2001 Mazda Miata SE

I always thought the Miata was sort of cute, but until 2001 I had only ridden in one back in high school and didn't really remember it--I wasn't impressed then because I was in my Big Truck phase. But in February of 2001 I saw a Miata at a track day at Texas World Speedway. It was the 10th anniversary edition, in a wonderful dark blue with a blue and black interior. It was so cute! And looked like a blast to drive. Chris and I went straight to the Mazda dealer in town that day and drove a Miata. It was a lot of fun, so we looked around their lot to see what options there were. In the back of the lot where the newly arrived cars are, we found a green one with a tan top. It was the 2001 Special Edition model. It had wood accents on the dash, a wood steering wheel, shift knob and brake handle. It was a beautiful little car. It was also stickered at 26,000$, a little out of my price range at the time. But I didn't forget about it.

I sold my motorcycle that summer, and suddenly buying a car wasn't so out of reach. I really wanted a Miata. I decided that I should be fair to myself and test drive everything I might be interested in to make sure the Miata was what I really wanted. I test drove a Mercury Cougar, a Mitsubishi Eclipse, and 7 Mazda Miatas.

After a lot of hassle and wrangling I bought my Miata (and NOT at the local dealer) in September of 2001. It's been a great little car so far, although I'm not very impressed with the fit and finish. I understand that convertibles will be noisy, but I don't think the dash and speakers rattles are caused by the soft top. The paint is very thin, but the color is wonderful and nothing beats this car for pure fun. I love that the top goes down in about 2 seconds, and after installing a strap, I can raise the roof from inside too (tall people can without the strap--I just didn't have the leverage). It steers like a go cart, which is quite a shock when I get into a normal car and try to park, especially if it's a Land Rover.

Update

I traded in the Miata on July 14, 2003. I think I will miss the steering wheel the most; it was perfect. I'll also miss the quick steering and amazing handling, but I won't miss the local dealership, the shifting problems or the high speed sqeals from the top.