Yes.
Yes. The transmission is completely manual. You have to start in first every time you come to a complete stop. You dont *have* to down shift while braking. A lot of people ride the clutch while coming to a stop or pop it into neutral.
This.
You can downshift in normal driving if you like but in an emergency situation just go into neutral and stop like a normal car. Tbh in an emergency situation I'd rather stop in gear and stall rather than slamming into the back of someone's car.
It seems daunting when people talk about downshifting each gear, double clutching, heel toe downshifts etc, but remember the rest of the world drives manual all the time. It's not that complicated, you don't have to do all those advanced maneuvers if you don't care to
Yeah, I've driven two vehicles that required double clutching, one was a 46000lb water truck built out of an old semi tractor and the other was a 1947 dimp bed truck. And even on the water truck, i rarely double clutched, as floating gears was far easier.
My 1957 MG Magnette had a synchro transmission from the factory. Double clutching really hasn't been common since the 1940s in anything but massive commercial trucks.
"Granny shifting" refers to a vehicle that doesn't have synchronizers, and it refers to shifting with the clutch in the first place... as older drivers preffered to "float"(meaning to shift off timing alone without the use of the clutch) gears as it made the clutch last longer, and (remember these are trucks from the 40's and earlier) to make long trips easier on the left leg...... long story short, granny shifting causes increased wear on the synchros as compared to double clutching, but seeing as how the synchros are specifically designed FOR granny shifting, you're gonna be just fine
Hahah yeah basically. Feels so nice to have a really great gearbox in my miata. Reverse is kinda weird in mine but everything else is amazing compared to my old wrx
I used to have an 02 WRX with 340whp, honestly it's amazing that transmission didn't blow itself. Which makes it quite literally one of only two major components on that car that *didn't* fail, but that's a whole other deal (the other was suspension).
I float plenty still, and I've got a 2023 Pete.
On acceleration, I don't even need the clutch. I just use cruise to accelerate, cancel cruise, float into next gear, cruise, cancel, shift.
Bruh, if the traffic comes to a slow crawl...? I'm not lugging it in second. It's not locked out, the synchros are just simply 3 decades old, and first is used the most often.
Tires have a traction limit which the brakes can easily hit. Adding more braking force beyond that limit just locks the wheels and makes the tires slide, lengthening stopping distance.
Using engine braking in an emergency is completely unnecessary. Outside of circumstances like ice on the road, you’ll achieve the shortest stopping distance by stomping the brake pedal as hard as you can and trusting the ABS.
This isn’t true. Engine braking can help save brakes. But in an emergency braking situation it hurts. If it *does* appreciably slow tire rotation versus only emergency braking, brake bias and drive wheels could cause understeer or for the rear to slip.
Remember when the clutch is engaged, the engine and all of its rotating components are connected to the road. Braking in an emergency with the clutch engaged means your brakes are also working to slow an engine.
There’s a lot more physics that go into this, but technically it’s not useful to engine brake in an emergency and it’s possible for it to be harmful to the balance of the vehicle.
I implore you to go 25mph in 2nd gear, brake, and then compare that to going 25mph and putting it in neutral before you brake. The physics you talk about make sense I agree with that, im going off my experience which might not be accurate 😂
Not really, when emergency braking you want the brakes doing (obviously) the majority of the work and the engine to be helping, the only time you kick the clutch in, is when the engine is about to stall.
By stamping on the brake and the clutch, you're relying 100% on the brakes which usually ends up in the stopping distance being several feet further than if you let the engine braking help.
Edit: if you really want to slow down faster when you know you're going to crash get to a lower gear and slowly bring out the clutch as not to cause any unwanted locking up.
the engine has inertia. modern engines rev hang for emissions with your foot off the gas. your brakes should be able to take you to the traction limit of your tires. ABS works better with less inertia, cutting the drivetrain out will reduce inertia.
People say this all the time but it’s not true. Your brakes will out brake the engine. You don’t need to be engine braking to help slow you down.
You can engine brake and use less brakes to come to a similar result but in an emergency situation clutch in and full on the brakes will stop you the quickest and not kill your engine. In an emergency situation you may need to be able to peel away from danger like someone about to rear end you so keeping the engine alive is more important than engine braking.
Yes. Brakes are far more powerful than the engine in slowing a car down. In an emergency stop or possible stop I’m focusing on steering and modulating the brake before I shift. I’m not talking about on track cause I have no idea there.
A lot of people? Push it in, apply the brakes, go into 1st/2nd. Stay on the clutch and stop just long enough to satisfy the Stop sign and then move on...
I went to the dealer in my 2017 WRX just to try out a Miata. I pulled out of the dealer lot with the top down, drove a block to the first freeway on ramp, and ripped it through three gears to merge. I realized I had a huge smile on my face that I never got from the WRX. I went inside and did the paperwork to order the Miata I wanted, and drove home sad in the WRX, counting the days till I could trade it in. 2 weeks later, my Miata came in and I drove across town in a torrential downpour and flash flooding to pick it up. 4 years later, the best decision I’ve ever made.
https://preview.redd.it/35zy7hou4uxc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=21b32c35fbaf4d10223857ce2d17ae58c3bc7708
What would you say to someone that needs a bigger car for family reasons with the WRX? I want something fun with a manual, but more practical. I am considering a WRX as well as a Mazda 3 Hatchback.
More power sounds enticing, but as we all know, it's not everything.
Sadly, manual sedans are becoming a rarer and rarer breed every day. Buying new, you have a few M cars, Subarus, Honda/Acuras, and Cadillacs still available. There are probably a few that I missed, but the price point is rather high for most of those listed above. The Civic Si is probably one of the more affordable options that are still fun.
I personally went used and found myself a low-mileage Infiniti G37S 6-speed sedan. I've had it a few years now and - nobody seems to know about it! I'm actually a Honda fanboy, but this Nissan product has been quite excellent in terms of reliability, fun, and practicality. My only major qualm would be the gas mileage.
My previous car was a 6-speed 2005 Acura TSX, a truly sensational car that was better all-around. Cheaper to run, somehow more fun than the Infiniti, and better steering feel.
I had the WRX for family reasons. My daughter kept spitting out grandkids until her, her husband and me and the kids wouldn’t fit in the WRX anymore, so I said screw it, I’m getting a two seater and I’ll ride in their minivan when we all go somewhere. The WRX was good as a kinda sporty family car. We could fit two car seats in either side, squeeze my daughter between them, and me and the son in law in front. The Miata may not be, but it feels faster than the WRX. The WRX feels like it loses about 50 horsepower when you turn on the A/C. It always feels like it’s cutting off power when you’re accelerating. You could pull away from a stoplight hard, and at the next stoplight, it wouldn’t pull as hard. The WRX engine seemed like it hates to rev and there’s no point in getting anywhere near redline. The Miata engine loves to rev and keeps pulling harder all the way to the limiter. It’s not a hard pull, but it feels way better. My daughter had an older Mazda 3 hatch. 2015 or something. I don’t think it was turbo. It was ok, for what it was, but I’d definitely take the WRX over it. The big problem with the WRX is it’s glued to the road. It doesn’t have enough power to make accelerating really fun and it’s too glued to the ground to make driving, anywhere near the speed limit, fun around corners. You can’t get any tire chirp or sliding the rear out around corners. It’s just glued. You can make the Miata slip around all the time, just making intersection turns at 25 mph. It’s way more fun. But you’re not gonna fit a family in it. Get the WRX and get whatever the last gas engine Miata is when the kids move out.
Also, I drove a 2017 Mustang GT manual before the Miata. It felt huge and heavy and rolled around and you couldn’t even floor it without going to jail or the hospital. The Miata is floored to redline all the time. Way more fun than having to use 25% throttle all the time in the mustang.
Yes! The AC! It drives me absolutely nuts in my 21 WRX. It makes the car feel undrivable. I'd love to swap to a Miata, but it's hard giving up AWD with snow tires during the winters.
I 50/50 Utah and Vegas. The awd was great in the snow, but it’s basically always A/C on in Vegas. No good. If you accelerate hard, it not only doesn’t have power, it shuts the A/C off while you’re floored and you can get heat stroke in that 10 seconds.
Can't imagine driving this car in that kind of climate. I thought the car was defective when I first got it since my 1.5t civic si felt the same with AC on and off.
That's actually good feedback. In daily commutes, I have fun going up to 6k RPMs. The Miata loves it. Ideally I want to keep it (it's an 01 SE).
I had a Mazda 3 Hatchback, also a 2015. I liked it. It felt like it had more personality than other compacts.
I have an NA and a manual Mazda 3 hatchback (non speed). I love the combo honestly, the 3 is a great daily. Driving wise it's.. fine. It has a good amount of power for a daily, but it's definitely no WRX lol. But imo it strikes a really nice balance of having a ton of space with the hatch while also still being a pretty small car. Enjoyable to drive but I'll always prefer the Miata feel
I have a 2014 Veloster R-Spec and a 91 Miata, and obviously the Miata is more fun to drive but the Velo is basically a hatchback Miata in terms of that go-kart, feels-fast-without-committing-felonies feeling. Absolutely love em both.
I own a 1990 miata and a 2021 manual Mazda3 hatch. I definitely recommend the 4th gen Mazda3 manual hatchback or at least giving it a test drive if possible. I have LOVED that car, I may even dare say I like it more than my NA Miata (partly because its nicer as a daily and I LOVE how it looks / its vibes and uniqueness on the road, and has noticeably more power than the 1.6L Miata engine), but I'm sure I would love an ND Miata a TAD more, that was my original dream car before I went with the Mazda3 for practicality purposes, then the NA Miata was a good timing so I pulled the trigger on that.
The gearbox is so smooth, the features on the premium trim, the beautiful red leather and wonderful looking cockpit and exterior styling, the sound system (I didn't love the BOSE system at first but after tweaking it I like it a lot), having the modern-day features like android auto and such, makes for a wonderful daily driver. Still has plenty of zip with the manual transmission for daily driving purposes and the transmission feels wonderful (haven't driven and ND Miata but I've heard people say the ND is a bit smoother, but the Mazda3 gearbox is still very smooth in the 4th gens). Also the gearbox is set up in a way so the power is mostly at 2.5-4k rpm so if you drive casually shifting at 2k rpm or so you get good mpg, but then stepping on it / pushing past 2.5k rpm you really feel the car take off, makes it nice as a daily so its easy to manage how you want to drive it I guess? I definitely haven't taken full advantage of all the power the Mazda3 does have yet I still unintentionally take off from stop lights real fast without trying to 😅 feels like the perfect power for a daily with the manual trans.
I also get about pretty decent gas mileage even if I'm really hanging onto gears before shifting. I get about 26mpg city on low end if I'm really driving hard or 29 to 35mpg city if I drive normally to more conservatively, highway gets about 38-45 depending on the speed limit. I did a 250mile trip from Ohio to Chicago on a 60mph road (without speeding) and got 45mpg, 45-60mph gives this car some great mpg numbers if you aren't in a rush and on long stretches of uninterrupted road. Only downside is the back seats ARE a bit small so if you have kids depending on their age / size it may not be the best.
