NA Miata vs S14 240sx?

[Mangudai]

I'll be getting a car soon and its between these two. I like them both and have a general idea of what I'd want to do with either one. I would like some input about the pros and cons of both. The ones that i can think of...

Miata

Pros

Easier to find for a good price/ Less likely to be abused
Its something different
Lighter
Can be vert or hardtop
Handles better(?)
Less likely to get stolen


Cons

Swaps cost more
Considered a homosexual car by some(like I care)
Small gas tank
Tiny trunk


240sx

Pros

Really good aftermarket
Relatively inexpensive swaps
Looks sexier
No worries about your top being ripped up or leaking


Cons

More likely to get stolen
More likely to be abused
Generally cost more $
Heavier




I'm in the process of driving both to get a better idea of which one I would like better. I basically need a reliable DD that I can also mod and take to the track every now and then.

[Nikeboy355]

240sx...

More room as a daily driver and it's just as fast...
Here is a video of me chasing a Miata on race tires... I'm on street tires... Both cars have stock motors...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETbuf2rx7v8

[eastcoastS14]

man just get the 240...just make sure you find one thats not beat to shit and get an alarm...i found my newest one a 95 with 96,000 miles for $2500, just keep looking....and yeah miatas are gay

[0100]

Miata is gay.

That said get a miata it's like a go kart for the street. Great for touge and track day racing. They are so fun.

If when you say "track every now and then" do you mean drift events or autoX/road race events.

240sx for DD/Drift car
miata for DD/road race car

The 240sx is a much better DD. You can hold alot more crap.

[Mangudai]

Good replies

I meant autoX/touge...i will be moving to Tenn in a year so no touge until then. Also 1/4 racing...


Honestly, I dont really see myself carrying around that much stuff maybe just my fishing rod and tackle box. Oh, and I refuse to be "that guy" who has to carry everyone around so I dont see seating as an issue.But the S14 looks pimp as hell.

[TipStylez]

I drive both.

Love my 240 more...only if it wasnt so damn old.


And depends what year miata.

[bo2o]

get the miata!!!!


bomb ass car...

handles stock then a 240sx all kinds of footwork!...


all u need is agx with lowering springs and ok rims and rt615
youll take any 240sx on the mountain!


i drive a s13 240sx. 240sx will always look sexy.

but you have to drop like a ton of money just to make it look nice.


you have to get a swap to be cool in a 240sx.

with a miata they come like that in japan and u kould slap turbo or go all na.!


miata>240sx

[uwntsum]

get both. you can find both for pretty cheap if you look hard enough.

[fliprayzin240sx]

Only miata I would roll on...




Why? Cuz this lil "GAY" car has this...

[SochBAT]

Miata. I really like the late ninety's to 2000s model.

Light weight, better power to weight ratio, hardtop, handles like its on rails, low profile, less likely to get stolen. same shit you mentioned.

If anyone thinks miatas are gay, they're retarded fanboys that don't know shit.

Barbi was a hardcore track slut too.

[!Zar!]

Go with the Miata.

Only advantage a 240 has over a Miata is drifting ability and cargo space.

[KwKouki]

I autoX my friends miata monthly. My last s13 with mild suspension, vlsd, and KA *with basic bolt ons* would usually be a half second ahead of him. Mind you I was running rt-615s. His miata was stock on street tires, you do the math.

Miatas are incredible good cars to build on. I love driving his, and will continue to do so.

[SochBAT]

Freakin awesome.

I was considering trading in my Cherokee for A) a Miata, or B) DP on a Yaris/Fit/Versa in a few years.

[Anto]

Please refer to this thread by ixfxi

http://www.zilvia.net/f/showthread.php?t=124432



get a mazdaspeed one if you do!

[max2damax]

yeap they are gay, just look at all those colors, thats the biggest gay orgy I've ever seen,.... and the first!, dont get me wrong! unless of course it was a bunch of lesbians involved, that I've seen before

[rb25_s13*CHUKI]

Get a 240sx!

[koukimonster139]

dude
what in the fuck are you talking about

[rb25_s13*CHUKI]

I have a buddy who pro races miata's maybe i can hook u up with a clean miata if u choose the miata!

[steve shadows]

get a miata put a ca in it, that woudl be cool haha

[The Chad]

At 6'3" the miata wasn't really an option for me. I like to sprawl out a bit in a my S14. So if height is an issue i'd go for the 240, other than that i believe everyone else covered the basics. Oh and my friend has a 97' Miata that he autocrosses from time to time and loves it, but he's 5'9", haha. Good luck with your choice!

[articdragon192]

Originally Posted by steve shadows

get a miata put a ca in it, that woudl be cool haha

Ive been saying that for years!

[drift freaq]

why do people go for such drastically different car comparisions? Its like comparing Apples to Oranges.
Face it, if you have to try and figure out if you want a Miata vs a 240sx you really need to think hard. Its pretty damn obvious the differences which should make your decision process pretty damn simple.
I mean I could sit here and spell it out for you, in the end you would still have to make the decision. What ever I say, you should be making this decision for yourself. Not asking our opinions. You have to live with it, we don't.

