Test drove a 10AE last night (first miata drive ever) [Archive] (2024)

Tachikoma

10th August 2004, 13:17

Wow, I was very impressed. Firstly, impressed that I could fit in it. I'm 6'1" so I was a little concerned. Secondly, I was very impressed by how easy it was to shift. The clutch was light and simple, and the shifting was short and sweet. Keep in mind, I drive a 1994 Mitsu 3000GT right now, haha so the difference was astronomical. I really loved the 6spd tranny.

The bose sound system is wonderful, I was able to listen to music fine with the top down, something I was also worried about.

Well, suffice to say, I fell in love. Sadly however, I need to sell my 3000GT first, which shouldn't be to difficult.

About pricing, the 10AE I drove had only 23,000 miles on it, which was quite impressive. With that mileage it bluebooks here in Sacramento, CA for around ~$17,000, the dealer was asking $15,500 for it. I can probably get him to sell it to me for a little less, but I'm not sure :/ What do you guys think?

Jumpem

10th August 2004, 13:21

Tachikoma

10th August 2004, 13:28

Originally posted by Jumpem:
That price is rediculously high. I got my 03 Sport for $16,900. You can go get a new MSM for $21k or so. Here in California prices are higher. It blubooks for $17,000, like I said. So he's already selling it $2,000 below bluebook, which honestly, isn't that bad.

My 1994 3000GT still bluebooks for $8,000...

I've looked at the MSM and haven't found a single one out here below $25,000

chuckerants

10th August 2004, 13:57

Forget the Blue Book. Unless you REALLY have to have the 10AE, it ain't worth it.

I was offered a 10AE this Spring for $11,000 from a private party.

Dr. How?

10th August 2004, 14:05

great car, what about having the crank end play tested, this is a low mileage car!

price is high, sure it is a 10th se but that ain't worth thousands more...this car is really going for less money, if you want it and it sounds good to you then try a lower bid than asking, keeping in mind the general rule that a dealer has at least a 25% markup from what he is asking.

forget blue book.

Tachikoma

10th August 2004, 14:05

Originally posted by chuckerants:
Forget the Blue Book. Unless you REALLY have to have the 10AE, it ain't worth it.

I was offered a 10AE this Spring for $11,000 from a private party. Well what's a comparable model? I really loved all the features of the 10AE.

Keep in mind, I eventually plan on putting a Flyin Miata turbo (the FM1) in it, but not very soon. The strut bars, gauges, colored leather, and everything about it was quite sleek. Are there any other comparable models to the 10AE? I suppose I'll keep my eye open over the course of the next few weeks since I'm trying to sell my 3KGT anyways...

How do you judge pricing if you ignore bluebook... :\

John-10AE

10th August 2004, 14:18

I just bought a 10AE in Michigan. Final price was $13,000. The car is in mint condition, with 46,000 miles and lots of extras. Based on what they're (Miatas in general) going for in this area, I think it is a fair price.

I also looked at a 2002 SE with 12,000 miles at a dealer. Asking price was $19,995, but the salesman came down to $17800 without any bargaining at all. I think I could have gotten it for about $16,500 with a little effort.

Flighttester

10th August 2004, 14:50

I paid about that for a showroom new '00SE with 4,400 miles on it a couple three months ago.

It too has the 6-speed and Torsen axle. Wouldn't want it any other way. ;)

I think I got pretty a fair deal and I ain't complaining about what it cost.

These little buggers are not commanding the same price all over the country, so look at where the person is coming from when a price or comment is posted. When I was considering that car or a new one, I couldn't match some of the prices quoted here either.

I came from an old '87 RX-7 Turbo II which has served me well and I dearly loved, and I've since discovered that the MX-5/Miata isn't quite in the same league for long drives, but it is still great fun if it meets your needs.

Rich :cool:

Originally posted by Tachikoma:
Wow, I was very impressed. Firstly, impressed that I could fit in it. I'm 6'1" so I was a little concerned. Secondly, I was very impressed by how easy it was to shift. The clutch was light and simple, and the shifting was short and sweet. Keep in mind, I drive a 1994 Mitsu 3000GT right now, haha so the difference was astronomical. I really loved the 6spd tranny.

