[thetopdog]

My NA is at the shop and needs about $1,500 in repairs. 3 years ago I bought this car from my buddy who owns the shop for $2,100 and he said he's willing to give me $2,000 to buy it back so I figure I might as well get rid of it and get a new(er) one. Miata prices seem to have skyrocketed since last time I was in the market (bought a 2001 Miata back in 2012 for $6,700). I'm looking to use the Miata as a 2nd car/beater so I'm not trying to spend a ton, just trying to find a good car I can beat on hassle-free for a few years and sell it for a couple grand less than I paid for it.

So far the best deal seems to be this 2009 Miata SV I found on CarMax:

https://www.carmax.com/car/19624652

It's priced at $12,998 which seems steep for a 12 year old Miata but I guess that's what they cost now. It only has 39k miles on it as well. The only issue is that I checked KBB and it says the trade-in value is ~$6,200 and even the "Private Party" value is under $9k.

https://www.kbb.com/mazda/mx-5-miata/2009/sv-convertible-2d/?condition=good&intent=trade-in-sell&mileage=39000&modalview=false&options=6497575%7ctrue&pricetype=trade-in&vehicleid=226827

Is KBB just off-base here? I don't mind paying a little more for the right car and for the convenience of using CarMax but I don't want to pay almost double what this car is worth. I'm planning on keeping the car for a few years but I may be buying a house soon or moving or something and might want to get rid of the car before then and would like to buy something I can sell for something in the ballpark of what I paid for it. What do you guys think?

 

[thetopdog]

Also, if anybody reading this has an NA/NB/NC or even ND Miata or any other car that would make a fun, reliable beater and is looking to sell please PM me

 

[absoluteczech]

does seem high, but im sure the low mileage is making it worth $$

it was driven 3250 miles a year on average. super low

 

[nyexx]

Carmax has never been known for its low prices. That said, the car does look well kept.

I think it’s priced at least $2k over market value. That is the absolute base Miata, $13,000 should get you at least a Touring or Grand Touring with more creature comforts and an LSD.

 

[abacabdan]

That looks clean but seems way overpriced to me. $13k is PRHT territory, or, as mentioned above, a newer soft top GT. NC Miatas are still depreciating.

 

[CostcoPizza]

Dayum-- miles are low, but that seems like a $10 maaaybe $11k car pre 'rona.

 

[aethelwulf]

That definitely seems on the high side for that car, even with the low miles, and you're starting to get close to being able to afford an early ND/Fiata for that kind of money.

 

[thetopdog]

Thanks guys. I figured the price was high but I also can't seem to find a better price on an NC out there anywhere. Now you guys have me looking at NDs

 

[kptaylor]

Way over priced for a base Sport model. (5 spd, open diff, cloth seats, base radio, base suspension..) Go to miata.net for better info and be a little patient on the deals since this isn't a DD car for you.

 

[forewheel]

I will also chime in and say that's way too high. I only paid a few grand more for my '13 GT with only 18K miles on it two years ago (plus it had about $5k in mods). Not sure where you live OP but be patient and keep looking. Most people in the northern states have theirs in storage right now, people like me down in Texas are driving them, so the for sale market isn't the hottest currently. Also consider shipping one to you or flying out and driving it back. And miata.net is a great resource for info plus they have a FS section.

Good luck and have fun shopping.

 

[thetopdog]

I will also chime in and say that's way too high. I only paid a few grand more for my '13 GT with only 18K miles on it two years ago (plus it had about $5k in mods). Not sure where you live OP but be patient and keep looking. Most people in the northern states have theirs in storage right now, people like me down in Texas are driving them, so the for sale market isn't the hottest currently. Also consider shipping one to you or flying out and driving it back. And miata.net is a great resource for info plus they have a FS section.

Good luck and have fun shopping.

Thanks for the context. I'm definitely willing to look across the country but the only ones I've been able to find at reasonable prices are at shady dealers and I don't really want to deal with a shady dealer out of state. Also checked the classifieds on Miata.net and there aren't really many cars for sale. I'll keep looking though

 

[fireside]

No, for whatever reason these blew up during the COVID pandemic. "Luxury items" or lifestyle items really flew up in price once the fed started printing. These were solid $7-10k in good condition pre-wuhan flu. I'd wait.

 

[Calcvictim]

Yeah, prices on fun cars skyrocketed during covid. This does seem highish, but also depends on what are your plans for the car. I owned a NC1(2006) and a LSD was a must, but you can always get one put in.

 

[dwagner88]

I sold my NC1 GT with LSD for $5K in May. It was definitely a beater though. 128K on the body and trans, on its second motor (though that only had 28K on it), and not perfect visually. All that being said, this one feels overpriced.

 

[thetopdog]

I sold my NC1 GT with LSD for $5K in May. It was definitely a beater though. 128K on the body and trans, on its second motor (though that only had 28K on it), and not perfect visually. All that being said, this one feels overpriced.

