I own a blasphemous Miata 

"TysMagic" (twjeffery) 08/28/2018 at 15:39 • Filed to: miata, is this the answer?

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I will lead with the sacrilege, then talk about the rest of it.

I own an automatic Miata - embrace that this happened, let it simmer, and come back to bask in the beauty of the rest of it.

I traded in my 2013 Abarth for a 2017 MX5 RF grand touring automatic with 6,800ish miles in ceramic white or whatever this color is and a few years of warranty left. The Abarth still put a smile on my face every single day and I truly think this will too! I cannot wait to take it out on some twisties and to get some better photos of it. I have owned many manual cars and I know this should be one too, however I am happy getting in to an automatic. A nice plus is my wife can drive this. She is budding in to a car enthusiast, but hasn’t fully committed - if this helps, I’m all for it! (She gets how to drive a manual and did good in my old focus, but hasn’t done it daily)

It looks damn good and feels so right on the road. It gives great feedback and seems to just ask for more! I don’t think I’ve ever experienced something so rev happy.

Peep the douche initials plate - I’m one of those people

I know the appearance pack, outside of the brembos and wheels, gets a piano black top. I think that would look really nice and wouldn’t be hard to recreate. The aftermarket is quite plentiful so I’m imagining lots of little odds and ends I might want.

This part may stir you up again - I like the flappy paddles. They respond well and fit the feel of the car. I’ve got to say I am extremely happy with the purchase and cannot wait for more of the Miata life!!

3point8isgreat > TysMagic 08/28/2018 at 16:03

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The ND I got to drive at a Mazda event at Daytona was automatic. Almost immediately I was impressed by how unobtrusive it was. The paddles actually resulted in a quick response, and it didn’t have an awkward lag every time you ease on and off the throttle around an AutoX course.

I’d only ever consider a manual for purchase, but I’ll fully admit the automatic isn’t bad at all.

Chuckles > TysMagic 08/28/2018 at 16:05

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Very nice. The older I get, the more I appreciate that it’s ok to have an automatic car. This weekend I’ll be driving about 500 miles to see some friends, and I have to choose between my manual 94 Miata and my automatic 2012 Fiat 500. I might end up going with the Fiat just because the idea of Labor Day traffic in a stick shift is very unappealing to me.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > TysMagic 08/28/2018 at 16:06

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Doesnt matter if automatic, the RF still looks like sex so there is no problem to me haha! I honestly didnt hate the slushbox in the ND that I drove. It did exactly what I expected it to do and didnt get in the way. Same way I feel about the automatic in the Mazda 3 (is it the same trans?). Those cars are just great no matter the transmission.

Now I still couldnt own an Auto but that doesnt mean I’d hate on it. I only hate BAD 3spd or 4spd Autos like in 90s-00s cars. Those are pretty much ALL bad.

I think the steering in the new Miata though would bother me moreso. I just dont like the EPS and how light it is.

TysMagic > 3point8isgreat 08/28/2018 at 16:07

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sounds like pretty much every review out there of it too haha

TysMagic > Chuckles 08/28/2018 at 16:10

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I took an automatic base 500 from Nashville to Oklahoma City and back, it’s pretty okay

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > TysMagic 08/28/2018 at 16:14

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It’s a great looking car.

TysMagic > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 08/28/2018 at 16:19

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Not sure what it shares the trans with, I could see it in the 3 as well.

Interesting comment on the steering. I suspect with time it will feel light, but I like the feel right now 

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > TysMagic 08/28/2018 at 16:25

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The RF is a great looking car; congrats!

Chuckles > TysMagic 08/28/2018 at 16:28

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I like my 500 Sport. Last weekend we drove from Allentown PA to near Indianapolis and back. It was enjoyable.

TysMagic > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle 08/28/2018 at 16:32

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thank you!!! I absolutely love it

SPAMBot - Horse Doctor > TysMagic 08/28/2018 at 16:35

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I rented pretty much this exact same car . It was fun! I definitely downshifted a lot more than if I would have been driving a manual. It rev matched and helped set me up for the corners really easily. I like to heal and toe, but this was a different experience that was fun in a different way. Enjoy!

