Mazdaspeed Miata vs Mini S

Pry said:
Like I said before I had the first gen new Mini and there were 4 people on the back seat at its best. That wasn't comfortable but It was quite usual to have two sitting there for shorter trips. Sure I had to move my seat a little forward but it wasn't impossible to drive like that.
The point is it's not impossible to fit there and it can be used for shorter trips.
I'm 186 cm's, no idea how you convert it to those weird American numbers that don't make any sense at all. :)
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About 6 feet 2 inches. 30 cm per foot, 12 inches per foot, and that's all you need to convert.
 
I'd get the Mx-5 just cos I really don't like the mini, and cos they look just like a bucket full of fun.

equiraptor said:
We actually have more fun going places with two two seaters than with one boring sedan, when we need to carry more than two people.
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Easy to do that when you don't pay 7 usd a (US) gallon :(
 
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Even though Level seems to have decided I will put my opinion in as I owned a 2004 MINI Cooper S which is a R53 model and I have driven several different Mazdaspeed Miatas that I sold as pre-owned cars.

In the end I think I would go with a 2005 or 2006 R53 over most of the Miatas. The interiors aren't as funky in the R53s as the R56s and the supercharged R53 engine considered a lower tech engine has been much more reliable then the turbocharged R56 motor.

If you must go newer then go for the Miata otherwise I think the Mini makes more sense especially in the northeast. Out in the southwest or South maybe the Miata would win out overall but in the northeast I just don't think so.
 
That has been my concern about the Miata. Snowy weather. The Mini is a hardtop, so it offers much better protection from the elements. The Miata, not so much. I have an NA Miata, and in the rain its ok, but I still feel like I'm in a tent. The interior has no insulation from the temperature, and there is wind even with the top up and windows up. Going to be cold, but it does warm up inside when you get the heat on.

I've driven a base Mini. I didn't like it. No power, and the A-pillar was right next to my face. It handled okay, but..
My Miata has been a blast. Even rush hour traffic brings a smile to my face while driving the Miata.
 
Shentar said:
That has been my concern about the Miata. Snowy weather. The Mini is a hardtop, so it offers much better protection from the elements. The Miata, not so much. I have an NA Miata, and in the rain its ok, but I still feel like I'm in a tent. The interior has no insulation from the temperature, and there is wind even with the top up and windows up. Going to be cold, but it does warm up inside when you get the heat on.

I've driven a base Mini. I didn't like it. No power, and the A-pillar was right next to my face. It handled okay, but..
My Miata has been a blast. Even rush hour traffic brings a smile to my face while driving the Miata.
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They make hard tops for NA and NB Miata's you can find a good one for about $1000.00 these days.
 
Shentar said:
That has been my concern about the Miata. Snowy weather. The Mini is a hardtop, so it offers much better protection from the elements. The Miata, not so much. I have an NA Miata, and in the rain its ok, but I still feel like I'm in a tent. The interior has no insulation from the temperature, and there is wind even with the top up and windows up. Going to be cold, but it does warm up inside when you get the heat on.

I've driven a base Mini. I didn't like it. No power, and the A-pillar was right next to my face. It handled okay, but..
My Miata has been a blast. Even rush hour traffic brings a smile to my face while driving the Miata.
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Is it the original soft top? Also, is the material vinyl or cloth? I ask because the original vinyl top on my MR2 creaks a bit when I drive over nasty roads (ie, anywhere in Boston) but is otherwise pretty weatherproof. May be a matter of age and/or construction.
 
Labcoatguy said:
Is it the original soft top? Also, is the material vinyl or cloth? I ask because the original vinyl top on my MR2 creaks a bit when I drive over nasty roads (ie, anywhere in Boston) but is otherwise pretty weatherproof. May be a matter of age and/or construction.
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Its pretty new. Its vinyl with a glass rear window. A Robbins top is what its called. Its one of the nicer tops you can get. I don't mean that it leaks or anything, but you can tell a difference between that and a hardtop car. I just feel that less is there. It does flap a little. Enough to be noticable, but again, this is my first convertible.
 
Shentar said:
Its pretty new. Its vinyl with a glass rear window. A Robbins top is what its called. Its one of the nicer tops you can get. I don't mean that it leaks or anything, but you can tell a difference between that and a hardtop car. I just feel that less is there. It does flap a little. Enough to be noticable, but again, this is my first convertible.
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Ah ok, I've heard good things about Robbins tops. Yeah, the first time you heard the roof flapping in the crosswinds is a bit weird. It's like driving a tent.
 
You guys know there are adjustable stops in the door for the windows right? I had leaks for a LONG time and then my friend told me about it...
Which now means I can wash my car with a hose and not sit in a wet seat.

Lev: What in the hell is this "rain" stuff you speak of? :p
 
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After driving couple of hours in the snow, it feels totally okay for winter. Hardtop works well and heater is suprisingly powerfull. I'd get a hardtop with heated window for serious winter driving, now it collected quite a lot of snow and limited the visibility a bit. On slow speeds it was great fun, but with worn and hard old winter tires the rear end was maybe a bit too lively for longer trips. Countersteering all the time is fun, but at some point you'll get tired. But I guess that's not a problem with sufficient rubber.
 
Ahh I forgot about the hardtop. That would fix my biggest gripe about the Miata in winter weather.
 
mpicco said:
FTFY
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If you've been driving on the winter with winter tires, you know what I mean: going about 50km/h in a deep snow and sliding all time a bit. It's a bit like steering a boat, everything happens very slowly, so you've much time to react. You don't have to be a driving god to drive, you just have to keep the speed reasonable.
 
equiraptor said:
The heater in my NA partially melted my mother's (admittedly cheap) purse. She complained, "Why didn't you tell me the heater was so strong?" "How do you think I keep the top down in freezing temps?" "... Oh"
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Does Mazda use a parts-bin heater core? My car is also blessed/cursed with a flaming (no pun intended) heater, and I wonder if it's common among small roadsters from big manufacturers.
 
I don't know, Labcoatguy. If I guessed, I'd guess yes, as the car uses parts-bin parts as much as it can to keep costs down. The only reason to not use a parts-bin heater core is if you could create a lighter one that would still do the job, and at this price point, that's expensive.
 
equiraptor said:
The heater in my NA partially melted my mother's (admittedly cheap) purse. She complained, "Why didn't you tell me the heater was so strong?" "How do you think I keep the top down in freezing temps?" "... Oh"
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I actually never use the heater in my bug. It is painful. The AC will work well up to about 100? too.
 
Lastsoul said:
After driving couple of hours in the snow, it feels totally okay for winter. Hardtop works well and heater is suprisingly powerfull. I'd get a hardtop with heated window for serious winter driving, now it collected quite a lot of snow and limited the visibility a bit. On slow speeds it was great fun, but with worn and hard old winter tires the rear end was maybe a bit too lively for longer trips. Countersteering all the time is fun, but at some point you'll get tired. But I guess that's not a problem with sufficient rubber.
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Other reason for having a hard top is that the softops really don't like really cold weather. A lot of the reason you see soft tops getting torn is because they are raised/lowered when temps get below the 50's. I've heard of more than 1 person taping the inside of the back window of their soft top after it's snowed and the top tear pretty badly.

I solve the problem by manning up and rolling top down until the car gets back in the garage and can warm up for a day.
 
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