Advice on trading cars...not a festiva though!

[lanemeyer14]

Heres the deal. Some of you may remember I had a good bit of trouble a few months ago with my other car (93 honda prelude). It's been broken into 4 times, parked into at my apt. complex(huge dent on driver's door), and then it was stolen. Well, I got it back, sans wheels and tires, and have decided it would be easier on me, my wallet, and the car if I got rid of it. Keep in mind that this has been my baby for the past five years and I really don't want to see her go, but it's just too much of a target where I live. So I posted it for sale or possible trade for a Miata on craigslist. Now, I don't know much about miatas, but having the festy has sparked my interest in mazdas. So I got an email from a guy saying he might want to trade me. He has a 1992 miata, <60k miles, auto, and a hard top. My car is a 93, 200+k miles, 5sp, and a good bit of mods. Other than the obvious mileage difference, do you think this would be a good trade on my part? I really don't want an automatic, but I don't want to pass it up if it's a good deal. Also, like I said, I know nothing about miatas, so I don't really know what to look for. Thanks for any advice guys!

[rancheeto]

my moms had her 1990 5spd since almost knew, and hasnt had any major problems with it. its a fun little car, and pretty quik stock. plus you can always get a monster miata kit and drop a 302ci in it.

[Tim]

Mazdas are very solid cars.

If the Miata is in good shape I'd take it. 67k is practically brand new.


Tim

[turqfest]

Sounds good but proceed with caution - check the title/ history from a reputable site. As well check the car out for signs of wear and tear above what might be expected for the year/mileage of the vehicle. (i.e: is the rubber cover on the brake pedal extremely worn? excessive upholstery wear, etc).This isn't a rule book to follow, there are always exceptions, but just some things that I have learned in my experiences with wheeler dealers.

Sometimes the obvious is in the fine print you just have to read it!

[lanemeyer14]

Yeah, I'm a little wary, but I'm still going to check it out this week. The car actually belongs to the guy's mom, but she just got a new civic and I guess she's letting him do what he wants with the miata.

[htchbck]

Not to scare you too much, but one of my former roommates drives a miata, as does her father, mother, and sister... between their four cars they have been broken in to over a dozen times in the last two years (5 of those times involved damage to the convertible roof). Also her fathers car was stolen last winter (they got it back after about a month no worse for the wear) and her last miata (blue '91 5 speed) was stolen this summer and never returned (she now drives a teal '02). So miatas are not immune to break-ins or car theft... just a thought since you mentioned that as one of your reasons for getting rid of the honda. And her car wasn't modified at all, it was bone stock. Just my $.02 for what its worth

[CharlieZ]

Most-Stolen Cars From cars dot com 2007

Which car was stolen more than any other in the nation in 2007? The 1995 Honda Civic, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Other popular theft targets are listed in the table below.
2007 National Insurance Crime Bureau Auto Theft Study
The following cars and trucks were stolen most frequently in 2007, according to the NICB.
Rank Year/Make/Model
1. 1995 Honda Civic
2. 1991 Honda Accord
3. 1989 Toyota Camry
4. 1997 Ford F-150
5. 1994 Chevrolet 1500
6. 1994 Acura Integra
7. 2004 Dodge Ram
8. 1994 Nissan Sentra
9. 1988 Toyota Pickup
10. 2007 Toyota Corolla

From State Farm
Which newer cars are stolen the least?

Lowest Theft Claim Frequencies, 2003-05 Model Passenger Vehicles:

* Ford Taurus
* Pontiac Vibe 4WD
* Buick LeSabre
* Buick Park Avenue 4dr

[lanemeyer14]

I know I'm still going to have to worry about theft, especially with it having the hard top...I know those are pretty hard to come by, and very expensive. Can anyone run the vin for me?