BRZ vs Miata (Popular Mechanics May 2012)
 

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Just got my PM issue for May

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Awesome report :D

too bad no BRZ for me at least for 2 years :(

This generation Miata was disappointing to me. But watch out for the next gen which will have a SkyActiv engine!

yet another 0-60 time everyone will ignore in favor for inside lines!

Good article, thanks!

SkyActiv is a technology designed to get better economy, not performance. Any benefit it brings to the Miata platform will be in the ability to put a smaller and lighter engine in the car. Don't bank too much on the tech.

Mazda's greatest strength with the Miata will be its lightness. If they shave the type of weight their predicting, it will retake it place as one of the best focused driving machines again.

damn beat me to it. while i am looking forward to the nd or whatever it ends up being, i dont see why anybody thinks that the current miata is a dissapointment unless they are just repeating what they hear on the internet

Didn't they get the units wrong on "power to weight?" I'm reading hp/lb and it should be lbs/hp.

Surprising from Popular Mechanics - am I having a brain fart, or is it them?

On topic, out of my previous cars, the PRHT MX-5 was the one I miss the most. I thought I was moving "up" to a Cayman. Even though the Cayman is a wonderful place to be, it never felt like I could toss it around as much as the Miata (especially at sane speeds). I guess at Porsche prices, I didn't feel as comfortable driving it hard, either. I'd get a Miata again, but I have a kid to stow on rare occasions, now, so I can't go back to a 2 seater.

So, these comparos for BRZ to Miata are perfect for me! They're giving me confidence I'm doing the right thing, even though I'm buying without having driven the car yet (and only seen one in person for 10 minutes).

This subject makes me sad. Im on my 5th miata since 92. 2 Na and 3 Nb. The Nc is an abomination. When I look at it I see a convertible Audi TT! It. O longer resembles the euro coupes it was originally modeled after. I may be flamed for it but luckily I don't give a... It's very personal to me.

what dont you like about it? its lighter and has more power than the msm and its only a $100 set of rx8 sways from being right there in the handling dept. couple that witht the fact that i fit and its pretty cool. sure its probably not as cool as the na or nb but abomination?

I think the current Miatas are a bit of a disappointment compared to the earlier ones. They've become heavier as Mazda has tried to make them more widely accepted. Personally, I think weight is the biggest enemy of the Miata. It has lost some of its focus over the years.

To a point, it's understandable. A large portion of the MX-5's customer base are mid- and late-life buyers who prefer a more comfortable ride over performance. Mazda won't want to turn those buyers off.

It might be time for two distinct trim lines of the MX-5, rather than the shades-of-grey they have now. Say, a MX-5R?

i can see that but the problem is that (and im not thinking about anyone in particular here, just typical trends) people are always talking about how the mazdaspeed is awesome and the nc sucks hard, while in reality, the nc is lighter and has practically the same power. sure they made it a little softer. the way i see it, the people who keep the miata stock will like it more and the enthusiasts are going to change all the suspension bits anyway. sounds smart to me but if you really want the out of the box performance there was the msr. basically the car is a set of sways from pulling 1 lateral g.

:thanks:


I also notice since the BRZ/FRS came out a lot of critics have started to say negative things about the MX5 and it has been out since 06. Where was the negative comments back then?

Yeah ur right, nice catch, car magazines usually get this wrong bcaz its sounds weird saying weight to power ratio but that's how it should be

largely a repost (online version has slightly different wording)
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4490

The SkyActiv engine/drivetrain is about more efficiency. So that means better fuel economy and better power. The Miata currently gets underwhelming fuel economy for the weight and power rating that it is. With the new engines, they can easily make it have a better power to weight ratio and better fuel economy than the BRZ/FRS.

I haven't liked the newer gen Miatas ever since they came out. Compared to the old one, the interior looks cheaper, the exterior looks uglier, the seats and steering wheel feel worse, the shifter felt notchier, and the car doesn't have as much feel overall IMO.

Yea Skyactiv was meant to be primarily a fuel efficiency thing, but let's face it, Mazda engines make terrible specific torque and power relative to the competition. The Skyactiv program is supposed to bring comprehensive efficiency improvements that will certainly benefit driveability and power.

Even if they refuse to increase the engine power, a more efficient engine could probably be lighter (they could downsize if a newer smaller engine matches the power of the older bigger one) so it is still a good thing for performance. Not to mention their new transmissions are supposed to be lightened and stuff too.

I'm not really impressed with this review, they tested a $32k MX-5!

If the base BRZ is that stiff, what would a STI feel like?:eyebulge:

The Miata and the BRZ are the two cars I'm comparing as well. This article worries me though, sounds like the Miata is more fun to drive everywhere except the track?

If I bought a NC Miata, I'd definitely have fun modding it into a little go-cart. Would just have to factor in the cost of a hard-top and accept the limitations of driving a small two-seater... hmm, choices.

I was wasted when I posted that. Don't drink and post!

My problem with NC is purely aesthetic though I do feel that they could use a little more power.

