I don't quite understand what you are saying? It is bad to drive with the windows down? or would it be bad to drive w/ the back window out due to the exhaust fumes?

 

In station wagons and most SUVs, it's a bad idea because the aerodynamics of the trailing wake can tend to put exhaust into the cabin at certain speeds -- this has to do with the (sort of) squared-off rear end and the turbulent flow that sets up back there.

I doubt that the aerodynamics of the S would do this. For one thing, if they did with the top up, there would be some small tendency for this to happen with the top down, too. I'm betting that Honda did lots of wind tunnel tests with the body of the S to see how the flow behaves, both with top up and down. HPH

 

There is a guy at work that doesn't take care of his MY00 worth a damn. His back window just half hangs there, so he is doing it. You could reach your arm right through the window as only 1/2 of is there. I can ask him how he likes if you like...

 

Most likely because many of those miatas have damaged windows or ones that have never been looked after. If the owner is too lazy to do the upkeep, he/she is probably too cheap to get it fixed, so just leave it down.
I can see years from now, early model S2000's in the same "rear windowless mode".

 

i like it a lot. i went for a ride last night, and it was a little cold for shorts/tshirt and top down, so i had windows down, no back window; it was nice.
-Chris

 

I've seen an S owner that unzipped his plenty of times with no problem. Don't know how long it will hold up, but who ever heard of a disposable zipper anyway? I'm sure he'll be fine for a while.

BTW, on the exhaust gas mention, I use to have a Jeep Wrangler and when I unzipped the back window and drove around without it I could really smell the exhaust fumes coming in from the back.

 

It's a non-oem top replacement? Is it the one www.cabrioworld.com sells? That comes in various colors? Care to give a review of this aftermarket top? How was the installed?