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > TysMagic 08/28/2018 at 16:48

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Mazda at least gets manual mode right. Snappy response and the shifter isn’t backwards. I don’t know why manufacturers can’t figure out that you pull a sequential shifter to go up.

TysMagic > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 08/28/2018 at 17:03

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interesting, because I intuitively want it the other way around

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > TysMagic 08/28/2018 at 17:07

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automatic

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > TysMagic 08/28/2018 at 17:08

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Yup, all sequential race transmissions are pull to upshift, push to downshift. It has to do with the mechanical layout of the insides of the transmission and how it moves under acceleration and braking torques.

TysMagic > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 08/28/2018 at 17:22

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#funfactsfromsquirrels 

Chariotoflove > TysMagic 08/28/2018 at 17:31

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Wonderful! I test drove an auto soft top. I had a huge smile plastered on my face the whole time. Well, except for the freeway portion, but that’s to be expected. I hope to pick one up someday myself.

Did you get a good deal?  I’m wondering how these hold their value.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > TysMagic 08/28/2018 at 17:38

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Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.

TysMagic > Chariotoflove 08/28/2018 at 17:44

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I feel like it was a good deal, $28,000 on the nose. That’s the lower end of KBB . 6,800 miles with 24 months of warranty left . 2017 a uto GT was ~$34k
The soft top is quite a bit cheaper. 

smobgirl > TysMagic 08/28/2018 at 17:59

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This is a little funny because I also adore the Miata RF...but I’m not interested in an auto. Also my Abarth probably isn’t worth enough to trade in.

duurtlang > TysMagic 08/28/2018 at 18:21

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My brother in law owns  a BRZ with an automatic. THE big competitor to the Miata . I’ve driven it a few times and I found the automatic to be quite decent. Quick, responds well, you name it. I’m confident I could drive it faster than a manual. Rationally a great choice. Rationally the best choice maybe.

It’s just not for me. It was too easy, too detached, too sterile, too drama-free. Like playing Grand Turismo on a PlayStation. Fun, but cannot even approach the real thing. To me.

Having said that, to each their own. If we all liked the same things the world would be a boring place.

Chariotoflove > TysMagic 08/28/2018 at 18:32

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That’s quite a bit of money for a Miata.  On the other hand, that’s a pretty good amount of warranty.  Honestly, if I could have found a way to put a wheelchair on/in one and still have a passenger somehow, there’s a real chance I’d be in a soft top now.  The car is well made, and my local dealer is pretty good.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > TysMagic 08/28/2018 at 18:34

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Compared to other modern cars, the ND rack doesn’t really feel all that light. And at speed, it’s much harder to notice any difference. But at low speeds after immediately getting out of my NB it was hilarious to me how the ND felt like an over boosted American land yacht.

Moreso it was that everything else about the car felt exactly identical to my own Miata but better! The power, the handling, the interior space, the overall size, the “fun factor”; everything was the same but better. Steering just felt so foreign at that point. Not bad, just different.

Holden-SSV > TysMagic 08/28/2018 at 18:35

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Ouch.  Guess you didn't know that Mazda's throwing LOTs of cash on the hoods of brand new 17s and 18s?

bhtooefr > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 08/28/2018 at 18:38

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Also how the DRIVER moves under acceleration and braking torques.

Under acceleration, it’s easier to pull back than push forward, as the acceleration force is (relative to the car) pushing you back .

Under braking, it’s easier to push forward than pull back , as the de celeration force is (again, relative to the car) pulling you forward .

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > bhtooefr 08/28/2018 at 18:51

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This is also true though I doubt it was one of the engineers considerations when replacing the traditional H pattern. Drivers were already having to both push and pull to make gear changes so they likely didn’t have enough of a preference to force the engineers to make it work the other way around from what we got.