Nice! Thanks for the post. More perspective about the car is always welcome. :thanks:

NC is an ugly pig, but Ive driven a modified one and it blew my modified Mazdaspeed model out of the water. All it takes is intake/exhaust and some clever suspension boltons then its faster AND easier to drive than my turbo miata. That being said I still prefer my NB since its prettier (FD3S derived styling) and has much simpler electronics. Hatehatehatehate the stupid TCM/STM on the NC and the ugly steering wheel with those in-the-way controls. My steering wheel should not be akin to a game controller.

Yeah the current MX-5 is a big yawn in the looks department...but I hope the next generation will be bad assed!

Why are people still comparing a 2 seat roadster to a 4 seat sports coupe? Oh they both are RWD and have a 2.0 liter engine.......OK....

Until Subaru has a 2 seat roadster, they don't have a Miata fighter...actually nobody does....The S2000 was the closest thing....All Honda has to do was redesigned the S2000 and keep it in the low $30k range and it would have still sold units...That's Honda\Acura's problem...they give up to easily....

I guess "giving up easily" means producing the car for almost 10 years

They got the hp per lb wrong. What they have listed is lb's per hp. Makes it look like the MX-5 is better in that category.

the 2.3 MZR DISI disagrees with you. 285 ftlbs of torque by 2500rpms and 250hp(for the mazdaspeed3, the 6's were rated around 260-270) at 6k is freaking rediculous. That particular engine was on Wards top 10 engines for 3 years straight. Too bad the skyactive line replaced the mzr line, but the future is bright if they implement a similar setup.

I'm in agreement with other posters though. The Next Generation Miata needs to be lighter at ALL costs. However, all the safety equipment that's required nowadays is going to make things extremely difficult, but if Mazda utilizes the new welding techniques that they've been messing around with they can potentially create an extremely lightweight chassis, suspension, and drivetrain.

My personal preference is somewhere in the middle for a specialty enthusiast edition: DISI type turbo engine with upgraded suspension and drivetrain, minimalist approach to the interior(don't need 6 speakers and a sub) and call it a day.

Well hang in there buddy! Got to visit Qatar on a deployment and enjoyed my time there! In the meantime thanks for the review you posted as it was nice getting another comparison to the MX-5!

Also to those who were upset about what they're saying about the MX-5 now I wouldn't take it personal. I'd consider that good news that they're comparing this car to to one which has been on the market so long with such domination. Chillax bros and sisters! :drool:

You said it man... I'm disappointed in Honda A LOT. I had to buy a Kia to get something similar to what they used to create. Anyone else agree that's wrong?! lol

I agree with you, and I wanted a ND, but my car needs replacing now.

I've read a 1.3 (or 1.4) turbo engine in a car that has the weight of the NA generation (more or less) and much more structural rigidity.

It sounds like a great car, but it is still a year or so from production.

Can you share where you got this from? 1.3/1.4 is a bit small.

Honda has lost it's wasy so bad it's now playing with guys with Buicks.

It's a turbocharged engine... Hyundai/Kia have a twin scroll turbocharged, direct injected gasoline 2.0L that gets more power and better fuel economy than that. Not to mention it just needs regular fuel! There's no doubt they'll be adding turbos to the SkyActiv and they'll be better than the MZR. The SkyActiv engines are extremely efficient and have a lot of potential. I applaud Mazda for this platform. :clap:

My parents just bought a Kia Optima SX. They are actually very good valued cars! Good power, good fuel economy, 5-star safety all around (with new standards), every luxury you can think of, quality interior, good looking exterior, very low drag, 10 year powertrain warranty, 5 year general warranty, assembled in USA...

I think Korea is becomming the Japan of the 90's.

wrong. drinking and posting is the only way to go. its all those sober assholes that ruin the forum. in order to be a productive member of this forum do this :happy0180: until you do this:barf:

When you add a turbo, things get complicated fast, that's not a fair comparison.

Mazda's Skyactiv wasn't just to improve gas mileage. It was to improve MPGs without sacrificing any of the fun-to-drive (read: zoom zoom) factor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-EEbMxAho0

I'm presently driving my second Miata. It's an 02 NB. There are a bunch of us in the Miata community that think the looks of the NC just don't have it. There are also a good number of Miata people that don't drive Miata's because they're convertibles. If Miata had made a fixed roof coupe I'd be driving that now. If the Toyobaru twins don't work for me I'll probably take a big 'gulp' and by a NC PRHT.

:word: No I agree with them being today's version of Japan from the 90's. That's why I got my little Forte SX because it had more Civic characteristics than the actual Civic. Plus it came with EVERYTHING on it for cheap. So not complaining about Kia, just the fact that Honda lost "that lovin feelin"

I've been looking into NC Miatas as well. For some reason, all I can find are automatics and PRHT models. Strange...

Yeah, I think when Mazda went with the paddle shifters they brought a lot of 'manual only' guys closer to being automatic guys. The big thing, to me, with the current Miata, is the rpm's at highway speed are much lower and relaxed with the automatic than they are with the manual. That and the paddles is what would probably cause me to become a Miata automatic owner if I end up buying the PRHT.