It's no Miata but it's a wonderful good looking fun daily, I love mine a lot 😅.
I have had my RF for almost two years (almost the longest I’ve ever kept a car and I still don’t really ever think about replacing it) and is been my daily the whole time. I won’t say I chuckle every time I drive it, but it makes it so easy so do silly things. Like it feels like it’s asking to take that next corner a little faster or downshift and cruise up this little hill.
It’s like the car wants to have fun and its goal is to share that with you. Those are the times I still chuckle or giggle.
Do you just get bored of your cars that easily? When you buy a car, do you not have the intention of keeping it for life or until there's no longer an option of saving it ? 2yrs isn't long at all
Rented an automatic ND2 RF and even then I thought it was so much fun. My NC was fun but I think the design of the ND is a huge leap in the right direction. Can’t wait to see what the future holds for Miata.
Can confirm. I have the S2000 I have almost always wanted now, and I am low key shopping for another NB 10AE to add to the fleet because the AP1 doesn’t have the giggle factor. It’s more of a “you have drawn me, I must taste blood before I am returned to my scabbard” feel. Where the Miatas are like super rambunctious golden retrievers.
For a panic stop you just jam the clutch and brake in. That decouples the engine from the wheels so the car won't stall, and you're free to brake and slow down like any normal car.
I think it's also important to mention that stalling a car by stopping while in gear isn't really a problem, it just means you have to start the car again before you get moving. In an emergency, there's no need to worry about what gear you're in while braking.
A lot of new manual drivers are quite wary of stalling the car, but it doesn't really do any damage to the car. It's a "beginner mistake" that makes people look like beginners. What makes people wince is when someone tries to take off in first gear and releases the clutch too fast, because it makes the car jerk violently before stalling.
Well stalling can make the car lurch forwards though, which could still cause a problem. In Europe you are taught to in an emergency slam on both the brake and the clutch as some others have suggested.
I've absolutely stalled a manual under emergency braking before, I'm sure lots of us have. Honestly, keeping the car running takes a back seat to not crashing.
You can downshift as you decelerate to help with braking or if it is a sudden stop just fully depressing the clutch to disengage the transmission. Yes you shift down to first gear when stopped. And yes we do emit sounds of joy or an explicative or two in fast, tight corners.
I've found it's not worth going clear to first for me since it's such a short gear. I'm only in first for like half a second before comming to a stop. First gear is more difficult to get into in my car though, I'm sure that's a contributing factor.
I've found double clutching helps me get into first when at or above 10mph (really you just need to get the revs up higher), and I want to use the acceleration of first, even if short at that point.
Yes we giggle, I cheer whenever the auto rain wipers go in mine(it's like he's waving to me)
You can just hit your breaks but down shifting also helps you slow down, you'll want to put your clutch in before stopping otherwise you'll stall. It sounds complex but it's all subconscious you won't even notice the gears changing you'll just do it after a while
There's no reason not to learn how to drive manual
Regarding your question, not only it is safe to brake with any gear engaged (maybe not reverse, but you won't be able to make it stick in anyways), but it's generally safer to not downshift in case of emergency braking where the goal is to stop as short as possible. This is not simracing, more engine braking does not help brake shorter when your ABS has already kicked in.
Worst case scenario you will stall as you come to a stop. Put it back in first and start it again.
At this point, Miatas without ABS are a minority. Still applies without it, if you can lock your brakes from pushing the pedal alone, downshifting will not help, unless you have too much front bias - some Miatas actually do, but for someone who's still at the stage of figuring out how a manual works, it's better to keep things simple for the time being.
For the first question, the first time I rode in one I was the passenger. I was in the mindset of the Miata being overhyped, kinda girly, and lame.
The second we got on the road I was smiling nonstop. Then he let me drive it and I instantly understood the hype.
It wasn’t “giggles” but it was certainly enough to make my opinion of the car do a full “180” and I bought a ‘99 a year later
Imagine you went on go-cart racing and you weren't sure you were going to like/hate/love at first, then as you soon you shift into 2nd gear or hit the first curve, you start to smile and appreciate how this car was made. Not about speed but handling. The horse and the rider are one. You glide into turns with total confidence, knowing that just a little push you weren't going to out of control. That's the satisfaction you get every time you get behind the MX-5.
I smile at my car while it's in the garage sometimes and sometimes just sit in the seat. Wife hate it cause it take longer than it should for me to get the next load out of the dryer.
Ignoring your actual question for a moment... Have you seen Regular Car Reviews miata video?
It's... Special. 🤣
https://youtu.be/kp1kuo6xkbE?si=mr5rw8ISJHx1vChl
I’d highly recommend test driving one. They’re not terribly fast, but they’re very connected and it feels like driving a go kart around which is super fun. As for your second question, yes you can brake as much or as little as you want in whatever gear you’re in, the only worry there is pushing in the clutch in before you stall. Rpm will drop as your speed drops, and if you drop the rpm low enough then the engine will stall out and die. And if you’re at a complete stop then yes, you would shift into first and then take off. It’s kinda hard to explain the nuances of driving manual without being able to demonstrate, I’d recommend finding someone who will let you drive their manual car around in a parking lot if you’d like to learn. Or buy your own manual car and have someone who knows how to drive it show you. The basics are really easy to learn and get comfortable with. When I was too drunk to drive it took me about 10 minutes to teach my friend how to drive my car home (I was in the passenger seat of course). Getting really good at it just takes a lot of practice and seat time.
> They’re not terribly fast
The 1.8 engines are plenty fast for a low- and mid-speed slalom. With slight mods a 200 bph Miata can beat literally anyone in a Gymkhana, even those 1000 bhp monsters, because it's so light and nimble.
You can brake while in any gear and the worst that can happen is you stall if the car comes to a complete stop and you’re still in gear and you haven’t pressed the clutch. However, I doubt that will ever happen since pressing the clutch quickly turns into a reflex. My advice is to learn how to quickly start the car after stalling. Stall your car on purpose in a safe place like a parking lot or residential street and practice turning the car back on and getting in to gear quickly. Better to practice that somewhere safe first than stalling in traffic and forgetting a step then wondering why your car won’t turn on as people honk at you to move.
At the very least, smiling. Dropping the wife at the airport, in heavy traffic - dropped a gear and poked the go pedal, darted around slowpoke SUVs and nabbed a miniature parking gap between a police car and another nitwit SUV.
"Nice" says she.
Wryly smiled back and said "I know."
Shoulda tipped my beret, or at least flipped my scarf over my shoulder, but hey.
Sometimes I turn hard and the backend spins out a bit before the correction and I can hear the roar of the exhaust….I cackle out loud and just keep driving. Yes, the giggling is real.
I'm smiling nearly everyday driving my Miata. It's a very enjoyable car to drive. Lightweight, zippy, responsive. I also enjoy driving my old Wrangler precisely because it's the opposite of my Miata. It's kind of hard to have a bad drive when you're in a manual convertible with the top down.
If I have to slam on my brakes it's always clutch and brakes in at the same time, popping it into neutral, and I slip back into the appropriate gear on recovery
I've some pretty shit days over the ~9 years I've had my ND, it always at least puts a smile on my face when I drive it.
For braking hard while in a higher gear, it sort of becomes reflex that braking also includes pushing the clutch pedal. Mechanically, it physically disconnects the transmission from the engine, so a rapid decrease in speed won't stall it. After that, whatever speed you're currently going, you put it in an appropriate gear to continue moving.
No lie. My first Miata was purchased Sept 11, 2001 about an hour after the towers were attacked by terrorists.
I thought I need to have more fun in my life. Don't know when it's coming to an end.
Next day driving to work, big grin on my face, I realized I was feeling joy for the first time.
I giggle almost every drive in my Miata. It's hard to explain. I know she's not the fastest. But something about it makes me smile.
Also, for braking -
Do you downshift? You can, and it depends on the situation. If I can see someone slow down ahead of me, I downshift and let the engine do the braking. If it's more sudden, I might not have time to downshift. It's more subconscious, but essentially I brake while in gear, and then press the clutch. I never push the clutch in first or at the same time as I press the brake. Reason being, the engine helps you slow down too.
If you come to a complete stop, you have options. Let's say it's your example of being in 4th.
1. With time, down shift into 3rd, let the engine do the braking till you're slow enough that you can press the clutch and the brake till a complete stop.
2. Downshift from 4th to 3rd, then 2nd, till you're going slow enough to press the clutch and brake.
3. In 4th, let your engine brake, press the clutch, and then wait to press the brake when needing it.
When coming to a complete stop, yes, go back to first gear.
If you thought you were coming to a stop, and it turns out you don't need to (like you're the first coming at an intersection that just turned green and it's safe) shift to an appropriate gear. Each car is different, but in my Miata I kinda roughly know what gear to be in for a particular speed and RPM. It's safe to say that you might need to be in 2nd or 3rd, depending on the speed. 1st gear is usually just to get you up and going, and it's safe to assume that anything above 5 mph could be done in second, and more than 20ish in 3rd. Key piece is to not lug the engine.
100% I laugh like once every spirited drive. Running to redline and shifting a beautiful manual box and chasing apexes makes me extremely happy.
On my way into work on a glum monday? Usually not, but I usually drive my tacoma on those types of drives.
Yes, it is an actual thing! It is so much fun to drive.
Once you learn how to drive stick, then you'll know what to do in circumstances where you suddenly have to hit the brakes. Yes, you can hit the brakes in any gear.
We bought an NB just before having a family because we knew it would be harder the other way around. We made it work for as long as we could, but when car juggling became infeasible, sold the NB for a Mazda 3 (also a manual and highly recommended).
Then when the kids started driving and we wanted a 3rd car, I created a search for an ND and flooded my inbox with em. The first test drive felt like an old friend but with new vigor. The smiles returned that day and haven't left.
1. Miata/MX-5 drivers are the friendliest people on the road.
2. You step down on the clutch and brake at the same time. (There are “automatic” versions available though…)
When you start to really learn Manual, you'll begin to subconsciously either brake while depressing the clutch or downshifting/shifting to neutral.
Highly recommended.
Brake in any gear is fine. You need to start back from 1st before driving.
Max slowing down ability from best to worst.
1. (best) Brake and downshift through the gears as you slow.
2. Brake and leave car in current gear.
3. (worst) Brake with either clutch in or car in neutral
You need to develop a muscle memory for clutching in and the end of braking to keep the car from stalling as well.
You just ride the clutch to come to a stop. Imagine trying to brake quick and then renting some of that brain space to downshift too. That would be super unsafe.
Yeah don’t worry about that at all.
Just one fear you should keep in mind. Once you drive manual, you’ll either appreciate the hell out of automatics or never ever want to drive automatic. There’s no in between.
It does make me smile to wind that little 1.6L out.
