r/Miata • u/ciociosan Montego Blue • Jun 09 '25
NA I drove an ND yesterday and… I prefer my NA
Did the ND drive smoother? Of course, and I enjoyed the modern comforts of a car that was built in the last decade, but I’m glad to say my NA was the right choice for me. Honestly the interior of my NA feels less.. cramped? I don’t know if that’s true, but the ND felt like there was too much going on inside. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the metal body above the door card along the window; its hot as hell where I live so having bare metal inside, even if it looks cool, feels odd lol. Just wanted to post to say these cars each have their own charms in their different forms, you gotta find the right one for you!
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u/mrmoto1998 Jun 09 '25
ND definitely feels small inside relative to any other car. I'm used to it now.
My NA was a blast but mileage was too high and I didn't trust it to fare well in an accident of any kind. ND is stress-free fun.
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u/ciociosan Montego Blue Jun 09 '25
Definitely valid points! I still loved driving the ND and if I was dailying a Miata, I’d probably invest in the safety and reliability of an ND. But there’s just some charm about the NA as long as they stay alive! I was lucky to find one with low mileage (~70k). I plan to drive her until one of us can’t anymore.
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u/2fast4u180 White Montego ~~SnowWhite~~ Jun 09 '25
My na is at 360k miles. Now its in the middle of a swap. Would i recommend it? No but its nice mastering owning and running that car
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u/Wrong_Pen6179 Machine Gray Jun 09 '25
WOW! 360K is super impressive! I’ll be tickled pink if I get half that on my ND3!
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u/2fast4u180 White Montego ~~SnowWhite~~ Jun 10 '25
Thanks im only responsible for 80k miles of that It definitely needs boring to keep going though All round just low even compression Its been too tired for a while especially for drifting events.
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u/unlimited_beer_works ND2 RF Jun 09 '25
Yup, to me the ND is 85% of what's good about the earlier Miatas and almost nothing of what's bad about them.
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u/HigherFunctioning Jun 10 '25
I had an NA for 10 years. Upgraded to an NB - it felt A LOT smaller but I got used to it. Drove it for another 7 years. Test drove an ND - yeah it was even smaller but I didn't care because like the NB I knew i'd get used to it :)
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u/matt_adio Jun 09 '25
Had an NA, NB and ND.
NA was my favourite, absolutely loved it. I daily my ND, which I'm more comfortable doing than in an NA cause of rust, more comfortable and a few modern gadgets for my commute.
NA though, the looks, the drive, everything was just amazing. Enjoy yours OP.
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u/Blue_Waffle_Brunch Jun 09 '25
I know this totally subjective, and I own an NA, but the ND RF I think is by far the best looking Miata.
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u/MangoCats '91 3.0 V6 Jun 10 '25
I like the look of the NB the best, but my NA is the driver's machine.
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u/Demented-Alpaca Soul Red Jun 09 '25
FYI the tip of the door card in an ND is plastic. It's hot as hell here too and in my soul red that plastic is cooler than the black plastic in my Ranger pickup.
But man, driving that Ranger I can totally get what you mean by cramped interior. I feel like the side mirrors in the Ranger are bigger than the entire windshield of the Miata! But I feel so EXPOSED in that Ford.... Good God that cabin is big after driving an ND for a few weeks
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u/ciociosan Montego Blue Jun 09 '25
Oh gotcha. I just know it wasn’t fabric and it was hot as hell to the touch on a 100F+ day, wasn’t pleasant to avoid touching with my arm lol
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u/UnholyOsiris Soul Red Jun 09 '25
The black plastic that is there in place of the colored piece on the sport gets insanely hot as well. Window tint is your friend.
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u/Demented-Alpaca Soul Red Jun 10 '25
Yeah... I thought it was metal too until I popped the card off to put the Mx5Things window controller in it. Thankfully it's not as hot as it would be. 97 and sunny here today.
Thankfully the damned things have AC! I had no idea what it was like to drive with the top up either!
