2015 Mazda Miata vs FR-S? To wait, or not to wait?

[Boxer486]

If the MR2 Spyder is more your thing the Miata will get you closer. Though by the time it comes out in almost 2 years Honda might have a lightweight MR, FRS will be pushing 250hp, Toyota might have a smaller sports coming as well slotting below the FRS, who knows what else.

If you need/want a car now, then buy now. If you don't then wait. You also need to think about MPG, cargo, comfort, convertible/coupe, other needs.

The Alfa will be a reskinned Miata made in Japan with more power and perhaps a DCT. Probably around $45-50k. If you end up driving a $50K car at 18 years old you can just go eff yourself. Cheers!

[Jaylyons1]

Maybe I'm just impatient. I would buy a used twin now, autocross it for a season and then try out the miata when it comes out.

Then again, I go through cars like candy. I am truly amazed that I have owned a car for 15 months and am still content with it. After all the cars I have owned(and I've owned numerous beasts) this is the first one that doesn't leave me yearning for another, with exception to the power of course.

[Vracer111]

You need to decided whether you want a convertible or not....

That said, the FR-S is one of the easiest manual cars to drive from the clutch/shifter perspective - whether daily or on the track. The clutch is implemented very well, one of the best stock clutches I've driven with a light yet precise let-off. Shifter goes straight into gear with zero complaint...a little resistance to let you know when it's going in but click-click-click-click-click-click right through the gears effortlessly. If it spat out of 3rd gear, it was not in third gear to begin with and most likely you were unknowingly forcing it in - don't abuse the transmission and "force it into third": use your fingertips with light pressure to guide the shifter towards the gear and it will find its way into third smoothly every time.

Driving dynamics of the FR-S are no more 'difficult' than a miata (actually the FRS is more stable and precise than a miata when driven right) and it is a lot better place to sit in if you are a taller driver... which is my biggest complaint with the miata.

You simply need more driving experience... the FR-S is an absolute handling dream with proper, smooth driver inputs. If you are not proper with your inputs (which it highly appears you are), then yes you will not like it as much - it is a more sensitive car when it comes to driver mistakes. If anything, the Miata is the one which is the more ragged and rough vehicle - while it has a shorter wheelbase it also a less refined/less precise, softer stock suspension to balance that out. You have to basically slap and abuse the heck out of it to make it bite back hard at you...

With the FRS you use your fingertips and slight pressure adjustment with the throttle to just slice effortlessly through corners and rotate the car PRECISELY at will - In a miata the car handles not so quite so precisely, requiring more effort/movement on your part. You treat the FR-S rough though, especially on the stock tires, and it will bite back hard. But if you are quick yet smooth with your inputs the FR-S simply rotates so quickly and precisely it's unreal. Miata has much lag in comparison.

[TheMuffinMan]

Originally Posted by husker741

Just saying... If you care about what other people think, especially teenagers, I wouldn't get a Miata. You'll never hear the end of it. Also, like another poster said, you're on an FR-S forum so it'll be biased.

I don't know about that first part man. Apparently Miata's are starting to become "cool".

OP: You need to decide if you want a convertible or not. That will most likely be the deciding factor. Regarding the problem with the manual transmission, I wouldn't worry about it too much. From what I hear the twins have a really weird clutch grab and consistency (I wouldn't know cause this is my first and only manual car). I'm clueless as to why your test drive was so rough, my experience driving manual in this car is very easy and smooth. Also for the list of important things you want, it sounds like you want a BRZ, because the standard FR-S doesn't come with those except for #2. I doubt even the 2015 Miata will have those because of Mazda's philosophy (horse and rider) when it comes to driving and the Miata.

[SirBrass]

OP, read your update and your list of requirements. Based upon those, the Subaru BRZ fits those, with built-in nav at all trim levels and practicality that you need.

As for why the FR-S was hard for you to drive, I know exactly why that was, considering I almost screwed up the first time I test drove one, and I'm an experienced stick driver. It's that massively high release point. Don't count that against the 86, as that can EASILY be fixed with a short 14mm and shorty 12mm open ended wrenches and about 10 minutes of being upside down in the footwell.

The Miata is more expensive, and will probably be more expensive to insure and also doesn't have as good a fuel economy. It is a convertible & no backseat, which dings you heavily on insurance. They also START around $30k, whereas the 86 starts around $25k.

The twins, by virtue of being a coupe instead of a convertible are safer as well, having earned IIHS top safety picks in 2013, they are remarkably hardy for their size (with respect to protecting the occupants). With a miata, you're missing the critical roof structure of the safety cage.

I haven't driven a Miata, unfortunately, but would love to and I'm sure it is a ton of fun, but the 86 is a complete and total blast as well.

Based on the fact that you're 17 and inexperienced, the 86 is probably a much safer car to go with that also costs less to own and operate. You're going to need that as you learn to drive and drive well.

