Build Quality: Miata MX-5 PRHT v. Nissan 370Z

YoungTurk

Anyone who has had both can compare the build quality between a late Mazda Miata MX-5 PRHT (power retractable hard top) and the Nissan 370z?

While Mazda as a car maker is itself not highly ranked, the Miata is consistently ranked at or near the top in reliability, affordability, satisfaction etc. I'm choosing between the 370z, the Miata PRHT and a Cayman. Obviously the Cayman is much more expensive, maybe more than I'd want to spend on my third car, but it is in the mix.

Thoughts on your Z's build quality vs. the MX-5 PRHT?

Thanks,

YT

juan05

i would go with the 370z sports. its much sexier than the mazda faster overall probably more reliable. my opinion

FairmanZ

I never owned a Nissan in my life before, the 370z will be my first, if and when I buy it. But I have owned a few Mazdas, including a Miata. I bought a brand new '93 RX-7 Twin Turbo back in the day, its realiability was a little below average and I'd rate its build quality as sub par. On the other hand, my 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata Turbo has been flawless, without a single major problem. It did have a minor problem with a squeaky window, that was fixed under warranty. Other than that it has been flawless.

I can't speak about the latest '09 MX-5 from ownership experience. But I have test driven one and looked it over carefully. If you follow the Miata.net boards the '06-'08 seem pretty solid. The '09 has a new face lift, which I like much better style wise, but it's the same platform so it should be quite reliable by now. The build quality on the new '09 model is improved vs. the '06-'08, with much nicer cockpit materials. Similar to how the 370z is improved over the 350z.

In my case, I've already decided the 370Z is the car I want. It's build quality looks to be as good if not better than the MX-5 PRHT. Reliability is an unknown still, because the car is quite new. The issues I've been watching here include:

- High oil temps : Will Nissan have a fix for 2010?
- Loose driver's seat, moves under aggressive cornering, seems to be only a problem on the manual cloth seats, not the power leather seats.
- Some cars have minor rattles in the back hatch area

This is all pretty minor stuff, except for the high eng. oil temps. But that's only a problem for people who track their cars. It isn't an issue for daily driving. But Nissan really needs to have an oil cooler option for those who do track their cars. IMO, the oil cooler should have been standard. The Miata has an oil cooler btw, in fact my old FD RX-7 had dual oil coolers. Why didn't Nissan put one on the Z??!!!

I've also thought about the Cayman S myself. A year ago, buying one or even a 911 or a GT-R might have been doable. But I'm not willing to spend that kind of money in today's crappy economy. A used Cayman S could be an option. But for me, I'd really prefer a new car, so the Z is the one.

juan05

i hope they put a cooler in nismo 370z. i really do because i will bring it to the track every so often..

ssqpolo

get a z man. i never thought of cross shopping with a miata. its a great starter sports car, but i personally think that you will get MUCH more satisfaction out of a Z. great handling, and much more power than a miata. reliability...i had a 06 350z and put close to 60000 miles on it with not one single thing wrong with it ( and i drove the crap out of it). this car seems even more solid (close to 6k miles). oil temps have been an issue for ppl on the track, but 300 can fix that. ur choice in the end.

JeepZen

I have test driven both in the last two months. Right now I am leaning toward the Miata but I am still waiting to see the 370z convertible (in real life). If you are comparing a Miata to a 370z coupe, don't discount the fact that the Miata is a convertible. I love the 370z but I have pretty much ruled the coupe out. I just like convertibles too much to buy a coupe.

They are very different cars. Both are unquestionably sports cars and both are unquestionably fun to drive. They are different sorts of fun though.

YoungTurk

So, which one in your opinion was built better? And was the Miata an '08 or an '09?

YoungTurk

nicknick

Well I own a Mazda MX5 PRHT, 6sp manual and I love it and plan to keep a long time. I Also love the 350Z but I do not like what I hear about the overheating oil issues with the Z. I plan to get a Z alongside my MX5, but i probably wait till they fix the engine oil overheating issue first. Obviously the MX5 will not be as fast as the Z, but as a fun, relaible, good handling and riding car, the MX5 is hard to beat imo.

JeepZen

Most recently it was an '08. They both seemed similarly well built. It is hard to tell how well built a new car is until you have put a good 10k (or 50k) miles on it and it has had a chance to shake a few things loose. That whole "initial build quality" is kind of a scam in my opinion.

The Miata has been around for about 20 years and has been considered a pretty well built car. I can't comment on Nissan's reputation just because I don't know much about the 350z (never liked it). My Infiniti Skyline 350GT is in great shape even after 20k miles so I consider it well built. Considering the price and halo status of the 370z I would expect it to be more similar to my Skyline than, say, a Versa or Sentinel.

355890

Huh !

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fullmonty

I have it on good authority the doors of a 370Z are pretty weak and flimsy. In fact if I was a new buyer, I'd be totally turned off.

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frost

I've heard this somewhere as well.





But I also heard miatas were for chicks, gays, and poor people.

antennahead

............... actually, they're for anyone who is a little "light in the doors"

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blue660r01

Trips

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