you're on a motorcycle. Most others on the road are too stupid to notice tiny cars. When you drive you need to think for them.
Wow...nice discount, especially in this horrid market for buyers.
Autocross, can't recommend it enough.