Hey all. Im looking to purchase a car within 10-14k range. My choices are stuck between 2006+ miata and 2003+ g35. Im trying to gather as many opinions and info as i can before i buy. I have a few months yet. I currently drive an integra lowered on coils, and i used to drive a grand prix gtp, and before that also an integra. I am limited to automatics due to a disability, so dont mention manuals because its pointless.

Im looking for a car that has performance and decent auto trannies within 10-14k so ive landed on miata nc (6sp rwd roadster) and the g35 (5sp rwd semi gt). The thing is, with the miata, i love it and all, but its too slow for my liking and when i buy it id need to mod it up quite a bit and itll probably cost well over 1 grand including springs and shocks, sway bars (stock suspension is garbage), full exhaust, tune, maybe throw in a sc/tc system. Thats a lot. Im not really one for going all out in modding, i like to just have a nice package from factory. Id have an M3 if i didnt care about reliability.

The g35 on the other hand, sucks because its quite quite heavy. Also the people who ive talked to that own miatas say that you know they eat tires and it gets expensive and the gas is horrible etc. Also it will have to be older and will probably have more miles [g35]. However, the g35 will have a nice exhaust stock, better suspension stock, much more power stock (low 14s compared to low 15's), and has backseats and bigger trunk (dont really care though).

What I look for is fun and respectability. Rwd is a lot more fun than fwd off the bat. Id like to do fun things like you know burn outs, high way cruises with a bunch of people, some drifts or fishtaling for kicks, good handling (reason i bought the teg), speed, reliability. I can understand the gas mileage of the G35. It is pretty crappy, i used to get 14-16 city with my grand prix (i drive a lot of city) and it sucked going 1 mile and getting **** mpg to fill up with premium. But that car was a boat, a lot of things broke on it (wheel hubs, control arms, traction control, abs, power steering was messed up, clunked when i put it in reverse, clunked when i went over bumps) so maybe the joy of driving a G35 would offset the cost unlike the gtp.

Anyone with experience with the newer miatas or automatic G35's id love any type of input. The most id do to the g35 is probably get some tein s tech springs i think, i saw a picture of them and they lowered perfect amount. Also maybe an intake or w/e, nothing major. So lets argue

 

I love my G, but if you can afford insurance and are going more for sporty why not a Z? much lighter and more performance oriented. as far as modding the G doesn't really pick up much powere without FI or really serious NA mods. so keep that in mind too. Honestly the cars are too different to compare if you want light and maneuverable get the miata but if you like straight line acceleration buy the G and save up 5k for a supercharger kit.

 

if the g has cheaper insurance id rather go for it. also less likely to be driven hard, already fast enough, and looks better.

 

The miata is probably much more reliable. Do some research on this site about the common problems with the G.

But as far as auto's go, at least theres a TransGo kit for the G

 

This cars are completely different. Not even on the same catagory. As far as realibility the VQ is as good as they come. The big problem with the G is that it is a luxury or luxury entry level therefor higher maintamnance.. Not for the faint of hart... You have to pay play kids..

 

But would paying like 6k+ to modify an 11k miata be worth it in the end over the maintenance of the G35? And none of the maint seems to be too bad. Mainly just seat motors, maybe oil consumption, and window motors. The GTP required a lot of maint. I know "pay to play"...

 

Well, you don't have to worry about the oil consumption since your going to be auto. Unless i heard wrong. If you want to save money, there is nothing w/ 2nd hand parts. I have done that and everything still runs good.

 

Yeah. Like most common problems that the G has my integra has. Seat belt not retracting, squeaks and rattles, yada yada. Most of those little things you live with/dont matter. Window motors are the only thing that really seem to be recurring and actually an annoyance, which i imagine i can deal with hopefully. I put the windows down every day though, but apparently they last long if you dont use the auto up down function.

But yeah the thing is is that with the miata id probably end up turboing it or at least spending 2k on it anyways. Like i said the G id just get maybe springs and intake and thats it.

It would be nice to hear from anyone whos driven both miata nc and the G to see how they compare them.

 

G35, all day over a the Miata. Miata's do nothing for me personally, although I've heard the Mazdasport turbo one is a very fun car. Miatas are just such a non-practical car and comparing it to a G35 is an apples-to-oranges comparison.

If you want something that handles good at the expense of luxury, I'd go a bit more extreme and try to find a used Lancer EVO or WRX. If you have deeper pockets, consider an S2000.

 

Well like i mentioned in my first section i cannot drive manuals. So no s2k. And finding an evo or sti in automatic is probably going to be a 5 year long search. Not only that but i also havent heard anything good about buying those cars used. The miata has a big enough storage capacity for me to disregard the whole practicality deal, I hardly ever haul stuff and the other car in my garage is an awd 2008 crv.

And yeah its apples to oranges thats why im asking for a bunch of opinions and comparisons and what certain things people like about the g that maybe the miata doesnt have or vice versa.

 

Well, the Miata won't get you any respect so that settles that lol.

In all seriousness though, I love driving the G. It's a great car and wouldn't have gone for any other car. Mods are mods no matter what car, you're going to have to shell out cash to get the car where you want. Most common problems in the G are small things, like door lock actuators, window motors, and head unit. The motor itself and tranny are solid pieces of equipment. Automatic models don't have the oil consumption issue that the manual ("revup") models have. Tires won't be eaten away if you don't drive like a manic (ie. burnouts, obviously).

Plus with the G you get two extra seats in the back and a comfortable cabin. A nicely done G will turn heads everywhere. A Miata is just a Miata. My 2 cents.

 

Plus built quality that the miata doesn't have.... Just my .2 I worked on a few miatas they are just crapy little cars..

 

G35 vs Miata???

 

I dont think youve worked on the miata nc then. Stiff as hell with excellent build quality, unlike older models.

And yeah, the miata isnt that respectable. But i feel like it would be when it zooms passed you and you hear a bov haha. Or when you cant keep up with it during backroads etc... its fun though. 2500 pounds. Quite a bit lighter than a g35....

But yeah my integra has locking problems and my old one did too. My current one does lock however, my old ones driver didnt lock for a long time until i greased all the locking mechanisms. Right now, if i unlock my doors, my passenger makes a machine gun sound cause it repeat unlocks like 10 times. Its funny, but i could grease it to fix but idc. My seat creaks, passenger seat belt high pitch squeaks. Head unit rattles. Yada yada. All cars have their issues.

But yeah the strong point of the G35 is its already more of what i want than the miata, its just sooooo damn heavy.... ive only test driven a sedan. Is the coupe much different?