[aaaaah]

FYI, ND Miatas can be had at substantial discounts off MSRP right now if you do your shopping correctly. Just have a look online to see what I mean.

Also depending on your body shape/height, the ND is the only Miata I've ever sat in that I fit in (long torso).

[USA-RET]

I personally like smaller sporty cars. I considered the Miata in my search as the reviews all seem to sing it's praise. So I went to a dealer and sat in one.

While it may be fun to drive I found the car to look cheaply put together. Lots of plastic and flimsy parts. I'm 6'2" 185lbs and I could not get the driver seat to go back quite far enough for me. One more notch and I'd have found my sweet spot, but alas, that was not to be. Storage space was minimal too.

Maybe as a weekend autoX car it would be fun, but as a daily driver, there were far better choices available for me. I wound up w/ a M240i and couldn't be happier.

I have a 2015 Mini Cooper S w/ a JCW tune and find that car to be blast to drive (again slow car fast). It has BMW quality too. Plenty of storage and a pretty much exactly what you'd expect for an around town Go-Kart. Getting nearly 40 MPG on the road and easily 35 in town.

I'd get the 230i w/ a manual and have some fun with it. It's going to turn 0-60 in the 5's so it's not a slouch.

Check out a Mini S if you want something smaller that is fun to drive, practical and nicely appointed.

[aerobod]

Originally Posted by Xiaoxi

with that said... people have no idea what nimble is until they drive a Miata. F22 is a boat in comparison.

We've had several Miatas in the family, both NA and NB, they are themselves quite a boat compared with my Caterham R400 or other lightweight road legal British sports cars from companies such as Aerial or BAC. The gap from the F22 to the Miata NB is smaller than from the Miata NB to the Caterham, mainly due to the Miata being proportionately heavier than the Caterham compared with the F22 to the Miata. Everything is relative and there is always something more extreme.

[M235ForNow]

Originally Posted by Xiaoxi

I have both the M235i and the Miata (but NB), both manuals.

Some days, the Miata is honestly more fun and rewarding to drive. The shift and clutch is not nearly as refined as the BMW though, but I can forgive that on a 20 year old car. It is way more engaging to drive...the response is absolutely sublime (though I don't have any drive time in the ND). The Miata is more fun as a daily but the M235i is more satisfying for other occasions.

with that said... people have no idea what nimble is until they drive a Miata. F22 is a boat in comparison.

The "other occasions" being highway cruising and people carrying?

[Xiaoxi]

Originally Posted by aerobod

We've had several Miatas in the family, both NA and NB, they are themselves quite a boat compared with my Caterham R400 or other lightweight road legal British sports cars from companies such as Aerial or BAC. The gap from the F22 to the Miata NB is smaller than from the Miata NB to the Caterham, mainly due to the Miata being proportionately heavier than the Caterham compared with the F22 to the Miata. Everything is relative and there is always something more extreme.

No doubt. But for most people the Miata is the most nimble thing you could feasibly drive, aside from an Elise perhaps. Caterham, etc, are in a different league all together.

Originally Posted by M235ForNow

The "other occasions" being highway cruising and people carrying?

Sorry for the delay. The 2 is definitely better for longer drives (> 1 hour). It's also just a nice contrast to the Miata in power and comfort.

[T2T4T]

I have both a M240i (automatic) and ND (manual). They serve very different purposes for me. The miata can be more fun on local roads. You can get an engaging experience without driving too fast. However, the power of the M240i is very addicting.

If i had to keep one it would easily be the m240i. Besides the driving experience it gets so many other things right that the miata does not. e.g. quality of interior, more space, much more comfortable drive on the highway, etc

You could always get a used miata for pretty cheap and have both

[M235ForNow]

Originally Posted by T2T4T

I have both a M240i (automatic) and ND (manual). They serve very different purposes for me. The miata can be more fun on local roads. You can get an engaging experience without driving too fast. However, the power of the M240i is very addicting.

If i had to keep one it would easily be the m240i. Besides the driving experience it gets so many other things right that the miata does not. e.g. quality of interior, more space, much more comfortable drive on the highway, etc

You could always get a used miata for pretty cheap and have both

Did a drive in the RF couple days back and that was the decision point. I'll either be buying my 235 at lease end or replacing with 230. Miata just too small and single purpose for me.

[Shovelman]

I have the 2017 230i with manual and 2wd and really like it. To be fair, my history has far less awesome rides than yours so I am more easily impressed.

After so many years with FWD and 4WD this is a nice change, not just nostalgia, it really is more fun to drive, especially in snow. The traction control makes this a 2wd car vs the old days when it was 1wd

The transmission is great, though it spins the engine faster that I think is necessary, about 3,000 at 70 mph

248 hp more than meets my needs.

