wot should i get
Discussion
What he said ^^
Depending on your proportions (long legs short body or vice versa) you may struggle to fit in an MX5. They are not built for the taller driver. I'm 6 foot 5 and actually couldn't fit in an MX5 (and I mean not fit). You may fit being a smidge shorter but may be too cramped to drive comfortably. There are plenty about so go sit in one at a showroom, it might make your decision for you...
trophies said:
Mx5 for the fun factor
Lew
I keep hearing this MX-5 for the fun factor.....I've driven a couple now and i think they are great little cars to drive with the top down, wind in your hair motoring and decent RWD handling but they are no more fun to drive than a lightweight 94 Scooby. Early scoobs are a hoot around the lanes and there won't be much that can keep up with you.Lew
I'd rather have the scooby purely from a handling and extra power point of view, and the fact it's more practical with 4drs and a decent boot, however i concede the MX-5 is probably better to drive quickly around town and more frugal, but either way you're getting japanese reliability and they both do exactly what it says on the tin.
Good choices whichever way you go.
ScoobieWRX said:
I keep hearing this MX-5 for the fun factor.....I've driven a couple now and i think they are great little cars to drive with the top down, wind in your hair motoring and decent RWD handling but they are no more fun to drive than a lightweight 94 Scooby. Early scoobs are a hoot around the lanes and there won't be much that can keep up with you.
I'd rather have the scooby purely from a handling and extra power point of view, and the fact it's more practical with 4drs and a decent boot, however i concede the MX-5 is probably better to drive quickly around town and more frugal, but either way you're getting japanese reliability and they both do exactly what it says on the tin.
Good choices whichever way you go.
Owning an MX5 as well as a Legacy GTB (and having driven a few Imprezas as well) I can probably make a reasonable comment on that, they're both great to drive but in quite different ways.I'd rather have the scooby purely from a handling and extra power point of view, and the fact it's more practical with 4drs and a decent boot, however i concede the MX-5 is probably better to drive quickly around town and more frugal, but either way you're getting japanese reliability and they both do exactly what it says on the tin.
Good choices whichever way you go.
The MX5 handling is brilliant, better balance and feedback than even an STi-RA. Not that much outright grip as standard but you can still go quicker than most other cars through the twisties without being an idiot. It just will not understeer unless you tell it to or do something quite clumsy/silly with the controls. On loose stuff it feels like a Mk2 Escort, beatifully sideways anywhere you want. May not be as idiot-proof as a Scoob but still very forgiving on/over the limit.
Yes it is pretty slow compared to a Turbo Scoob, 0-60 in 8.5-10s is in hot-hatch territory but mine seems to top out around 110mph. BUT the MX5 has an uncanny ability to make low speeds feel fast - its not just the wind in your hair as it works roof-up as well. Maybe its because you're sitting on the floor, maybe its just that the car is so good at communicating the interaction with the road, I'm not completely sure. But that combined with the relative slowness mean you can have so much fun thrashing it around without even really endangering your licence.
I'd take the Scoob over an MX-5 on any twisties you like. Ben, in the real world you won't see the scoob for dust, not just because it's more powerful but because it sticks to the road so well and eats B-Roads for breakfast!! Being just a few inches from the road in an MX-5 may give you a false sense of going quicker and it may be more nimble around tight obstacles, but in all honesty when the scoob passes you on the twistiest of B-Roads, and the MX-5 being that close to the ground all you'll be doing is eating stones!!
Now stop being such a hairdresser and give your new legacy a damn good spanking!!
Now stop being such a hairdresser and give your new legacy a damn good spanking!!