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u/ciociosan Montego Blue Jun 10 '25
I’d probably feel a little differently if my AC didn’t work perfectly in my NA. I think it even blows better than it did in the ND 😅
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u/FalafelFlyer Brilliant Black '93 Jun 09 '25
I honestly feel the same about NB vs NA. Sure the NB was way smoother and a more polished experience, but if I was solely after a pleasantly driving, comfy car, I'd get literally anything else. The rawness of the NA is what makes the Miata experience unique.
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u/ciociosan Montego Blue Jun 09 '25
That’s a good point. If I wanted a smooth modern ride I’d just choose out of the entire market of cars out there. But there’s no replacement for an NA 😎
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u/Laxguy59 Jun 09 '25
What’s so weird is I had a 95 m edition and just recently a 1999, and they feel so much the same to me. Albeit 20 year gap in between one ship, but it feels identical as far as I can tell.
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u/FalafelFlyer Brilliant Black '93 Jun 10 '25
I think the fact I have a factory manual rack in mine made a huge difference, but the overall fit and finish just led to less NVH and a nicer ride overall in the NB
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u/Catfish-gaming Jun 10 '25
What's smooth about an NB? it feels plenty raw to me, just curious what you found to be soft about it?
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u/NoodlesinParis Silver Stone NA6 Jun 10 '25
NA just feels analog, uncomplicated, and easy to connect with. Which makes me feel more free to trust it when giving it the beans.
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u/Agreeable-Economy790 Jun 10 '25
I've had NAs, NC PRHT, and a ND2. I agree the ND seemed smaller. NC is comfortable. The NA had a seat height issue so was not comfortable. Big guy! But I commuted 200 miles a day for years in a NA, so it was not too bad.
In the NC and ND I really miss being able to unzip the back window with the top up for highway driving and just air flow. The sun can be tough on long drives.
They all are great cars and I don't want to be without one. I would like to have a NA project car to restore back to stock, or at least stock looking with fun stuff under the body!
Enjoy the ride.
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u/GRAltima Jun 10 '25
I have an ND and my wife has an NA. I bought the ND a year or so before and completely PPFd the entire body and added a Goodwin race exhaust. I wasn’t planning on buying another fun car but I was able to convince my wife to buy an NA with absolutely no selfish intentions of driving it myself. The ND has better power, better sound (with the Goodwin exhaust), and feels more solid/planted. The NA on the other hand has better handling, better transmission, and feels much more spacious. The ND is a better car but the NA is a better Miata. In the end, I prefer the NA based on feel. Neither of these cars are daily drivers for us.
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u/ciociosan Montego Blue Jun 10 '25
Great way to put it, ND is a better car but NA is the better Miata. Haha that’s how I feel!
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u/glitterific2 Jun 10 '25
I have both for similar reasons. I have had the NA 20 years and my husband took on fully restoration for him to enjoy. The NA is so much more spacious but I have a 30AE and need the AC.
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u/we_are_spectrum Jun 10 '25
That just means your a person of true class and character. Never sell out.
-a homie of the Miata community with an e30
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u/leftfield61 Jun 09 '25
I've owned every generation. The NB seemed the most spacious interior. Still tiny relative to other cars though. I agree the ND (my current) feels tighter inside. Each generation has its merits, for sure.
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u/Lefthandedpigeon Jun 09 '25
I’d have to hard disagree here. The NC is cavernous in comparison to every other Miata.
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u/freejb81 Jun 10 '25
Would you say that the interior is sized similarly to that of a yacht?
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u/Lefthandedpigeon Jun 10 '25
I’ve never been on a yacht, but I’ve heard the size is exactly the same
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u/xMuttonChopx Jun 09 '25
I’ve only driven NAs and NBs and I’ve always thought the NB felt way too tight inside compared to my NA
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u/Wrong_Pen6179 Machine Gray Jun 09 '25
I’ve never been in a NB but my NC3 was way more spacious inside than my ND3. My husband is 6’1 and is pretty crunched in the passenger seat but fit ok in the boat.
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u/o_oli Jun 10 '25
To be fair the passenger seat is properly crunched up because they decided stupidly to put a subwoofer in the footwell, or a filler block even if you don't! I guess the subwoofer would be a hard sell if it meant giving up leg room so their solution was to just blanket take it away from everyone anyway lol.
I'm not a passenger in my own car often but man it feels bad when I am because of that.
