I've sat in both the fiat, and miata versions. My biggest complaint is lack of space, but that's sort of a given for a 2 seater coupe. My second complaint is THE STUPID SCREEN WART. Otherwise, the seating and controls are where I'd expect them.

All of these are some of the nicest interiors I've ever had seat time in, which probably speaks more to what I've owned before instead of the overall quality perception--i also don't like leather, or large padded dashes, and i still generally haven't figured out what people are going on about BMW or Mercedes interiors, i think most of those look like garbage.

But the miata lost the most points for me in interior space and the non-replaceable screen wart. I have a policy that any car added to my fleet must have an aftermarket, non-touchscreen radio.

It might seem like a minor quibble but the lack of settings adjustment and voodoo they work into oem radios always ends up irritating me. The brz only had the oem deck for a week, and that was me genuinely trying to like it. It flipped between 'tin can audio' and 'hd audio' like a politician caught in a lie.

Besides the convertible aspect, which is a dealbreaker for me, the shoulder to shoulder size of the Miata just doesn't work for me. I think the 86 is ideal. The 86 could be a tad shorter in the rear, without the rear seats and I would be fine, if the proportions could be figured out of course.


I don't know if it is design or the materials and build quality. I lot of people don't care for BMW's designs at all; just look in the MKV Supra thread. The big thing you get with luxury cars and precision feeling instruments that feel solid and well engineered, and the materials aren't just nice at a distance; they feel solid and are actually nice materials. Thick vinyl wood overlays can look the same as real ones from a distance, as do fake aluminum, etc. The real thing feels better, and they don't jingle and creak like the cheap stuff.


This is what I hate most about the FM radio. I just turned the HD radio off, so it doesn't search, flipping back and forth.

I understand why the screens are so high, it's the shape of the future, it's easier to see and still keep your eyes up, I don't see a problem.

I put this 'issue" down with the "why no center arm rest", you don't need a center arm rest if you have your hands on the steering wheel.

screens are a big, backlit, hunk of reflective plastic. i hate the future.

These people probably never experienced Bimmer and Merc interiors of the 80's. :iono:

I'm most impressed with this interior in modern times.

https://media.lexus.co.uk/wp-content...1-1000x625.jpg

Your going to love the next 10 years IRT the motoring world.

https://www.autotrader.com/best-cars...00-2018-273959

I see a BMW, a Mercedes, a Mazda, a bunch of tablets floating on the dash. Just saying.

Very true. It's a lazy design element that is offensive across the board.

https://jalopnik.com/this-is-the-wor...1564314503/amp

Old article that sums it up nicely!

I’m surprised more automakers don’t create unique shapes to their mmi’s like Audi’s digital cockpits. Even Audi’s digital cockpits are variably shaped across models. Either they make them unique, or they make them identical behind the bezels like they are a large rectangle. If that is the case then they likely use software to turn off the pixels of the section of the screen that is covered. I feel like cheap rectangle screens with fat bezels are super cheap (and cheap looking), but would be easy to modify to create a shape with a bezel cover, so why don’t manufacturers do this?

You do realize that it is designed that way so you don't have to look down, alot of idiots crash into the rear of other cars because they are focusing their view midpoint if the dash, not over it.

It is designed around safety, not looks.

Classic function over form.

This doesn't do anything for me.

That's why i bought a brand new brz in '14, and why i have a clean title to a vin of something that must resemble an 02 ford ranger. As long as i can pass emissions, I'll just keep rebuilding them until they stop making steel.

Because dem lazy

Well special to me these days is having a clean factory steering wheel that has a thin rim and without any buttons. :iono:

I like the buttons, no need to take my hands of the wheel, plus buttons have their place

That looks so much safer than a Takata airbag. I'm sure those M&Ms won't melt in your hands.