Miata Mailing List: February 1994, Message #88
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   From: tom.manson@pobox.com (Tom Manson)
Subject: Re: Belgian Miata Poll
   Date: Sun, 6 Feb 1994 17:26:37 -0500

Miateers,
Piet has published a very interesting translation from AutoGids.  Thanks
Piet (and BTW, your English is quite good, you don't ever need to
apologize for it).  The scores left me a little cold however, and I
think that the introductory statement says it all, "the global score
must be viewed in perspective. ... The merits of this car show from
reading between the lines..."

When I think of what makes me love my Miata, it is not any of these
basic characteristics that make me happy, it is more subconscious (sp?)
or emotional elements.

The Miata is an inexpensive convertible (not my first) that lets me
truely feel that I am free in the outdoors, rather than surrounded by
posts and barriers and other protective structures and bodywork.  In
this vehicle I feel more a part of the environment than in any other car
I have ever owned.  I am practically one with the road.  I suspect that
there are other vehicles that would provide me this feeling, but I
doubt at a more cost-effective price than I paid for my Miata.

I am more physically comfortable in this vehicle than in any I have ever
owned. When I lay my right arm down on the console my hand just
naturally lands on the shifter.  The shifting pattern is BTW the
tightest I have ever felt.  Although there is a peak in sound at just
about 60mph, I didn't want to drive 60 mph anyway!  The tone from the
exhaust is one of the most attractive tones that I have heard (I even
dread having to replace the muffler one of these days for fear that it
will change).  The seats hold my frame perfectly, in fact it is one of
those characteristics the motivate my searching for more lateral
G-forces in the turns.

The radio controls are only inches (but seem less) away. Considering the
environment (open top, tight spaces) the sound system is near perfect
(I don't even have the headrest speakers!).

My arms reach the steering wheel exactly as I want them to... when I
want them to... (sometimes I enjoy straight-arm attention to my driving,
while at other times I enjoy a liesurely arm-in-my-lap, hand at the
bottom of the wheel, relaxed position).

For the last month I have had a rental car that is significantly more
powerful (V6), but the power of the vehicle has little to do with my
acceptance of it.  When my father asked me how the rental compared, I
told him there was no comparison - it wasn't nearly the car that the
Miata was.  He immediately assumed that the rental had a smaller engine.
After I explained to him that the engine and its power had nothing
really to do with it (he probably doesn't yet understand), he ceased
asking.  Not having my Miata for over a month now probably has leant me
some bias, but regardless, I love that little car.

It does have some minor flaws that I wonder about.  One of which was
highlighted in AutoGids poll - the windshield's fogging is at times very
annoying, and I can't understand why it is so prevalent, but that
characteristic is minor when you consider that with the top down it
essentially goes away.  The traction, although questionable to some, is
not a flaw in my mind and can be corrected with minor adjustment to the
car or can be lived with very comfortably - even enjoyed by some, or at
times when a loose rear end is entertaining or useful.

Well I have wasted enough time and electricity for this message and I
think that I have made my point.  A tangible poll is not always very
indicative of the acceptance an owner has for his vehicle.  I might also
give only average marks to such a poll, but how do I feel about my
Miata?  My boss's '93 vette doesn't even begin to compare with my Miata!

Tom Manson
Manson@fsd.com
Manson@pobox.com