SaintS2000

tiger1964

NB>NA>ND> step van> NC

I'd have to measure but the NA & NB seemed to place the driver close to the center of the wheelbase, which I think is an aesthetic "plus".

Jah2000

Good point. F20c/22c is tried and true to be ultra reliable. Hard to beat Honda and no one else may ever.

Nerd-Vol

Jah2000

I agree, on the rear anyways. I actually love the front view and headlights... but the rear looks too "sucked in" and narrow. I dislike the taillights. Also, I wish the front fender height (from the wheel well) was more lower and sleeker like the S2k. Everything else is fine though. And, I really love the headlights and front of the car.

As for factory suspension, I think it'll be perfectly okay and awesome with stiffer swaybars (and stiffer springs if you want to take it a step further). The engineering involved with its' handling, balance and components were pretty intensive; maybe as much (or more so) as when the S2k was developed. They also left a lot of headroom and potential for suspension modifications/tuning because they already know it'll be modified/tuned by club racers and racing schools (as it's the most popular track car).

As Flyin' Miata put it, "if there was only 1 mod to be done with the ND, it would be sway bars." ...this will rid of the biggest-complaint with the ND from naysayers (especially S2k owners lol), "too much sway/roll, meh."

After adding only stiffer sway-bars to the ND, I would really love to see how that compares to an S2k. I bet pretty close, if not better. (it's about 400lbs lighter after all)

Say Chi Sin Lo

But the application and usage are very different in those 2.0 SkyActiv motors. Yes, they have proven to be ultra reliable as well, but in the form of daily driven cars and most of its owners probably did not stress the engine.

Honda S2000's F20/F22C have a totally different application and usage. I'd imagine most of its owners have been redlining the motor left and right for the past 10+ years.

I have faith in Mazda, I have a 2009 Mazdaspeed 3 and that motor is strong and at 100,000 miles, I have not had a single issue.

TsukubaCody

Yeah I doubt Mazda is going to put anything unreliable in a Miata. The NA/NB are bulletproof as well.

white98ls

Couple of things I would add.

In favor of the Miata: Better torque:weight, less twitchy handling, better steering feel (haven't driven one but judging from reviews and owning an S2k, I'm sure it's better)
In favor of the S2000: Zero depreciation!! The Miata will lose a lot of value from new (just look at the NCs selling for $10k in good shape). That buys a hell of a lot of S2000 parts/labor.

You mention cons of buying a used car and no warranty, but on the S2000 I don't see that as a huge deterrent. It's so reliable and simple that if you find a clean one (sure, easier said than done) and have an inspection done, you're most likely good to go. I bought my '02 with 47k in 2013 and sold (made a profit) at 70k 3.5yrs later having DD'd it plus 5 trackdays. In that time besides consumables (largely from tracking) I had the top patched and did the '02-03 fuel filler neck TSB for like $60. That's it. It takes a beating and asks for very little. The modest $900 profit I made covered all the maintenance and repair I did excluding tires.

Jah2000

I was actually tailgating an ND just last night on the 405 freeway(highway) around here. I was closely examining the suspension and chassis. And, I noticed, its' suspension (though, I'm sure, more compliant and softer than the S2k) hugged any large humps/bumps/jumps on the highway very very well - didn't look too soft nor too stiff - it just looked very planted without any too-stiff-bouncing nor too-soft and slow undulation.. as where, I can feel my S2k's very stiff compression and jarring suspension as I followed it. I felt my car had less traction (only for a moment) after those quick bumps/jumps/humps. The ND suspension seemed like it quickly recovered/rebounded (which soft suspension is too slow for).. actually, it seemed as though it just glided through all the bumps/jumps/humps with ease or like nothing happened (so, not really "recovered" at all) without any post-soft-unjulation. Soft cars on the freeway (sedans, vans, suvs), had a slow recovery and soft post undulation. Stiff cars on the freeway (like mine, other sports cars or modded cars), had a stiff jarr to them). The ND seemed to handle long bumps like an expensive car.

I wouldn't doubt that the ND strikes a better brew for a more usable, enjoyable and balanced chassis and suspension than the S2k (both spirited street driving and potential track mods/uses)... 30 years of Miata R&D goes a long way. S2k only has -10 years R&D at the most.

Carnut12