[fatoni]

Originally Posted by SirBrass

OP, read your update and your list of requirements. Based upon those, the Subaru BRZ fits those, with built-in nav at all trim levels and practicality that you need.

As for why the FR-S was hard for you to drive, I know exactly why that was, considering I almost screwed up the first time I test drove one, and I'm an experienced stick driver. It's that massively high release point. Don't count that against the 86, as that can EASILY be fixed with a short 14mm and shorty 12mm open ended wrenches and about 10 minutes of being upside down in the footwell.

The Miata is more expensive, and will probably be more expensive to insure and also doesn't have as good a fuel economy. It is a convertible & no backseat, which dings you heavily on insurance. They also START around $30k, whereas the 86 starts around $25k.

The twins, by virtue of being a coupe instead of a convertible are safer as well, having earned IIHS top safety picks in 2013, they are remarkably hardy for their size (with respect to protecting the occupants). With a miata, you're missing the critical roof structure of the safety cage.

I haven't driven a Miata, unfortunately, but would love to and I'm sure it is a ton of fun, but the 86 is a complete and total blast as well.

Based on the fact that you're 17 and inexperienced, the 86 is probably a much safer car to go with that also costs less to own and operate. You're going to need that as you learn to drive and drive well.

a couple things that simply arent true here. the miata doesnt start at near 30k. they can be had much cheaper than the brz or frs. being a convertible doesnt inherently make the miata more expensive to insure. i would bet that its cheaper considering the miata demographic isnt as costly to insure as the frs demographic. every miata i have ever driven has been more fun than my brz. where the brz shines is how tidy it handles and in a more immediate fashion right out of the box. that being said, it sounds like the brz is the car that closest meets the need of the op and anything said about the nd is purely speculative at this juncture.

[SirBrass]

A used Miata sure is way cheaper, but they start new right around $30k. I've looked.

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[DarkSunrise]

Originally Posted by SirBrass

As for why the FR-S was hard for you to drive, I know exactly why that was, considering I almost screwed up the first time I test drove one, and I'm an experienced stick driver. It's that massively high release point. Don't count that against the 86, as that can EASILY be fixed with a short 14mm and shorty 12mm open ended wrenches and about 10 minutes of being upside down in the footwell.

I agree with this. The clutch on the FR-S became much more intuitive for me once I lowered the engagement point.

Also comparably equipped NC Miata's and FR-S's are nearly identically priced. The NC is just a couple hundred dollars more using TrueCar (negotiated prices), so I wouldn't let price be a determining factor.

[SirBrass]

Problem there is when you buy used, you are also purchasing the last owner's problems.

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[n2oinferno]

Originally Posted by SirBrass

A used Miata sure is way cheaper, but they start new right around $30k. I've looked.

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You're about ten grand too high if you're looking for a soft top, and five grand too high if you're looking for a hard top. Check Autotrader and expand your search area.

OP, first car as sports car, no problems from me so you won't hear any "don't buy it" stuff from this end. I will warn you that there's a good chance that you'll decide to hoon around someday and it'll get you into trouble a bit quicker than a FWD car would, but be mature about it and it'll be fine. My first car had double the horsepower and tq of a FR-S and I did spin it once, but I chalked that up to too much torque, too much noob behind the wheel.

Comparing the two cars, I actually like the FR-S better and don't get how it's any more difficult to drive, but I guess that comes with experience. Try a Speed3 if you want a pesky clutch, btw, lol. I just don't fit very well in a MX5, and my knees almost touch the dash as-is, which is why I've ruled it out for the most part... (mostly, but I still keep an eye open!)

Comes down to this really though. You have no idea what to expect from the 2015 Mazda, so if you need a car now, go buy the FR-S. If you want a car but don't need anything now, wait it out and compare when you can drive them back to back. Also.. You're wanting a raw experience sports car and no nav is a dealbreaker? Really? Don't you have a phone, which will always be more up to date, and more importantly those updates are FREE? Just get a dash mount for the phone and be done with it.

[mwjcyber]

Damn, MX-5 Miata's are expensive!

2014 MX-5 Sport - Soft Top - MSRP: $23,720*
2014 MX-5 Club - Soft Top - MSRP: $26,905*
2014 MX-5 Grand Touring - Soft Top - MSRP: $27,550*
2014 MX-5 Club - Power Retractable Hard Top - MSRP: $28,665*
2014 MX-5 Grand Touring - Power Retractable Hard Top - MSRP: $29,450*

Prices don't include options and $795 Destination Fee. These cost more than an FT86, and the FT86 is a better car in almost every way.

[SirBrass]

The only ones I've seen at dealerships are the grand touring models.

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[fatoni]

Originally Posted by SirBrass

The only ones I've seen at dealerships are the grand touring models.

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the only frs ive seen at dealerships came with leather and tsw wheels for the low low price of 32k

[SirBrass]

FR-S's don't have leather seats unless you're talking about the monogram series.