The bose sound system is wonderful, I was able to listen to music fine with the top down, something I was also worried about.

Well, suffice to say, I fell in love. Sadly however, I need to sell my 3000GT first, which shouldn't be to difficult.

About pricing, the 10AE I drove had only 23,000 miles on it, which was quite impressive. With that mileage it bluebooks here in Sacramento, CA for around ~$17,000, the dealer was asking $15,500 for it. I can probably get him to sell it to me for a little less, but I'm not sure :/ What do you guys think?

Tachikoma

10th August 2004, 14:54

Originally posted by Flighttester:
I paid about that for a showroom new '00SE with 4,400 miles on it a couple three months ago.

It too has the 6-speed and Torsen axle. Wouldn't want it any other way. ;)

I think I got pretty a fair deal and I ain't complaining about what it cost.

These little buggers are not commanding the same price all over the country, so look at where the person is coming from when a price or comment is posted. When I was considering that car or a new one, I couldn't match some of the prices quoted here either.

I came from an old '87 RX-7 Turbo II which has served me well and I dearly loved, and I've since discovered that the MX-5/Miata isn't quite in the same league for long drives, but it is still great fun if it meets your needs.

Rich :cool: I agree. Pricing is different, state to state, on almost all vehicles throughout the country. I've noticed on Miatas this is also more-so. I wish I could get a '00SE for that price :\

Sadly, prices are insane here in California for everything.

Decapotable

10th August 2004, 15:03

If you like it, then there isn't another Miata that's similar. The 10AE is the only 1999 with the 6MT, and the only Miata offered stock with two-tone/leather-alcantara seats and blue carpets. In 2000, there was one Miata offered with the 6MT, the Special Edition, but that one is more "classic" than the 10AE, with a wooden steering wheel, fake wood dash trim, light tan leather interior, and tan top. In 2001 and up, you could get the 6MT on any Miata LS, but again that meant tan leather and a tan top.

If having ABS is important to you, verify that the car has the ABS computer is against the firewall on the passenger side. Puzzlingly, very few Miatae seem to come with ABS.

ms1

10th August 2004, 15:12

You may want to look into the cost of adding the aftermarket turbo equiment you're thinking of doing before you pull the trigger on the car.

I'm not familiar with the costs, but I know a number of people on here have done the analysis on doing add-ons to late model cars.

I mention this only because I bought an 04 MSM for $21,800...which includes the factory warranteed turbo, 6 speed, plus a lot of other upgrades...like ABS, brakes, clutch, suspension, etc. You may not find them in CA for under 25K, but you can buy them new from out of state dealers and get them shipped for about $800 insured. I know because I had a dealer offering to do this for me.

Every one will tell you that the FM turbo is better than the Mazda turbo (thus the gain in HP is better), and they are probably correct. But for a few grand more, it may be worth getting the factory package with 4 yr/50k mile factory warranty.

Just food for thought. Happy hunting.
matt

Tachikoma

10th August 2004, 15:43

Originally posted by ms1:
You may want to look into the cost of adding the aftermarket turbo equiment you're thinking of doing before you pull the trigger on the car.

I'm not familiar with the costs, but I know a number of people on here have done the analysis on doing add-ons to late model cars.

I mention this only because I bought an 04 MSM for $21,800...which includes the factory warranteed turbo, 6 speed, plus a lot of other upgrades...like ABS, brakes, clutch, suspension, etc. You may not find them in CA for under 25K, but you can buy them new from out of state dealers and get them shipped for about $800 insured. I know because I had a dealer offering to do this for me.

Every one will tell you that the FM turbo is better than the Mazda turbo (thus the gain in HP is better), and they are probably correct. But for a few grand more, it may be worth getting the factory package with 4 yr/50k mile factory warranty.

Just food for thought. Happy hunting.
matt Thanks for the input. While this is a good idea for some, the MSM just isn't up to par to me on how a turbo'd car should run. Even the FM1 kit puts more speed down :\

I'm not a car expert by any means, but I certainly know my way around under the hood. So I'll be doing all the work on the car myself, or with help from friends. Which is my reasoning for an older NB with an FM1 or 2 kit. I've never trusted other people to work on my cars. It doesn't matter where you work, dealership or not, the chances of finding an idiot mechanic are freakishly high.