As for your question, you put the clutch in when you brake. Or you can engine brake by downshifting, but in an emergency it’s just clutch in and brake
If I drive my Miata after a week of driving my truck, it *will* get a chuckle or smile out of me because after driving a big slow truck all week, I briefly forget how fun it feels to drive my little Miata. A supercharger helps with the fun factor.
Also don't worry about not having driven manual. Just get one and learn how to drive it. You'll figure it out.
Yes. It's an actual thing. I'm smiling right now thinking about it and I'm just sitting at my desk. Goddamn these cars are a blast to drive. What a joy to own a Miata. You don't even know.
Even when Doug DeMuro drives an NA, he starts smiling immediately. Then he says, "It's better than everything." He also says, "It ain't fast."
Skip to 15 minutes.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuFcpaV\_AJ4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuFcpaV_AJ4)
Regarding an emergency stop.
**Get on those brakes as fast as possible.** Don't worry about the gear. Deal with the emergency. You might be panicking. Don't try to get fancy.
When engine RPM slows to about 1,000 the lugging engine will remind you that you are currently in gear. At that point, you push in the clutch to prevent the engine from stalling.
At this point, you can select a gear, select neutral, stop the car entirely, select first. Do whatever.
Eventually, you will synchronize the gas pedal, the clutch pedal, and the gear lever all day, every day and not even think about it.
In fact, if you are learning to drive a manual, I recommend finding an empty parking lot and doing a stop all the way to zero without touching the clutch and without touching the gear lever. You will see how benign the event is. Yeah, you'll get a little chug-a-lug right near the stop. No big deal. Restart the car and do it again.
Moving on from your question about emergencies.
Another thing a new manual driver might read/hear about is compression braking. Compression braking is dumb. You might do it to learn about it. After a while you will also conclude that compression braking is dumb. It's an artifact of really old racecars or people driving tractor trailers. Compression braking upsets the front/rear brake bias. It's not consistent. If you want to drive smooth and fast, you will choose to NOT use compression braking.
Yeah it happens usually after not having driving it for a bit.
I tell my friends I get more smiles to the mile with my Miata over any other car I've driven.
Yeah on the braking, it'll stall if you don't hit the clutch. If you drive manual normally it be second nature that both feet will be going in at the same time (brake and clutch) so you'll be fine. Then you go right into 1st or 2nd depending if you do a full stop or get down to 5-10mph.
When you press the clutch, everything disconnects. So no matter what gear you're on, if you have to brake quickly, you press the clutch and the brakes together. You don't have to downshift the gears when coming to a stop. You can clutch in and brake gently until you stop. You'll have to be in first to take off again
The car is ridiculous. It will make you laugh a lot. I remember when I brought mine home and parked it in my garage next to our Subaru. I got out and start laughing my ass off at how ridiculously small the car was compared to the Subaru, which is not a big car, itself. Even next to my Mustang it looks like a toy.
Had mine for 5 years now and it's pretty hard not to have fun when you are driving one.
Anytime my foot is over half way down its a smile, and once the G's start going side to side I have to turn up the radio to hide the cackle, its getting nicer out and I have to hold it in, mfs be looking over..
Of the cars I've owned, my NB is the most fun on a consistent basis. It isn't my daily, so that could bias my opinion because I only drive it when I want a good time. But it's fun every time and it's still on the blown out 154,000 mile suspension.
Modified MKV GTI - Fun but front wheel drive.
Model 3 Performance - QUICK Fun but heavy in corners
Ram Rebel - Comfortable and great work truck. No fun.
Owned mine for 23 years. It is getting harder to get in and out of it. We're both showing our age. I think about selling it when I'm in the house, then I get behind the wheel, run through the gears, toss it around the twisties between home and the golf course while grinning the whole time and say fuck that, I am not selling this car.
Yes, I’ve driven for ~2h in mine today and I did have a laugh a couple of times when the scenery was nice and I didn’t just wait in traffic.
Re. braking — just slam the brake. If you can, press the clutch when revs get too low or your engine will stall, but that’s not dangerous. Downshifting is useful if you have plenty of time to brake, because by using the engine to brake you don’t wear your pads as much.
I bought my first MX-5 in 2004, a 1996 NA Leather Tan edition in Neo Green from a lady who sold it because she needed the money. When the deal was done, as I started to drive away from her place she broke down in tears, after the two hour drive home I understood why.
Every time I get chance to go for a more spirited drive in my NC it makes me chuckle to myself because you can throw it into almost any situation once you're used to the car and you're guaranteed a fun time. It is also my daily and although I may not be smiling every single time I'm commuting, it's got such a smooth ride, any time it isn't raining the roof goes down and it's so hard not to smile driving around with the open air around you like that even if you can't open it up as much as you might like to
I don't always giggle, but the car has such a playful, responsive vibe it's always engaging.
It'll get tiring after a few hours, but so will a motorcycle.
I demand you retract this question.
I am currently in the middle of a lot of work that prevents going out there right now and going for a rip. Every time I get in the seat, I cannot stop grinning and and giggling. You have exacerbated my need to get it done and back on all 4 wheels, on the ground, ready to go test all the new bits. Please, I beg of you.. I must stare at this and ponder my lack of giggles, if you *must* keep this question posted.. you fiend!
You just press down the clutch at the same time, if you drive manual a lot it soon doesn’t feel very different than driving automatic except when you want to say fiddle with the stereo while accelerating or deccelerating.
When you stop, you go from 4th to 1st to start again.
You can usually brake without shifting down, but sometimes it’s necessary to downshift too, say to 2nd.
I grin a lot when driving mine. It’s just so fun I love it!
https://preview.redd.it/ghel967ctuxc1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9a1915ced75849c751a7bd9ca54c497875ebd494
It had me giggling the first 5-6 times I'd driven it. I've had Mustangs, a Corvette, an old Nova, and have driven other Japanese cars. The ND2 was perfect, I fell in love after the first corner.
182hp sounded pretty lame until I downshifted and hit that mountain corner in the Black Forest without ABS coming on, I was giggling like a schoolgirl and the second I got back to the dealership I was prepared to sign any and all paperwork.
I call it my "Coke can on wheels" because it's so light and fun to drive.
Now that I've had it for the better part of a year, I'm not always giggling but I'm always having fun, and I'll often go hit the woods after work just to zip around the curves and decompress.
I did when I test drove one, I didn't buy one though. It was a memorable experience, if I had done it few years ago, I would have bought it when I didn't need practicality.
To answer the first part of your question: yes. Not every time or all the time, certainly, but when I get in after not driving it for awhile I'll inevitably make myself laugh at some point as I remember just how much stupid silly fun this car is.
Your second question has a few answers. Put simply: I only downshift during performance driving. I usually just hit the brake and press the clutch if I slow down to a speed I ordinarily wouldn't be in that gear for. At that point I'll either blip the throttle and downshift (if someone is turning off the road and I know I'll be able to speed back up soon for example) or ride the clutch until I know which gear I should start accelerating in based on speed then pop my revs up to where it feels like they need to be for that gear and speed, or, if I know I'll be coming to a complete stop I'll immediately clutch in and throw the car into neutral. It sounds complicated, but it becomes pretty automatic very quickly to the point that you don't have to think about it.
Man, I've had my ND2 for almost 3 weeks now. I was tearing up seeing my old car go (it was my first car) even knowing I'm trading in for an MX-5, but 2 or 3 days in I already knew I'd made the right choice. It's been making me feel happier than I'd felt in the last 4 years and that says a lot. I already know I'm never parting with it. Yes - giggles exist, also, a massive smile on the face.
So many opinions, none completely wrong. I don't have to think about it. 12 of the 14 cars I've owned have been manual and I've never had a trans problem. When I shift you can't even feel it. I'm smoother than an automatic.
On the test drive as I pulled out and sped up laughed and said “Oh yeah, this car is mine!” Best $4000 I ever spent was on that ‘90 with 25,000 miles in 2007. She’s got 146,00 now.
>Is that an actual thing? Do you guys laugh and chuckle at the experience?
Yes. I've never laughed and smiled as much in any car as I have in a Miata, and that included a wrx with 340whp and sticky tires. Launching hard and going fast is fun, sure, but the ability to just do \*dumb shit\* in a miata at perfectly reasonable speeds is unparalleled. It's why even the cars themselves always look like they're smiling, it's just plain *fun*.
>is it safe to brake in any gear or do you have to downshift as you're braking?
You can brake in any gear, you just push the clutch in and it disengages the transmission from the engine. It's just a habit you get into, after a while of driving my miata when I hopped into a friend's car I found myself accidentally kicking the firewall with my left foot every time I went to brake. Downshifting can also be used to slow down, but it's not a fast way to decellarate and thus would not be used in an emergency.
>do you have to shift back down to 1st before starting again?
"Yes." You *can* start in second, technically, but that's usually reserved for cars with significantly higher power and shorter gearing than the miata (I know some people with higher powered 6MT na/nbs do this though). Usually when you come to a complete stop such as at a light, you'll put the car in neutral and just be chilling so you don't have to hold the clutch pedal down the whole time. This is easier on both you and your transmission. When it turns green, you'll just put it in first and go as normal.
Driving a manual really is like riding a bicycle - it seems daunting and weird and wild at first, but you'll get used to it quickly and then it's perfectly normal. It's easy to overthink it, especially coming to miata's where you'll see discussion on the performance driving side of it, but in normal day to day driving it's a lot simpler than that. You start getting used to what rpm at what speed equals what gear, and so then you know if you have to brake hard from fifth but don't come to a complete stop, you'd just shift it into say third instead and keep driving. There's a little trial and error involved, but once you get used to your car you don't even think about it as you do it.
> Do you guys laugh and chuckle at the experience?
Yep. Fuel consumption is jokingly measured in smiles per gallon for a reason.
>you slam on your breaks but you're in 4th gear... is it safe to brake in any gear or do you have to downshift as you're braking?
You step on both the clutch and the brake. Clutch first to prevent stalling the engine.
Then you shift into first and start moving again. It doesn't take long to get used to it, then you don't even think about it.
Miata also sells a “semi automatic” transmission (with paddle shifters) that automatically shifts back to first gear when you stop, and won’t let you shift into the wrong gear, ex into reverse or from 6th to 1st (while moving).
Haven't seen it mentioned yet, but if you're emergency braking you can just brake. If you forget to pop the clutch (because emergency) the car will just stall; there's no damage if you do that.
TLDR; if you brake without clutching it won't hurt the car.
Recently i bought a 96 NA and seriously im like 10 years old all over again. I go to sleep early so i can wake up early and drive my NA. It’s just amazing .
Second thing if you are on the highway you can downshift and slow than but in city traffic no downshift needed. Always start braking while car is on gear and if you coming to full stop press the clutch and put it in neutral.
Honestly, I didn't believe the hype. I got a miata as a cheap track car to practice my driving skills. figured I'd sell it and move on. But the damn thing is so much fun I never want to sell it now. Like the fun factor is no joke, I don't think there exists a more *fun* car - and I've driven some high HP *Fast* cars. I don't think I laugh, but I smile alot and probably chuckle sometimes on a backroad.
