Jsabowabo,

Had '91, and '03 Miata, sold due to cowl shake, clutch problems, lack of power and lack of headroom with top up. Wife loved both. I now have '03 S, and wife has an '04.

I can't think of any reason to recommend you get a Miata, unless you can't find an S for the money you want to spend. Which ever one you get, don't try to change them into torque monsters. Just drive them like they were one of your bikes, and you'll have fun.

R

 

To the OP:

I came from a 97 Z28 6-speed, then to a 95 Miata R-package, and now to my current MY02 S2000. All were/are daily driven as well as autocrossed.

The Camaro was ballsout powerful. However, even after many suspension/handling modifications, it still felt like a pig, and the build quality sucked. It had more problems than I care to talk about. I imagine thats about where you're at.

I drove the R-package Miata and loved it. It had 175k miles on it and the engine was silky smooth with no problems whatsoever. Car was solid. I did not miss the power at all at first. For those unaware, the R-package Miatas came factory with a 1" lower Bilstein suspension with stiffer spring rates and larger sway bars, all factory spoilers, and mine had the Hard Dog Hardcore Roll Bar (helped alleviate some of the "sissy" factor ) . That car was stiff. Handled great, tons of fun, and everything associated with the car was inexpensive.

Then I made the mistake of test-driving an S2000. I had to have one. IMO, the feeling of connection with the car in the S2000 is unmatched. The car has all the handling abilities of my Miata and 98% of the power of my Camaro. Still unbelievably fun, but whoever said that the S2000 feels so much more like a racecar is exactly right. Everything about it feels like pure precision.

On the autocross course, I always felt like I was driving past the limit in my Camaro. I didnt have the Miata long enough to even find its limits (which is good), but the car seemed built for autocrossing. The S2000 feels better than both of them, however the S2000 feels like it belongs on a proper road course, which is where I want to be as well! Done deal for me.

I say get the S2000. Even, get the S2000 and leave it stock if money is a concern. I would keep a stock S2000 over the most highly modded Miata (for my purposes). Mods arent necessary with this car, they just add even more fun

 

Thanks for all the advice and sharing your experiences. I'm pretty sold on the S2000; I know it's the car I really want, I don't think I'd ever be happy with the Miata's power.