Also, strangely enough, I've had better luck with aftermarket parts than I have with dealership parts.

Remember I currently own a Mitsubishi, we have a saying on the 3KGT forums:

"Mitsubishi - Turning normal people into mechanics since 1991."

Muddy

10th August 2004, 15:51

Flighttester

10th August 2004, 16:33

I like the 10AE too, but I can't say I like it more than the '00SE or the BRG though.

If I had to pick, I'd have to say the (what was it? '01 BRG is the best of the lot exterior-wise anyway. The interior of the '00 is probably better looking, but you just can't beat that non-mettalic British Racing Green on a little sports car. I kinda' like the mahogany wood of the '00SE better than the lighter wood of the BRG though.

I seriously considered the MSM before buying the '00SE and although the Mazdaspeed was a good car for the price, I picked the '00SE, mostly because it was noticably better equipped with creature comfort items like cruise control and the higher profile tires. I like the overall looks of the early NB's best of all too.

M. H. McKortoff

10th August 2004, 16:54

Originally posted by Dr. How?:
great car, what about having the crank end play tested, this is a low mileage car!

price is high, sure it is a 10th se but that ain't worth thousands more...this car is really going for less money, if you want it and it sounds good to you then try a lower bid than asking, keeping in mind the general rule that a dealer has at least a 25% markup from what he is asking.

forget blue book. I've had my 10AE since I bought it new April 17, 1999. I still love it, although I have only put about 17000 km on it!

I have added MANY frills to it over the years; soon I will have my PIAA 1100 driving lamps replace the "baby teeth."

I HIGHLY recommend the 10AE!

My other driver is a 2003 Jeep Rubicon- totally at the other end of the spectrum; & I love it for what it was designed for.

Mel

Dr. How?

10th August 2004, 16:57

Tachikoma

10th August 2004, 17:00

Originally posted by Dr. How?:
prices do differ, in northern calif today my friend just bought a 99, ls with popular eq package (LSD, power, etc...) cassette and bose cd, 5 speed, 57,000 miles for $9800. Sure the 10ae is special, and which miata is not? Damn that's a sweet deal. I haven't seen anything like that yet :\

Where in norcal did he get it? Dealer or individual?

Dr. How?

10th August 2004, 17:06

MimiGoesZoom

10th August 2004, 17:11

I bought my 99 Miata with only 14,000 miles for $15,000. Keep in mind that the previous owner had spent about $7,000 in upgrades which included a supercharger, custom wheels and tires, and stereo upgrade, among many other mods.

If you shop around for prices and/or bargain with the seller, i am sure you can get a great deal on a used Miata. Just be patient and flexible. There are over 700,000 Miatas sold since it was first introduced, so there should be no reason why you should fall in love with this one particular 10AE.

milo_x

10th August 2004, 17:17

That 10AE is a little high, even w/ only 23k on it.

Check out Craigslist.org.

I've seen a few '99s and there abouts for around $11k, even seen some as low as $8,500.00. You can look in Sacramento and the Bay Area.

Here's a couple of samples from CL:

Craigslist 1 (http://www.craigslist.org/pen/car/38782395.html) -- a '99 w/ 36k, $10.75k

Craigslist 2 (http://www.craigslist.org/sby/car/38834174.html) -- a '99 w/ 66k freeway

Tachikoma

10th August 2004, 17:25

Originally posted by milo_x:
That 10AE is a little high, even w/ only 23k on it.

Check out Craigslist.org.

I've seen a few '99s and there abouts for around $11k, even seen some as low as $8,500.00. You can look in Sacramento and the Bay Area.

Here's a couple of samples from CL:

Craigslist 1 (http://www.craigslist.org/pen/car/38782395.html) -- a '99 w/ 36k, $10.75k

Craigslist 2 (http://www.craigslist.org/sby/car/38834174.html) -- a '99 w/ 66k freeway Excellent, I forgot about craigslist, haha. Thanks.

