Need Miata advice

I'm moving to a new place where I will have a 55-mile commute, each
way, from the Park & Ride or the Light Rail terminal. It's mostly 4-
lane US or Texas state highway. Not interstate slab, but still pretty
straight, and no hills to speak of. I want to get a 1999 or 2000
Miata for this commute (as well as some occasional weekend running
around). My concern is that according to what I've read, the Miata
engine runs at over 4000 rpm at 75mph, which is what my speed will be
most of the way. Won't extensive running at this rpm cause excessive
wear? I've also heard that Miata wheels are aligned slightly outward,
which would wear out tires in this kind of driving.

I really, really want the Miata, but could use some advice from
experienced owners. Please reply to the newsgroup.

Thanks,
Ron M.

On Tue, 14 Oct 2008 07:46:42 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

>I'm moving to a new place where I will have a 55-mile commute, each
>way, from the Park & Ride or the Light Rail terminal. It's mostly 4-
>lane US or Texas state highway. Not interstate slab, but still pretty
>straight, and no hills to speak of. I want to get a 1999 or 2000
>Miata for this commute (as well as some occasional weekend running
>around). My concern is that according to what I've read, the Miata
>engine runs at over 4000 rpm at 75mph, which is what my speed will be
>most of the way. Won't extensive running at this rpm cause excessive
>wear? I've also heard that Miata wheels are aligned slightly outward,
>which would wear out tires in this kind of driving.

The engine in the Miata is very de-tuned. That is, it's built far
stronger than it needs to be. It was also designed from the outset to
cruise at higher rpm ranges and no, even cruisng at 6,500rpm for an
entire day won't hurt it as long as you keep the oil changed. On a
very hot day after a really hard run (frequently near redline) you may
hear the valve lifters ticking for a few minutes on the older ones
(not sure on the '99+) but that isn't an indication of any problem.

As for the alignment, the factory usually has them lightly toed in
(more stable, more understeer) where most autocrossers and driving
enthusiast toe them very slightly out. No, this doesn't give any
additional wear over a toe-in, at least not on the front set. If you
tend to drive the car aggressively in corners you will find that a bit
of toe-out up front will translate to a tail-out and a lot of smiling
as it's very easy to catch at will. That would be bad for the life of
the rear tires, but even there you would be pleasantly surprised.

Mild settings from the factory, light weight, reasonably hard tires
(for it's car class) and such conspire to give you long brake and tire
life as long as you don't sit on tracks and autocrosses every weekend.
The car is very solid, reliable, fun, and generally inexpensive to
insure. If you like the car, go for it!

(coming from 3 miata's and over 20 years of ownership, the last was
held for 14 years and included dozens of autocrosses and around 3,500
miles at road racing courses. No engine work ever needed, one clutch
at 120k miles though I did tow with the car and teach a good 20+
people how to drive a manual in it or else the clutch should have
lasted longer!)

as much as i love my miata, i can't say it would make a great commuter car.
it is loud. if i were plaining to drive an hour to and an hour from work
each and every day i would want to listen to talk radio, or audio books. i
can't listen to audio books in the miata, it is just too loud. and i not
talking about with the top down. i think you might be happier communtting
in another car, heck, even a carolla or civic... which are also probably
better on gas too.
ps. please don't ban me from this group for speaking such blasphemy

> wrote in message
...
> I'm moving to a new place where I will have a 55-mile commute, each
> way, from the Park & Ride or the Light Rail terminal. It's mostly 4-
> lane US or Texas state highway. Not interstate slab, but still pretty
> straight, and no hills to speak of. I want to get a 1999 or 2000
> Miata for this commute (as well as some occasional weekend running
> around). My concern is that according to what I've read, the Miata
> engine runs at over 4000 rpm at 75mph, which is what my speed will be
> most of the way. Won't extensive running at this rpm cause excessive
> wear? I've also heard that Miata wheels are aligned slightly outward,
> which would wear out tires in this kind of driving.
>
> I really, really want the Miata, but could use some advice from
> experienced owners. Please reply to the newsgroup.
>
> Thanks,
> Ron M.

On Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:31:23 -0400, Christopher Muto wrote:

> as much as i love my miata, i can't say it would make a great commuter
> car. it is loud. if i were plaining to drive an hour to and an hour
> from work each and every day i would want to listen to talk radio, or
> audio books. i can't listen to audio books in the miata, it is just
> too loud. and i not talking about with the top down. i think you
> might be happier communtting in another car, heck, even a carolla or
> civic... which are also probably better on gas too. ps. please don't
> ban me from this group for speaking such blasphemy

Mine isn't the best for commuting either, but I still love it. They get
good mileage and are reliable and cheap to insure. You could do worse.

On Oct 14, 7:46*am, wrote:
> I'm moving to a new place where I will have a 55-mile commute, each
> way, from the Park & Ride or the Light Rail terminal. *It's mostly 4-
> lane US or Texas state highway. Not interstate slab, but still pretty
> straight, and no hills to speak of. *I want to get a 1999 or 2000
> Miata for this commute (as well as some occasional weekend running
> around). *My concern is that according to what I've read, the Miata
> engine runs at over 4000 rpm at 75mph, which is what my speed will be
> most of the way. *Won't extensive running at this rpm cause excessive
> wear? *I've also heard that Miata wheels are aligned slightly outward,
> which would wear out tires in this kind of driving.
>
> I really, really want the Miata, but could use some advice from
> experienced owners. Please reply to the newsgroup.
>
> Thanks,
> Ron M.