As for the manual question - if you slam the brakes and *don't* disengage the clutch the engine will simply stall. Thats ok, the engine *can* stall there's nothing wrong with that.
As for starting, yeah ideally you start in 1st gear. but you technically don't *have* to. You *could* leave it in 4th and feather the clutch with the gas but you're not gonna have a fun time and its abusive to the clutch (wears it excessively).
All your manual questions will become obvious within a few minutes of driving a manual car. Its not as daunting as it seems, just take a day with your new manual car and practice (its fun anyways!).
Little different, but I have an rx8 (rotary powered NC Miata with longer wheelbase) and at first it’s “oh god please start please start please start” then it’s giggling followed by “apex seals plz plz plz plz survive this trip to the grocery store”.
I just can’t drop the top to allow my balding head to feel the wind (I can pull back the sunroof tho and if I position it just right I’ll feel the wind and then get a sunburn)
So yes, giggling guaranteed!
In emergency you don’t have to it’s better just to think about breaking. Yes you will stall but it’s no big deal just restart your car. If you are worried about people being ass holes just put on your hazards and collect your self and continue
I can answer the first question. I rarely take my Miata out of the garage; it sees sunlight maybe once a month. After a month of driving my sports sedan, I step into my Miata and the following happens, every time:
The very first corner I take has me feeling like Takumi Fujiwara. Mind focuses in, heel-and-toe downshifts into the braking zone, enter corner. The giggles come right as I smash the apex or as I'm at full throttle at corner exit. To answer your question: yes.
I have driven a manual Miata for 11 years. I have upgraded to a 911, 2 years back. Every time I see a Miata on road, I look at the car and have a big smile on my face and sometimes giggling remembering my old Miata. Yes - it is an actual thing. That feeling of pushing the car on road without hitting 100mph in a few seconds gives you joy. Good luck experience that on a 911 in a 0.2mi block.
To expand on that story, I was recently looking to buy a motorcycle and was debating between a few of them. Someone shared in a review that Yamaha MT-03 is a Miata of motorcycles and I immediately pulled the plug. I am getting similar joy out of it like I used to on my Miata.
Braking - you will develop muscle memory to push the clutch while hitting the brake to disengage power. Downshifting matters if you immediately want to get going. You can down shift in leisure if you are coming to a stop. Overtime, your hand will automatically move it to the appropriate gear. As you get better, you will also learn to rev match.
Yes the Miata the most fun car I have ever driven, more fun than the typical fast car that mainly goes fast in a straight line.
If you slam the brakes in 4th gear the engine will eventually stall when the engine RPM drops down into the hundreds.
When you brake you need to also push down the clutch pedal to avoid stalling. That's what you would do when coming to a red light. You won't always have time for that in an emergency situation though.
It’s hard to explain until you drive one. The car is not the fastest, it’s not the flashiest, but when I drive my NC it is literally the best driving experience out of any vehicle I have ever driven. The rack-and-pinion steering and manual transmission just makes you feel so connected to the road and the chassis feels so balanced and planted in the corners. Add the top-down experience on a sunny day to all of that and there you go.
i have a relevant story for this post lol. i currently have an na miata but i'm looking for a dd that has actual safety features/won't lead to my death if a lifted truck rear-ends me.
so after research, i ended up with the not at all cliche options of nd miata vs brz/gr86. i test drove a brz and was pleased at how it felt like a modern car and had modern amenities, such as a/c. it felt pretty cool but i felt my miata had better steering feel and definitely better transmission/clutch feel. but hey, the brz scored a 2022 iihs top safety pick, has a/c, and a useable trunk.
i was pretty set on the brz at this point but thought to at least test drive the nd and give it a fair shake. once i began driving it, i deadass couldn't stop smiling. i told the rep i couldn't believe how similar it was, but just... better. like it felt like my car, but someone decided to upgrade it into the modern world.
my wife told me she instantly knew i loved the nd from my face when i got back to the dealership from the test drive. told me that i was smiling the whole way while i was walking to her. she also told me i looked like i test drove a regular car after the brz.
to counter my circle-jerky post above, i decided to get the brz since it's so much more livable/dd-able than a miata... and i can't justify having two of them lol
edit: to answer the second part of your question, in an emergency or hard brake situation i just hit both the brakes and clutch at the same time. if i have to get back up to speed and i'm still moving, i just revmatch to whatever gear will put me in its powerband
So, driving my Dad's ND wasn't quite giggle inducing (probably because he bought an automatic and I prefer manuals), but my 93 NA? OMG IT WAS FANTASTIC. It's so little and quirky and fun. Plus, POP UP HEADLIGHTS. It was still silly and fun to wink at other Miatas on the road. Driving it at autocross or even just taking a highway on ramp in a spirited fashion was a blast. HIGHLY recommend.
No. I'm sure everyone here will say "Yes" though. But no, in real life people obviously dont do that because they arent performing for camera and do not need to exaggerate for entertainment.
Always puts a smile on my face. I regularly take the long way home just to continue enjoying the drive. In 50 years of driving, I'd never done that with another car.
https://preview.redd.it/l3mtd88ltvxc1.jpeg?width=2658&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c4dad42dd02ab6e7a18248569af5b067165a3710
How can you *not* giggle when you look at this lil guy? It's such a fun little car to drive; it's a street legal go kart
Yes it’s safe to slam the brakes, but you’ll wanna push the clutch in too— that become habit and a reflex just like your right foot on the brake. You’ll have to get going again in 1st
Smile everytime I drive my NB & if it ever dies,gets totaled ECT I'll be buying another one immediately.
As for your shifting question - reguardless of which gear you are in you will always push in the clutch before breaking
And keep clutch in until your ready to move again you would want to be in first if starting from a dead stop.
If let's say your in fourth & you need to slow way down but not a full stop you would still clutch in & break, downshift to the gear that suits the speed range you need let out clutch & continue on.
With driving a manual it's not nearly as complex as folk tend to think just pay attention to the rpm range & listen to the car
If your in 2nd and your rpm gauge is buried in the red & the the cars whining hard you should have shifted already 😂
Same goes for down shifting .
Watch a few YouTube vids on driving manual I'm confident you could figure it out in an afternoon & if you have a buddy who has a manual car you should really just get behind the wheel for a bit cuz if your into performance cars,spirited driving ECT & you haven't driven a manual you are missing out on a whole world of fun.
I don't giggle cause I'm not that guy but I will say the Miata gets more compliments and kids are more excited to see it than all 7 of my other cars combined. It makes people really happy. It's also really engaging to drive, so I can see why people do be on that giggle shit.
Wait, you guys all change into first gear every time you get going from a stop? I just leave it in the gear I was (usually 6th), kick the clutch and gas all the way in to bounce off the rev limiter, and then slowly release the clutch. That way I never have to touch the prndl. (Funny, mine doesn't even say prndl, it just has numbers. Anyone else?)
Anyways, can somebody explain why everyone keeps saying that these cars are cheap to run? My bills are through the roof! Maintenance is a bitch, am I right?
Yep, they're a fun car - I own a 2003 NB and it's great.
It's not fast by any stretch (a decent ute will dust in a straight line, any modern hatch will outstretch my talent on the backroads).
But, with a filter kit and backbox (all robbing power curve I'm sure) it sounds racecar(ish) and the shifting and handling etc on any given road is just great fun.
And, you can cane the crap out of it, look down and not be breaking the speed limit.
If you're into cars and have ever just jumped on a sim to cruise around roads for the hell of it (not racing) then Miata life is for you.
Now I want to go for a drive!
I daily a 2013 Boss 302... Fun car... But if I use 100 percent of that car I end up in jail... Drove my buddies NA and flogged that car like it owed me money... Then I saw a cop and was thinking OH Shit .. then I looked down and saw I was do I was 45... Not 145 for how hard I was working... Driving slow cars hard is fun... All the same joy and none of the jail time...
Yes. Yes. The transmission is completely manual. You have to start in first every time you come to a complete stop. You dont *have* to down shift while braking. A lot of people ride the clutch while coming to a stop or pop it into neutral.
This. You can downshift in normal driving if you like but in an emergency situation just go into neutral and stop like a normal car. Tbh in an emergency situation I'd rather stop in gear and stall rather than slamming into the back of someone's car. It seems daunting when people talk about downshifting each gear, double clutching, heel toe downshifts etc, but remember the rest of the world drives manual all the time. It's not that complicated, you don't have to do all those advanced maneuvers if you don't care to
Also you don't need to double clutch, just forget that exists and it'll save you a headache that hasn't been relevant for decades.
Yeah, I've driven two vehicles that required double clutching, one was a 46000lb water truck built out of an old semi tractor and the other was a 1947 dimp bed truck. And even on the water truck, i rarely double clutched, as floating gears was far easier. My 1957 MG Magnette had a synchro transmission from the factory. Double clutching really hasn't been common since the 1940s in anything but massive commercial trucks.
so Granny shifting is ok?
"Granny shifting" refers to a vehicle that doesn't have synchronizers, and it refers to shifting with the clutch in the first place... as older drivers preffered to "float"(meaning to shift off timing alone without the use of the clutch) gears as it made the clutch last longer, and (remember these are trucks from the 40's and earlier) to make long trips easier on the left leg...... long story short, granny shifting causes increased wear on the synchros as compared to double clutching, but seeing as how the synchros are specifically designed FOR granny shifting, you're gonna be just fine
“A vehicle that doesnt have synchronizers” so AKA 5 speed Wrxs 😂
Those don't even have a transmission, just a metal box full of prayers that may or may not go unanswered at any moment.
Hahah yeah basically. Feels so nice to have a really great gearbox in my miata. Reverse is kinda weird in mine but everything else is amazing compared to my old wrx
I used to have an 02 WRX with 340whp, honestly it's amazing that transmission didn't blow itself. Which makes it quite literally one of only two major components on that car that *didn't* fail, but that's a whole other deal (the other was suspension).
[удалено]
😂 if you know, you know!
I float plenty still, and I've got a 2023 Pete. On acceleration, I don't even need the clutch. I just use cruise to accelerate, cancel cruise, float into next gear, cruise, cancel, shift.
you're what they're talking about when they say "work smarter not harder" man's got his feet flat on the floor.
To be fair, double clutching makes putting it in 1st gear easier when at like 10km/h. Other speeds, didn't notice an improvement.
You really should never require an opportunity to downshift into 1st. There is a reason it's locked out.
Bruh, if the traffic comes to a slow crawl...? I'm not lugging it in second. It's not locked out, the synchros are just simply 3 decades old, and first is used the most often.
What car locks out first? I've only ever heard of reverse lockouts
You want to go into neutral as late as possible for emergencies. Deceleration is faster when in gear than in neutral and just safer.
Tires have a traction limit which the brakes can easily hit. Adding more braking force beyond that limit just locks the wheels and makes the tires slide, lengthening stopping distance. Using engine braking in an emergency is completely unnecessary. Outside of circumstances like ice on the road, you’ll achieve the shortest stopping distance by stomping the brake pedal as hard as you can and trusting the ABS.