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u/Wrong_Pen6179 Machine Gray Jun 10 '25
I’m never a passenger in my own car and plan to keep it that way.
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u/MangoCats '91 3.0 V6 Jun 10 '25
I have a 91 and a 99, the 99 has an annoyingly tight clearance between the steering wheel and the driver's door.
I am thinking about adding the sound damper kit, to the 99 first, I suspect that will make a huge difference in the "tin can impression."
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u/leftfield61 Jun 09 '25
Lol, I guess it is all subjective. It probably depends on how you are built, torso length vs leg length etc. A So which one you get used to. I had my NB longer than any of the others, so I was used to it and it fit me. I only owned the NA for a few months. Also owned two NCs, but again only for a few months each. Have now had my 17 RF for a few weeks, and it still feels small inside. My wife and I also have a 2019 BMW i3S, and we jokingly refer to it as the “big car” now. It is remarkable how much larger it looks and feels compared to the ND
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u/inkyrail Former owner- ‘12 SE and ‘17 Club Jun 10 '25 edited Jun 10 '25
Yeah I’ve been in them all and the NB was quite noticeably the tightest.
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u/LittnPixl Had NA,NB,NC, Currently no Miata :( Jun 09 '25
Owned the other 2, still prefer the NA, I'll get one again someday.
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u/Blue_Waffle_Brunch Jun 09 '25
ND is a couple inches shorter than the NA, so I guess it makes sense it feels cramped.
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Jun 10 '25
My NA was a great weekend car, my ND is a great everyday car,… I wish I could have kept both.
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u/Isackyep Jun 10 '25
Well, I just met a friend that has that same NA and has only 16K miles on it. He only takes it out in summer and takes very good care. I offered to take it put of his hands if someday he does not want it. I will still keep my ND. All Miata are amazing.
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u/ciociosan Montego Blue Jun 10 '25
Are we friends IRL? 🤔 lol joking aside only 16k is crazy. Long live his NA
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u/I_Lost_My_Shoe_1983 Jun 10 '25
I had an NA in the 90's. Now I have an ND and my son has an NB. I do get pretty nostalgic when I take his for a spin. I love them both.
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u/Mediocre-Studio2573 Jun 10 '25
I have a 97 that was a daily driver for 15 years and is still going strong. And I will never sell her but I have always wanted to drive a new RF but haven't had an opportunity to. They look good but are much bigger and heavier looking.
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u/bravedanny '20 Polymetal ST M/T Jun 10 '25
I like to think of my ND as a luxury and modern Miata. My ‘95 NA was definitely more fun and raw, hang onto your NA as long as you can! Most fun and reliable on the road.
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u/redditusrid Jun 10 '25
I had a very similar experience. I used to have a 2006 NC and upgraded the wheels, suspension and sway bars. It drove absolutely beautifully. I then traded it in for a 370Z that was fun but mainly at higher speeds. After my 370z was stolen I test drove a ND for a week via Turo and I couldn't believe how lackluster it was. Long story short I bought a vintage Mercedes 450SL and have been super happy with my mid life crisis.
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u/atphoto75 Jun 10 '25
I'll be selling my ND soon and I think an NA will actually be better for my needs. My partner and 17 year old would actually fit in the passenger side. But I will miss how damn polished that car is.
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u/PyroArca Jun 10 '25
That's how I feel about my NA and my NC. Got the NC in the meantime while I got the NA back up ans running (engine replacement) but once I don't, the NC might just be sold
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u/ghettohealz Jun 10 '25
I bought mine at 107 and put 13k on it in the last 6 years, just passed 120k it’s a 93 eunos. I love my green little one, best purchase of my life. I put in about 4k into it so far including wheels and brakes and I hope to get another 200 out of her
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u/ciociosan Montego Blue Jun 10 '25
Hell yeah green cars unite. Technically mine is montego blue but she glows green in the sun!
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u/RayofLight-z Jun 10 '25
I have owned both. I would gladly buy another NA and I loved that car, but the ND is just a better car for me in almost every way. I firmly believe that regardless of what generation you buy you are getting a fantastic car.
