MX-5 Vs. Crossfire
It’s been 2 months since I purchased the MX-5 PRHT GT and I thought it would be appropriate to give my opinion on the two 2-seater cars in my life. I’ve broken it down into a few categories to make it an easier read.

Exterior
Funny thing, even though the Crossfire is a rarer car I get more comments/stoplight conversations with the Mazda. Of course no one asks me “what is it?” Instead I get the conversations concerning previous convertibles/t-top cars they’ve had over the years. Also it’s mainly men who stop to talk to me… Personally though, I’ve had an opportunity to go out for a group ride with the Miata club and Alabama Crossfire Club. When we’re all at a stop light I still find myself admiring other peoples Crossfires. I don’t seem to care about/ notice the Mazdas I’m with. Of course looks are subjective and everyone has a different opinion.

Interior
I prefer the seats in the Crossfire, it’s got the alacantra inserts and bigger bolsters which prevent me from sliding about. I also like the way the automatic shift lever fits in my hand. The pro’s on the mazda have to be the steering wheel. It has the paddle shifters and radio controls built in plus it’s doesn’t look like it came out of a larger car. Only real complaint is long road trips. I much rather be in the Crossfire than the MX-5. I think a lot of the comes from the Crossfire being a GT car and the MX-5 isn’t. Oh one other thing, the infiniti sound system in the Crossfire wins hands down. The MX-5’s Bose system is lacking hi’s and low’s.

Performance
I’m going to get a lashing from my Crossfire friends but I think the 167hp MX-5 would beat the 215 hp Limited Crossfire on the Dragon. It seems much quicker from not than the Crossfire, and it just feels more nimble. One thing you have to realize though is that the MX-5 doesn’t come equipped with the nanny systems the Crossfire has. You can actually feel what the rear end is doing. Of course I’m not really comparing the MX-5 to a limited though, I’m comparing it to my SRT-6. The SRT-6 still feels heavier, but once you step on the gas pedal you’re gone. Personally I drive slower in the MX-5. I was thinking about it yesterday while driving the SRT down the interstate at 120 and someone stepped out in front of me. I didn’t really care, because I try to anticipate what may happen so I just came off the throttle and let it coast back down to a reasonable 80, waited on the car to get out of my way and was quickly back to 120. You’re probably asking yourself why am I telling you about this. Well when the rare occasion comes that I toy around with another car on the road and we’re travelling at 90 (not 120) and someone steps out in front of us I never go back to 90mph. It just seems like too much work to get back to that speed.

So what am I saying?
Well the Crossfire is a great GT car. I personally prefer the styling of it over the MX-5, but the Mazda is a fantastic car for tooling around in your own city/mountain drives. That is if you’re friends don’t put a rainbow decal on your rear bumper…

BTW this week I’ve been driving the Crossfire because the Miata has been in the garage getting a full detail. It’s done now, but I didn’t want to drive it in the rain today after a dawn wash, Clay bar, another wash, two coats of NXT, and one coat of Ice. So here’s a garage photo instead


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Why on earth would Steve and I do a thing like that?

 

No idea, but I always have to keep an eye on Steve LOL

 

LOL.

Seriously though, great article. I'd race you in the MX-5, but I'm not stock

 

I'd move the car before playing darts. They'd make a mess of that nice shiney hood.

 

The rainbow bumper sticker is why more males stop to talk. It's a club thing...

Do you dance?

 

Depends? are you asking if I want to dance?
LOLOLOLOL

 

Yes ... I was seriously looking at the MX5 PRHT, but at my age I had a hard time getting out of the car. The back door pillar ( don't know the exact term), the one where the handle is, was too sloped toward the front or the car for me to get my hand down and get help/leverage to get out. Also, with the options I wanted, the price was about 35K out the door with taxes, title and fees. So ... my decision was for the SRT roadster with 17K miles at 2/3rds of the cost. Really liked the MX5, but thats the way life comes at one. Have fun and drive safe ......

EDIT BTW whats the big orange thingy ..... looks like a giant boob

 

It's the reflection of the light bulb in the paint

 

LOL! I thought it was an illuminated navel! Look on the sides and you can see the tiny wasp waist of a very pretty girl!

Nice write up though. Like owners conclusions. Two totally different cars, but each having high and low points of their own character.

 

I have a 1994 Mazda Miata along with my Crossfire. I drive my Crossfire a lot more and only take the Miata out for summer. I like both the cars equally. The Miata is a lot of fun on curvy roads and occasionally gets auto crossed. The reason why I like them equally is because the Miata has a lot of modding potential compared to the Crossfire and the Miata most definitely feels better in the corners. As far as looks I like the Crossfire better because it's a lot more rare and very unique. Good to see another Miata/ MX-5 owner out there.

 

Your MX/5 is a very nice car. A real beauty. Congrats. I looked at some before I bought my xfire and like a previous poster stated, getting in and out with older legs can be a bit of a challenge. Both seem equally claustrophobic when the top is up to me.

Of course if you want claustrophobic, check out a Honda S2000. I needed a bloody shoe horn to get into that.

 

Nice write up Nick. Did you see the series on that Stacy guys garage show where they had a kit to swap out a Ford V8 motor in the MX 5. The kit had suspension up grades, frame reinforcing, bigger brakes everything you need turn key. You Steve and John could knock it out in a few weekends. The results were awsome!

 

The summer car of my girlfriend is a MX5 2006 6 speed auto. I'm not confortable to drove it, when I do it I feel like a girly.

But.. I think that the MX5 got a incredible steering response.

 

theres a place in east tn. (tri cities) that shoehorns a ls3 engine in the miata. with reinforcements and turnkey its only about 50k!! maybe rudy can stuff a 5.5 into the little fella!

 

You say you like the looks of the X-Fire better because it is more rare? Yugos are rare but they certainly aren't good looking.
I have to assume your mistaken on which car turns more heads or gets more questions asked.
The only thing I would agree on is it is usually guys that come up to the window. I have to believe they are thinking they are approaching the window of a female in the Miata. Sorry but but it is NO question the Miata is a chick car (unless in full race attire) and even at that it is a "when I grow up I'm goin to be a real race car.
It's America and everyone has an opinion,
Hell you like Miatas I like Cher...
Mike

 

I'm struggling to find the source of how you deduced that statement.

 

"Lashing" isn't really my style, so you're safe there. I'm also a former Miata owner and I happen to love those cars, so there's no anti-Miata sentiments here either. From first hand experience I can tell you that I respectfully disagree with this. Last time I had my 6M Limited Crossfire on track I hunted down and passed a pair of Spec Miata racers - R compound tires, weight reduction, the whole nine yards. And they were both driven by guys who actually race, something I've never really done. No, they were not the current NC Miatas, which yours is, but rather the NB series. Still, they were full on Spec Miata racers, and once I figured out how to stay close with them in the twisties (I freely admit these boys schooled me pretty good - race experience versus never even having been on this track before) I easily walked away from them on the long straight. But ultimately, the only way I was going to pull them on that straight was to figure out how to stay on their tails in the tight stuff. I can only figure that if my bone stock Limited could do that, it should have no trouble against a bone stock MX-5.

There is no doubt, however, that the MX-5 feels more nimble and more tossable than the Crossfire, I'll certainly give you that.

 

It is a nice looking car.

 

Yeah go Google "Monster Miata" > hehehe