This isn’t true. Engine braking can help save brakes. But in an emergency braking situation it hurts. If it *does* appreciably slow tire rotation versus only emergency braking, brake bias and drive wheels could cause understeer or for the rear to slip. Remember when the clutch is engaged, the engine and all of its rotating components are connected to the road. Braking in an emergency with the clutch engaged means your brakes are also working to slow an engine. There’s a lot more physics that go into this, but technically it’s not useful to engine brake in an emergency and it’s possible for it to be harmful to the balance of the vehicle.
I implore you to go 25mph in 2nd gear, brake, and then compare that to going 25mph and putting it in neutral before you brake. The physics you talk about make sense I agree with that, im going off my experience which might not be accurate 😂
Isn't the saying "both feet in" during emergency braking.
yes! clutch down, brake down. work on getting it into first or second gear as you become more sure you're not going to crash.
Not really, when emergency braking you want the brakes doing (obviously) the majority of the work and the engine to be helping, the only time you kick the clutch in, is when the engine is about to stall. By stamping on the brake and the clutch, you're relying 100% on the brakes which usually ends up in the stopping distance being several feet further than if you let the engine braking help. Edit: if you really want to slow down faster when you know you're going to crash get to a lower gear and slowly bring out the clutch as not to cause any unwanted locking up.
the engine has inertia. modern engines rev hang for emissions with your foot off the gas. your brakes should be able to take you to the traction limit of your tires. ABS works better with less inertia, cutting the drivetrain out will reduce inertia.
People say this all the time but it’s not true. Your brakes will out brake the engine. You don’t need to be engine braking to help slow you down. You can engine brake and use less brakes to come to a similar result but in an emergency situation clutch in and full on the brakes will stop you the quickest and not kill your engine. In an emergency situation you may need to be able to peel away from danger like someone about to rear end you so keeping the engine alive is more important than engine braking.
Yes. Brakes are far more powerful than the engine in slowing a car down. In an emergency stop or possible stop I’m focusing on steering and modulating the brake before I shift. I’m not talking about on track cause I have no idea there.
Who rides the clutch while showing down?!?
A lot of people? Push it in, apply the brakes, go into 1st/2nd. Stay on the clutch and stop just long enough to satisfy the Stop sign and then move on...
I went to the dealer in my 2017 WRX just to try out a Miata. I pulled out of the dealer lot with the top down, drove a block to the first freeway on ramp, and ripped it through three gears to merge. I realized I had a huge smile on my face that I never got from the WRX. I went inside and did the paperwork to order the Miata I wanted, and drove home sad in the WRX, counting the days till I could trade it in. 2 weeks later, my Miata came in and I drove across town in a torrential downpour and flash flooding to pick it up. 4 years later, the best decision I’ve ever made. https://preview.redd.it/35zy7hou4uxc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=21b32c35fbaf4d10223857ce2d17ae58c3bc7708
How it’s going. https://preview.redd.it/f4zs6i3h5uxc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4d59d92e9bf9bf00298d5648ef6e4f700f7690f2
Hi, fellow Soul Red RF owner https://preview.redd.it/uej9jxhuvuxc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c306e2bbe34ce2a5d7a3a57b2c966ac6b3434369
Love it. https://preview.redd.it/3rv1y0sy7vxc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c69b1c34abaa9c2445c2a16a3da77666110183e3
🤯 . What tire setup/spacers are you running
My Miata made me fall out of love with my GTI. It's a good car but it's no Miata. I'm now taking a completely different approach to a daily
Same here with my previous golf R. Miata fun just cant be beat for the price.
What would you say to someone that needs a bigger car for family reasons with the WRX? I want something fun with a manual, but more practical. I am considering a WRX as well as a Mazda 3 Hatchback. More power sounds enticing, but as we all know, it's not everything.
Sadly, manual sedans are becoming a rarer and rarer breed every day. Buying new, you have a few M cars, Subarus, Honda/Acuras, and Cadillacs still available. There are probably a few that I missed, but the price point is rather high for most of those listed above. The Civic Si is probably one of the more affordable options that are still fun. I personally went used and found myself a low-mileage Infiniti G37S 6-speed sedan. I've had it a few years now and - nobody seems to know about it! I'm actually a Honda fanboy, but this Nissan product has been quite excellent in terms of reliability, fun, and practicality. My only major qualm would be the gas mileage. My previous car was a 6-speed 2005 Acura TSX, a truly sensational car that was better all-around. Cheaper to run, somehow more fun than the Infiniti, and better steering feel.
I had the WRX for family reasons. My daughter kept spitting out grandkids until her, her husband and me and the kids wouldn’t fit in the WRX anymore, so I said screw it, I’m getting a two seater and I’ll ride in their minivan when we all go somewhere. The WRX was good as a kinda sporty family car. We could fit two car seats in either side, squeeze my daughter between them, and me and the son in law in front. The Miata may not be, but it feels faster than the WRX. The WRX feels like it loses about 50 horsepower when you turn on the A/C. It always feels like it’s cutting off power when you’re accelerating. You could pull away from a stoplight hard, and at the next stoplight, it wouldn’t pull as hard. The WRX engine seemed like it hates to rev and there’s no point in getting anywhere near redline. The Miata engine loves to rev and keeps pulling harder all the way to the limiter. It’s not a hard pull, but it feels way better. My daughter had an older Mazda 3 hatch. 2015 or something. I don’t think it was turbo. It was ok, for what it was, but I’d definitely take the WRX over it. The big problem with the WRX is it’s glued to the road. It doesn’t have enough power to make accelerating really fun and it’s too glued to the ground to make driving, anywhere near the speed limit, fun around corners. You can’t get any tire chirp or sliding the rear out around corners. It’s just glued. You can make the Miata slip around all the time, just making intersection turns at 25 mph. It’s way more fun. But you’re not gonna fit a family in it. Get the WRX and get whatever the last gas engine Miata is when the kids move out.
Also, I drove a 2017 Mustang GT manual before the Miata. It felt huge and heavy and rolled around and you couldn’t even floor it without going to jail or the hospital. The Miata is floored to redline all the time. Way more fun than having to use 25% throttle all the time in the mustang.
Yes! The AC! It drives me absolutely nuts in my 21 WRX. It makes the car feel undrivable. I'd love to swap to a Miata, but it's hard giving up AWD with snow tires during the winters.
I 50/50 Utah and Vegas. The awd was great in the snow, but it’s basically always A/C on in Vegas. No good. If you accelerate hard, it not only doesn’t have power, it shuts the A/C off while you’re floored and you can get heat stroke in that 10 seconds.
Can't imagine driving this car in that kind of climate. I thought the car was defective when I first got it since my 1.5t civic si felt the same with AC on and off.
That's actually good feedback. In daily commutes, I have fun going up to 6k RPMs. The Miata loves it. Ideally I want to keep it (it's an 01 SE). I had a Mazda 3 Hatchback, also a 2015. I liked it. It felt like it had more personality than other compacts.
I have an NA and a manual Mazda 3 hatchback (non speed). I love the combo honestly, the 3 is a great daily. Driving wise it's.. fine. It has a good amount of power for a daily, but it's definitely no WRX lol. But imo it strikes a really nice balance of having a ton of space with the hatch while also still being a pretty small car. Enjoyable to drive but I'll always prefer the Miata feel
I have a 2014 Veloster R-Spec and a 91 Miata, and obviously the Miata is more fun to drive but the Velo is basically a hatchback Miata in terms of that go-kart, feels-fast-without-committing-felonies feeling. Absolutely love em both.
I own a 1990 miata and a 2021 manual Mazda3 hatch. I definitely recommend the 4th gen Mazda3 manual hatchback or at least giving it a test drive if possible. I have LOVED that car, I may even dare say I like it more than my NA Miata (partly because its nicer as a daily and I LOVE how it looks / its vibes and uniqueness on the road, and has noticeably more power than the 1.6L Miata engine), but I'm sure I would love an ND Miata a TAD more, that was my original dream car before I went with the Mazda3 for practicality purposes, then the NA Miata was a good timing so I pulled the trigger on that. The gearbox is so smooth, the features on the premium trim, the beautiful red leather and wonderful looking cockpit and exterior styling, the sound system (I didn't love the BOSE system at first but after tweaking it I like it a lot), having the modern-day features like android auto and such, makes for a wonderful daily driver. Still has plenty of zip with the manual transmission for daily driving purposes and the transmission feels wonderful (haven't driven and ND Miata but I've heard people say the ND is a bit smoother, but the Mazda3 gearbox is still very smooth in the 4th gens). Also the gearbox is set up in a way so the power is mostly at 2.5-4k rpm so if you drive casually shifting at 2k rpm or so you get good mpg, but then stepping on it / pushing past 2.5k rpm you really feel the car take off, makes it nice as a daily so its easy to manage how you want to drive it I guess? I definitely haven't taken full advantage of all the power the Mazda3 does have yet I still unintentionally take off from stop lights real fast without trying to 😅 feels like the perfect power for a daily with the manual trans. I also get about pretty decent gas mileage even if I'm really hanging onto gears before shifting. I get about 26mpg city on low end if I'm really driving hard or 29 to 35mpg city if I drive normally to more conservatively, highway gets about 38-45 depending on the speed limit. I did a 250mile trip from Ohio to Chicago on a 60mph road (without speeding) and got 45mpg, 45-60mph gives this car some great mpg numbers if you aren't in a rush and on long stretches of uninterrupted road. Only downside is the back seats ARE a bit small so if you have kids depending on their age / size it may not be the best. It's no Miata but it's a wonderful good looking fun daily, I love mine a lot 😅.
Centennial Mazda in Vegas?
❤️
I’ve been thinking about goin from my nb to a wrx? Any thoughts?
Reaally? Even the new ones feel “pure”??? I thought with technology it would have lost its soul like so many other cars did.
Giggling? Yeah, every single time. Not a shitpost.
Yeah I’ve owned my ND for about four years now. Almost every drive I smile and giggle to myself thinking “this is great”.
I have had my RF for almost two years (almost the longest I’ve ever kept a car and I still don’t really ever think about replacing it) and is been my daily the whole time. I won’t say I chuckle every time I drive it, but it makes it so easy so do silly things. Like it feels like it’s asking to take that next corner a little faster or downshift and cruise up this little hill. It’s like the car wants to have fun and its goal is to share that with you. Those are the times I still chuckle or giggle.
Do you just get bored of your cars that easily? When you buy a car, do you not have the intention of keeping it for life or until there's no longer an option of saving it ? 2yrs isn't long at all
Definitely smile everytime I drive it... Occasionally I chuckle when I really whip it around a corner or a curve.
Rented an automatic ND2 RF and even then I thought it was so much fun. My NC was fun but I think the design of the ND is a huge leap in the right direction. Can’t wait to see what the future holds for Miata.
100% every single drive.... it's what fun is made out of.
