Bought my 2005 GT 6 speed new and for those interested here is my perspective on the car 10 years and 50K km later.
Have not had ANY problems with the car at all...oil/filter changes every 5K...and just now changed the original belts, plugs, coils, transmission, brake, coolant and rear axle fluids...air filter every 25K...I find it to be a very reliable vehicle...and yes its still a blast to drive...provided you manage the engine power band as if it were a 600cc motorcycle engine...lots of rev's and a narrow power-band.
After having driven many other "performance" type cars I am still amazed at how well it handles and just how much of a "slug" it is from a standing start...I guess you can call it a "track car" in that regard.
Even after swapping out the summer tires for all season's it still very much impresses with its ability to stick to the road, corner flat and pivot while providing a very reasonable ride. The accessible rear seats have come in handy on many an occasion as well.
As my "slug" comment above suggests my biggest disappointment is with the engines lack of torque...and my sample has since day one had a "notchy" transmission unlike the Miata's smooth short-throw unit.
Over the years I have done the following mods...and in doing so have rediscovered just how very well the car was engineered.
LED bulb changes...inside and out.
Black Halo Resonator Mid-Pipe
Samsung Tab 4 in place of the factory Navigation Unit...(car did not come with Navigation originally)
GROM Bluetooth Hands-Free...phone/music bluetooth streaming.
Drilled/Slotted 4W Discs and ceramic pads
Lower Radiator Guard
The car is pretty much "performance stock" as I don't view the many performance gadgets offered as offering much of a performance improvement.
Even after having the car for this long I still admire the styling of it every time I walk up to it knowing its not for everyone...I describe it as "tastefully busy".
Every time I drive it I make it a point to "bleep" the engine and only use non-ethanol based fuel while premixing using Lucas FD 2 stroke oil...the engine is still buttery smooth and I have not experienced the rough idle talked about (original motor mounts are still good).
What would I change?
I would yank out the engine in a heartbeat if there were a reasonably engineered light weight non-turbo "Frankenstein" alternative which would not negatively impact the vehicles handling characteristics while still supporting the original OEM equipment systems. I would gladly exchange the rotary's high rpm smoothness and V8 mileage for some low to mid-range torque.
From what I have read it seems that at around the 100K (km) mark the engines either self destruct or run forever. As I'm halfway there I hope to get another 10 years out of it yet.
So far my after 10 years of ownership scores are:
Styling 9
Body Integrity 9
Body Rust 10 (Rust Check the car myself each fall and spring...stuff seems to spread well and displace moisture as advertised)
Handling 10
Fit/Finish 7.5
Reliability 10
Engine...Smoothness 10, Efficiency 3, Power 5, Reliability 10
I would be curious to hear from any other long-term owners as to how their ownership perspectives have changed over the years...thanks for reading.
Have not had ANY problems with the car at all...oil/filter changes every 5K...and just now changed the original belts, plugs, coils, transmission, brake, coolant and rear axle fluids...air filter every 25K...I find it to be a very reliable vehicle...and yes its still a blast to drive...provided you manage the engine power band as if it were a 600cc motorcycle engine...lots of rev's and a narrow power-band.
After having driven many other "performance" type cars I am still amazed at how well it handles and just how much of a "slug" it is from a standing start...I guess you can call it a "track car" in that regard.
Even after swapping out the summer tires for all season's it still very much impresses with its ability to stick to the road, corner flat and pivot while providing a very reasonable ride. The accessible rear seats have come in handy on many an occasion as well.
As my "slug" comment above suggests my biggest disappointment is with the engines lack of torque...and my sample has since day one had a "notchy" transmission unlike the Miata's smooth short-throw unit.
Over the years I have done the following mods...and in doing so have rediscovered just how very well the car was engineered.
LED bulb changes...inside and out.
Black Halo Resonator Mid-Pipe
Samsung Tab 4 in place of the factory Navigation Unit...(car did not come with Navigation originally)
GROM Bluetooth Hands-Free...phone/music bluetooth streaming.
Drilled/Slotted 4W Discs and ceramic pads
Lower Radiator Guard
The car is pretty much "performance stock" as I don't view the many performance gadgets offered as offering much of a performance improvement.
Even after having the car for this long I still admire the styling of it every time I walk up to it knowing its not for everyone...I describe it as "tastefully busy".
Every time I drive it I make it a point to "bleep" the engine and only use non-ethanol based fuel while premixing using Lucas FD 2 stroke oil...the engine is still buttery smooth and I have not experienced the rough idle talked about (original motor mounts are still good).
What would I change?
I would yank out the engine in a heartbeat if there were a reasonably engineered light weight non-turbo "Frankenstein" alternative which would not negatively impact the vehicles handling characteristics while still supporting the original OEM equipment systems. I would gladly exchange the rotary's high rpm smoothness and V8 mileage for some low to mid-range torque.
From what I have read it seems that at around the 100K (km) mark the engines either self destruct or run forever. As I'm halfway there I hope to get another 10 years out of it yet.
So far my after 10 years of ownership scores are:
Styling 9
Body Integrity 9
Body Rust 10 (Rust Check the car myself each fall and spring...stuff seems to spread well and displace moisture as advertised)
Handling 10
Fit/Finish 7.5
Reliability 10
Engine...Smoothness 10, Efficiency 3, Power 5, Reliability 10
I would be curious to hear from any other long-term owners as to how their ownership perspectives have changed over the years...thanks for reading.
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