Is the 86 right for me?

[ZionsWrath]

What do you want in a car?

What are your expectations of this car?

Do you auto cross / track? Plan to?

What other cars are you looking at?

What budget?

No details, no one can help you...

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by MrAnthonyC

THIS is a great point that I never really thought about, but find to be very true. I think it's fast enough and the fact that you actually can shift without being double the speed limit and still hear the engine working is quite satisfying. Also... LOL at the front design comparison. I don't understand how people find the Miata an appealing car by design standards..just looks like a flat bubble with a smile in the front. WEEEEEEEEEEEE

Yep!

[El Guapo]

Originally Posted by Chad11491

Any sports car is going to not be as fun as it could be just poking around at 45mph OP. It's more fun to me to be able to get on it and row the gears without instantly being at 100+ mph. Its boring having a high hp car that you can rarely ever get on it and when you do it's for 1 or 2 seconds. You should test drove all the cars you're looking at and decide on how they make you feel instead of thinking about how fast you will be compared to the next guy. Someone is always going to be faster.

Agreed. OP, you can have a 1,000 hp monster of a car that runs 9 second 1/4 miles, but how often would you get to go all out? It'll be even worse if its a hopped up econobox like an Evo or STi. When you're not pushing the car, it'll feel like any other Lancer or Impreza out there. This is one of the reasons why I sold my STi, I could hardly push the car without looking in the rear view hoping Johnny Law wasn't on my tail.

[FlamingRectumSyndrome]

Having owned both, the review is pretty much spot-on. I had a '99 Miata that was lightly modified (Koni shocks, RPF-1s that weighed a mere 9.4 pounds each shod with Falken Azenis). It was a kick in the butt to drive; basically every time I got behind the wheel, I dropped about 40 IQ points and drove like a maniac. The car encouraged this.


The problem was that for anything more than a 30 minute commute (particularly one that didn't include at least 20 minutes of back road romping), the car started showing its limitations. The light weight and tiny size that made it so much fun to throw around corners made it outright uncomfortable for freeway droning. It got blown around by big trucks and had the ride quality of a roller skate. And it was noisy. Top up or top down, I'd leave it with my ears ringing. The "go-kart" description is apt-- fun in the short run, not so much for actually driving any distance.

I test drove an FR-S and was immediately convinced that I NEEDED this car. Sharp handling, great looks, considerably more powerful than the Miata without weighing 1000 pounds more... what's not to love? But particularly impressive was how much more refined the FR-S was than the Miata. Dead quiet by comparison (I could actually listen to the radio at freeway speeds!). Smooth. Comfortable. And it had those qualities without being some ridiculous road barge that isolated me from the driving experience.

I loved my Miata, but don't miss it.

[bluesman]

Drive one and decide for yourself. The FR-S has the tight, intimate feel of every classic sports car or GT, from the 356 Porsche to the Alfa Giulietta / Giulia / GTV to the DB4 to the AC Ace to the.....

It's not blindingly fast and it doesn't need to be. It connects you to the road through every body part with which you contact or sense it, and it rewards precise driving with very fine behavior. If that's your cuppa tea, go for it. If you prefer a more dramatic but less refined style of vehicle, it's not for you. And if you want this level of refinement plus another 150 hp and the trappings of luxury, you'll have to pony up a much larger chunk o' change or go used.

The Miata's a great little car too - but the twins are far more practical and pleasant (at least for anyone over 5' 10"), with great head & leg room plus a real trunk.

PS: It's far more reliable than many far more expensive cars, so the percentage of ownership time spent actually enjoying it is higher than it is for many "nicer" vehicles.

[Jrryjms07]

if yu hav to think about it then go with the miata. Jk! Drive em and see which one works for yu. Yur gonna be the one paying for the car, so yu minus we'll choose the one that feels right.

[Spacemane969]

Thanks for all the responses. I'm not sure why the test drive just didn't click for me. I think I was just out of my comfort zone(or I could just be making excuses)...This is very much my first rodeo when it comes to buying from a dealer.

[Jrryjms07]

Originally Posted by Spacemane969

Thanks for all the responses. I'm not sure why the test drive just didn't click for me. I think I was just out of my comfort zone(or I could just be making excuses)...This is very much my first rodeo when it comes to buying from a dealer.

I sell cars for a living.. Sometimes it just takes more than just 1 test drive. Or yu need an extended test drive. See if yu can over night the car or hav it for like a few hours..

[Spacemane969]

Originally Posted by ZionsWrath

What do you want in a car?

What are your expectations of this car?

Do you auto cross / track? Plan to?

What other cars are you looking at?

What budget?

No details, no one can help you...

A car that gets from A to B reliably with looks to boot.

To satisfy me on a day day basis no matter what setting or circumstance.

None.

$400-$450 monthly.

Can you tell from the first three responses that I'm a little 86 obsessed?

[calmtigers]

Originally Posted by Spacemane969

Thanks for all the responses. I'm not sure why the test drive just didn't click for me. I think I was just out of my comfort zone(or I could just be making excuses)...This is very much my first rodeo when it comes to buying from a dealer.

I felt this a lot when I was driving the car one of the first times, it can be a bit intimidating especially if you're not as confident with a stick (as I was).

However, something I'd suggest is go to different dealers and keep test driving them. Literally the best way to see if you like this car is drive it in as many circumstances as you can. I test drove this car everytime I went to the dealership (it was more because I took some family cars in for their toyota services).

TLDR; GO DRIVE IT AGAIN!

[Tcoat]

To go back to the original post where you said "to buy just for looks is wrong" is wrong! There is absolutely nothing wrong with buying a car just for looks if that is your priority.
Look at all the mods on here that have certainly nothing to do with performance, handling or any other practical purpose but just to make the car look good! I would even bet that half the exhausts put on these cars are just to make it sound better and do nothing else ("looks" can be more than appearance only when talking cars).
So don't let buying it just for looks scare you off.

[MrAmalto]

2 things. First off, I didn't fall in love with my FR-S when I first drove it but I'm pretty sure that's largely since I wasn't comfortable test driving for the first time. I didn't fall in love with my car until later on, on a back road once the break-in period was over.

Secondly, if you do end up going for a new car you might want to wait until they start selling the new Miata. It looks really damn sexy, inside and out.

[fatoni]

if you can use a miata for all you need a car to do, the answer is a miata. i have both and really love both. i am just not yet convinced you can have more fun, more often in a car that isnt a miata. people tend to ignore the fact that grip and power and street fun are almost mutually exclusive. the miata got it right and has kept that philosophy. the brz is the only other car that even shows a company understands this thought since the early 90s

[Ultramaroon]

I rarely get to second gear the 8 miles I drive home from work but I DGAF because I'm in my FR-S.

Oh, and it took me 2 test drives to get over the feel/sound of the boxer. Thank GOD I came to my senses.