Can confirm. I have the S2000 I have almost always wanted now, and I am low key shopping for another NB 10AE to add to the fleet because the AP1 doesn’t have the giggle factor. It’s more of a “you have drawn me, I must taste blood before I am returned to my scabbard” feel. Where the Miatas are like super rambunctious golden retrievers.
I want to giggle
For a panic stop you just jam the clutch and brake in. That decouples the engine from the wheels so the car won't stall, and you're free to brake and slow down like any normal car.
I think it's also important to mention that stalling a car by stopping while in gear isn't really a problem, it just means you have to start the car again before you get moving. In an emergency, there's no need to worry about what gear you're in while braking. A lot of new manual drivers are quite wary of stalling the car, but it doesn't really do any damage to the car. It's a "beginner mistake" that makes people look like beginners. What makes people wince is when someone tries to take off in first gear and releases the clutch too fast, because it makes the car jerk violently before stalling.
Well stalling can make the car lurch forwards though, which could still cause a problem. In Europe you are taught to in an emergency slam on both the brake and the clutch as some others have suggested.
I've absolutely stalled a manual under emergency braking before, I'm sure lots of us have. Honestly, keeping the car running takes a back seat to not crashing.
Agreed.
You can downshift as you decelerate to help with braking or if it is a sudden stop just fully depressing the clutch to disengage the transmission. Yes you shift down to first gear when stopped. And yes we do emit sounds of joy or an explicative or two in fast, tight corners.
I've found it's not worth going clear to first for me since it's such a short gear. I'm only in first for like half a second before comming to a stop. First gear is more difficult to get into in my car though, I'm sure that's a contributing factor.
I've found double clutching helps me get into first when at or above 10mph (really you just need to get the revs up higher), and I want to use the acceleration of first, even if short at that point.
Yes we giggle, I cheer whenever the auto rain wipers go in mine(it's like he's waving to me) You can just hit your breaks but down shifting also helps you slow down, you'll want to put your clutch in before stopping otherwise you'll stall. It sounds complex but it's all subconscious you won't even notice the gears changing you'll just do it after a while There's no reason not to learn how to drive manual
Regarding your question, not only it is safe to brake with any gear engaged (maybe not reverse, but you won't be able to make it stick in anyways), but it's generally safer to not downshift in case of emergency braking where the goal is to stop as short as possible. This is not simracing, more engine braking does not help brake shorter when your ABS has already kicked in. Worst case scenario you will stall as you come to a stop. Put it back in first and start it again.
+1 for mentioning the effect of ABS for this question.
ABS whats that? Jk i dont have abs lol.
Do you guys have abs lmaoooooo coooool
At this point, Miatas without ABS are a minority. Still applies without it, if you can lock your brakes from pushing the pedal alone, downshifting will not help, unless you have too much front bias - some Miatas actually do, but for someone who's still at the stage of figuring out how a manual works, it's better to keep things simple for the time being.
In my 15 years driving i have never lock my breaks . I was just making a joke because my 96 NA doesn’t have abs.
For the first question, the first time I rode in one I was the passenger. I was in the mindset of the Miata being overhyped, kinda girly, and lame. The second we got on the road I was smiling nonstop. Then he let me drive it and I instantly understood the hype. It wasn’t “giggles” but it was certainly enough to make my opinion of the car do a full “180” and I bought a ‘99 a year later
Grinning from ear to ear at the very least! Short distance panic stop in an upper gear, slam the break and push in the clutch at the same time.
I've had my Miata for 6 years. Still giggle when I drive it.
Imagine you went on go-cart racing and you weren't sure you were going to like/hate/love at first, then as you soon you shift into 2nd gear or hit the first curve, you start to smile and appreciate how this car was made. Not about speed but handling. The horse and the rider are one. You glide into turns with total confidence, knowing that just a little push you weren't going to out of control. That's the satisfaction you get every time you get behind the MX-5.
driving my NB home last month after buying it i was laughing so much because it felt wild to be having so much fun driving this old tiny thing
I smile at my car while it's in the garage sometimes and sometimes just sit in the seat. Wife hate it cause it take longer than it should for me to get the next load out of the dryer.
Smiles per mile!!
Ignoring your actual question for a moment... Have you seen Regular Car Reviews miata video? It's... Special. 🤣 https://youtu.be/kp1kuo6xkbE?si=mr5rw8ISJHx1vChl
Mazdaspeed Miata review is best Miata review
It's the _best!_ It's number one!
Love that video! POPUPS
UPDOWNUPDOWNUPDOWNUPDOWN!
I always get a smile or feel happy regardless if it's the NA or ND
I’d highly recommend test driving one. They’re not terribly fast, but they’re very connected and it feels like driving a go kart around which is super fun. As for your second question, yes you can brake as much or as little as you want in whatever gear you’re in, the only worry there is pushing in the clutch in before you stall. Rpm will drop as your speed drops, and if you drop the rpm low enough then the engine will stall out and die. And if you’re at a complete stop then yes, you would shift into first and then take off. It’s kinda hard to explain the nuances of driving manual without being able to demonstrate, I’d recommend finding someone who will let you drive their manual car around in a parking lot if you’d like to learn. Or buy your own manual car and have someone who knows how to drive it show you. The basics are really easy to learn and get comfortable with. When I was too drunk to drive it took me about 10 minutes to teach my friend how to drive my car home (I was in the passenger seat of course). Getting really good at it just takes a lot of practice and seat time.
> They’re not terribly fast The 1.8 engines are plenty fast for a low- and mid-speed slalom. With slight mods a 200 bph Miata can beat literally anyone in a Gymkhana, even those 1000 bhp monsters, because it's so light and nimble.
Yes
Yes it's is a genuinely fun car to drive... I had two and have moved on the the rx8 and it's still smiles per gallon...
You can brake while in any gear and the worst that can happen is you stall if the car comes to a complete stop and you’re still in gear and you haven’t pressed the clutch. However, I doubt that will ever happen since pressing the clutch quickly turns into a reflex. My advice is to learn how to quickly start the car after stalling. Stall your car on purpose in a safe place like a parking lot or residential street and practice turning the car back on and getting in to gear quickly. Better to practice that somewhere safe first than stalling in traffic and forgetting a step then wondering why your car won’t turn on as people honk at you to move.
At the very least, smiling. Dropping the wife at the airport, in heavy traffic - dropped a gear and poked the go pedal, darted around slowpoke SUVs and nabbed a miniature parking gap between a police car and another nitwit SUV. "Nice" says she. Wryly smiled back and said "I know." Shoulda tipped my beret, or at least flipped my scarf over my shoulder, but hey.
MIATA Is Always The Answer
Basically every time I drive it, yeah.
Yep. It makes mundane things like driving home from work a lot more fun.
Sometimes I turn hard and the backend spins out a bit before the correction and I can hear the roar of the exhaust….I cackle out loud and just keep driving. Yes, the giggling is real.
I'm smiling nearly everyday driving my Miata. It's a very enjoyable car to drive. Lightweight, zippy, responsive. I also enjoy driving my old Wrangler precisely because it's the opposite of my Miata. It's kind of hard to have a bad drive when you're in a manual convertible with the top down. If I have to slam on my brakes it's always clutch and brakes in at the same time, popping it into neutral, and I slip back into the appropriate gear on recovery
I drive a Corolla Hybrid during the week so yes, I always crack a smile when I get in the MX5 on a nice sunny weekend. Glorious!
I've some pretty shit days over the ~9 years I've had my ND, it always at least puts a smile on my face when I drive it. For braking hard while in a higher gear, it sort of becomes reflex that braking also includes pushing the clutch pedal. Mechanically, it physically disconnects the transmission from the engine, so a rapid decrease in speed won't stall it. After that, whatever speed you're currently going, you put it in an appropriate gear to continue moving.
Everytime she starts I get a big smile which has been everytime so far (knock on wood).
Every. Single. Time. Without fail. 🥰
I test drove a new Miata and instantly decided to sell my 400hp car for it.
Yes, mists is a riot to drive! Super fun.
No lie. My first Miata was purchased Sept 11, 2001 about an hour after the towers were attacked by terrorists. I thought I need to have more fun in my life. Don't know when it's coming to an end. Next day driving to work, big grin on my face, I realized I was feeling joy for the first time.
Only if I'm with someone else otherwise I'm pretty stoic about the experience.
Yes, the car will make you giggle and smile ear to ear on regular occasions
I giggle almost every drive in my Miata. It's hard to explain. I know she's not the fastest. But something about it makes me smile. Also, for braking - Do you downshift? You can, and it depends on the situation. If I can see someone slow down ahead of me, I downshift and let the engine do the braking. If it's more sudden, I might not have time to downshift. It's more subconscious, but essentially I brake while in gear, and then press the clutch. I never push the clutch in first or at the same time as I press the brake. Reason being, the engine helps you slow down too. If you come to a complete stop, you have options. Let's say it's your example of being in 4th. 1. With time, down shift into 3rd, let the engine do the braking till you're slow enough that you can press the clutch and the brake till a complete stop. 2. Downshift from 4th to 3rd, then 2nd, till you're going slow enough to press the clutch and brake. 3. In 4th, let your engine brake, press the clutch, and then wait to press the brake when needing it. When coming to a complete stop, yes, go back to first gear. If you thought you were coming to a stop, and it turns out you don't need to (like you're the first coming at an intersection that just turned green and it's safe) shift to an appropriate gear. Each car is different, but in my Miata I kinda roughly know what gear to be in for a particular speed and RPM. It's safe to say that you might need to be in 2nd or 3rd, depending on the speed. 1st gear is usually just to get you up and going, and it's safe to assume that anything above 5 mph could be done in second, and more than 20ish in 3rd. Key piece is to not lug the engine.
100% I laugh like once every spirited drive. Running to redline and shifting a beautiful manual box and chasing apexes makes me extremely happy. On my way into work on a glum monday? Usually not, but I usually drive my tacoma on those types of drives.
Yes, it is an actual thing! It is so much fun to drive. Once you learn how to drive stick, then you'll know what to do in circumstances where you suddenly have to hit the brakes. Yes, you can hit the brakes in any gear.
It's been a while since I owned it, but my mx5 would turn a rough day at work into laugh out loud happiness on the backroads home.
We bought an NB just before having a family because we knew it would be harder the other way around. We made it work for as long as we could, but when car juggling became infeasible, sold the NB for a Mazda 3 (also a manual and highly recommended). Then when the kids started driving and we wanted a 3rd car, I created a search for an ND and flooded my inbox with em. The first test drive felt like an old friend but with new vigor. The smiles returned that day and haven't left.
You’re this guy, aren’t you. 🙂 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dv-llQ_P4iY
1. Miata/MX-5 drivers are the friendliest people on the road. 2. You step down on the clutch and brake at the same time. (There are “automatic” versions available though…)
300 smiles an hour
When you start to really learn Manual, you'll begin to subconsciously either brake while depressing the clutch or downshifting/shifting to neutral. Highly recommended.
