Why the Miata?
If you’ve been following our Instagram lately you’ll notice I got a “new to me” 2016 Mazda Miata Grand Touring. It’s been quite a while since I’ve owned a sports car and I couldn’t be happier! The decision to go with this vehicle was a complex one and I’ll explain why I made the choice.
Bryan and I have normal 9-5 jobs and Bucket Hedz is our passion. Bryan is a Pharmacist and I’m an Agronomist and in my day job I travel from golf course to golf course to help them decide which chemical and fertilizers they need to keep their courses looking their best. It’s not uncommon for me to drive over 40,000 miles per year! Unfortunately up until 2018 I had to use my personal vehicle for work which meant having two cars was out of the question. I made myself a promise 12 years ago (when I started trashing my Matrix XRS for work) that once I got in with a company that provided me a vehicle I would finally get a “weekend car”. I got that opportunity in 2018 and the search was on.
Bryan and I had numerous conversations about what I should get. The first factor was budget, second was fun factor and third was reliability. We kicked around so many cars. We discussed M3’s, GTI’s and the list goes on and on. Right before all of this happened my brother got a Porsche Boxter and driving it immediately reminded me of my love for roadsters so we narrowed the search. First I was going to buy his used 98 Porsche and that fell through so I started looking at the Miatas. They incapsulated everything I wanted but I also got reliability and cost effectiveness.
Most people consider the Miata a “girl car” but for nearly thirty years they have been primarily owned by car guys looking to have fun and still have a retirement. They are the most raced vehicle in the world with several Miata racing series across the country. The fun factor is off the chart for the price!
If you’ve never driven one I would recommend you do. Your first reaction may be that it doesn’t have much power but that’s not the point of the car. These things are light, nimble and designed to handle. Find a back road with some curves on a weekend morning and you’ll be leaving cars with way more horsepower behind! The power to weight ratio is fantastic and is more than adequate for daily driving. Reliable fun would be the best way to describe it. Bryan and I are both cyclists and I’ve been riding for over thirty years. The feeling I get with the top down is visceral and reminds me of being 15 and riding my bicycle on the back roads of Florida training for races. You can smell the trees, feel the sun and basically be a part of the environment you’re driving through. All good in my book!
The moral of the story is this. If you’re considering buying a car get what YOU want! Really go the through the process and figure out what your top priorities are and make your decision based on that. If you love Mustangs go get one! If you love German cars go get one! Just make sure your decision is based on what’s important to you and not the opinions of others. You may just be happier than you ever imagined!
Jeff