I'm in the market for a small, lower end sports car and am currently considering among other cars the Miata and the GT86. I'm open to suggestions as well, but I have some main concerns. In general, do all sports cars perform like shit in the snow? I don't want to get a car and have it out of commission 4 to 6 months a year (I live in Indiana, could be better or worse, it's a crapshoot). Second, I'm autistic for MPG, but after driving a great Ford Fiesta and getting 35+ MPG, I'm tired of its shitty motor and zero acceleration. Hence why I'm looking at smaller sized cars (also the increased parking possibilities). Finally, I love manual transmission. I was raised on it, it's objectively more fun, and it has tended to get better MPG in my experience - although I hear that's changing. Do I search for manual transmission or go with a dual transmission?
The Miata is good. Or the Fiat 124. Only get the GT86 if you need 4 seats. The GT86 is plagued by a shitty weak engine. It's engine configuration and already high compression makes it difficult to mod. The Miata's reputation speaks for itself. I don't think there's anything more to say. The Fiat 124 is a Miata with a 1.4 liter turbo engine. It's slightly heavier but the turbo feels might be more fun to you, in certain scenarios its faster than the miata, in other situations the Miata is faster.
You probably should get a higher end model with limited slip differential for better snow traction. With snow tires they are perfectly fine in the weather.
Daniel Morris
And also. Always get manual for a fun car.
Thomas Watson
Well alrighty! Thanks!
Matthew Myers
Also, while not quite a sports car, the new Honda Civics look fairly sporty while also being practical. Opinions?
Samuel Edwards
>as tested price of $30,685 same as base price
That 124 Abarth didn't even have the Brembo brake package on it then
Asher Ortiz
The GT86 isn't as bad a he makes it seem. Plus it's an 86, it's legacy was never straight line speed, it's a downhill drift king. The car is known for its handling, not its speed. It's faster than most of the cuck wagons you'll be passing in day to day driving. And if you want a daily driver thats fun to drive, handling is more important than speed.
Levi Allen
No. Just. No
Anthony Wilson
The GT86 is an insult to the "legacy".
To make it slide around they put economy tires on it. Which hurts stopping distance. Then if you put good tires on it you lose "drift performance" altogether.
Hudson Harris
Ford Fiesta ST is literally the only answer.
William Gutierrez
But user, I have a Ford Fiesta (not an ST) and I like it for what it is. But it's a little beater car. I want a zippy little car. Not my slug.
Mason Baker
LS swap your Fiesta nigga
Christopher Richardson
The new miata is waaaaay better looking than the 86's in person although I do like the 86 for what it is.
Get a BMW 228i with the M sport package
Benjamin Jackson
Sounds like you need the new Honda Civic Type R or save some money on a used 8th gen Civic Si
Julian Turner
if you are looking at the miata and 86 - take a look at new camaro v6 1le. the camaro will spank those on the track.
check out used audi tts's
Samuel Bailey
The "economy" tires memes needs to die. It has the same tires as a "GT Touring" trim prius only avalible in Japan.
They're not eco tires. They're not high performance either. They're just decent tires all around.
Xavier Turner
WRX?
Cameron Gonzalez
Get the Miata,
Looks better,
A lil bit faster
Weighs less
Choice is easy
Only reason to chose 86 if u really need 4 seats
Jeremiah Campbell
You can grab a decent BMW Z3 for like 8k US. Depending on model you get fantastic performance and reliability. They don't look too bad and they also have a great noise about them. Just be weary about transmission and top condition. I love mine.
Gavin Williams
You also didn't give a budget you moron.
Josiah Moore
The GT86 is literally as fast as the miata stock and mods that are vital to fixing its 3000-4000 rpm range issue already exist. It handles much better and and has a wider, clearer engine bay for mods and repair. Merely saying the Miata “speaks for itself” doesn’t really offer anything for OP as far as real info goes. The miata having only 2 seats and no hardtop will be a pain as well. The only real advantage you would have is the ubiquity of the car, which won’t really matter if you’re buying new.
>t. someone who owned a miata and has friends that own both
But – and this is where I keep ending up – even when I was driving the MX-5, I still found myself missing the BRZ. I loved the Mazda’s more intuitive infotainment system, but that couldn’t counter my longing for the alertness of the BRZ’s chassis. The MX-5 is far from sluggish in its responses, but the BRZ somehow feels no heavier, despite actually being 156kg podgier, and is more eager to react to every degree of steering input. It really gives the impression of being on another level in terms of performance, even if the cars’ respective power and torque figures suggest that isn’t the case.
The BRZ just feels more special to steer. It’s helped by a lower seating position that makes the car seem more hunkered down, giving you more confidence to drive it properly. Your attention is focused on soaking up the experience of driving.
