MX-5 review. Sky Top bashing...

[Ahnuld]

Metro - MX-5 fun for all seasons

Pinched Fingers? Geez I mustve been born with 12 cause I still have all ten.
20 seconds to put toop down and put up... and hours in between of amazing Sky styling and driving. Even if ours is slightly more effort... its a fair trade off... and this issue gets way too much media attention


the Saturn Sky and its Pontiac Solstice corporate cousin still have the most frustrating convertible storage system, a 10-step program of frayed nerves, pinched fingers and silent curses.

[marlboromike]

let all the editors bash away...each car stands on it's own merits. Eventuallly it is the consumer that has the ultimate say.

[compdoc777]

All said and done you still have 166 HP and 140 LBS of torque and that is at the crank. The 6sp manual is crap you can't use any of the gears because of the low rpm limit. You are changing gears twices as much as the 5 speed. I would rather have the 5 speed.

The car is too small for todays SUV covered roads.

I would love one for the track I would take out the engine and put in a 2.0 or 2.4 Honda K series motor with Kpro and a Jackson Racing supercharger bumping the crank HP to 340 and torque to 260-270. Then you would have a mean machine and very light as well.

[Darkwing]

It looks like Mazda succeeded in making the car look more like a bar of Dove soap with the hardtop.

[thejewcanoe]

you want a complicated cloth/covertible top, go buy a jeep wrangler!!!
then you can start complaining
i swear these reviewers forget that a car is a responsibility.
the car only has one latch and two butresses lol!

[G8TR]

Tired about hearing about how hard the top is to maneuver. Mine is up and down in about 20 seconds also. I certainly agree with the bar of soap analogy. At the minimum ours certainly has character. The mx reminds me of all the soap box derby racers looking the same in the old days. You probably have to start it at the top of the hill just like you did them.

[mbeardsley]

The problem is that reviewers typically only spend a weekend with the car (if they're lucky).

In that time, they only put the top up/down a couple of times...and face it...the Sky top IS a bit fussy, until you get the hang of it.

The reviewers never get past their first few awkward attempts at handling the top, so they assume that it will always be that difficult.

[compdoc777]

My old MG, Fiat Spyders, and Miata were easy to get the top up and down.

I think the easiest was the Fiat spyder. I could raise it in seconds and have the clips down and windows (manual windows cranked up) before I slowed down enough on during a rain storm for the rain to get in.

Our cars you have to pop the top then get out pull up the top and clip it closed get back around slam the lid twice and then fasten the clips. Then finaly raise the windows.

[lorennerol]

The Sky has a lot of little things that annoy me ('plasterior', window controls, cupholders, cruise control button location, radio visibility, etc), but the manual top is not a bother to me at all. Of all the little things to harp on about this car, the top seems to be nearly a non-issue.

[bigdog]

Originally Posted by compdoc777

My old MG, Fiat Spyders, and Miata were easy to get the top up and down.

I think the easiest was the Fiat spyder. I could raise it in seconds and have the clips down and windows (manual windows cranked up) before I slowed down enough on during a rain storm for the rain to get in.

Our cars you have to pop the top then get out pull up the top and clip it closed get back around slam the lid twice and then fasten the clips. Then finaly raise the windows.

Hmm - Not to cause an argument but I can pop the trunk, raise the roof, latch it and close the windows - THEN get out and close the trunk and secure the butresses. I also drop the top standing next to my car; pop the trunk, slide the key in the ignition and get power, crack open the windows and release the latch, drop the top and close the trunk, go drivin'.

It takes about as much time as it took me to type this - for me

I was parked next to a Boxster who was putting his powered top up. I was done and heading into the office and he was still fiddeling with his top.

Yes the top is different than the Miata and the Fiat but I think the SKY is soo much better looking that a few seconds out of my life are seconds well spent.

[Bogie]

I find it somewhat interesting when a reviewer (for anything, it doesn't have to be cars...it could be fashion, appliances...global warming....anything) is covering a specific item and then feels compelled to inject a negative about a rival, and then moves along with the original discussion.

Nine time out of ten the negative comment is rooted in a subconcious inferiority. When a rival is clearly superior in most aspects, human nature does two things: 1) The rival is ever in thought and mind; 2) One gushes over finding a bad in the rival to contrast with the good in one's love.

[Aside: Women are exceptionally good (or, perhaps a more sinister adjective fits better) at ripping apart other women's looks. You can have a drop dead gorgeous model...and nine out of ten women will zero in on any fault they can find. Yes, you do. Don't deny it. And if you don't say it....by george you think it. And if the woman is drop dead perfect, and you can't find anythign wrong...perfect bod...perfect outfit....perfect style....then you play your Ace card....."slut". As for Men...we zero in on..oops..sorry...geez, I got off topic..in my own post...and now I'm in trouble...back on topic]

Note this reveiw is NOT a comparison of the MX-5 vs SKY. It is a review of the MX-5 top. Yet, the reviewer is compelled to bring up the SKY's supposedly inferior top in comparison? This tells us two things. 1) The SKY was in thought and mind when the reviewer wrote the article; 2) The adjectives gush with enthusiasm in highlighting the bad vs good.