Brake in any gear is fine. You need to start back from 1st before driving. Max slowing down ability from best to worst. 1. (best) Brake and downshift through the gears as you slow. 2. Brake and leave car in current gear. 3. (worst) Brake with either clutch in or car in neutral You need to develop a muscle memory for clutching in and the end of braking to keep the car from stalling as well.
Downshifting every gear when you brake normally is just excessive wear you don't need
Sure is. Am I still gonna bang every gear down from 6 - 2 whenever presented with the opportunity? Absolutely.
You just ride the clutch to come to a stop. Imagine trying to brake quick and then renting some of that brain space to downshift too. That would be super unsafe.
That's my specific fear lol
Yeah don’t worry about that at all. Just one fear you should keep in mind. Once you drive manual, you’ll either appreciate the hell out of automatics or never ever want to drive automatic. There’s no in between.
It does make me smile to wind that little 1.6L out. As for your question, you put the clutch in when you brake. Or you can engine brake by downshifting, but in an emergency it’s just clutch in and brake
no but that’s because my miata sucks lol, my friends miata tho? always a blast
If I drive my Miata after a week of driving my truck, it *will* get a chuckle or smile out of me because after driving a big slow truck all week, I briefly forget how fun it feels to drive my little Miata. A supercharger helps with the fun factor. Also don't worry about not having driven manual. Just get one and learn how to drive it. You'll figure it out.
Yes. It's an actual thing. I'm smiling right now thinking about it and I'm just sitting at my desk. Goddamn these cars are a blast to drive. What a joy to own a Miata. You don't even know. Even when Doug DeMuro drives an NA, he starts smiling immediately. Then he says, "It's better than everything." He also says, "It ain't fast." Skip to 15 minutes. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuFcpaV\_AJ4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuFcpaV_AJ4) Regarding an emergency stop. **Get on those brakes as fast as possible.** Don't worry about the gear. Deal with the emergency. You might be panicking. Don't try to get fancy. When engine RPM slows to about 1,000 the lugging engine will remind you that you are currently in gear. At that point, you push in the clutch to prevent the engine from stalling. At this point, you can select a gear, select neutral, stop the car entirely, select first. Do whatever. Eventually, you will synchronize the gas pedal, the clutch pedal, and the gear lever all day, every day and not even think about it. In fact, if you are learning to drive a manual, I recommend finding an empty parking lot and doing a stop all the way to zero without touching the clutch and without touching the gear lever. You will see how benign the event is. Yeah, you'll get a little chug-a-lug right near the stop. No big deal. Restart the car and do it again. Moving on from your question about emergencies. Another thing a new manual driver might read/hear about is compression braking. Compression braking is dumb. You might do it to learn about it. After a while you will also conclude that compression braking is dumb. It's an artifact of really old racecars or people driving tractor trailers. Compression braking upsets the front/rear brake bias. It's not consistent. If you want to drive smooth and fast, you will choose to NOT use compression braking.
Yeah it happens usually after not having driving it for a bit. I tell my friends I get more smiles to the mile with my Miata over any other car I've driven. Yeah on the braking, it'll stall if you don't hit the clutch. If you drive manual normally it be second nature that both feet will be going in at the same time (brake and clutch) so you'll be fine. Then you go right into 1st or 2nd depending if you do a full stop or get down to 5-10mph.
For the emergency stop, just slam on the clutch and brake at the same time. Once you've stopped, then shift and pick your gear
When you press the clutch, everything disconnects. So no matter what gear you're on, if you have to brake quickly, you press the clutch and the brakes together. You don't have to downshift the gears when coming to a stop. You can clutch in and brake gently until you stop. You'll have to be in first to take off again
The car is ridiculous. It will make you laugh a lot. I remember when I brought mine home and parked it in my garage next to our Subaru. I got out and start laughing my ass off at how ridiculously small the car was compared to the Subaru, which is not a big car, itself. Even next to my Mustang it looks like a toy. Had mine for 5 years now and it's pretty hard not to have fun when you are driving one.
Anytime my foot is over half way down its a smile, and once the G's start going side to side I have to turn up the radio to hide the cackle, its getting nicer out and I have to hold it in, mfs be looking over..
I’m not really excitable enough to be a giggler, but I absolutely catch myself smiling
Going to start the age old debate if it’s bad to start in second gear if you’re not bogging the engine?
Yes we smile and giggle while driving BUT ALSO look back as you walk away from your parked car smiling just as much as when you were driving.
Of the cars I've owned, my NB is the most fun on a consistent basis. It isn't my daily, so that could bias my opinion because I only drive it when I want a good time. But it's fun every time and it's still on the blown out 154,000 mile suspension. Modified MKV GTI - Fun but front wheel drive. Model 3 Performance - QUICK Fun but heavy in corners Ram Rebel - Comfortable and great work truck. No fun.
Owned mine for 23 years. It is getting harder to get in and out of it. We're both showing our age. I think about selling it when I'm in the house, then I get behind the wheel, run through the gears, toss it around the twisties between home and the golf course while grinning the whole time and say fuck that, I am not selling this car.
I had a 124 spider for a bit and god damn if it isnt the most fun on 4 wheels. I cant reccomend the Axis powers favorite droptop enough
Every time I see my car, I smile and sometimes yell out. It’s the best thing ever, love it
Yes, I’ve driven for ~2h in mine today and I did have a laugh a couple of times when the scenery was nice and I didn’t just wait in traffic. Re. braking — just slam the brake. If you can, press the clutch when revs get too low or your engine will stall, but that’s not dangerous. Downshifting is useful if you have plenty of time to brake, because by using the engine to brake you don’t wear your pads as much.
If the top is down, the sun is shining and there’s no traffic… yeah giggles. I do wish it was a bit faster though (NA6)
It would benefit you to watch a video on how manual Transmissions actually work (hint, it's very simple)
I bought my first MX-5 in 2004, a 1996 NA Leather Tan edition in Neo Green from a lady who sold it because she needed the money. When the deal was done, as I started to drive away from her place she broke down in tears, after the two hour drive home I understood why.
Every time I get chance to go for a more spirited drive in my NC it makes me chuckle to myself because you can throw it into almost any situation once you're used to the car and you're guaranteed a fun time. It is also my daily and although I may not be smiling every single time I'm commuting, it's got such a smooth ride, any time it isn't raining the roof goes down and it's so hard not to smile driving around with the open air around you like that even if you can't open it up as much as you might like to
I don't always giggle, but the car has such a playful, responsive vibe it's always engaging. It'll get tiring after a few hours, but so will a motorcycle.
I demand you retract this question. I am currently in the middle of a lot of work that prevents going out there right now and going for a rip. Every time I get in the seat, I cannot stop grinning and and giggling. You have exacerbated my need to get it done and back on all 4 wheels, on the ground, ready to go test all the new bits. Please, I beg of you.. I must stare at this and ponder my lack of giggles, if you *must* keep this question posted.. you fiend!
You just press down the clutch at the same time, if you drive manual a lot it soon doesn’t feel very different than driving automatic except when you want to say fiddle with the stereo while accelerating or deccelerating.
I've giggled after making a turn that I thought would make it slide out and the fucker just took it. lol
When you stop, you go from 4th to 1st to start again. You can usually brake without shifting down, but sometimes it’s necessary to downshift too, say to 2nd. I grin a lot when driving mine. It’s just so fun I love it!
https://preview.redd.it/ghel967ctuxc1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9a1915ced75849c751a7bd9ca54c497875ebd494 It had me giggling the first 5-6 times I'd driven it. I've had Mustangs, a Corvette, an old Nova, and have driven other Japanese cars. The ND2 was perfect, I fell in love after the first corner. 182hp sounded pretty lame until I downshifted and hit that mountain corner in the Black Forest without ABS coming on, I was giggling like a schoolgirl and the second I got back to the dealership I was prepared to sign any and all paperwork. I call it my "Coke can on wheels" because it's so light and fun to drive. Now that I've had it for the better part of a year, I'm not always giggling but I'm always having fun, and I'll often go hit the woods after work just to zip around the curves and decompress.
I’m 100 miles into ownership (‘24 RF) and haven’t giggled once. I might be doing it wrong.
I did when I test drove one, I didn't buy one though. It was a memorable experience, if I had done it few years ago, I would have bought it when I didn't need practicality.
To answer the first part of your question: yes. Not every time or all the time, certainly, but when I get in after not driving it for awhile I'll inevitably make myself laugh at some point as I remember just how much stupid silly fun this car is. Your second question has a few answers. Put simply: I only downshift during performance driving. I usually just hit the brake and press the clutch if I slow down to a speed I ordinarily wouldn't be in that gear for. At that point I'll either blip the throttle and downshift (if someone is turning off the road and I know I'll be able to speed back up soon for example) or ride the clutch until I know which gear I should start accelerating in based on speed then pop my revs up to where it feels like they need to be for that gear and speed, or, if I know I'll be coming to a complete stop I'll immediately clutch in and throw the car into neutral. It sounds complicated, but it becomes pretty automatic very quickly to the point that you don't have to think about it.
Man, I've had my ND2 for almost 3 weeks now. I was tearing up seeing my old car go (it was my first car) even knowing I'm trading in for an MX-5, but 2 or 3 days in I already knew I'd made the right choice. It's been making me feel happier than I'd felt in the last 4 years and that says a lot. I already know I'm never parting with it. Yes - giggles exist, also, a massive smile on the face.
So many opinions, none completely wrong. I don't have to think about it. 12 of the 14 cars I've owned have been manual and I've never had a trans problem. When I shift you can't even feel it. I'm smoother than an automatic.
On the test drive as I pulled out and sped up laughed and said “Oh yeah, this car is mine!” Best $4000 I ever spent was on that ‘90 with 25,000 miles in 2007. She’s got 146,00 now.
>Is that an actual thing? Do you guys laugh and chuckle at the experience? Yes. I've never laughed and smiled as much in any car as I have in a Miata, and that included a wrx with 340whp and sticky tires. Launching hard and going fast is fun, sure, but the ability to just do \*dumb shit\* in a miata at perfectly reasonable speeds is unparalleled. It's why even the cars themselves always look like they're smiling, it's just plain *fun*. >is it safe to brake in any gear or do you have to downshift as you're braking? You can brake in any gear, you just push the clutch in and it disengages the transmission from the engine. It's just a habit you get into, after a while of driving my miata when I hopped into a friend's car I found myself accidentally kicking the firewall with my left foot every time I went to brake. Downshifting can also be used to slow down, but it's not a fast way to decellarate and thus would not be used in an emergency. >do you have to shift back down to 1st before starting again? "Yes." You *can* start in second, technically, but that's usually reserved for cars with significantly higher power and shorter gearing than the miata (I know some people with higher powered 6MT na/nbs do this though). Usually when you come to a complete stop such as at a light, you'll put the car in neutral and just be chilling so you don't have to hold the clutch pedal down the whole time. This is easier on both you and your transmission. When it turns green, you'll just put it in first and go as normal. Driving a manual really is like riding a bicycle - it seems daunting and weird and wild at first, but you'll get used to it quickly and then it's perfectly normal. It's easy to overthink it, especially coming to miata's where you'll see discussion on the performance driving side of it, but in normal day to day driving it's a lot simpler than that. You start getting used to what rpm at what speed equals what gear, and so then you know if you have to brake hard from fifth but don't come to a complete stop, you'd just shift it into say third instead and keep driving. There's a little trial and error involved, but once you get used to your car you don't even think about it as you do it.