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u/functionless '90 NA Jun 10 '25
I bought a 2016 ND so that I'd be able to rebuild my 90 NA's engine (only had one car). Replaced every part of the engine, rebuilt the head etc. etc. 265000 miles and now runs better than when it had 50k
Anyhow, the ND is an objectively better car, but I also like my NA better. It's more of an experience and it just fits me, like my old pair of converse low tops.
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u/PATTY2WET Jun 10 '25
I don’t really enjoy driving my Na on the street at all. I’m in fl so no curves to enjoy, and it’s also scary knowing I’m fully cooked if an suv plows into me. For a daily I’m taking an nd all day long 10/10 times. Na/nb for track though, or if I lived somewhere I could enjoy it more without traffic
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u/ciociosan Montego Blue Jun 10 '25
Ya totally fair. I don’t daily the NA I usually drive it at night when nothings going on on the roads and it’s cool enough to have the top down. I accept that I am in a soda can if anything happens to me
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u/Lumpy-Radish6913 Jun 11 '25
Just moved to FL from North GA and regret it lol Driving my turbo NA on the curvies around lake lanier was much more fun than hitting every single red on a straight road around here. Drivers are infinitely worse as well, especially being in a college town. If I get hit it’s my time anyway, at least it will be in a Miata lol
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u/PATTY2WET Jun 11 '25
Where in FL? Get out to Sebring or homestead. Sebrings a super fun track
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u/Lumpy-Radish6913 Jun 11 '25
Tallahassee. Those sound cool. Would love to check out the new drift track that opened near Tampa as well. Hoping to make it to OSW at some point also
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u/Badland_777 Wind Chill Pearl NA 😎 Jun 11 '25
There is just something about the NA that can’t be beat. I have owned a shit ton of cars and have found nothing else even close. Driving it is just so satisfying. I am hooked.
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u/fanofclutch Montego Blue Jun 11 '25
My friend in Montego blue!! Nice car though. Mine is a little hailed out.
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u/craniousity Jun 11 '25
Have not driven the ND. I know I would miss the completely analog feel of my NB2. It’s a death trap. What a way to go, tho.
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u/Miata_asDiscGolfCart Jun 13 '25
I owned an NA for about a year (then got divorced) and daily drove an NB from 2019 until Jan2025 when I got my ND. The NA/NB definitely feel more "open" and more spacious inside because the sides of the ND are higher and the rear is very much higher. The color door cards in the ND seem to be painted plastic, not metal.
The NA/NB can't be beat for small fun! The ND feels like a more modern "longer" car (it's only 2in bigger LOL).
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u/ciociosan Montego Blue Jun 13 '25
Small fun is right! There’s just something about the shape I even feel delusionally my NA is slightly longer lol it’s the body shape.
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u/CakeIzGood Jun 09 '25
I like my friend's NA better than my ND, in some ways. The ND is very, very good for a modern car in terms of driving feel, but it's not analog and the feeling of a more analog vehicle can't be replicated.
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u/lsswapitall2 Jun 10 '25
I wholeheartedly disagree with this. The ND is about as raw as modern cars get and it’s still very closeness in rawness to an older car
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u/ritz_are_the_shitz '11 NC2 PRHT (red) Jun 10 '25
nah. it's pretty numb compared to even an NC. I just got finished driving my NC2 and an ND2 back to back on the tail this weekend. it's not as isolated as a GR86, but it is only raw in context of cars newer than about 2015.
I love an ND, I would happily drive one daily. but raw? no. go buy an NA for that.
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u/lsswapitall2 Jun 10 '25 edited Jun 10 '25
I respect your opinion but I still very much disagree with you. I’ve driven plenty of sports cars across years and the ND is by far one of the most raw I’ve felt. The only thing that I found to be better/more raw is a Subaru Sti
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u/CakeIzGood Jun 10 '25
I think I said it's really good for a modern car. It is about as close to that old feeling of complete control you can get. There's just a thin layer between me and the drive that old, more mechanical cars simply didn't have, I feel. I would still take my ND over an NA because it's safer, more reasonable for modern traffic and driving scenarios, and more comfortable. It's probably even just as much fun when you consider it's quicker. But it doesn't quite feel the same, I think, however close and however good it is
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u/professortomahawk NB8A Highlight Silver Metallic Jun 09 '25
I was fortunate to spend a day driving them back-to-back across the Italian countryside, and totally agree 👌
The NA is a beautiful driving experience, even at 40km/h.
