Miata Mailing List: May 1998, Message #17

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On Fri, 1 May 1998, Shiv S. Pathak wrote:

> No need to apologize.  We're all here to help each other.  As for the 
> J30, I love mine.  Wonderfully built with a nicer interior than most MBs 
> I've seen.  Great handler-- neutral attitude with nice firm breaks.  I 
> even like the steering which is communicative and nicely geared.  I love 
> the fact it is RWD.  It is very tossible for a 3600lb car.  It is quiet, 
> powerful, and opulent.  Nice complement to the rx7 (or a miata).  Good 
> bargain new at $40k.  The fact that low mileage ones can be bought for 
> around $20k is a steal.  Like the rx7, they are also relatively rare.

	$40K? Yikes Shiv, I hope you didn't pay that much for yours.  I
think MSRP is ~$34K and right now they're going for something like $7K off
that.  So for <$30K OTD brand new I don't think there's much out there in
it's class.  Very smooth, with plenty of power for commuting or whatever.

> 
> Don't know what it is like in the snow (doesn't snow here in CA).  It 
> doesn't naturally understeer so you would have to be a lot smoother with 
> the throttle and steering than if you were driving an Accord.  Just 
> throw on some snow tires, drive carefully, and hit the snowly trails!  
> You'll like it.

	No snow?  We just took my friend's brand new J30 up to Reno a
couple of weeks ago and although I didn't push it in the less than optimal
conditions near Truckee (it was ~4am and I was _pretty_ tired) I didn't
notice anything that would keep me from buying one.  You gotta love that
little clock in the dash too.