# Fitting in Miata, S2000



## rumratt (Feb 22, 2003)

Today I drove an S2000 (gently around the parking lot) and I also sat in a Mazda Miata. My reaction was  

I'm 6'0" tall, so that's not particularly big, but when I sat up straight my eyes were looking straight into the top bar of the Miata's windshield. :dunno: 

The S2K was better and I could sit comfortably if I wanted to look down at the road in front of me, but if I wanted to look far ahead I had to crouch my neck down a little bit. 

I might give them another shot because in reading the S2K boards there seem to be plenty of 6' tall folks who are happy with their cars. But if I can't see out the windshield when sitting comfortably, these cars are crossed off my list for good. That would leave only the RX8 on my short list,


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## ·clyde· (Dec 26, 2001)

I'm 6' 0" too. i don't have any problem with seating position in the Miata, but my knees start to hurt real bad after about 20 minutes. I'm fine in the S2K.


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## rumratt (Feb 22, 2003)

·clyde· said:


> I'm 6' 0" too. i don't have any problem with seating position in the Miata, but my knees start to hurt real bad after about 20 minutes.


Huh. Are you strangely proportioned, with extra long legs and no body?

Or maybe I'm all body and no legs. :eeps:

Or maybe the guy had his seat upright for the autocross, and if I got into a more pimpin' reclined position I'd be good to go. I'll stick with this explaination for now.


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## elfhearse (Jul 25, 2002)

I'm 6' (with 33" inseam) and had a 99 Miata 10th Anniversary for two years. I ended up trading it, and one of the primary reasons was I felt I was too tall by about 1". If I leaned forward while driving, the top of my head would be up over the top of the windshield. Visibility was fine with the top up as long as I had my seat back and position tilted back about 10°. I got the impression from friends that saw me in it, that I looked like "Mr Potatohead" when I was driving with the top down. I know the newer models have nicer sport seats which may have lowered the clearance.... but that's my take/rationalization on my 99 Miata. (6 speed manual was most excellent!!)


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## ·clyde· (Dec 26, 2001)

rumratt said:


> Huh. Are you strangely proportioned, with extra long legs and no body?
> 
> Or maybe I'm all body and no legs. :eeps:
> 
> Or maybe the guy had his seat upright for the autocross, and if I got into a more pimpin' reclined position I'd be good to go. I'll stick with this explaination for now.


 Not strangely proportioned at all (as far as I can tell). While I don't have a problems with the seating position in the Miata, I suspect that one or two very slight changes would make it pain free for me. :dunno:


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## The Roadstergal (Sep 7, 2002)

Try an NA and an NB. Some tall friends of mine fit the NA but not the NB.


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## TLudwig (Mar 30, 2004)

rumratt said:


> Today I drove an S2000 (gently around the parking lot) and I also sat in a Mazda Miata. My reaction was
> 
> I'm 6'0" tall, so that's not particularly big, but when I sat up straight my eyes were looking straight into the top bar of the Miata's windshield. :dunno:
> 
> ...


I'm 6'1" and the Miata definitely felt to small for me--not enough head room or leg room for me. The S2000 didn't feel roomy or anything, but I felt like I fit in it okay.

However, if you're looking at the RX-8, you might not be much better off. I was strongly leaning towards getting the RX-8 before ordering my 330Ci, but unless I had my chair uncomfortably bent down and back, my head rubbed up against the frame of the moonroof. It was to the extent that I banged the top of my head a couple of times on the test drive. I felt even more clausterphobic in the RX-8 than in the S2000.


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