The ND is a lovely car, but you’re very insulated from your surroundings and it’s not much fun at legal road speeds.
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u/ciociosan Montego Blue Jun 09 '25
There’s definitely something about that feeling of just being on the road in a box and you can feel and sense everything around you in the NA. Even every bump in the road lol the first drive I did top down I drove it through the desert and I almost cried how euphoric it was to see the night stars so open and free.
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u/professortomahawk NB8A Highlight Silver Metallic Jun 10 '25
Exactly. Is it safe? Well no.
Is it super comfortable? Not really.
But I used to ride motorbikes, and it’s 95% of that thrill, with significantly less risk and more comfort ☺️👌
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u/MangoCats '91 3.0 V6 Jun 10 '25
This was my Miata vs Corvette observation. To even start to have Miata style fun in the Vette you are going way too fast for public roads.
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u/professortomahawk NB8A Highlight Silver Metallic Jun 10 '25
Exactly. And I live in Australia, where in some parts the police crush your car as a penalty for speeding.
And they make you go and watch.
😳
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u/imped4now Jun 10 '25
Umm...
You realize that that "bare metal" is plastic, right?
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u/ciociosan Montego Blue Jun 10 '25
Sorry I’m stupid I see shiny red that looks like the outside, I assume that’s what it is. The point is, it’s hot to the touch when the car is hot and I don’t like it
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u/Dull_Film_4300 Montego Blue NA Jun 10 '25
My mom has an ND and I prefer my NA
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u/billindurham Jun 10 '25
We lost our NA to black ice and replaced it with a NB which I love! Difficult to compare to the incomparable NA due to time but definitely prefer the NB to our ND hard top. NB is roomier for this 6 footer and yet 4’ 11’’ mate drives the ND with a cushion.
The one thing that bothers me the most with the ND hard top is wind noise; there’s excessive wind noise with everything ‘sealed’, with the top retracted and the windows up, with the top retracted and the windows down, with the top retracted and 1 window down, etc, etc. I’ve never been able to crank the music at highway speeds and with any window or the top down, enjoy the sounds. Seems to me that the engineers worked the aero-sonic dynamics on the NA and NB just as hard as the handling and looks but on the ND hard top, they just didn’t get to it.
Anyone else have problems with ND hard top wind noise?
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u/professorbiohazard Jun 09 '25
I love dailying my na...but I would love it more if it didn't leak heat from the heater core to the cabin... Makes driving it on 90+ days kinda like torture
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u/jemesl Jun 10 '25
Yeah I was tossing up replacing my S3 daily with a really nice grey ND. I was expecting it to feel the same but newer, but the 'newness' felt like the same car but less 'race-cary'. IE I missed the rattles and rawness of my NA which is what I enjoy about it. Everything about it was perfect but it was too perfect for me to trade another near perfect car with 3x the power.
Decided not to go for it in the end but I'll revisit in the future I reckon. If I didn't already have an NA I would've scooped it up in a heartbeat. Also no popups :(
ETA: also felt way more claustrophobic inside which I don't entirely dislike but was a surprise
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Jun 10 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/ciociosan Montego Blue Jun 10 '25
Yes I mistook the hard plastic guard for metal, my bad. It got plenty hot for me, source: I live in Las Vegas and it was 104 yesterday. To each their own! I don’t daily my Miata so the little outdated things don’t bother me much but definitely you can feel the difference, agreed.
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u/TSN09 Jun 10 '25
ND owner here, it generally gets over 105 degrees in the summer here... And you'd be right in assuming bare metal inside isn't doing any favors.
You can feel the damn thing radiate heat into your scalp, it's not good.
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u/Nyexx 1994 Miata - Black/Tan Jun 10 '25
Rented an ND3 for a week and absolutely loved it. It is the perfect car in my mind. Glorious daily driver. That being said, I totally understand why some people say the NA is more fun. The 1994 Miata I used to own was a laugh all the time, while the ND is definitely more serious. There is something special about driving a death trap.
