2004 Mazdaspeed Miata or keep my 10 Series?
 

hey all

I'm an old NB Miata owner who has moved on to other cars and right now I'm in a limited edition Scion FRS. I love the FRS, but I have the opportunity to get into a 2004 MSM in pretty good condition. It's been resprayed to take care of some rust, but otherwise seems to be in excellent condition.

Can anyone here provide any insight to my situation? Thanks!

Unless you really want a convertible or really want Miata-style handling (body roll and "playfulness" vs 86 handling (flatter cornering and communicativeness) there's really nothing a Mazdaspeed Miata can do that an 86 can't do just as well (if not better). The blown Mazda will feel mid-range torquier but has boost lag. Your FR-S revs higher and more smoothly and can easily have the torque improved with a tune and header without losing its' superior redline and that rev happy nature. The Miata's top comes down. The 86 has an emergency back seat and decent cargo carrying capacity. You choose but to me a 10 year old MSM is pretty much a downgrade every way you look at it.

2014 FR-S vs 2004 Mazdaspeed MX-5
BHP: 200 @ 7000 RPM vs 178 @ 6000 RPM
Torque: 151 @ 6400 RPM vs 168 @ 4500 RPM
Curb Weight: 2750 lbs vs 2529 lbs
Redline 7200 vs 6500
MPG: 22/30 vs 23/28
0-60: 6.2 vs 6.7
1/4 mi: 14.8 @ 94.3 MPH vs 15.3 @ 89MPH

Link for reference
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...iata-road-test

Why would you buy basically an older car with more miles that does almost the same thing?

more torque.

Lol my torque wrench produces more torque then both these cars... combined!

You cheeky bastard

you need to mention prices because thats a big deal. i think as far as fun, the cars are almost the same. the miata is more fun because if you wreck it, it doesnt hurt your soul as bad

Makes no sense losing a new car to get an old car but I've seen a lot of stuff that makes no sense. I guess do what makes ya happy

From an autocross perspective, the gearing is uselessly short on the Mazdaspeed. It has the 4.10 rear gear, 6,500 RPM redline, and close-ratio six-speed. You can adjust things with your checkbook wrench, but they are very shift happy out of the box. That might be an annoyance to you on the street, or it might not. Drive one before you consider it.

I would keep the FRS. But......

You sell the FRS (assuming its paid off), purchase MS miata, purchase Exocet kit (with money left over from the FRS sale) then remove everything from the Miata and insert into the Exocet. Win.

Miata!! Way more cheap and reliable.

If it was resprayed to take care of rust, there is probably rust under the paint somewhere.

New ND will be faster 0-60 due to torque and gearing. It's also lighter and has a lot of modern features. And like murdoc said, if rust is a concern, get the newer a Mazda. Later Mazda frame has better anti-corrosion paint. If you're on a certain budget, keep the car, otherwise get a '16 ND Club.

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You nailed it