ajlafleche

Mine is a daily driver with lots of short city driving. Love it. Enjoy the looks and comments, too. I've also done longer trips, up to a 320 mile one way on the highway, top down and it was still great. had to make a couple rest stops, but that's more a function of nature calling to me rather than the comfort of the car. A frind of mine nas an SLK 320 AMG and he still loves the lines of the S.
I like the looks of the Miata, a colleague has one and it still looks neat, but the lines of the S are much more aggressive, even without mods. I was leaving a sports car race and one of the attendants thought it was a Porsche. Another friend compared it to a Ferrari.

motokichi

If you still have to think about it after having driven both cars, I suggest you go with the less expensive car. The S is an emotional choice, not a rational one. It's more expensive to purchase, more expensive to maintain, more expensive to insure.

sdputerbum

...and you're complaining about the s2k not having enough TQ under 6k rpm? Look at the HP numbers. Go test drive an S2k (ANY year) and the newest Miata you can find and tell me if you have anything to post about when you come back.

just my $0.02

slasherx

You need to start hanging out with smarter friends.

yyyiiikes

I test drove cars for 6 months before making my decision and most of the ones you mentioned were on my list.

I ended up buying a 2004 S2k with 3000 miles and no regrets, but it is not my daily driver.

I also thoroughly enjoyed my test drive of the Miata Mazdaspeed. I loved the turbo and thought it would be a great city car. Though it is not as fast, it is very much a blast.

But in the end, I couldn't let go of the S2K handling and superior workmanship.

My advice is to make your decision behind the wheel, not on the keyboard.

Vanos954

They are both good deals...right now you can find an S2000 fur ~30K, you can find mazdaspeed miatas for ~20K brand new. So the price difference is nothing to scoff at. Other than that, they are very different driving experiences. Miata likes to get off the line but quickly/effortlessly but quickly runs out of steam. The S is a little weird off the line if you don't do it right but is much quicker is every way. I prefer the S hands down but for the price the miata is very attractive and has the whole factory turbo thing that you can play around with. The short wheelbase on the miata kills it for me though..choppy ride at times and a little too tailhappy when you get it out of shape.

Tommy-S2K

Haven't driven a 2006 Miata (MX-5), but I have driven an 04 Miata. Great little car, fun to drive, probably a better DD than an S2K. That doesn't mean I'd rather have an MX-5, though. SMALL car, I'm 6'-0" and I felt like too big for the car.

Nice-Face

are u serious?.you're saying the feeling of the 04 was a totally different feeling?? interesting.
well,I had the choice of 04,or 03..and couldnt resist having the highest out there.(and reason why Japan still uses this engine currently).of course the 04+'s are fun too,,but to see that rpm rainbow going across the dashboard is what makes me feel like Im in a cult classic beast..anyway,,continue on folks.

KAY'S

this post is a effin joke honestly..... and to the guy who siad the s2k was out dated..... your have zero clue honesly. you name me a sports car for 30k that beats it on the track... also to date what car makes more hp per ltr? please back that up becuase your wasting my time here with your comments from the side of your neck

PilotKD

It's only 800 RPM man. We're talking about revolutions at which car the car idles faster than and you make it seem like it's so much different.

Drive'm both. You're obviously going to get biased opinions here. I have owned both and they are both great daily drivers. It just depends on what you like to drive daily. How one person can knock a car for not being a good daily driver is beyond me. Everyone has their own opinion on what makes a good daily driver. If I want to drive a firmly sprung, two-seat roadster that screams to 8-9k RPM everyday because that's what makes me smile, then to me, it's the perfect daily driver. If buying lots of groceries and having to take kids to school everyday requires something else, then obviously it's not.

The new Miata is nothing to raise a nose at, although that seems to be the case with lots of S2k fans here when one of these Miata vs. S2k threads come up. The Miata has gained 65hp over the past 15 years and for some, there will never be enough. Granted, it has gained about 300lb too, but we've gone from a car that ran 17's in the 1/4 mile to a car that now runs 15.0, but again for some, it'll never be fast enough and that's fine. They don't have to buy it, but not everyone wants a car that runs a 14.0 and needs to be redlined at 9,000 RPM to do so. The Miata serves its purpose and serves it well. When you think Miata, you think Triumph and MG. That is what Mazda wanted you to think when it was designed. The S is something different. It's high-tech and raw. Honda wanted you to think Formula 1.