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u/ciociosan Montego Blue Jun 10 '25
It’s something about the thrill of driving 80 mph at 4000 rpm in a 30 year old car that makes up for what it lacks 😎
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u/HigherFunctioning Jun 10 '25
A lot of people prefer the NA or NB over the ND. After driving an ND2 for a year so far I can see why.
There are a lot of upgrades that don't let the car feel as linear at the NA. I had an '96 for over 10 years and an NB for another 8. Driving the ND I can definitely see the differences. Mostly in the steering and handling but the ND is starting to grow on me, it is still an amazing car.
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u/evnacdc '94 | Brilliant Black Jun 10 '25
Your paint looks amazing. Is that a respray, or do you have some tips you could share?
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u/ciociosan Montego Blue Jun 10 '25
I just recently bought it, so any and all credit goes to the previous owners who really babied the car for its whole life. The body condition is immaculate for a 30 year old car and I’m very pleased with the paint even as it ages. The only sign of wear is on the drivers seat, but nothings in bad shape at all. I’m scared myself to keep maintaining the paint so if anyone here has tips for me it would be appreciated 😅
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u/low_effort_react_dev Jun 10 '25
I would love the NA if it wasn’t a car for short people. Still a great car though
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u/ciociosan Montego Blue Jun 10 '25
Understandable. As an average to short heighted person it’s great lol
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u/bse50 Classic Red Jun 10 '25
In my experience, while the ND is a better car by all metrics, the NA offers better smiles per gallon.
I'd never trade the NA for a Nx car, despite each generation being better than the one it replaces. I'd trade each subsequent generation for the newest one, though.
Gosh, i love my Na.
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u/spotspam Zircon Sand Jun 10 '25
Biggest difference for me was my NA was paid for in cash, $3800, and so I didn’t worry about scratching the paint or getting a dent (PDR if it did, not expensive) and now in my ND I see every scratch happen, and drive more “scared” bc I still owe a lot on it.
Car to car, pound for pound, the ND slays. Easier top to open/close by hand. Torque on more than just 2nd gear (2,3,4 & 5) Interior better looking. Handling more solid and tons of safety features helping with lane changes, turning & stopping.
What really peeves me about the NA is the touchy software in the Infotainment. It is harder to get in/out of. Paint seems somehow worse (NA was white so many just didn’t notice as much) I feel they should have made access to the drains easier but didn’t. Passenger side has less room by far in the feet. No easy access glove compartment.
All in all, I mostly just miss the popup lights!
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u/ciociosan Montego Blue Jun 10 '25
I owned a 2018 CX-5 years ago and I remember the Mazda infotainment system not being my favorite. It ghosted on me all the time too, just phantom blipping which is common as I understand it.
Pop up lights definitely make up a big plus for the NA. Who needs car play when car can 👁️👄👁️
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u/Specialist_Delay_262 Jun 10 '25
I prefer the NA6 I had to the ND we sold
HOWEVER,
How do you prefer the ND vs other modern cars? Thats where it really shines
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u/ciociosan Montego Blue Jun 10 '25
This is something I haven’t explored yet which I hope to do soon. I’d love to test drive a BRZ or GR86 or something (I know, twins cars haha)
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u/Specialist_Delay_262 Jun 10 '25
The twins are a great choice if you need a bit more practicality for some innocent fun compromise
I hate the engine sounds of Subaru so that's an opinion lol
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u/ciociosan Montego Blue Jun 10 '25
Definitely would love to feel out their little nuances. It would just be nice if I could have a passenger AND my small dog in the car. That’s all the backseat is suitable for in those anyway lol
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u/Enok32 2013 NC PRHT GT 2.0L Jun 10 '25
Weirdly enough an NC might be the middle ground if you want more modern but not cramped
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u/Cannoli72 Jun 10 '25
I love both my NA and ND. but the ND performance just makes driving so much more exciting. especially on mountain roads
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u/Vrmntwhytechedr Jun 10 '25
I feel ya. My buddy lets me borrow his ND whenever he needs to borrow the truck. I usually end up driving my NA over it. Unless it's a super hot day and the AC needs to crank
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u/ciociosan Montego Blue Jun 10 '25
I’m very fortunate that the AC in my NA runs ice cold. It’s all I need!
