5 Reasons the NA MX-5 is Overrated

1. Thick Skin

The first thing I realized when i got a Miata was that everybody had jokes. Even my friends that were non-car guys, had something to say. I learned to embrace my new lifestyle with a mixture of macho-ness and sense of humor. For those who do not know the Miata stereotypes, let me list a few for you...You're either a Hairdresser, a girl, driving your sisters car, or you lost your man card.

 Some of the ways people macho up their sisters car is to make it one of the manliest cars you could have...#racecar. Guys will lower it, get some nice wheels, get some decals, and tape the lights all in the name of making this girl car to look like something guys would drive or be able to justify. I even admit that my car is a prime example of that.

It's Manly Because Racecar

2. POOOWWEERR!

This is the biggest fault of the MX-5. My 1993 Miata came off the line with 116hp and I'm pretty sure that after 254,000 miles and 22 years, a few ponies have escaped. My guess would be I'm sitting at about 100hp or so which means almost anything is going to be faster in a straight line. A friend of mine always says its "quick not fast." He says this to save time explaining the obvious. Yes your 'Stang will be faster between the lights and YES your 'Stang has a higher top speed as you past the cop on the other side of that bridge. 

To put it this way, the car I had before my MX-5 was a 3000GT VR4. That car had 380HP and AWD...it was FAST and I was content! A series of unfortunate events lead me to the Miata and when I first drove it, I was so devastated by the power difference that I almost sold it the same week. After I took the car to it's natural habitat...the corner, I was much happier with the car but to keep momentum I need to fearlessly keep my foot planted on the throttle.

The Miata's Natural Habitat

3. The Looks

This point is probably the most obvious and most known. The car has soft edges and the face of a kid in a candy shop. The average successful sports car has a few traits that make it popular. The cars usually have an aggressive attitude, sharp lines, and the car isn't smiling. The Miata is the opposite of all of those and thats okay. Over the years, men have found ways to mask the odor of perfume and hairspray by using decals and body kits. Some even go as far as installing WANGS the size of hair salons! 

It's nothing bad to macho up the car, its just a pain that such a great car has to be masked due to its appearances. I knew what I was walking into so I had time to mentally prepare but i still wanted a car that was manly so i got all the decals out and even went to my buddies dealership and got some numbers they use to price cars. According to the claims of CarThrottle staff member and owner of the MX-5 Phil Alex Kersten, 5 hp for every decal which means I've added 115 horsepower along with boosting my social status!

I said, It's Mainly! Do you not see the stickers?!

4. The Interior

The inside of the car is roomier than you would think but it still has some draw backs. For tall people, it's a pain to to get in but once you do get in its not bad. If the steering wheel was adjustable, it would be so much easier but instead Mazda chose to say "deal with it." Every tall guy has two options with this car, deal with it or buy a removable steering wheel. The driver seat is sliiiiightly offset because of the transmission tunnel so you always have one knee close to the wheel which can be a bit annoying when you are trying to use that fancy footwork. 

My biggest pet peeve with the car is that when I am just casually driving, I like to rest my hand on the shifter. Well when you are in third or fifth, the edge of the armrest finds that tiny spot behind your elbow. I go to shift from fifth to fourth and I hit my "funny bone" and have to figure out what is more important, flying off the road or tending to my tingling arm.

Bro, Come On! I Put tape on the lights! Just say its manly!

5. Security

I think this is a problem that most people overlook until they get the car and take it downtown, get some food and come back to a hole in the soft top and their bamboo brush and Maybelline hairspray is missing! When I was looking to buy a Miata, the first thing i told myself was "get a hardtop" mainly because I knew that one day i would regret it. I see on the news all the time and see how convertibles always get broken into. I mean realistically if I was a teenage wanker I would go for the car with cloth on top instead of mess with locks and alarms. So I waited patiently until i found a car with a hardtop and in my price range.

When I got the car back and started joining forums and Facebook pages, I started to notice that hardtops were being stolen too!! I went to the garage and looked at mine. It turns out that the previous owner had purchased hardtop security mounts from GarageStar. That is about as secure as it is going to get. The only bad part is that it takes about 20 minutes to take the top off so for the first 4 months of owning the car I never drove it with the top down!

Home Depot has secure parking for Miatas

I love my car

Even though this car gets a lot of jokes and its not the best choice for any person above the hight of 5'6", I do love this car. No matter what mood I'm in, this car knows how to put a smile on my face. Whether its those eyes or the way she darts around Napa Valley, she makes me happy.

Friends Forever