Drove the ND Miata

"RightFootDown" (rightfootdown) 09/24/2015 at 07:02 • Filed to: ND Miata

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Some say our new writer Michael Thompson looks like a young Matt Hardigree. You decide.

We drove an automatic Grand Touring model and the new Club model complete with Brembo/BBS package.

In the meantime, AMA. The video is in post-production already, but the ink hasn’t hit the paper on the article. Happy to cover any lingering questions our Oppo friends may have.

Wheelerguy > RightFootDown 09/24/2015 at 07:22

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You look like Hardibird mixed with Gavin Free of The Slow-mo Guys

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > RightFootDown 09/24/2015 at 07:54

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What did you think of the steering? I could not get past how weird the electric steering felt when I drove one.

nerd_racing > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 09/24/2015 at 08:09

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If it’s similar to the electric steering I had on my mazda 2 it probably isn’t that bad.

Scary__goongala! > RightFootDown 09/24/2015 at 08:32

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Why is it that every time I see that someone has driven one, it’s a facking automatic? Mazda should know better.

yitznewton > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 09/24/2015 at 08:53

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I’m with you on that... was the weakest point of the car in my limited experience. It was divided on miata.net; some people liked it, some didn't.

William Byrd > Scary__goongala! 09/24/2015 at 10:13

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If you saw the age demographic Mazda put out during the brief, you would get it. Skews incredibly old.

But we also drove the 6spd Club model. Just drove the auto for giggles.

William Byrd > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 09/24/2015 at 10:15

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I didn’t find it that off-putting, it is pretty light but the car is so nimble it’s sort like a video game. You just point and it goes.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > William Byrd 09/24/2015 at 10:20

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Well yeah that whole “like a video game” was the off putting part to me. I really enjoy manual steering (like a go kart) and good hydraulic steering manages to replicate that pretty well without making parking lots terrible. However, it was just very odd to not have any feel while moving at low speeds. I am just curious if it was all in my head lol.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > nerd_racing 09/24/2015 at 10:23

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It definitely is not bad. Just different. It certainly is good that extra power is now available since the PS pump is not a sync on the engine though. I would rather have the more power and less weight anyways. I just wonder how it would be with slight oversteer, like would you be able to accurately keep it on the edge without the road feel.

nerd_racing > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 09/24/2015 at 10:40

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the 2 had plenty more road feel than everything I owned before it with power steering. granted I didn’t oversteer it much.

Scary__goongala! > William Byrd 09/24/2015 at 11:08

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I would think they would want to get a very wide range of age in participants.

William Byrd > Scary__goongala! 09/24/2015 at 11:17

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I’m sure they do. Just citing their sales demographics, average age was damn near 60 for new NC MX-5 buyers.

William Byrd > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 09/24/2015 at 11:18

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Well jeez, now I need to go an drive one again! haha

Scary__goongala! > William Byrd 09/24/2015 at 11:33

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It’s funny to me that that is the case. My dad is 62 and doesn’t have a fun time getting in or out of my NA.

William Byrd > Scary__goongala! 09/24/2015 at 12:35

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We talked about it a lot yesterday at the event. Most young people who own Miatas aren’t buying new Miatas. They own NA and NB models. I was dumbfounded at how high the age demograpics on new cars were.

yitznewton > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 09/24/2015 at 13:02

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The time I drove an S2000 was the only positive experience I’ve had with EPS. From that one experience, it seemed to me like Honda nailed it. I was less pleased with the Focus ST and ND Miata.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > yitznewton 09/24/2015 at 13:43

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Hmm I definitely want to drive the Focus ST and S2000 some day. Didn’t know they were both EPS though. I've heard that Porsche has done some really good things with EPS also.

yitznewton > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 09/24/2015 at 14:23

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The S2k had me fooled - I only found out after the fact, and I never would have guessed. I test-drove the Focus ST especially with an eye to handling, and I was disappointed by the lack of feedback, at least in the slow tight corners we took.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > yitznewton 09/24/2015 at 15:36

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Well I know that the Fiesta ST is supposed to be the much more agile sibling. I have seen many of both at Autocrosses. I imagine they might use the same steering racks.