Justapickup

When I bought my 94 Miata (used), I knew it would be a fun car to drive, but I didn't realized how much fun I'd have. I've gotten so addicted to driving the Miata that I'm thinking I should always have a Miata in the household from now on. 8-)) I've always liked the S2000 as well. My question is it that much more fun to drive than the Miata? In other words, is the S2000 everything the Miata is (fun factor, performance, handling,....) plus a little bit more? I know it weighs a ton more, so that's something that I hate, weight in a car. My Miata checks in at 29xx lbs I believe. You can have all the power in the world, but when you make a turn, the weight shows, despite all the fancy engineering, you cannot fight the laws of physics. I'm reading the latest issue of Motor Trend, and really like the new Miata, err, MX-5, a lot. But I know the wait is long. Bottom line is, do you think that it's better to get a used S2000 or wait a few months for the new MX-5? I'm comparing these 2 since the prices are comparable.

Thanks,

afwfjustin

For what it is, the Miata is HEAVY. The S2000 curb weight (including full tank of gas) is 2800 pounds, so it is actually LIGHTER. The Miata is also SLOOOOOW. The turbo MX5 has nothing on an S2K. The S2K has amazing gas mileage (I get 25 city, 32 highway), low emissions, and will spank a Miata in just about any aspect you can think of.

Get the S2000... I swear it's quite addicting

RedY2KS2k

Do you really mean 29xx lbs? I thought the newest Miata still weighed just under 2500 lbs.

RM 4 2

Comparable? The prices are, not the car. MR2 vs Miata, yes. Miata vs S2000, no.

Wanna know about what poeple that drive almost every production car in the world have said about S2000?, Here .

Have some fun reading. It would be too long for me to brag about our car. Thanks to dlq04 for his collections. Go test a use one, rip it up to redline and see if you still thinking of Miata.

Good luck hunting!

brent_strong

I gotta think that 2900lbs for your miata is a typo. My friend has a Miata in that gen that weighs in at 2300-2400lbs with him in it (for corner weighting). He has some significant upgrades to the suspension and a pretty dialed in alignment for auto-x and after driving it, I would definitely say that the S2000 is worth getting over a pretty extensively modified Miata. The extra power is invaluable and the extra weight the S2000 carries isn't conveyed much at all...I found a stock S2000 to be more fun to drive than a heavily and well modified Miata.

lamvu

the new miata does not weigh as much as 2900. The Curb weight is 2540 lb

elmmx5

I'd suggest you wait and drive them both before making a decision. When you post a question like that on a forum like this, you're going to get 99.9% responses saying to buy an S2000. If you go to a Miata forum you'll most likely get the opposite. Test them both and make the decision based on what you like better and what you're more comfortable with financially.

OCMusicJunkie

You're going to get a lot of "Miata can't stand up against the S2000" replies... but mine won't be one of those.

I was honestly torn between an MSM and S2000 for nearly six months. The MSM has nearly the same performance specs as the NC Miata. Not sure if you're thinking NB, MSM, or NC... but here is what I concluded while shopping:

The Miata is actually more fun to drive "around town". Both the MSM and NC have fairly linear power delivery, so you aren't going to feel as sluggish in the lower RPM range. It's a much more tossable car. Outside of the actual driving experience, there are some other perks too. I still love the traditional roadster interior- gauges, dash, ect. Regardless of how friendly people here on s2ki are, the Miata community is the friendliest I've ever seen.

The S2000 is much more enjoyable when driven aggressively. The power advantage is obvious; it's a full 1.5 seconds faster 0-60. The suspension is a bit more sporty, and a fair bit harsher. It carves in ways even the Miata couldn't. The seating position is lower, which is a big plus. There is much more interior room than the MSM, although the NC is supposed to have improved.

Really, it's all a matter of preference. I know Miata owners that love their car and would never swap for the S2000. Most S2000 owners couldn't deal with 170 HP. The Miata is a pure roadster, the S2000 is a pure performance car. On a drive down PCH I would rather have the Miata... for a twisty road I would rather have the S2000.

Can't go wrong either way.

Justapickup

Thanks guys for your input. The weight I put for the Miata is definitely wrong, my bad. It's around 24xx. I need to get a test drive in an S2K. Oh, and when I typed "comparable", of course I was referring to prices, not performance. One more thing, I'm comparing the 2006 Miata, aka NC, vs. a used S2000 in the $23000 price range.

medicalstudent

please tell me your 94 Miata is not 29xx #. My 93 Miata was much much lighter than that and so is my S2000.

I could compare the NA6 Miata vs the AP1 S2000, but I doubt the NC MX-5 is a carbon copy of the NA.

Test drive both cars and your question will be answered.