What model and year to buy? Poetential new buyer

There are three basic groups: '90-'93, '94-'97, and '99 on. Each drives a little differently, though the differences can be swamped by variation among individual cars (good ones and bad ones). Drive a few and decide what you prefer.

Miatas are sold with option "packages." See miata.net for a chart of details, as well as a general education and tips on buying used.

No, all are fun, reliable and easy to own. Condition is more important than age or mileage; 200k miles is not an unreasonable expectation, and some cars have gone much farther without major repairs. Most buyers are constrained by budget, and try to find the best combination of mileage and condition they can afford.

The first thing you need to do is test drive a few cars, top up and top down, to see if you're a roadster-type person. Chances are you'll either love or hate the experience. And the Miata is all about the experience.

OK.

I live in a very small rural area of northeast Missouri. Hannibal to be exact.

I wouldn't mind driving aways to buy a good used Miata. Are there any online sites where people post their used Miatas for sale?

Ooops.... a typo above. I meant to say SIX years in the above. My spell checker deleted the six for some reason I guess

Drove a brand new one in St Louis a fe weekends ago. Loved it!

But.... Im thinking maybe safer to buy a used one for now. Im not sure I want one as an only vehicle... so will buy used a keep my current car as well

John

Lanny's advice is sound. I'll add:

It is a very competitive market right now. Mazda has a $2750 consumer incentive and (reportedly) and additional $1000-1500 incentive to dealers on '03's. And you can get close to dealer invoice even before these added discounts. Accordingly, the used market has also gotten more competitive (ie, great deals to be found).

So, look around, drive a few, find the one that speaks to you.

Check miata.net classifieds, but also go to the usual sites where you'll find a lot more in your area: cars.com, autotrader.com.

Good luck!

Obviously, you'll want to check the Sunday St. Louis Post-Dispatch classifieds. We bought our Miata, a lease return, from Northgate Mazda.

Mine is a '94 with 121k miles. We did a 4000-mile Colorado vacation in August, and I'd drive it across the continent tomorrow without hesitation.

I would go with the two car's that's what I did . I kept the Outback all wheel drive for bad weather days . not to wild about playing on ice and snow in a miata with suv's and 18 wheeler's But when the sun is out there is nothing better then a 1994 c with the 1.8 L Just my 2 Cents

That's a good start!

You'll get as many opinions on this as there are posters in this newsgroup! Drive as many different models and years as you can and then decide. Some folks will steer you away from the early years due to documented problems. Some folks will steer you away from the newer models due to the seats. Whatever year/model you buy, there's *lots* of aftermarket goodies.

You need to put your tail into several of these fun little cars and see which year and model suits you best.

My Belle is 13+ years old. Got close to 100,000 on her now with the original trans and engine. Other than maintenance and upgrades (and a couple of unplanned crunches), she's been trouble-free. She's never left me stranded either. And that's more than I can say about the 2 VWs and 3 Volvos we've owned!

Spend some time at

And prepare to smile a lot!

Iva & Belle.) '90B Classic Red.) #3 winkin' Miata