An objective assessment of the MX-5 top? Maybe. But I'll go for the subconcious inferiority complex motivational need to jab a superior rival so it makes one feel not so inferior everywhere else. Hell, why not just drop the top bit and tell us what you really think of the SKY....just say it..cause we know you think it..the SKY....is....a....slut.

I feel so dirty now...and love it.

[compdoc777]

Originally Posted by bigdog

Hmm - Not to cause an argument but I can pop the trunk, raise the roof, latch it and close the windows - THEN get out and close the trunk and secure the butresses. I also drop the top standing next to my car; pop the trunk, slide the key in the ignition and get power, crack open the windows and release the latch, drop the top and close the trunk, go drivin'.

It takes about as much time as it took me to type this - for me

I was parked next to a Boxster who was putting his powered top up. I was done and heading into the office and he was still fiddeling with his top.

Yes the top is different than the Miata and the Fiat but I think the SKY is soo much better looking that a few seconds out of my life are seconds well spent.

Yeah, what I meant was I could do it while driving slowly but driving and I did not need to leave the drivers seat or the comfort of my seltbelt. If rain started up in traffic I just reached back pulled it up and latched it then rolled up the windows and drove on and no electric top is that fast! Great when those sudden large drop rain storms just start for no reason or god forbid a hale storm.

I don't mind the top on our cars it is a long drawn out process, but the car is dead sexy and you can't beat that. Just needs better planning when going top down.

I remember when I was in the Navy in San Diego and there was a person with a new Miata 90's of course then, but it was the limited edition green with tan leather. This person left the top down day in an out. It would even rain and the car still had the top down. I was thinking what a horror!

[JRinKY]

compdoc777 : My old MG, Fiat Spyders, and Miata were easy to get the top up and down. ........

My old MG ... You put the top down, took the canvas off of the car, folded it, and put it into the boot. Then you took the frame off of the car, separated it into two pieces, put them into their storage bags, and put them into the boot. Then you took the tonneau cover support rail out of the boot, put the two pieces together and put it on the car. Then you took the tonneau cover out of the boot, unfolded it, and put it on the car. First by snapping it around the back, then by stretching it over the support rail and snapping it to the floor behind the seats.

[xmicro_Redline]

I would rather have pinched fingers and drive a SKY, than drive in that over rated, out dated, under powered, under designed, tiny, nerdy, not sexy, Japanese, rice burning, piece of SH!T.

Ok, I feel better now!

[moparscot]

Yeah put the boot on a ford mustang and than you can complain.

[LANDSCAPE]

Originally Posted by xmicro_Redline

I would rather have pinched fingers and drive a SKY, than drive in that over rated, out dated, under powered, under designed, tiny, nerdy, not sexy, Japanese, rice burning, piece of SH!T.

Ok, I feel better now!

I wouldn't pee on a miata if it were on fire and holding $1,000,000 in the trunk!

Nevermind the fact that you have to try to pinch your fingers unless you are real clumsy.

[firstpinkever]

Originally Posted by Bogie

I find it somewhat interesting when a reviewer (for anything, it doesn't have to be cars...it could be fashion, appliances...global warming....anything) is covering a specific item and then feels compelled to inject a negative about a rival, and then moves along with the original discussion.

Nine time out of ten the negative comment is rooted in a subconcious inferiority. When a rival is clearly superior in most aspects, human nature does two things: 1) The rival is ever in thought and mind; 2) One gushes over finding a bad in the rival to contrast with the good in one's love.

[Aside: Women are exceptionally good (or, perhaps a more sinister adjective fits better) at ripping apart other women's looks. You can have a drop dead gorgeous model...and nine out of ten women will zero in on any fault they can find. Yes, you do. Don't deny it. And if you don't say it....by george you think it. And if the woman is drop dead perfect, and you can't find anythign wrong...perfect bod...perfect outfit....perfect style....then you play your Ace card....."slut". As for Men...we zero in on..oops..sorry...geez, I got off topic..in my own post...and now I'm in trouble...back on topic]

Note this reveiw is NOT a comparison of the MX-5 vs SKY. It is a review of the MX-5 top. Yet, the reviewer is compelled to bring up the SKY's supposedly inferior top in comparison? This tells us two things. 1) The SKY was in thought and mind when the reviewer wrote the article; 2) The adjectives gush with enthusiasm in highlighting the bad vs good.

An objective assessment of the MX-5 top? Maybe. But I'll go for the subconcious inferiority complex motivational need to jab a superior rival so it makes one feel not so inferior everywhere else. Hell, why not just drop the top bit and tell us what you really think of the SKY....just say it..cause we know you think it..the SKY....is....a....slut.

I feel so dirty now...and love it.

kindof a highjack, but i need it be known that, even though ik have not said it before, i do love this woman's writing and her wittisism and sarcasm, you are always fun to read.

on the topic, sure maybe a hard top[ retractible would be fun, but our THREE step soft top is fine and our price for the BETTER car is GREAT! i love it when non-americans like to bash our little cars.

[lorennerol]

Originally Posted by firstyellowintex

i do love this woman's writing and her wittisism and sarcasm, you are always fun to read.

Gender confusion brought on by avatar identification, methinks.

[Bogie]

Originally Posted by lorennerol

Gender confusion brought on by avatar identification, methinks.

I'm hopeless.