I'd be going mx5 - ignore any 'hairdresser' nonsence. Beautiful little cars - that and I am biased as I have a legacy twin turbo... which was unpredictable at the limit and riddled with problems because its just TOO complicated with its three diffs, two limited slip, its tip tronic gear box, its sequential vacuum controlled turbos and then worst of all, such an over stressed turbo charged engine will never last as long as the mazdas lump. mine did 60k before eating its big ends.. and they are NOT cheap or simple to work on because the engine is flat, thus your spark plugs are up against chassis rails, everything involves leaning down INTO the bonnet. The final straw was fuel - on a good b-road blast it would do 15mpg tops... 15!!!!!! Unfortunately I have lost faith in the Subaru all together, small and nippy is the way forward, i've had more fun in my 6k citroen c1 on the daily commute than the subaru, i just miss the power, plus, the small nippy car is much safer for your lisence as the subaru was the opposite, 80mph felt like 30mph... which is NEVER good!!
JOn
JOn
The Subaru will be faster, no one has denied that.
If going round any corner 20mph faster than anyone else ( or down any strait 40 mph faster) is your idea of fun, then the scooby has an advantage.
However, the MX5, has more feel (subjectively) and is easier to control on the limit (probably because the "on the limit" speed is that much slower). If going round a round-about sideways on opposite lock without breaking the the speed limit is your idea of fun, then the MX5 has an advantage.
How do you feel about soft tops? Some people (inc me) love them. Wind in the hair etc. Other people hate them. More wind noise, leak when they get old, carn't see out the back window etc....
They are both Japanese, and both have a huge amount of relaibility as long as they are looked after, serviced reguarly, and not too badly abused. Both will be expensive to fix if they go wrong in a big way.
The Subaru will use more fuel ,and eat more brake pads and tyres, as it is heavier. However, as it is bigger, you can get more than a packet of cornflakes in the boot, and, it has back seats.
I am not biased in any way (I have owned and loved both). You really should drive them both, and see what you think. Oh, and let us know.
If going round any corner 20mph faster than anyone else ( or down any strait 40 mph faster) is your idea of fun, then the scooby has an advantage.
However, the MX5, has more feel (subjectively) and is easier to control on the limit (probably because the "on the limit" speed is that much slower). If going round a round-about sideways on opposite lock without breaking the the speed limit is your idea of fun, then the MX5 has an advantage.
How do you feel about soft tops? Some people (inc me) love them. Wind in the hair etc. Other people hate them. More wind noise, leak when they get old, carn't see out the back window etc....
They are both Japanese, and both have a huge amount of relaibility as long as they are looked after, serviced reguarly, and not too badly abused. Both will be expensive to fix if they go wrong in a big way.
The Subaru will use more fuel ,and eat more brake pads and tyres, as it is heavier. However, as it is bigger, you can get more than a packet of cornflakes in the boot, and, it has back seats.
I am not biased in any way (I have owned and loved both). You really should drive them both, and see what you think. Oh, and let us know.
ScoobieWRX said:
I'd take the Scoob over an MX-5 on any twisties you like. Ben, in the real world you won't see the scoob for dust, not just because it's more powerful but because it sticks to the road so well and eats B-Roads for breakfast!! Being just a few inches from the road in an MX-5 may give you a false sense of going quicker and it may be more nimble around tight obstacles, but in all honesty when the scoob passes you on the twistiest of B-Roads, and the MX-5 being that close to the ground all you'll be doing is eating stones!!
Now stop being such a hairdresser and give your new legacy a damn good spanking!!
Corner speed really isn't much different between the MX5 and GTB to be honest when you're dialled-in to each car, the MX5 has a slight edge on tight stuff while the GTB is more stable and planted in high-speed corners.Now stop being such a hairdresser and give your new legacy a damn good spanking!!
The only significant performance advantage is the power - it does make a big difference in the real world because you need much less space to pass, and sure in a race they'd be similar through the corners then the Scoob would blast away as soon as it opens up.
PS I've clocked up about 1700 miles in the GTB in the last 5 days at an average of 31 mpg. Not bad for a 280bhp 4wd wagon...
cocopop said:
So lots of mentions of the MX5 being underpowered in comparison to the Scoob... So how about an MX5 with a 13b conversion?
Then it wouldn't just 'feel' fast
Its not really worth the hassle - just bolt a turbo on the MX5 lump, they're good for up to ~270bhp on the standard internals.Then it wouldn't just 'feel' fast
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