Why Miata and not S2000?

[Kevin H.]

How is it that Mazda has so much success with the Miata, or enough to keep making it at least, but Honda couldn't make the S2000 profitable enough to keep around? The S2000 is a cooler car.
Or can you convince me the Miata is better? Not that my wife and two kids would approve of me owning either...

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[XLTLUXCG]

How is it that Mazda has so much success with the Miata, or enough to keep making it at least, but Honda couldn't make the S2000 profitable enough to keep around? The S2000 is a cooler car.
Or can you convince me the Miata is better? Not that my wife and two kids would approve of me owning either...

I am sorry, but how is this Maverick related?

 

[Kevin H.]

I am sorry, but how is this Maverick related?

It's not, which is why it is in the "General Automotive Talk (Non-Maverick)" section.

 

[XLTLUXCG]

It's not, which is why it is in the "General Automotive Talk (Non-Maverick)" section.

fair enough.

 

[P0PT0P]

I've owned both. The S2000 was definitely more the drivers car. However, it did not make for a good daily. Insurance was high and it was just more intense to drive. My Miata on the other hand was a pleasure to drive daily. Granted much of that was due to the 15 difference in model years. To answer your question more directly though, it is my opinion the Miata has survived where the S2000 did not due to the different design philosophies. The Miata was imagined as a cheap simple 2 seat sport convertible. Where as the S2000 was bleeding edge for it's time, leading to a pretty hefty price difference for comparable model years.

 

[pgstick02]

How is it that Mazda has so much success with the Miata, or enough to keep making it at least, but Honda couldn't make the S2000 profitable enough to keep around? The S2000 is a cooler car.
Or can you convince me the Miata is better? Not that my wife and two kids would approve of me owning either...

As someone that owns a Miata/MX-5 I will just throw my 2 cents in. They just did it right, Mazda made a car that anyone could afford. It is a well balanced car and has enough power to make it fun in the turns but not enough to kill yourself.

Granted you can make them fast if your willing but the Miata is a drivers car designed for people who love the on the road experience and don't see a car as an appliance. I feel you could daily and maintain a Miata way better than an S2000 just because they are built very simple and easy to maintain.

 

[HalfFast]

I bought a used MX5 two years ago to use as a fun road trip weekend car/ second vehicle with the idea of autocross at some point. This was right before used car prices went crazy and I got a very good deal on a loaded, reasonable mileage well kept car. The car was also completely stock except for the exact exhaust I would have bought for it anyway.

I never even considered an S2000. Any clean one that had reasonable mileage it seemed like people wanted a "collector car" price.

The Miata is relatively cheap to buy, insure and maintain, gets 30+ mpg, and has a TON of aftermarket support. I knew I would be customizing this car so that was important also.

It can be anything from a mild commuter car to a 400hp fire breather to a road race machine.

I briefly considered a Corvette but everything is way more expensive than the Miata...insurance, tires, aftermarket and I would be much more likely to lose my license with a really fast car. Had to see a judge a few times in my younger days and still dont think I'm responsible enough for a truly fast car.

So far I haven't really changed the nature of the car, I've just added a few cosmetic things, had a really good tune put on the stock power train and replaced the tired stock sport suspension with a set of Ohlins coilovers, sport tuned anti sway bars and some Michelin Pilot Sports.

I thought about doing a 2.5 swap with a turbo and haven't ruled it out forever but then it changes the cheap, easy, fun to drive nature of what the car was intended to be.

I have about 15k in the whole package and it is a joy to drive, especially on the right roads. Quick enough to be fun, handling is fantastic and the worst mileage I have seen is about 23 mpg railing on it at Deals Gap and the surrounding area.

 

[MLowe05]

I've always loved the S2000, but when we bought a roadster it was a 2018 Miata GT 6MT. As noted before, the S2000 is a different beast. The Miata is seriously fun in a very non-serious way. That's not to say that it can't be a serious performance car, but our stock Miata was just a blast to drive in a really goofy sort of way.