Tom@FFS

10th August 2004, 18:29

wildwoodworker

10th August 2004, 19:35

Tachikoma

10th August 2004, 20:27

Philpug

10th August 2004, 20:53

Mack

10th August 2004, 22:58

chrismodiano

11th August 2004, 02:46

altiain

11th August 2004, 09:00

Originally posted by Tachikoma:
Sadly, prices are insane here in California for everything. If that's the case, why buy in California? If you can save even just $1000 by buying elsewhere, that will most likely pay for your flight out to pick up the car, a pre-purchase mechanical insepction (you should do a little reading about #4 bearing failures (http://www.miata.net/solo/99miatathrustbearingfailure.html) if you're interested in a '99 or '00 - these problems are very, very rare, but if they do crop up they'll cost you a motor), and any travel=related expenses to bring the car home. Chances are you'll save more than that, and you get to pocket the difference.

In addition, you get to break in your "new" car with a road trip. How cool is that? :cool:

And that price is ridiculous, no matter what part of the country we're talking about. FWIW, it looks like there are at least three 10AEs in our classifieds (http://www.miata.net/cgi-bin/isc/classifieds.cgi?action=showsub&CategoryID=106&Session=411a178f23899d23) right now, all with asking prices less than $14k, and one with less than 25k miles on it.

As a reference point, when my best friend bought his 10AE two years ago, he paid ~$14.5k for a 46k mile car. You can buy a brand new Miata off the dealer for well below $20k, with a brand new car warranty.

Iain

REDFUN

11th August 2004, 09:28

John-10AE

11th August 2004, 09:44

Is yours the one with 62K miles? I saw the ad, but the mileage was a bit too high for me. I was trying to stay under 30K miles, but when I saw this 10AE, it literally looked and drove like it just came off the showroom.

Add to that the RB intake, remote oil filter, ss grille, ss exhaust, magnecor wires, rollbar, etc., plus lots of extras (covers, bra, shop manuals, etc. etc.).

Edited - I looked up your ad just now (assuming it's the right one) - it's a beautiful car, but I also wanted original seats and trim - you updated the seats and console, right? That was another factor for me. I'm sure you'll sell it, though, it's really nice.

Originally posted by Mack:
Originally posted by John-10AE:
I just bought a 10AE in Michigan. Final price was $13,000. The car is in mint condition, with 46,000 miles and lots of extras. Based on what they're (Miatas in general) going for in this area, I think it is a fair price. I'm selling my 10AE in the classifieds and I'm 10 miles away. Price was $12k and just reduced to $11k. Wish you would have looked at my car, I keep getting calls from kid with no money...

[ 11. August 2004, 10:08: Message edited by: John-10AE ]

Steeda360

11th August 2004, 12:00

Tachikoma

11th August 2004, 12:55

Well I broke down and ended up purchasing a 2001 Mazda Miata last night.

Damn the 2001 is sweet looking. Anyways, I got it for a pretty good deal, an the dealership gave me full bluebook (amazingly) for my 3000GT :eek: That almost never happens.

Filling up the gas tank for $20 is a wonderful thing. It used to be ~$40 with my 3KGT.

Here's a pic of the car from the dealership. I'll be happy to post more when I get my friends digital camera, if anyone cares.

http://www.smacknuts.com/upload/miata_new.jpg

Joe Doolittle

11th August 2004, 13:19

Congrats on your new ride. Remember to wave to other Miata'ites you pass (especially here in the Sac area) ;)

Joe

Tachikoma

11th August 2004, 13:22

Originally posted by Joe Doolittle:
Congrats on your new ride. Remember to wave to other Miata'ites you pass (especially here in the Sac area) ;)

Joe Thanks, and I will :D

Now it's time for the fun...
/me starts looking at the superchargers and turbos for the Miata...

2004TGrayMS

11th August 2004, 13:25

Flighttester

11th August 2004, 13:36

Congrats.

Hope you like it!

sclark

11th August 2004, 13:45

wildwoodworker

11th August 2004, 18:21

runenfool

11th August 2004, 23:06

I LOVE my 10AE (despite the dreaded coil pack failure) and I would have quickly sold it to you for 15,500 :) Take that money, pay off the rest of my payments, and buy a MSM :)

Welcome to the Miata family!

REDFUN

12th August 2004, 07:16