Quick answer needed if poss

WendyC88 wrote:
> Sorry and thanks. I have my eye on two Miata's to purchase mode and I have
> a nagging question about ownership that I have seen on more than two of
> these.
>
> I run a carfax report on any car I might be seriously interested in. I have
> noticed a trend with the Miata's where I see them only owned for a year or
> more before being passed off. I have my eyes on a 2006 touring w/ 10,000
> miles and two owners already and a 2007 same mileage, same deal. I have
> seen others like this as well. Why is that? My better half thinks people
> buy them on impulse, the fact that they are a blast to drive, and then
> realize that they are not exactly practicle. What do you think? Why are
> these things turning over so much? Thanks!

I bought a 2003 Miata (MX-5) here in the UK about 18 months ago. When I
was shopping around for my car, I noticed that it is not uncommon for
these cars to be owned for a year or so then sold on.

It is also not uncommon here for dealers to register new cars in their
name in order to hit sales targets then presumably write the
depreciation off against tax and sell the 1 careful previous owner, 'as
new', very low mileage cars at a significant discount compared to new ones.

I'm not sure the system works like that where you are, but personally,
I'd only be concerned that a car was a lemon if it had changed hands
more than once per year on average over its lifetime. I think they are
often bought as playthings. I guess that people with disposable income
can afford to change often.

That's what I think.

--
Douglas

"Zog The Undeniable" > wrote in message
...
> WendyC88 wrote:
>> Sorry and thanks. I have my eye on two Miata's to purchase mode and I
>> have a nagging question about ownership that I have seen on more than two
>> of these.
>>
>> I run a carfax report on any car I might be seriously interested in. I
>> have noticed a trend with the Miata's where I see them only owned for a
>> year or more before being passed off. I have my eyes on a 2006 touring
>> w/ 10,000 miles and two owners already and a 2007 same mileage, same
>> deal. I have seen others like this as well. Why is that? My better
>> half thinks people buy them on impulse, the fact that they are a blast to
>> drive, and then realize that they are not exactly practicle. What do you
>> think? Why are these things turning over so much? Thanks!
> Pregnancy is a very common reason to sell up. Another is that people
> simply can't afford to keep them, what with the insurance costs, fuel cost
> (not gas-guzzlingly bad, but much worse than a supermini) and the cost of
> vandalism when parking on the street.

Hmm. Insurance is low, it seems to me. When I replaced my 1985 Dodge
Caravan with a new 1996 Miata, my insurance went *down* a lot. It's priced
as a 4-cylinder subcompact, is it not? Regarding vandalism, it can't be
that bad if I'm right about the insurance. Not to generalize from my own
experience, but the only problem I've ever had was having a pair of
expensive prescription sunglasses stolen. Never a problem with the top,
which is almost always down.

I'm not sure that a weakening economy would produce more 2006's and 2007's
available for re-sale than, say 2005's, but it could be.

"Douglas Payne" > wrote in message
...
> WendyC88 wrote:
>> Sorry and thanks. I have my eye on two Miata's to purchase mode and I
>> have a nagging question about ownership that I have seen on more than two
>> of these.
>>
>> I run a carfax report on any car I might be seriously interested in. I
>> have noticed a trend with the Miata's where I see them only owned for a
>> year or more before being passed off. I have my eyes on a 2006 touring
>> w/ 10,000 miles and two owners already and a 2007 same mileage, same
>> deal. I have seen others like this as well. Why is that? My better
>> half thinks people buy them on impulse, the fact that they are a blast to
>> drive, and then realize that they are not exactly practicle. What do you
>> think? Why are these things turning over so much? Thanks!
>
> I bought a 2003 Miata (MX-5) here in the UK about 18 months ago. When I
> was shopping around for my car, I noticed that it is not uncommon for
> these cars to be owned for a year or so then sold on.
>
> It is also not uncommon here for dealers to register new cars in their
> name in order to hit sales targets then presumably write the depreciation
> off against tax and sell the 1 careful previous owner, 'as new', very low
> mileage cars at a significant discount compared to new ones.
>
> I'm not sure the system works like that where you are, but personally, I'd
> only be concerned that a car was a lemon if it had changed hands more than
> once per year on average over its lifetime. I think they are often bought
> as playthings. I guess that people with disposable income can afford to
> change often.
>
> That's what I think.
>
> --
> Douglas

Thanks all!! Picked up today...what a blast!!

Tell us about it! Congrats!

Chris
99BBB

>
> Thanks all!! Picked up today...what a blast!!
>
>

Carol wrote:
> I really think that buyers remorse is a big reason. My second Miata I bought
> with about 1,000 miles on it - the original owner had a bad back and finally
> had to admit he couldn't get in and out of it (an '04). I recently moved up
> to an '08. I ended up buying new because I got a phenomenal deal, but I was
> going to buy a used one with 400 miles. I talked with the original owner -
> he was 6'1 - he ALWAYS wanted a Miata but then had to admit that there is
> only so much leg room!
>
> It's such an Oh I Want One car that often people's bubbles just get burst.
> Which is our gain! ;-) -Carol
>
> "WendyC88" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Sorry and thanks. I have my eye on two Miata's to purchase mode and I
>> have a nagging question about ownership that I have seen on more than two
>> of these.
>>
>> I run a carfax report on any car I might be seriously interested in. I
>> have noticed a trend with the Miata's where I see them only owned for a
>> year or more before being passed off. I have my eyes on a 2006 touring w/
>> 10,000 miles and two owners already and a 2007 same mileage, same deal. I
>> have seen others like this as well. Why is that? My better half thinks
>> people buy them on impulse, the fact that they are a blast to drive, and
>> then realize that they are not exactly practicle. What do you think? Why
>> are these things turning over so much? Thanks!
>>
>
>
I predicted that this would happen to Lotus Elise owners. There seem to
be a lot of them turning over at relatively low miles. The Elise is
simply not a "car"; the Miata is practical transportation by comparison.

Having said that: I'd still be willing to take my chances :-)

Ken