Quick answer needed if poss

Your better half may be right. On the 2005 and earlier miatas I'd say they're nearly bullet proof but I'm not sure if the same is considered true of the new 2006 and newer. Research miata.net and see what to look for on the new car. Should be plenty of owners now putting in their 2 cents!

Chris

It's sort of "flip a coin" to me. There is a possibility that there was something that was not quite right, and the dealer did not get it fixed, so the previous owner sold or traded the car.

I currently own a car, top of line 95 model, (not a Miata) that the dealers have worked on until there is seemingly only one "unsolvable" problem left. A low frequency rumble associated with the front end of the car. Since it is "set off" by road surface and chassis tuning, the vibration analyzers are (naturally) tuned to ignore the frequency range of the rumble. As a result, I may be replacing this car at 36,000 miles with something from other than GM.

Probably correct. The Miata is not for everyone, a fact that sometimes disappoints owners who had wanted one for years, only to find that they weren't prepared to accept the compromises in comfort and space. You're either a roadster person, or you aren't.

Still, I'm happy for them that they got to taste Miata ownership--it's a shame to wonder and never know. I certainly wouldn't worry about the cars themselves; they were likely babied mercilessly.

Of course, you aren't seeing ads for the Miatas whose owners love them and will never let them go.

I really think that buyers remorse is a big reason. My second Miata I bought with about 1,000 miles on it - the original owner had a bad back and finally had to admit he couldn't get in and out of it (an '04). I recently moved up to an '08. I ended up buying new because I got a phenomenal deal, but I was going to buy a used one with 400 miles. I talked with the original owner - he was 6'1 - he ALWAYS wanted a Miata but then had to admit that there is only so much leg room!

It's such an Oh I Want One car that often people's bubbles just get burst. Which is our gain! ;-) -Carol

Not to rag on the 2006+ Miatas, but it is a completely different ride than the previous models. I have mixed feelings about the way it drives.

I have a person who is/was interested in my 18 year old car, with the intentions of dumping their NC. The comment that I received, which was from his wife, was that the car drove like a Ford. Even Leon called it his SUV Miata.

Not everyone buys them for the same reason, but I am willing to bet that a number of the trade-ins are for people going back to a pre-2006 model, as well as people with 2006+ rag tops who decided that they want that folding hardtop.

I'll bet that reliability is going to be good, we'll see. Still haven't heard of a PRHT failure.

Pat

More than that, the NA and NB Miatas fit me, the NC does not, it's extremely difficult to drive and very uncomfortable. I really wanted to like the car and spent a very long time with one from the local dealer but just could not get comfortable nor would I consider getting one unless something changes in a later model.

• pws wrote in rec.autos.makers.mazda.miata:

Still loving mine and just hit 15,000 miles. I am the only owner so far ;)

I am not a small guy[tm] so getting in can be a challenge sometimes but I love the car.

Pregnancy is a very common reason to sell up. Another is that people simply can't afford to keep them, what with the insurance costs, fuel cost (not gas-guzzlingly bad, but much worse than a supermini) and the cost of vandalism when parking on the street.

Might also have something to do with this:

Foreclosure Rate Hits Historic High

Bankruptcies Back on the Wrong Track Bankruptcy Rates on the Rise Again Despite the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005

USA TODAY survey: We're in recession, economists say The U.S. economy is in recession, or soon to be in one, according to USA TODAY's quarterly survey of leading economists.

yrs jp

I bought a 2003 Miata (MX-5) here in the UK about 18 months ago. When I was shopping around for my car, I noticed that it is not uncommon for these cars to be owned for a year or so then sold on.

It is also not uncommon here for dealers to register new cars in their name in order to hit sales targets then presumably write the depreciation off against tax and sell the 1 careful previous owner, 'as new', very low mileage cars at a significant discount compared to new ones.

I'm not sure the system works like that where you are, but personally, I'd only be concerned that a car was a lemon if it had changed hands more than once per year on average over its lifetime. I think they are often bought as playthings. I guess that people with disposable income can afford to change often.

That's what I think.

Hmm. Insurance is low, it seems to me. When I replaced my 1985 Dodge Caravan with a new 1996 Miata, my insurance went *down* a lot. It's priced as a 4-cylinder subcompact, is it not? Regarding vandalism, it can't be that bad if I'm right about the insurance. Not to generalize from my own experience, but the only problem I've ever had was having a pair of expensive prescription sunglasses stolen. Never a problem with the top, which is almost always down.

I'm not sure that a weakening economy would produce more 2006's and 2007's available for re-sale than, say 2005's, but it could be.

Thanks all!! Picked up today...what a blast!!

Tell us about it! Congrats!

Chris

I predicted that this would happen to Lotus Elise owners. There seem to be a lot of them turning over at relatively low miles. The Elise is simply not a "car"; the Miata is practical transportation by comparison.

Having said that: I'd still be willing to take my chances :-)

Ken