I have an '03. In 5th gear it goes roughly 20 mph per 1000 rpm, so I
don't think 75 mph puts the engine over 4000 rpm but it's in that
neighborhood.

As another poster said, reliability probably still isn't a big worry
under those conditions, and the car will serve this purpose all
right. EPA highway for my model was 28 mpg and you can get 30 if you
drive smoothly. But this kind of driving isn't really where the Miata
is going to shine. You're not really turning or shifting, and the
top's probably up most of the time. And besides the noisiness which
someone else mentioned, the ride isn't great, at least on my car.
With good roads it's not a problem, but the rougher the roads are the
more this may get to be an issue for you.

You WILL have a lot more fun on your "weekend running around," though,
especially on curvier roads, compared to a more practical car. So
that's the trade-off. It still may be worth trying, especially since
with a used one you'll take less of a hit if you decide to get a sedan
later.

I REALLY appreciate all the knowledgeable replies. Thanks a heap. Hard
to believe we got this far without Godwin's Law kicking in. (-;

Noise won't really be an issue (heck, I'll wear ear plugs if I have
to), nor will ride quality or any of these other factors. My main
concern was engine wear from running ~~4000 rpm all the time. I
noticed one of you mentioned using synthetic oil - no problem there. I
used Mobil I 5w-30 in all of my family's vehicles, and I'm fanatical
about changing it every 2500-3500 miles, whether it needs it or not.
I'm wondering if, for this particular engine and rpm, if I should go
up to a 10w-30, or if it would matter.

As I mentioned before, the route is an hour each way: a big 4-lane
undivided state highway, flat and smooth, the kind where you just set
the cruise control on about 73, stick a tape in the player and settle
in. Since I ride a cruiser motorcycle often, I'm not averse to having
the top down if the weather permits, for what that's worth.

Seeya,
Ron M.

A 99 has mechanical lifters, so the noise issues with the NA lifters don't
exist.
Originally, the 99 called for 10w30. I suppose a change to 5w30 might cause
a bit more oil usage, or perhaps some valve train noise. Don't know. A lot
may have to do with the temperature range you are driving in.

> wrote in message
...
>I REALLY appreciate all the knowledgeable replies. Thanks a heap. Hard
> to believe we got this far without Godwin's Law kicking in. (-;
>
> Noise won't really be an issue (heck, I'll wear ear plugs if I have
> to), nor will ride quality or any of these other factors. My main
> concern was engine wear from running ~~4000 rpm all the time. I
> noticed one of you mentioned using synthetic oil - no problem there. I
> used Mobil I 5w-30 in all of my family's vehicles, and I'm fanatical
> about changing it every 2500-3500 miles, whether it needs it or not.
> I'm wondering if, for this particular engine and rpm, if I should go
> up to a 10w-30, or if it would matter.
>
> As I mentioned before, the route is an hour each way: a big 4-lane
> undivided state highway, flat and smooth, the kind where you just set
> the cruise control on about 73, stick a tape in the player and settle
> in. Since I ride a cruiser motorcycle often, I'm not averse to having
> the top down if the weather permits, for what that's worth.
>
> Seeya,
> Ron M.

> wrote
>I REALLY appreciate all the knowledgeable replies. Thanks a heap. Hard
> to believe we got this far without Godwin's Law kicking in. (-;
>
What are you, some kind of newsgroup posting Nazi? How's that? (:-)>

Seriously, it sounds like you are the kind of person who will appreciate the
Miata for what it is and enjoy your 2 hour commuting time. As others have
noted, your original concern of running at 4000rpm and above is not a worry
for the relatively bullet proof Miata. Anyone who rides a motorcycle will
consider the Miata downright quiet.
--
Ken Lyons '97 Brilliant Black/'90 Classic Red
An ordinary citizen Inside the Beltway

Stuffing a blanket or a lined jacket in each of the top wells behind the
seats makes a big difference in noise at highway speeds.

> wrote in message
...
>I REALLY appreciate all the knowledgeable replies. Thanks a heap. Hard
> to believe we got this far without Godwin's Law kicking in. (-;
>
> Noise won't really be an issue (heck, I'll wear ear plugs if I have
> to), nor will ride quality or any of these other factors. My main
> concern was engine wear from running ~~4000 rpm all the time. I
> noticed one of you mentioned using synthetic oil - no problem there. I
> used Mobil I 5w-30 in all of my family's vehicles, and I'm fanatical
> about changing it every 2500-3500 miles, whether it needs it or not.
> I'm wondering if, for this particular engine and rpm, if I should go
> up to a 10w-30, or if it would matter.
>
> As I mentioned before, the route is an hour each way: a big 4-lane
> undivided state highway, flat and smooth, the kind where you just set
> the cruise control on about 73, stick a tape in the player and settle
> in. Since I ride a cruiser motorcycle often, I'm not averse to having
> the top down if the weather permits, for what that's worth.
>
> Seeya,
> Ron M.