'99 Miata with 35k miles or '01 Miata with 50k miles?

March 6, 2010, 9:02 pm
Question
Price wise, I could either get a '99 miata with low miles or a '01 miata with more mileage. Does mileage on miatas matter? (itll be less than 60k miles for sure) Is there a big diff. b/w '99 and '01 models besides the guage clusters & door handle trims? Any major servicing required or is there no maintenance needed until 100k miles other than oil changes & maybe tires (i mean belts, fuel filter, water pump, o2 sensors, brake pads/calipers, etc)?? THANKS!! do '99 models have keyless entry?
Answer
You'll find Miatas are very long lived so the mileage difference between these two shouldn't be a major decision point. The 99 and 00 models are a bit lighter and uses regular fuel, starting with the 01 model year there is more chassis bracing and a bit more weight, and a step up to premium fuel. The weight difference isn't really noticable from a performance perspective for street use. Another thing to consider, some 99s have had problems with a P0402 engine check code (excess EGR flow) which can be difficult to remedy. Doesn't affect performance much but it can be annoying. If it was up to me I would pick the best example of the two. The major service interval for Miatas is every 60K miles (timing belt and such).





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