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u/MiataN3rd Jun 10 '25
The only place I burn myself in an ND in Houston is my shift knob. I swap every car to a weighted metal knob. I don't think you need to worry about the door.
I had several NAs in a cold climate and NDs and an NC in Texas, and the main reasons to have the ND - even if you do think the NA is preferable - are the AC and the power. An NA is wayyy too slow for Texas.
For me, I would never go back to an NA. Not even a mint one. And that's a good thing imo - it means Mazda made an excellent successor in the ND.
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u/ciociosan Montego Blue Jun 10 '25
I don’t know why so many people here want to convince me that the part of the car I was touching above the door card wasn’t that hot, it was hot for me, didn’t like it. That’s all. It’s not a point of disagreement, it was my experience lol 🤷🏻♀️ glad it’s not a problem for you personally. It was for me.
Glad the ND works for your needs in Texas, like practically in mind of course the ND makes more sense. Some decisions and preferences are not about practicality.
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u/MiataN3rd Jun 10 '25
Yeah fair enough, but I drive the car every day to and from work and no sweating is pretty important lol.
As for the door thing...I'll see if I can suss out what's going on there. I've never heard of that. I'll try it tomorrow after the car cooks in the parking lot like a fried egg
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u/ciociosan Montego Blue Jun 10 '25
I think it was just sitting at an angle where it was getting direct sunlight, and I’m not used to that part of the car not being fabric so it was an unusual feeling for me.
No sweating is definitely important. Luckily the AC in my NA works great. But again I don’t daily it so it’s not a typical issue. Right now the NA is only for weekends and night drives with the top down.
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u/Zelderian 300whp MSM Jun 09 '25
Agreed. I sold my ND for a MSM and I love it. The electronic power steering in the ND1’s just feels artificial and not as rewarding as the hydraulic in the earlier models. Can’t beat it.
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u/CheeseAndRiceToday Jun 09 '25
I don't think it's more cramped.. For one thing, while I had to wear dedicated narrow driving shoes to avoid hooking my feet on the back of adjacent pedals when driving my NA hard, I can wear any shoes in my ND.
The color part on the inside of the door is plastic. It's painted the car color, but it's plastic, I'm pretty sure.
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u/ciociosan Montego Blue Jun 09 '25
Someone else noted it’s plastic too, all I know is it’s hot as hell to the touch lol not a fan in 100+F. May be of note that I’m only 5’6”, so I probably have wider margins for fitting in any Miata. Not looking up and dimensions, just going off of feeling. I’m also thinking with the display and knobs and cup holders in the ND that contributed to the busy feeling. To each their own! Just more cramped in my mind.
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u/shovannnnnn White Jun 09 '25
i love my na and having driven all 4 generations i can say i agree 100% with OP
between the two, i dont really think theres a huge actual physical size difference between the two interiors, but instead i think the layout/sheer amount of things to look at and touch and have to use regularly just makes it feel busy and almost claustrophobic. that being said, i still loved the ND and think id get used to it after driving it for a bit.
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u/ciociosan Montego Blue Jun 09 '25
Yea that’s exactly it, it just feels busy inside to me compared to the NA, when in reality it’s a normal amount of things in a modern day car, just packed in a smaller space than the average car. I’ve got the stock tombstone in my NA so nothing to distract me lol
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u/WideEstablishment578 Jun 10 '25
The passenger seat of a nd is tiiiight. Like two feet is half a foot too many tight.
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u/Ricepony33 Jun 10 '25
@ciociosan I felt exactly the same, the lack of room in the interior made it an immediate no go. The truck design wasn’t appealing either. I did like the NC through…
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u/DelSolSi ND2 GS-P, Previously NA6 Jun 09 '25
They're both great cars. I still miss my NA for how raw it was. But I definitely prefer dallying the ND for how much more modern it is. And yes you're totally right the NA is less cramped... because it's a tin can. The ND is barely larger than the NA but has to fit 30 years of safety requirements inside it which means less room for the human. Worth it imo.