Damn, sounds like I missed out, that's the exact kind of car I'm looking for. Something I can beat on without worrying about

 

[thetopdog]

You guys were right, for only a few $k more I found an ND. Going to get a PPI done on a 2016 tomorrow. It's selling for $16k. If everything goes well I'll have it by the end of next week

 

[thetopdog]

I took a look at the ND today. It's a black 2016 Club with Brembos, BBS wheels and a Racing Beat cat-back. 57,000 miles. The seller is asking $16,750, he has agreed to sell it for $16,100

I met the seller at a Mazda dealer to do the PPI. It's the same dealer he's had service done at. The PPI was $250 (I had no idea PPIs cost that much these days). The service advisor was really cool and gave me the history of the car. The transmission grenaded last year and it was replaced under the powertrain warranty (the seller had previously disclosed this). Apparently some early NDs had problems with transmissions exploding out of nowhere. The service advisor mentioned that while he had the car apart the clutch looked pretty worn but the owner elected not to replace it. He said I should have a year or two of clutch life left. Apart from that, they checked a ton of different things during the PPI and didn't find any issues.

The car isn't perfect cosmetically, but that's totally fine for what I plan on using it for. The windshield header is sun damaged (strange for a 2016), there is some paint damage on the driver's side door that looks like tree sap ate away the clearcoat, and there are a few other dings and dents. Nothing major and nothing I'd probably even bother fixing. The interior is pretty pristine with the exception of a little damage to the bottom left corner of the nav screen.

So the car isn't perfect, but all the mechanicals checked out. I took it for a spin and it drove really well. The seller seemed like a decent, straightforward guy and has priced the car to reflect the issues. I was about to spend $13k for a 12 year old NC so spending a few grand more for a much newer, nicer car doesn't sound bad at all. What do you guys think? Is this a decent deal or would you hold off for another car? The car has obviously not been babied (the current owner is the 3rd owner) but I was able to look at the recent service records and the PPI was really thorough. I also have a good mechanic friend that works on Miatas and can help me with any potential issues. Should I pull the trigger?

 

[BODH1]

Carmax has never been known for its low prices. That said, the car does look well kept.

I think it’s priced at least $2k over market value. That is the absolute base Miata, $13,000 should get you at least a Touring or Grand Touring with more creature comforts and an LSD.

To add to this. I just got a NC2 GT with suspension package for 10.8k OTD that's in perfect condition but has 99k miles.

I got lucky though and flew from ATX to houston to get it.

 

[BODH1]

I took a look at the ND today. It's a black 2016 Club with Brembos, BBS wheels and a Racing Beat cat-back. 57,000 miles. The seller is asking $16,750, he has agreed to sell it for $16,100

I met the seller at a Mazda dealer to do the PPI. It's the same dealer he's had service done at. The PPI was $250 (I had no idea PPIs cost that much these days). The service advisor was really cool and gave me the history of the car. The transmission grenaded last year and it was replaced under the powertrain warranty (the seller had previously disclosed this). Apparently some early NDs had problems with transmissions exploding out of nowhere. The service advisor mentioned that while he had the car apart the clutch looked pretty worn but the owner elected not to replace it. He said I should have a year or two of clutch life left. Apart from that, they checked a ton of different things during the PPI and didn't find any issues.

The car isn't perfect cosmetically, but that's totally fine for what I plan on using it for. The windshield header is sun damaged (strange for a 2016), there is some paint damage on the driver's side door that looks like tree sap ate away the clearcoat, and there are a few other dings and dents. Nothing major and nothing I'd probably even bother fixing. The interior is pretty pristine with the exception of a little damage to the bottom left corner of the nav screen.

So the car isn't perfect, but all the mechanicals checked out. I took it for a spin and it drove really well. The seller seemed like a decent, straightforward guy and has priced the car to reflect the issues. I was about to spend $13k for a 12 year old NC so spending a few grand more for a much newer, nicer car doesn't sound bad at all. What do you guys think? Is this a decent deal or would you hold off for another car? The car has obviously not been babied (the current owner is the 3rd owner) but I was able to look at the recent service records and the PPI was really thorough. I also have a good mechanic friend that works on Miatas and can help me with any potential issues. Should I pull the trigger?

Sounds like it lived a hard and fast life. Your call really. I'd do what I did again in a heart beat and find a perfect NC2+ rather than someone's ND they neglected (and quickly.) for a few k less. That's just me.

Obviously, if you love the look of the ND over the NC, than there's not much that'll change your mind.

3 owners in 57k and a grenaded transmission and worn out clutch in that time? Pretty wild.

 

[thetopdog]

Sounds like it lived a hard and fast life. Your call really. I'd do what I did again in a heart beat and find a perfect NC2+ rather than someone's ND they neglected (and quickly.) for a few k less. That's just me.

Obviously, if you love the look of the ND over the NC, than there's not much that'll change your mind.

3 owners in 57k and a grenaded transmission and worn out clutch in that time? Pretty wild.

Yeah, it was definitely driven hard but according to the PPI everything is mechanically sound. And I like the ND much more than the NC, although I'd still take an NC if I found the right one, it just seems that there aren't any good ones at a reasonable price out there. The ND I looked at is also still eligible for an extended warranty from Mazda so if I was really concerned about reliability I might just spend a couple grand on the warranty and really not worry about what happens