Miata Mailing List: September 1997, Message #40
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From: 	David Okamoto <davo@lsil.com>

Subject: Re: NY Times Compares Roadsters (long)

Date: 	Mon, 1 Sep 1997 12:07:14 +0000



mboyer wrote:

> 

> The lead article in the Sunday New York Times Automtive section was a review

> and comparison of four roadsters: the Boxter, Mercedes, Z3, and Miata. Each was

> rated in three categories.

> 

<snip>



> Perhaps not surprisingly, the review picked the Boxter number one overall.  

> Mark

> Azulita, 92 Mariner Blue



Actually, the web version has three reviews by three writers, each with

subjectively differing opinions, but with surprising results.



In capsule form, the three reviewers ranked the three autos as follow,

with excerpts of their comments (selected at random, hopefully

unbiased):



Reviewer A:



1.  Boxster

2.  Miata M Edition

3.  SLK

4.  Z3 2.8







Boxster...touchy gearbox requiring high revs at takeoff.  It is geared

toward high-end power at the expense of low-end zip.  Impeccable manners

at almost any speed.  The body refuses to shake or shimmy.



Miata M Edition...even though it is smaller, lighter and less powerful,

it plays a surprisingly good game.  Compares with the serious Teutonic

fun of the overengineered German cars, the Miata is all gigles.  Though

not especialy fast, it feels peppy.  The engine revs happily, the stubby

shifter begs to be played like a musical instrument, the exhaust sounds

just right.  Though cramped, the cockpit has nice touches:  round

retro-style air vents; speakers in the headrests; polished wooden

touches in the M Edition.



SLK...strengths are it's weaknesses.  Not quite a roadster it's a two

seat luxury coupe...top-down, on curving roads, it handles brilliantly

and is nearly impossible to fluster.  For a run through the hills, I'd

pick the athletic Boxster or the lean Miata.



Z3 2.8...Give it extra credit for it's stunning looks and the Z3 still

gets the lowest grade.  The 2.8 liter six is a fine engine with lots of

high end torque, but it feels torpid in this car at the slow speeds

where you want some oomph.  Further, while the Z3 looks like a sports

car, it handles more like a good sedan.  On rough pavement the wheels

hop and the ride can be bouncy.  The stereo is the worst in this group

and the exhaust sound is all wrong. 



Reviewer B:



1.  Boxster

2.  SLK

3.  Miata M Edition

4.  Z3 2.8



Boxster...The Boxster's Coke bottle figure, reminiscent of mid-engine

Porsches of the past, is as shapely as any vehicle on the road...wants

more low end power, but ultimately it scores highest for it's superb

poise and its overall balance of power and handling.  It is Porsche,

pure and simply.



SLK...Its design cues, like the power bulges in the hood, recall

previous Mercedes roadsters, but updates them nicely.  The supercharged

2.3 liter engine has loads of get-up-and-go, though handling is slightly

sacrificed for a comfortable ride.



Miata M Edition...simple styling of the current model has held up well,

like that of Triumphs and MG's after which it was patterned.  The

5-speed Miata is no speed demon, but it is so light it feels faster

than, say, the much heavier (and actually quicker) BMW Z3.  And at

$25,000 for the top-of-the-line version, no roadster matches the Miata

when it comes to fun for the money.



Z3 2.8...I usually fall instantly in love with BMW's, but the Z3 and I

have never clicked....But even with the 2.8 liter six, which costs

$6,000 more than the four-cylinder Z3, the underhood performance and the

wimpy buzz of the exhaust contrast with the muscular body.  I could

never find a comfortable postion behind the wheel, and the car did not

feel refined.  Indeed, it did not even feel completely finished.



Reviewer C:  (Gotta' love this guy...is he one of ours?)



Roadsters are supposed to be fast, lithe and eye-popping.  But for me,

fun is priority No. !.  And here, the intangibles -- style, comfort,

ease of driving -- count more than the numbers. Indeed, the car I found

the most satisfying of the bunch, the Mazda Miata, was also the slowest,

the simplest and the cheapest.



1.  Miata M Edition

2.  SLK

3.  Z3 2.8

4.  Boxster



Yes, the design is nine years old.  Yes, the Mazda's little

four-cylinder engine and relatively narrow tires are no match for more

modern, more sporting engines.  But the M Edition's trim lines and

British Racing-Green paint is nearly state-of-the-art.  And the exhaust

produces a delightfully throaty rumble.



Thanks to it's light weight and a first-rate suspension, the Miata is a

delight to toss around.  And the car comes with one feature I do covet:

speakers built into the headrests that make it practical to listen to

music with the top down.



SLK...the least sports-car like of the four, the SLK is a womb filled

with high tech luxuries, closer in spirit to a Lexus SC300 than to a

Miata.  Relatively soft springs degrade the SLK's handling to a level of

a well-designed sports sedan -- say a Nissan Maxima.  The automatic

transmission -- Mercedes drivers don't shift -- is about as good as

automatics get.  An the ingenious top is a crowd pleaser, as well as a

practical way to keep out noise and weather.



Z3 2.8...If looks were all that mattered, I'd opt for the BMW Z3. The

engine borrowed from teh 3-series, has lots of muscle once you get it

turning above 3,000 rpms.  And the steering has that patented, solid BMW

feel.



But the negatives add up.  The handling is below expectations. And with

the top down, the breeze seemed excessive.  Most important, the Z3 felt

just a shade too grown up without offering the SLK's middle-aged

comforts.  I'll wait for the M version, due next year.



Boxster...Now for some serious heresy: The Porsche Boxster trails the

group, in my book.  Like every modern Porsche, the Boxster is built to

get around corners fast.  But the mid-engine design, which contributes

to it's remarkable handling, means high levels of cockpit noise and

vibration at low speeds.  While the six-cylinder, 201-horsepower engine

pushes the Boxster from zero to 60 in barely six seconds, a lack of

low-end torque gives it a surprisingly sluggish feel from a standing

start.  And the ultra-modern styling left me cold. 



End of review...



I found the almost universal comments about the lack of power in the 2.9

liter six cylinder Z3 to be most surprising.  If it lacks low end

torque, what's the advantage of a six over a 4 in a light sports car?



Haven't driven any of the other three cars.  For now, I'm perfectly

happy with the Miata.  I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't consider buying

a Boxster, however.  Maybe a turbo version is in the works?  Certainly,

there's a bigger engine planned (240 HP?)



I Think you can still register with a password for access to NY Times

on-line.  The complete article is at:



http://www.nytimes.com/library/auto/wheels/31pass.html



-- 

Dave Okamoto

LSI Logic Corporation

mailto:davo@lsil.com