The S2000 was much more serious.

 

[Bob The Builder]

I liked them both but could never fit comfortably in either one, sadly.

 

[Speed2000]

I can tie the S2000 to the Maverick.

I had been reading about the SSM (sport study model) a long time before the S2000 was announced. At the time, nobody was sure if it was going to be sold as an Acura or Honda but as soon as it was confirmed as a Honda, I went to a dealership and signed up...sight unseen just as many Mav owners.

Having worked at this dealership some years earlier, I found the dumbest salesman there and had a seat. Told him I wanted an S2000. He said he didnt know what it was and I said its like a new Civic with a bigger motor. Since no prices were published, I told him just write MSRP plus tag and title. Buyers order signed and down payment taken.

Fast forward a few weeks and I get a call from the sales manager. " Hey, we have a problem, we are only getting three S2000s and have 20 people with deposits down. Here's what we are going to do, when the cars come, we are going to aution them off. Since youre first on the list, you get to make the first bid"

I kindly told the manager I had a signed buyers order and you guys have already cashed my deposite check. The way I see it is you have two S2000s available and 19 people on the waiting list.

When the car finally arrived six months later...(sound familiar?) they offered me $2000 to walk out the door because they wanted to mark it up $9000.

 

[MLowe05]

I can tie the S2000 to the Maverick.

I had been reading about the SSM (sport study model) a long time before the S2000 was announced. At the time, nobody was sure if it was going to be sold as an Acura or Honda but as soon as it was confirmed as a Honda, I went to a dealership and signed up...sight unseen just as many Mav owners.

Having worked at this dealership some years earlier, I found the dumbest salesman there and had a seat. Told him I wanted an S2000. He said he didnt know what it was and I said its like a new Civic with a bigger motor. Since no prices were published, I told him just write MSRP plus tag and title. Buyers order signed and down payment taken.

Fast forward a few weeks and I get a call from the sales manager. " Hey, we have a problem, we are only getting three S2000s and have 20 people with deposits down. Here's what we are going to do, when the cars come, we are going to aution them off. Since youre first on the list, you get to make the first bid"

I kindly told the manager I had a signed buyers order and you guys have already cashed my deposite check. The way I see it is you have two S2000s available and 19 people on the waiting list.

When the car finally arrived six months later...(sound familiar?) they offered me $2000 to walk out the door because they wanted to mark it up $9000.

Tale as old as time, this. Car manufacturers try to make something really special and priced to appeal to the masses... dealerships immediately make it unattainable.

 

[Timothyd]

How is it that Mazda has so much success with the Miata, or enough to keep making it at least, but Honda couldn't make the S2000 profitable enough to keep around? The S2000 is a cooler car.
Or can you convince me the Miata is better? Not that my wife and two kids would approve of me owning either...

The Miata (at least my '91) is simpler and more old school. Lots of customization parts out there and so much fun to drive. I evolved from a Spitfire to the Miata. Great looking and averaging 35mpg. The Maverick will be my daily driver and hauler and the motorcycle and Miata will be my fun rides. Balance.

 

[NJBob]

S2000 is a sweet car. I have a 2003 MR2 spyder fun car to drive but not in the same class as an S2000. Have an SMT trans too which is problematic and no one knows how to fix.

 

[FirstFord]

The S2000 is way more car, but you have to wring it out to appreciate it. Not enough people appreciate that and frankly, there aren't so many places you can do that.

I love performance driving, but I want some low end torque because that's where most of your real world driveng happens.

Honda is a motorspirts company. Mazda isn't. But Mazda figured out that the market wanted a cheap ragtop and didn't care about performance.

Have you ever driven the Miata's spiritual antecedent, the MGB? It was positively agricultural!

 

[NJBob]

My local Honda dealer always have one on there lot. They currently have a 2001 for $42k. Wow

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