The 86 is also faster round a track, has a higher top speed and is more practical.
Jayden Cruz
>It's faster than most of the cuck wagons you'll be passing
Its really not. especially if you get the auto...
Those minivans (anything 2010+ really) on the road with V6's WILL be at least as fast on the highway.
Hudson Nelson
>shitty weak engine.
That makes 45hp more than the miata and can be boosted to 400+hp.
Colton Anderson
>minivans Weird considering I smoked an RSX, a V6 Camry, and a Raptor just this week. I know I’ll easily lose to the occasional Mustang GT or Camaro SS, but its so easy to leave most people in the dust even with the stock boxer 4.
Logan Cox
If you deliberately drive the 86 Auto slowly in a very specific race it will be slower.
Jeremiah Clark
problem: the miata is a fucking convertible.
>inb4 yeah well just let me spend the price difference on welding in chassis bracing and a roll bar and still get wet when it rains/still get my softtop slashed by niggers/get my harddtop unbolted and nicked by ricers
Christian Foster
>owning an Autotragic Unless it has ultra responsive shift paddles, which most cars don’t, you’re wasting your time
Aiden Gutierrez
Easy to win when they dont know you are racing till you take off....
David Nelson
All 3 I mentioned tried to race me (revs engine and tried overtaking me) I know it sounds weird and unbelievable but they actually did this.
Wyatt Wright
>chassis bracing Doesn't need it. >roll bar Only to satisfy SCCA lawtists when you track it. >get wet when it rains Doesn't happen. >slashed by niggers If you're living near niggers, a new car shouldn't take priority over moving to a niggerless neighborhood, preferably to a home with a garage.
Luis Sanders
BMW E46 M3 get them while you still can. Can also seat 4 people without a problem
Noah Diaz
Get a Gorbette Sea 6
Logan Cooper
can't go wrong with either. But make sure you test drive them both first since everyone has their own opinion on what is better.
Lucas Ramirez
How good is the handling on the ls2 version of this compared to a brz?
Josiah Perry
Yet that's all the poor saltfags of Veeky Forums are obsessed with.
Mason Thompson
So, why do people call the toybaru slow? Is it because of the weight? Then i'd suggest strip it as much as possible, at least you get a decent cargo space and no possible leaky roof, overall more practical.
Easton Moore
just get a nice s2k and put a hard top on it
Joshua Hughes
>Honda Civics look fairly sporty while also being practical. Looks sporty and it is as practical as your neighbor's shitty shitbox with 4 doors and a trunk.
Go test drive a Miata, FR-S, or even a goddamn Honda ACCORD before you test a civic. Trust me, you will find the civic to be lacking in every god damn aspect. The Civic is cheap and it is cheap for a reason; cheap material used. It is simple a cheap fucking car. Don't get it.
Easton Harris
Honda s2000 is a true sports car
John Lopez
I looked it up, its not worth getting from the manufacturer. Flying Miata has a kit for the brakes, its cheaper too.
Evan Collins
Because they can't drive. America is a place where High HP and High Torque win due to flat straight roads. Japan and europe are places where handling is king, so they don't need much power. Also people don't know how to drive these cars, keep in mind most of the ppl who bought this car were highschool kids or freshman college kids who have never been a real race before. Most of them don't understand powerband, shift times shift delays etc. So the reality is this car was not meant for fast 0-60 and in the DD lyfe ppl want a fast 0-60.
Jeremiah King
If you beat on it, it's quite sprightly. But if you're cruising around modern autos where people casually put put their foot down and torque away, and you think you're going to do the same, then you wind up right in the torque dip unless you downshift to get back in to the power band. So it's easy for it to feel slow in traffic when you're driving casually.
And obviously it's not going to be any king of the highway pull just from the perspective of how much power it has. When legions of people say it really just needs a bit more power to feel "right" they're not kidding. But honestly as long as you drive it knowing you're going to have to drive it hard when it's time to get sanic then it's enough for enjoying what the car is good at.
Kevin Brooks
>Flying Miata kit is $1,049 with no rotors and no installation >Factory Brembo kit is 1,495 all in
So people who bought slow car, in country where you can buy slightly or base New v8 for same price is people who don’t know how to drive? I know lot of older people who bought twins for driving pleasure, without feeling to show off who has faster car.
Jordan Barnes
Trips of truth, and a sourced quote, why can't all of Veeky Forums do that.
Connor Harris
miata
Nicholas Morales
Mr Bond I presume. 400hp is on track cars, dyno queens will hit 600 on an otherwise stock engine with nothing more than a set of injectors and fuel pump. Not quite 2JZ dyno queen numbers but impressive. You do have to baby them when running north of 400 or they can crack stock rods (normally no.3) so they stop being useful cars at that point.