ZadeoPotato > TysMagic 08/28/2018 at 18:54

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Well, at least it is still the same car mostly besides being a little heavier. Automatics today are ok. But I'm glad my 1987 mr2 is manual, I couldn't imagine the hell that is an 80s auto

Racin'Jason001 > TysMagic 08/28/2018 at 19:13

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Ya know, I can’t drive manual yet (haven’t learned, no vehicle to learn on ), but I’d be content with that even if it is an auto. :) I like it, and congrats!

daender > TysMagic 08/28/2018 at 19:27

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Good looking car! If you plan on doing any autocrosses with it, then get a Mazdaspeed account because you can start receiving discounts on factory replacement parts as long as you do 3 events per year. Sadly the LSD out of the manual doesn’t work well with the auto because of the different gearing (2.866 in the manual vs. 3.454 in the auto).

Racing Beat or 949 Racing if you need sway bars and end-links.

949 Racing or Flyin’ Miata typically have the better out-of-the-box suspension (shocks and springs) packages for most purposes (daily, autox, track).

Good-Win-Racing’s (decent website to buy parts from) RoadsterSport has one of the better-sounding mufflers I’ve heard on a ND and it’s one of the lightest ones available. Supposedly nets 8hp depending on which model you buy.  They currently have a ceramic header, mid-pipe w/ cat, and muffler combo on sale if you’re feeling spendy.

Rev9 imports aftermarket parts from Japan if you want to really customize your Miata but prepare to pay up for it.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > TysMagic 08/28/2018 at 19:28

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I certainly won’t hold it against you. An acquaintance of mine bought an automatic Miata as well. He’s got knee issues, so working a clutch frequently was a non-option.

There’s nothing wrong with an automatic.

Spanfeller is a twat > bhtooefr 08/28/2018 at 20:04

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I don’t think the forces in question could ever be strong enough to impede a driver from shifting accurately. Honestly, to me, it seems like it’s just a matter of   intuitiveness.

Spanfeller is a twat > TysMagic 08/28/2018 at 20:11

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In a car with a manual gearbox the most simple motion for changing gears up is in these situations: 1-n-2, 3-n-4, and 5-n-6... so perhaps designers thought that pulling the lever towards you would be more intuitive, as it is part of the design in a traditional manual gearbox.

However, you could also argue that in a 5 speed box’ the most common motion to move up a gear is to push away and to the right, so it’d be more intuitive to make it push to go up. 

nXt > TysMagic 08/28/2018 at 22:38

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In May I bought a 3,400 mileage 2017 RF manual Club/BBS/Brembo package with Interior Lights and Appearance Package for $26K

impreza555 > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 08/29/2018 at 02:43

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The 3 has a transaxle. Not the same.

Audistein > TysMagic 08/29/2018 at 03:32

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Nice car!

I’ve heard the experience is even more convertible like if you remove the clear wind blocker from behind the seats. Some people  just put it in the trunk. Give that a try sometime.

TysMagic > Chuckles 08/29/2018 at 06:49

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I like the turbo over the sport, but I feel like anyone would. I wasn’t unhappy with it. The 6 speed is a dream for highway mpgs. I was lucky to push 32 in the Abarth 

TysMagic > Spanfeller is a twat 08/29/2018 at 06:52

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Perhaps that last part is where we are finding common ground. I have only owned five speed manuals, not six. Perhaps that’s why I find pushing forward to go up to be more intuitive to me than pulling back - interesting discussion no matter. As for the flappy paddles, left goes down and right goes up. That makes perfect sense. 

TysMagic > Holden-SSV 08/29/2018 at 06:53

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They are and I shopped the new - but you can get there with an RF GT Auto. If I wanted the club soft top, I could be out the door for way l ess. However, that’s not what I wanted. 

TysMagic > daender 08/29/2018 at 06:55

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I found some of those already, others not. Thank you for the info!! Not sure when I’ll do things to it, but I know for now I will enjoy it and get familiar with how it is...then the fun things will come.

