Newb with questions vs. RF & Abarth

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Code Monkey

At 6'2" the Miata will get old very fast.

[Grady]

I had the same delima when purchasing. Always liked the Miata but never liked the looks of the front. Fiat fixed that with the front of the 124. Due to brand satisfaction ratings and dealer location went with the BRZ.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Grady

I had the same delima when purchasing. Always liked the Miata but never liked the looks of the front. Fiat fixed that with the front of the 124. Due to brand satisfaction ratings and dealer location went with the BRZ.

[bcj]

I didn't care for the spoiler either. I got the base model FR-S mostly for that reason.

You don't need to make changes right away to have a useful tool.

The AT has (or had anyway) a slightly taller final drive ratio in the differential and better mpg.
Also, the AT seems to be a solid unit with no wide-spread reports of falling apart.
The flappy paddles in manual mode work fine and it rev matches on downshifts. Woot!

Try one out and give it a chance.

[Coachrhino11]

Originally Posted by guybo

A Jeep then a Fiat... You love pain. Toyota reliability might not be your thing.

Nah, Jeep’s get unfair rap. Like me coming to this forum to talk to actual owners and not dufus Consumer Reports and the like I spoke with many Jeep owners and joined forum way before buying my Jeep. Jeeps overall are still pretty basic and relatively easy to work with compared to many vehicles today. Go to Wrangler forum and ask how many have 100-150k, many. Other than radiator, the JK’s have been pretty good. I didn’t buy it expecting a Camry. The top down and doors off and going anywhere I want is well worth it. I plan on keeping my Jeep for 20 years, when things break I’ll fix it.

Now the Fiat is a different animal. I just like looks and it was fun to drive but I do agree about not trusting Fiat overall here in US. But yeah, they share same platform as Mazda. Other than turbo 1.4 engine and transmission is actually better than weak ND, they use NC which is solid.

My wife has only and will only buy Toyota’s. Honestly, I’ve found most of their vehicles pretty boring, yet super reliable. Pretty sure 86/BRZ is not boring.

[Coachrhino11]

Originally Posted by Jordanwolf

Price difference is way too high for 86 vs MX5 RF, Fiat isn't even a choice imo. With the difference in price you could either just save that money or put it into the 86.

Yeah, I honestly think the RF is overpriced. And the ST Miata. Great car, but overpriced unless you buy used. The newer ND’s have depreciated pretty hard. Another thing I love about my Jeep, I could drive it 4-5 years and still get great money back.

[Coachrhino11]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Lol, that’s what many say but there’s many taller guys who drive and love their ND’s.

[Coachrhino11]

Originally Posted by bcj

I didn't care for the spoiler either. I got the base model FR-S mostly for that reason.

You don't need to make changes right away to have a useful tool.

The AT has (or had anyway) a slightly taller final drive ratio in the differential and better mpg.
Also, the AT seems to be a solid unit with no wide-spread reports of falling apart.
The flappy paddles in manual mode work fine and it rev matches on downshifts. Woot!

Try one out and give it a chance.

Yeah, even a couple of hardcore MT Youtuber reviewers were very impressed with ‘17 AT’s. Regardless of transmission, I’m just pleasantly surprised how cheap you can buy one brand new. I’d probably go base and put my own wheels and later upgrade interior and whatever else.

[NeverInTime]

I test drove the AT 86 before buying my car, and it was a lot more fun than I expected. I can't compare it to the Abarth/Miata AT, but for the 86/BRZ the AT does downshift very quickly when you want it to in manual/paddle mode. When you don't want to mess around with the paddles the AT is a pretty smooth experience. If you poke around on the forum a bit, you will find people who actually track these cars with AT and still have a lot of fun.

A friend of mine bought a 2017 Miata (non RF), and I did ride in it for a bit. I'm 6'0, and I didn't have any issues with headroom, but it did feel just a bit too small for my liking, kind of like a shoe that's a bit too tight. The Miata also has zero storage if you want to DD it. It doesn't have any real trunk space (Miata comes with a fix-a-flat kit, 86/BRZs have a spare tire and manage to still have a decent amount of trunk space), and in the 86/BRZ you can put down the back seats in the 86/BRZ to haul bulkier items. Since this is my only car, I never once regretted my purchase, whereas my friend has had to deal with issues trying to fit his girlfriend and shopping/groceries in his Miata at the same time.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by NeverInTime

I test drove the AT 86 before buying my car, and it was a lot more fun than I expected. I can't compare it to the Abarth/Miata AT, but for the 86/BRZ the AT does downshift very quickly when you want it to in manual/paddle mode. When you don't want to mess around with the paddles the AT is a pretty smooth experience. If you poke around on the forum a bit, you will find people who actually track these cars with AT and still have a lot of fun.

.

Some actually race the AT.
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=69139

[funwheeldrive]

Originally Posted by Coachrhino11

Lol, that’s what many say but there’s many taller guys who drive and love their ND’s.

I find it hard to believe that a tall guy can fit into a RF while wearing a helmet.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by funwheeldrive

I find it hard to believe that a tall guy can fit into a RF while wearing a helmet.

Not everybody tracks their car.

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by funwheeldrive

I find it hard to believe that a tall guy can fit into a RF while wearing a helmet.

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Not everybody tracks their car.

Maybe funwheeldrive always wears a helmet, like that kid that lived down the street who had a soft area in his skull.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

Maybe funwheeldrive always wears a helmet, like that kid that lived down the street who had a soft area in his skull.

Having read some of the threads he started I suspect it is a different material.