[steve shadows]

well 240sx's hard park with kits and uber crazy bling sportmaxes bettar :ghey: haha

go drive each car around some hill or on a strip of road then decide nothing like first hand test drive comparison.

[DocTaDrifT]

Originally Posted by drift freaq

why do people go for such drastically different car comparisions? Its like comparing Apples to Oranges.
Face it, if you have to try and figure out if you want a Miata vs a 240sx you really need to think hard. Its pretty damn obvious the differences which should make your decision process pretty damn simple.
I mean I could sit here and spell it out for you, in the end you would still have to make the decision. What ever I say, you should be making this decision for yourself. Not asking our opinions. You have to live with it, we don't.

haha hey dave this is why i bought both cars becaus they are so different

[axiomatik]

don't forget to consider the typical owners as well. do you want to hang out with a bunch of old men that get excited about polishing their gas cap?

[ronmcdon]

I've had both an S14 (w/ sr swap), and a 92 miata. i can't really say which is the better.
Havn't had the chance to track my s14, but I did some road race events and an auto-X with my miata.

if I HAD to choose one car, I would choose the miata.
The only shortcoming the car really has, is that its pretty underpowered stock. Although that may not really be such a bad thing if you intend on learning how to drive the car well (or to learn how to drive on a track from the start). The suspension is setup pretty well from the factory, and all you really need is a set of better tires (prefferably some wider wheels too). The brakes are good too, and imo its easy to push the car hard. you simply cannot go
wrong with a miata.

The S14 is a great car, but basically I get the impression that you need to throw a lot of $$$ sorting out the brakes, suspension, etc to get it to be a fun car. my s14 never had the stock KA, so I really don't know if the car feels any faster than a stock miata.

for dd, make sure you fit comfortably in a miata, and you dont need to haul too much stuff around. its a bit uncomfortable with longer commutes, but its very fun to drive around town and on windy roads. Im 5'11" and my knees always bang against the steering wheel (doesn't ave the steering wheel tilt adjustment either). the S14 is a lot more comfortable for sure. for DD, i like my s14 a lot more.

the gay-man's stigma is actually isn't such a bad thing, if you're not such a self conscious person. keeps away most of the unwanted attention. most chicks I've met also like my miata a lot too.

Ideally I'd like to have both, and thats what I'm stuck with more or less.
I do think that after the suspension and brakes on my s14 are sorted out, I will enjoy the S14 more. but whats to say that if i dumped a lot of $$$ on my miata, that I wouldn't enjoy that more.
In the end, its all a matter of preference. needless to say, go out and drive both cars. you have to decide which car you feel is the right one for you.

[raen419]

I'm 6'2" roughly 170lbs and I fit in my 91 Miata fine. However, if you have a problem with headroom, or in my case (and others) want to sit further below your roll bar, you can shave padding out of the bottom of the seat and pull the back pad out of the back of the seat and (depending on your body type) you'll sink into it like a racing seat. Search "foamectomy" on Miata.net or some roadster site to learn more.
I had 3 240sx before I bought my car and frankly, I'd still love to have a 240sx for a daily. However, finding one in good condition (or as good a condition as my last one) is kinda tough without getting ripped off.
Driving a Miata (even in stock form, where the car is as flimsy as can be) is very different from any 240sx. The car feels more rigid and in-tune with you and the road. And if you get rid of the power steering (like I did, per FM's method) it makes the car feel a lot better.
I gay stereotype is pretty funny to me. Everyone laughs at my car until they take a ride with me.

And to whoever said "all you need is KYB AGX and lowering springs" you couldn't be further from the truth. AGX are not good "sporty" shocks, and the ones sold for the Miata can't handle very firm rates (something like 250lb/in is about all the shock can handle). And the shock travel issues with the first and second generation's rear suspension design makes lowering springs pretty useless for the sake of handling. Adjustable coilovers are the best way to go (Stance, Tein, Tanabe, GC/Koni or GC/Bilstein, etc), but even then modified/aftermarket upper mounts are quite necessary. The more shock travel the better.
And from my experience, the aftermarket for both cars is pretty even. The 240sx market is bigger, but doesn't offer as many true good quality parts (although there are plenty). The Miata market is smaller (including Japanese parts from many big names) but there are a lot less crappy parts offered.

[Mangudai]

Good replies, thanks a lot. Like I said, I will drive both...I was just looking for possible pros and cons I couldnt foresee

drift freaq

You are you always so cranky ? Ive noticed that.

[drift freaq]

Originally Posted by Mangudai

Good replies, thanks a lot. Like I said, I will drive both...I was just looking for possible pros and cons I couldnt foresee



You are you always so cranky ? Ive noticed that. [/COLOR]

you don't know what cranky is lol. I am not cranky. I just have a extreme intolerance for stupid questions and people who want their hands held. That may or may not be directed at you.

[Mangudai]

Originally Posted by drift freaq

you don't know what cranky is lol. I am not cranky. I just have a extreme intolerance for stupid questions and people who want their hands held. That may or may not be directed at you.

Then why say it?