TysMagic > duurtlang 08/29/2018 at 06:56

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last line there, do you know I run boring.cars? If not, I enjoy the unintended irony.

I actually don’t feel disconnected from the car with it. So I’m happy. 

TysMagic > Audistein 08/29/2018 at 06:57

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yup! I read a lot about weird wind buffeting, but it hasn’t happened yet. The abarth was a weird convertible too, so maybe I’m just used to it. 

TysMagic > Racin'Jason001 08/29/2018 at 06:57

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thanks man!!! 

TysMagic > smobgirl 08/29/2018 at 06:58

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I was pleasantly surprised to get a decent offer on mine. 

TysMagic > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/29/2018 at 06:58

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thanks man! 

random001 > TysMagic 08/29/2018 at 08:18

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Pr etty!

Chuckles > TysMagic 08/29/2018 at 08:20

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The 6 speed auto in the Sport isn’t too shabby for mileage. We drove almost 1500 miles and averaged about 38mpg on 87 octane.

It has the "choose your own adventure" gear select mode, and while dumb and pointless around town, it's nice on the highway. I can hold it in 6 on long flat bits, and I can choose when to kick down and hold it in 4 or 5 going up a mountain.

Captain of the Enterprise > TysMagic 08/29/2018 at 08:29

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Congratulations! It looks great! As for the transmission choice I’ll quote my sister “you do you”. If it works for you and you like it then that’s great. It sounds like you have good reasons. Just enjoy it! 

lzaffuto > TysMagic 08/29/2018 at 09:06

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I’ve owned every generation of Miata except this one. The NA and NB were both manuals, the NC was an automatic. The NC was the easiest to live with. Sure the manuals were awesome fun, but my commute is hell, and my wife can’t drive stick, and the most fun car to drive is the one you can drive anywhere and everywhere without feeling like you’re being penalized . I probably put about 12k on the NA and NB, I put over 75k on the NC... drove it all over the country. Still miss that car. I’m going to get an ND eventually. I would love to get an RF because it looks like sex but probably will have to go with the ragtop because of the price premium. And it will definitely be an automatic.

TysMagic > lzaffuto 08/29/2018 at 09:51

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That is a good frame on mind! 

E90M3 > Racin'Jason001 08/29/2018 at 10:24

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When I was your age, I couldn’t drive a manual. Plenty of time to learn. I had to learn on friends cars because my parents didn’t have one. 

mmm > TysMagic 08/29/2018 at 10:47

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I especially like that the Mazda allows paddle use anytime and when you stop using them Automatic takes over again. Perfect for freeway, canyon, and casual around town use. ( 2016 ST GT AT owner)

TysMagic > mmm 08/29/2018 at 11:29

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I agree completely! 

Racin'Jason001 > E90M3 08/29/2018 at 19:54

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I will find a way, somehow. :)

daender > TysMagic 08/29/2018 at 21:21

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Enjoy it for a while as it is stock, you’ll have a better idea of what you want to improve upon or change after soaking it in. Also, join the Miata.net forum if you haven’t already. It’s a good resource to have for information or for help if you encounter troubles.

...It’s also good because you might find used parts for cheap from people parting out their cars or selling off stock bits after going modified.

MazdaTom > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 08/29/2018 at 23:36

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Your question: Is it the same transmission as the Mazda3? The Miata is rear wheel drive and the M3 is front wheel drive. All of the Mazda fleet except for the Miata u se the same FWD MT & AT transmissions. The Miata has its own MT & AT transmissions.

TysMagic > daender 08/30/2018 at 08:36

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That’s the plan! I’ve lurked Miata.net and a few other spots. I should make an account - the parts exchange is a nice benefit. 

MonkeePuzzle > TysMagic 08/31/2018 at 15:08

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TysMagic > MonkeePuzzle 09/03/2018 at 19:42

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did you use the font you found hidden away on miata.net? 

MonkeePuzzle > TysMagic 09/03/2018 at 21:39

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indeed!

miata win95 screensaver .zip available too!