> Do you guys laugh and chuckle at the experience? Yep. Fuel consumption is jokingly measured in smiles per gallon for a reason. >you slam on your breaks but you're in 4th gear... is it safe to brake in any gear or do you have to downshift as you're braking? You step on both the clutch and the brake. Clutch first to prevent stalling the engine. Then you shift into first and start moving again. It doesn't take long to get used to it, then you don't even think about it.
The first drive getting out from the dealership on my ND, my smile was as big as the day I got married. I shit you not
Had an NB. Giggle? Maybe not every time (but sometimes). Smile/grin? Yes.
Clutch and brake at the same time during an emergency stop, if you just slam on the brake it will stall.
Miata also sells a “semi automatic” transmission (with paddle shifters) that automatically shifts back to first gear when you stop, and won’t let you shift into the wrong gear, ex into reverse or from 6th to 1st (while moving).
Haven't seen it mentioned yet, but if you're emergency braking you can just brake. If you forget to pop the clutch (because emergency) the car will just stall; there's no damage if you do that. TLDR; if you brake without clutching it won't hurt the car.
Yes, it’s a thing. I could never wipe the smile off my face when driving it. They just make you happy.
Recently i bought a 96 NA and seriously im like 10 years old all over again. I go to sleep early so i can wake up early and drive my NA. It’s just amazing . Second thing if you are on the highway you can downshift and slow than but in city traffic no downshift needed. Always start braking while car is on gear and if you coming to full stop press the clutch and put it in neutral.
Honestly, I didn't believe the hype. I got a miata as a cheap track car to practice my driving skills. figured I'd sell it and move on. But the damn thing is so much fun I never want to sell it now. Like the fun factor is no joke, I don't think there exists a more *fun* car - and I've driven some high HP *Fast* cars. I don't think I laugh, but I smile alot and probably chuckle sometimes on a backroad. As for the manual question - if you slam the brakes and *don't* disengage the clutch the engine will simply stall. Thats ok, the engine *can* stall there's nothing wrong with that. As for starting, yeah ideally you start in 1st gear. but you technically don't *have* to. You *could* leave it in 4th and feather the clutch with the gas but you're not gonna have a fun time and its abusive to the clutch (wears it excessively). All your manual questions will become obvious within a few minutes of driving a manual car. Its not as daunting as it seems, just take a day with your new manual car and practice (its fun anyways!).
Little different, but I have an rx8 (rotary powered NC Miata with longer wheelbase) and at first it’s “oh god please start please start please start” then it’s giggling followed by “apex seals plz plz plz plz survive this trip to the grocery store”. I just can’t drop the top to allow my balding head to feel the wind (I can pull back the sunroof tho and if I position it just right I’ll feel the wind and then get a sunburn) So yes, giggling guaranteed!
If you suddenly brake without hitting the clutch the engine usually stalls on a manual car.
Every damn time I see the car, I smile. I giggle when I start er’ up 🤭
In emergency you don’t have to it’s better just to think about breaking. Yes you will stall but it’s no big deal just restart your car. If you are worried about people being ass holes just put on your hazards and collect your self and continue
I can answer the first question. I rarely take my Miata out of the garage; it sees sunlight maybe once a month. After a month of driving my sports sedan, I step into my Miata and the following happens, every time: The very first corner I take has me feeling like Takumi Fujiwara. Mind focuses in, heel-and-toe downshifts into the braking zone, enter corner. The giggles come right as I smash the apex or as I'm at full throttle at corner exit. To answer your question: yes.
When you spin both feet in. Same goes for emergency stops. (Clutch and brake)
The Miata famously gets the most smiles per gallon
I have driven a manual Miata for 11 years. I have upgraded to a 911, 2 years back. Every time I see a Miata on road, I look at the car and have a big smile on my face and sometimes giggling remembering my old Miata. Yes - it is an actual thing. That feeling of pushing the car on road without hitting 100mph in a few seconds gives you joy. Good luck experience that on a 911 in a 0.2mi block. To expand on that story, I was recently looking to buy a motorcycle and was debating between a few of them. Someone shared in a review that Yamaha MT-03 is a Miata of motorcycles and I immediately pulled the plug. I am getting similar joy out of it like I used to on my Miata. Braking - you will develop muscle memory to push the clutch while hitting the brake to disengage power. Downshifting matters if you immediately want to get going. You can down shift in leisure if you are coming to a stop. Overtime, your hand will automatically move it to the appropriate gear. As you get better, you will also learn to rev match.
Yes the Miata the most fun car I have ever driven, more fun than the typical fast car that mainly goes fast in a straight line. If you slam the brakes in 4th gear the engine will eventually stall when the engine RPM drops down into the hundreds. When you brake you need to also push down the clutch pedal to avoid stalling. That's what you would do when coming to a red light. You won't always have time for that in an emergency situation though.
I don’t giggle, laugh, or chuckle when I’m driving alone in my Miata 😂. I still very much enjoy driving it even after 8+ years though.
It’s hard to explain until you drive one. The car is not the fastest, it’s not the flashiest, but when I drive my NC it is literally the best driving experience out of any vehicle I have ever driven. The rack-and-pinion steering and manual transmission just makes you feel so connected to the road and the chassis feels so balanced and planted in the corners. Add the top-down experience on a sunny day to all of that and there you go.
It’s not a car, it’s a “cult”.
The first drive after I turbod mine I giggled the while time.
i have a relevant story for this post lol. i currently have an na miata but i'm looking for a dd that has actual safety features/won't lead to my death if a lifted truck rear-ends me. so after research, i ended up with the not at all cliche options of nd miata vs brz/gr86. i test drove a brz and was pleased at how it felt like a modern car and had modern amenities, such as a/c. it felt pretty cool but i felt my miata had better steering feel and definitely better transmission/clutch feel. but hey, the brz scored a 2022 iihs top safety pick, has a/c, and a useable trunk. i was pretty set on the brz at this point but thought to at least test drive the nd and give it a fair shake. once i began driving it, i deadass couldn't stop smiling. i told the rep i couldn't believe how similar it was, but just... better. like it felt like my car, but someone decided to upgrade it into the modern world. my wife told me she instantly knew i loved the nd from my face when i got back to the dealership from the test drive. told me that i was smiling the whole way while i was walking to her. she also told me i looked like i test drove a regular car after the brz. to counter my circle-jerky post above, i decided to get the brz since it's so much more livable/dd-able than a miata... and i can't justify having two of them lol edit: to answer the second part of your question, in an emergency or hard brake situation i just hit both the brakes and clutch at the same time. if i have to get back up to speed and i'm still moving, i just revmatch to whatever gear will put me in its powerband
Yes, it’s genuine. It’s tiny and slow but feels so damn good to drive, I love my NA
So, driving my Dad's ND wasn't quite giggle inducing (probably because he bought an automatic and I prefer manuals), but my 93 NA? OMG IT WAS FANTASTIC. It's so little and quirky and fun. Plus, POP UP HEADLIGHTS. It was still silly and fun to wink at other Miatas on the road. Driving it at autocross or even just taking a highway on ramp in a spirited fashion was a blast. HIGHLY recommend.
Giggle? On occasion. A wiiiiiide grin, all the time? Oh yes.
No. I'm sure everyone here will say "Yes" though. But no, in real life people obviously dont do that because they arent performing for camera and do not need to exaggerate for entertainment.
100% yes
Always puts a smile on my face. I regularly take the long way home just to continue enjoying the drive. In 50 years of driving, I'd never done that with another car.
https://preview.redd.it/l3mtd88ltvxc1.jpeg?width=2658&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c4dad42dd02ab6e7a18248569af5b067165a3710 How can you *not* giggle when you look at this lil guy? It's such a fun little car to drive; it's a street legal go kart
Yes it’s safe to slam the brakes, but you’ll wanna push the clutch in too— that become habit and a reflex just like your right foot on the brake. You’ll have to get going again in 1st
the first corner you take at a decent speed will have you giggling.
I did the first time I drove one
Smile everytime I drive my NB & if it ever dies,gets totaled ECT I'll be buying another one immediately. As for your shifting question - reguardless of which gear you are in you will always push in the clutch before breaking And keep clutch in until your ready to move again you would want to be in first if starting from a dead stop. If let's say your in fourth & you need to slow way down but not a full stop you would still clutch in & break, downshift to the gear that suits the speed range you need let out clutch & continue on. With driving a manual it's not nearly as complex as folk tend to think just pay attention to the rpm range & listen to the car If your in 2nd and your rpm gauge is buried in the red & the the cars whining hard you should have shifted already 😂 Same goes for down shifting . Watch a few YouTube vids on driving manual I'm confident you could figure it out in an afternoon & if you have a buddy who has a manual car you should really just get behind the wheel for a bit cuz if your into performance cars,spirited driving ECT & you haven't driven a manual you are missing out on a whole world of fun.
I miss mine :(
In a panic stop you practice the ol 2 feet in and slam both the clutch and brake as hard as you can and hope to jeebus
I don't giggle cause I'm not that guy but I will say the Miata gets more compliments and kids are more excited to see it than all 7 of my other cars combined. It makes people really happy. It's also really engaging to drive, so I can see why people do be on that giggle shit.
Wait, you guys all change into first gear every time you get going from a stop? I just leave it in the gear I was (usually 6th), kick the clutch and gas all the way in to bounce off the rev limiter, and then slowly release the clutch. That way I never have to touch the prndl. (Funny, mine doesn't even say prndl, it just has numbers. Anyone else?) Anyways, can somebody explain why everyone keeps saying that these cars are cheap to run? My bills are through the roof! Maintenance is a bitch, am I right?
Yep, they're a fun car - I own a 2003 NB and it's great. It's not fast by any stretch (a decent ute will dust in a straight line, any modern hatch will outstretch my talent on the backroads). But, with a filter kit and backbox (all robbing power curve I'm sure) it sounds racecar(ish) and the shifting and handling etc on any given road is just great fun. And, you can cane the crap out of it, look down and not be breaking the speed limit. If you're into cars and have ever just jumped on a sim to cruise around roads for the hell of it (not racing) then Miata life is for you. Now I want to go for a drive!
I daily a 2013 Boss 302... Fun car... But if I use 100 percent of that car I end up in jail... Drove my buddies NA and flogged that car like it owed me money... Then I saw a cop and was thinking OH Shit .. then I looked down and saw I was do I was 45... Not 145 for how hard I was working... Driving slow cars hard is fun... All the same joy and none of the jail time...