So do you avoid poor weather?

It's fine as a daily driver. On rare occasions, when the humidity was high, the temperature was quite low, it was late, the rain was hammering down, I was tired, the road was really dark and twisty and I had the feeling that I was trying to drive a damp pup tent while wearing sunglasses, I hated it... but otherwise, it's great. In a light summer rain, it's fun to drive around with the top down. In a summer shower, with the top up and the rear window zipped out, it's great. In the winter, with good tires, it's fun.

Stephen

I do here in Minnesota. My Miata is my foul-weather, hauling lots of people and stuff vehicle. Before this Miata as my year-round daily driver, I had another Miata as a daily driver. And before that, an Alfa-Romeo Spyder.

It's great.

It's fun being out on snowy days when the gits with 4WD SUVs stay home because the roads are too bad.

Rivergoat wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

As long as you have the right tires and your top is in decent condition, it's great. Only exception I've had is a return trip from Colorado for a ski trip a few yrs ago. I came accross Kansas the day after a blizzard and the wind constantly blowing snow accross the highway made driving conditions next to impossible. The traffic packed the blown snow down to ice on the highway. I was "fortunate" to spin just barely off the highway, got help from a friendly passerby to get back on the road, and VERY carefully drive to the hotel at the next exit to wait for morning to finish my trip. Of course, that was also w/ all-season tires that shouldn't have been used for such a trip. Along w/ that trip, I've made several "winter" trips (heavy snow/slush/etc) in my miata and driven in plenty of heavy rain. Before I replaced my old top w/ a Robbins w/ glass window, it would leak in heavy rain, but since I got the new top, it's been almost completely dry. Anyway, my 94 is my daily driver w/ a 40 mile commute (round trip) in St Louis where we get our share of bad weather. And I have no complaints (about the car at least :)..

-Scott

The only limitations I can think of (assuming you have the right tires) are that the low clearance will limit drivability in deep powder, and you have to be careful in heavy rain about other cars kicking up a huge spray the limits your visibility for a couple of seconds. Also if that spray is angled just right, it can force its way between the top and the top of the windshield and give you bit of a bath.

Nothing really to prevent it from being an everyday driver in Texas, that's for sure.

I sure do when I can. But usually, the bad weather is right in the way of where I want to go. I wish they would make a law restricting it to the Interstates only.

Leon

Dust. A friend had a convertible in SoCal and complained about the constant dust on the dashboard. It is also a problem here in Indiana during harvest season.

I love driving in the rain. I do drive the truck in the snow, so that I will live in the case that someone else chooses to drive over me.

Joe

I avoid driving in rain or snow in my Miata, that's what an SUV is for.

;-)

Dana

How about starting up on cold winter mornings?

LazyEights

The car starts way better than I do on Winter mornings.

After running on the same battery for 8 years, mine starting cranking a bit slow when it got below -10F. With a new battery it fired right up again. [I usually part in underground parking at night, so I don't have to put up with really cold starts in the morning.]

Indiana averages in the high 20's in the winter. I've never had a problem starting even when it drops below zero, but I've never had a problem with starting.

The heater is good.

My drive is 160 miles round trip on country highways twice a week. The salt spray off the tires makes a real mess of the whole car (our van contains the spray somehow).

The other problem I have with the roof up, in the slick, when I'm most interested in someone plowing into me, is that the visibility isn't too good due no side rear window. (over my left shoulder is worse than over my right) I'm quick to open the window to poke my head out (it will probably be taken off someday). My fear of being run over causes me to drive the truck if it is slick.

The tires do take a couple miles to get back to round when it is real cold out though. (the original Pilots were worse)

Joe

With light synthetic oil, my MX-5 has been the best starting car I've owned, even on its original 10-year old battery, and this is in Swiss alpine winters down to -15°C. The heater in the MX-5 is brilliant (it must be sourced from a big truck or something) as the interior is toasty warm in a very short time, and even with the soft top it's no problem to keep warm. I wish I could say the same for my Focus diesel wagon...

Stephen

------------ And now a word from our sponsor ------------------ Do your users want the best web-email gateway? Don't let your customers drift off to free webmail services install your own web gateway!

-- See

You're making me appreciate my California "winter" mornings, which rarely drop below -4C.

;-)

Dana

Well, yeah. I probably wouldn't drive a Miata in snow. I have a heavily modified 4wd truck. I, uh, drive on rocks *:P

You're being sarcastic, I presume?

Miata's handle great in snow. Better than any other vehicle I've driven and certainly bettern than most SUVs judging by what I see in the ditches during Minnesota winters.

Not at all. I have the choice and I choose the SUV for inclement weather.

Dana

but c'mon, it's a car, I would intend on driving it in all

Nope. that's how I bought my 94 M-edition. Just turned 33,000 miles. I only drive it when it's nice out. I figure if it's raining, and I can't have the top down, why bother? In truth, my nissan sentra SE handles pretty well for stock, so I don't miss the miata as much in the bad weather.