Turbo lag is significant, but it's my first turbo so my expectations were for zero. The flip side is great mileage, 42 at a steady 70 mph. A more aggressive turbo that stays revved up all the time will suck down more fuel

Just turned over 10,000 miles including a road trip Michigan to California and back. Seating, noise, everything is great. Coupe. I think you are the expert on noise and hearing loss, though a doctor might know more if you can find the right one.

Some options I did not get. Power seats - the manual ones fit me fine and nobody else drives it. Race track wheels and tires - definitely not on a DD. Nav - my phone does great and is easy to update. Backup camera and driver assists - yeah, it is kinda hard to see out of.

[M235ForNow]

Originally Posted by USA-RET

I personally like smaller sporty cars. I considered the Miata in my search as the reviews all seem to sing it's praise. So I went to a dealer and sat in one.

While it may be fun to drive I found the car to look cheaply put together. Lots of plastic and flimsy parts. I'm 6'2" 185lbs and I could not get the driver seat to go back quite far enough for me. One more notch and I'd have found my sweet spot, but alas, that was not to be. Storage space was minimal too.

Maybe as a weekend autoX car it would be fun, but as a daily driver, there were far better choices available for me. I wound up w/ a M240i and couldn't be happier.

I have a 2015 Mini Cooper S w/ a JCW tune and find that car to be blast to drive (again slow car fast). It has BMW quality too. Plenty of storage and a pretty much exactly what you'd expect for an around town Go-Kart. Getting nearly 40 MPG on the road and easily 35 in town.

I'd get the 230i w/ a manual and have some fun with it. It's going to turn 0-60 in the 5's so it's not a slouch.

Check out a Mini S if you want something smaller that is fun to drive, practical and nicely appointed.

I agree. I took out an RF for a longish drive, top up and top down. And ND for shorter drive. For me they really are simply too tiny. The lack of (essentially) all storage space is a big not-good. As you observed, it felt "cheap" to me. So that's part of the decisioning done. Still have to decide manual or 8 speed. Almost certainly it's a 230 in Sunset Orange with heated seats/steering wheel and likely nothing more.

[USA-RET]

Originally Posted by M235ForNow

I agree. I took out an RF for a longish drive, top up and top down. And ND for shorter drive. For me they really are simply too tiny. The lack of (essentially) all storage space is a big not-good. As you observed, it felt "cheap" to me. So that's part of the decisioning done. Still have to decide manual or 8 speed. Almost certainly it's a 230 in Sunset Orange with heated seats/steering wheel and likely nothing more.

FWIW, The 8 speed is a great transmission, it sport it slams gears like a stick, In comfort, it shifts smoothly. You can opt for a manual like experience w/ the paddles, but after you're in it for a while, I think you let the trans do the shifting while you enjoy the ride.

Certainly if you are a manual transmission guy, get the stick, but do not think the 8 speed will in anyway disappoint on the performance end. By far this is the best automatic transmission I've ever owned. (Wish GM put this in the Corvette - I'd likely have never traded it)

[M235ForNow]

Originally Posted by USA-RET

FWIW, The 8 speed is a great transmission, it sport it slams gears like a stick, In comfort, it shifts smoothly. You can opt for a manual like experience w/ the paddles, but after you're in it for a while, I think you let the trans do the shifting while you enjoy the ride.

Certainly if you are a manual transmission guy, get the stick, but do not think the 8 speed will in anyway disappoint on the performance end. By far this is the best automatic transmission I've ever owned. (Wish GM put this in the Corvette - I'd likely have never traded it)

Oh, I know. I've been driving a '15 235 for over a year now. The transmission is amazing. That's why it's not a slam dunk for the stick. Like you, I've never driven an auto that was this good. And since BMW includes that auto-rev match in the manuals, they've basically reduced the difference between the manual and the auto to a quiescent left foot during shifts. And the fact that you're shifting the shifter back and forth rather than back and forth and occasionally to the side as well.

[Kothar]

I went from manual 228i to manual m2...there is no comparison. The m2 blows that 228i away and the fun factor and sound of exhaust light years ahead. The 228i has no sound...it has torque in sport mode but sort of soulless.

[M235ForNow]

Originally Posted by Kothar

I went from manual 228i to manual m2...there is no comparison. The m2 blows that 228i away and the fun factor and sound of exhaust light years ahead. The 228i has no sound...it has torque in sport mode but sort of soulless.

Happy for you that you like your M2. My experience with the 230 led me to a different conclusion.

[3rdcoast228i]

Get one of these



http://www.polaris.com/en-us/slingsh...-electric-blue

[Maynard]

That does seem to solve the problems of feeling that the Miata is impractical. Drive it a week or two, and you'll be calling the Miata a GT.