by "Clown Shoe Pilot" (csp)
Published 03/26/2017 at 00:17
by "Clown Shoe Pilot" (csp)
Published 03/26/2017 at 00:17
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STARS: 3
I’ve had the car for most of a week, and Mrs. Shoe Pilot and I took the scenic route to Fredericksburg today. We drove out with the top down, and back with the top up. We probably spent about 4 hours in the car.
The drive itself was fantastic. I REALLY like driving the car. The transmission feels great, the engine is responsive, and the suspension and steering are fantastic. All the great stuff people have been saying about Miatas for nearly 30 years is true.
According to the dash display, we averaged about 33 MPG, which is more than reasonable for blast through the hill country. I wasn’t keeping my foot DEEP in it, but most of the time I was technically eligible for a speeding ticket if a really strict cop had nailed me.
The noise with the top down wasn’t too bad. With the side windows up and running 65-70 we could talk without raising our voices too much. With the top up it was quieter with just a little wind noise from the joints in the top, but the road noise was far more evident. The road surface itself certainly made a difference, there were a couple places where it was pretty quiet. Most of the roads we were on today were NOT super smooth, so it was a little roar-y. I don’t know if it’s a lack of sound deadening for weight savings, or if the Bridgestone tires are just particularly loud or a combination of the two.
The weather today was warm. The top temperature I saw on the dash display was 86°. When we got into the car after a stop, full-blast AC for a few minutes cooled the cabin nicely and then I dialed the fan speed back to about 60% to maintain a comfortable temperature. The headliner was nice and cool to the touch so either outside heat radiating into the cabin isn’t a problem or the AC is really great.
The cabin is snug (duh) but the seats were supportive in the right places and soft in the right places. I wouldn’t mind some height adjustment. I’d like to be a little closer to the floor and that’d be especially true if I had the top up and was wearing a helmet. As far as positioning goes, in our regular road trip car (Mrs. Shoe Pilot’s Volt) I have to get the seat adjusted JUST RIGHT to be able to drive for several hours at a stretch. Usually my right knee is banging into the center console and right on an edge so it gets uncomfortable pretty quickly. In the Miata, my knee touches the console but it’s far enough in that while I’m conscious of it, it’s not annoying me. The car comes with 2 cup holders and I’ve banished one of them to the garage. The other is mounted in the position next to the passengers knees because otherwise I hit it with my elbow. Mrs. Shoe Pilot is small, so it didn’t get in her way. When I sat in the passenger seat on a test drive it WAS in my way.
One thing I’d do differently - The nav/entertainment screen is tough to see in the sunlight and the glossy surface of the touch screen shows fingerprints pretty badly. If I were in charge, the Miatas would get a full sunlight readable screen like on Dell rugged laptops and Panasonic toughbooks. They’re available in touch screen with a matte surface finish and they’d be a big improvement when driving top-down.
Mrs. Shoe Pilot was mildly annoyed by the hump in the passenger footwell. She’s going to have to switch to a smaller purse for the next road trip.
"smobgirl" (smobgirl)
03/26/2017 at 00:25, STARS: 0
I had a rental or loaner recently with the same nav screen issue - maybe the Infiniti I got while the Fiat was in the shop? It annoyed me to no end for the hour or so I drove the car, I don’t know if I could deal with it day-to-day.
"Clown Shoe Pilot" (csp)
03/26/2017 at 00:29, STARS: 0
The sunlight readability isn’t any worse than in my old car, but the fingerprint smudges do seem to show up a little more prominently. I believe that to be a matte vs. glossy problem.
"smobgirl" (smobgirl)
03/26/2017 at 00:31, STARS: 0
Yeah, that drives me up the wall. I don’t have any sort of infotainment/touchscreen right now and I’m very happy about it. Last thing I need are French fry prints on one!
"Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo" (thetomselleck)
03/26/2017 at 00:33, STARS: 0
Have you driven an NA?
If so, can you quantify if and how much this is better than an NA
"Clown Shoe Pilot" (csp)
03/26/2017 at 00:34, STARS: 1
I have never driven an NA. All the NAs I have access to are now race cars, so I don’t know that it’d be a valid comparison.
"Clown Shoe Pilot" (csp)
03/26/2017 at 00:39, STARS: 2
Open roofed cars present an additional smudge source - SUNSCREEN. I think I’m going to start carrying a microfiber towel to de-funk the screen.
"gmctavish needs more space" (gmctavish)
03/26/2017 at 00:43, STARS: 1
The Yaris I drove for work had Bridgestones when it was new, and they were quite noisy. After they were done, they only lasted maybe 40k kms, it for Continentals that were much quieter.
"itranthelasttimeiparkedit" (itranthelasttimeiparkedit)
03/26/2017 at 00:47, STARS: 0
Haha about the austin weather. I thought seriously about getting in my pool today, but still too cold
"Clown Shoe Pilot" (csp)
03/26/2017 at 00:51, STARS: 0
We saw people tubing on the river today. We also saw a guy wading into Canyon Lake but he seemed to be stuck at just above balls deep and couldn’t fully commit.
"itranthelasttimeiparkedit" (itranthelasttimeiparkedit)
03/26/2017 at 16:16, STARS: 0
Haha I guess I am not the only one that does that. I can get my legs in the coldest water but it has to be a certain temp to dip the boys in
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
03/26/2017 at 20:37, STARS: 0
Thanks for the post. How tall are you?
"Clown Shoe Pilot" (csp)
03/26/2017 at 22:12, STARS: 0
5-10/5-11 depending on the convenience store
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
03/26/2017 at 22:24, STARS: 0
Ha - I’m 6'1" and I just fit in the ND.