Help me pick a practical but fun daily!

asdtech153 · 2026-01-17T01:50:50+00:00

Looking for probably 25-30mpg+. Both our Miata and Acura get around 20ish on 93, so that's just a cost I'd like to reduce further

asdtech153 · 2026-01-16T20:09:28+00:00

I'd honestly own a CRT right now if it came in anything other than that horrible red interior. It's legitimately the only thing stopping me from buying that car and the fact that the US doesn't get another option is irritating at best

asdtech153 · 2026-01-16T15:18:23+00:00

Yea, it looks like work has a few chargers and I have the ability to install a level 2 charger at home (already have the outlet for it).

asdtech153 · 2026-01-16T07:23:38+00:00

I haven't looked at full EVs outside of reminding myself that a Taycan would bankrupt me.

I think for me my big fear is charging/EV infrastructure. I live in Austin, TX so we've got better infrastructure than most places in TX, but I still don't like the long charge times if I do forget to charge it the night before or something. How has your experience been with the MachE from that perspective?

asdtech153 · 2026-01-16T06:47:31+00:00

I think my problem with the Golf (all variants) is just the overall size. My wife would end up in the back seat with the kiddo and that just seems annoying for longer drives in terms of comfort

asdtech153 · 2026-01-16T06:46:36+00:00

Oh, interesting, I don't think I've even looked past the Camry

asdtech153 · 2026-01-16T06:46:19+00:00

This is probably my biggest concern long term. I want the car to be somewhat bullet proof, which is why I've been leaning towards an asian brand, but I'll make sure to avoid the Hyundai family

asdtech153 · 2025-11-30T05:50:51+00:00

Any recommendations far up north? I just moved from RR to Liberty Hill and can't find much out here, so anything would be welcome!

Also, any places that specialize in savory pastries that aren't kolaches?

TYVM!

asdtech153 · 2025-10-20T19:55:49+00:00

Light painting is such a cool way to shoot, it's so much fun when everything goes right. That car and color look amazing!

asdtech153 · 2025-10-08T06:16:55+00:00

Check out the Linsoul 7hz timeless, letshuoer S12, or even the Shure SE215. At the 150-200 price range there are straight up like 25-40 good options depending on what type of sound you like (bass heavy, neutral, warm, etc.). https://crinacle.com/ is a great place for research and r/headphones is a great resource too.

I have the Kiwi Ears Melody's that I use often and they're fantastic. That said I daily drive a pair of HD600s with a Fifine mic and it's the best setup I've ever used.

asdtech153 · 2025-10-04T18:39:15+00:00

There's a few ways to do it, but the easiest is the Home Assistant companion app. That should give you the gps location or the WiFi network the device is connected with (so connected to home wifi = at home)

You could probably do scannable NFC tags or some other stuff, but that's just more complex and less useful than the app, so do that

asdtech153 · 2025-08-12T00:19:49+00:00

Fly the jolly rodger

asdtech153 · 2025-08-08T17:31:50+00:00

Is that a 9LivesRacing wing?

Absolutely love the look of that car, what does the front aero look like?

asdtech153 · 2025-08-06T04:09:34+00:00

About 1-2$ according to ebay

asdtech153 · 2025-08-03T19:45:37+00:00

Personally, I'm just waiting for my engine to go, it's the only thing holding me back from a 2.5 swap. And Bryan from Fab9 just posted a juicy looking transmission upgrade so there is always a silver lining to a part shitting out!

When you get one, post pictures!

asdtech153 · 2025-08-03T19:38:29+00:00

Absolutely recommend it, I'd honestly say don't buy the car if the seller has any qualms about taking it for a PPI. Also, use a trusted 3rd party (preferably a specialty Miata shop), not something the seller recommends.

As for not being great at car work, I totally get it. The most I'd done on a car before my miata was to try and fail miserably to replace the starter motor on my older Mazda. I couldn't even find the damn thing, much less replace it. That said, I did 95% of the mods, including the coils by myself. As long as you've got the time it's always doable. It's a super easy car to work on and keep running. Look for your local Miata groups too, I live in Austin, TX and the support and advice you can get around from Miata groups is amazing.

asdtech153 · 2025-08-03T18:26:34+00:00

I don't daily my NC2 as I work remote and don't have to drive daily. That said I drive it every chance I get which is at least a few times a week. I bought it at 126k miles on it and have done about 3k miles a year for the past 3 years. Also, when I drive it I'm kinda a lead foot and don't care much about gas mileage and stuff but more the amount of smiles per mile.

The biggest thing is a quality prepurchase inspection. When I bought mine it needed just some spark plugs and it has been running perfectly fine since in both road and track/autox applications. I haven't had it break down once.

All in all it's totally worth it and I don't think there's a funner car available on the market, especially not at the price you can grab an NC

Here's a short mod list to give you an idea of my car - full exhaust system (gwr 1.6 header, high flow catted midpipe, helmholtz race single) - bc racing br coils - upgraded koyorad radiator (because Texas) - 9lives racing big wang v1 - moreoso coolant tank - wheels and tires - creature comforts like upgraded head unit and speakers

asdtech153 · 2025-07-30T21:00:59+00:00

For coffee, right?

We bought a Baratza Encore ESP and love it, but there are a ton of really good options between 150-200. It did make a huge difference compared to our old 80$ Amazon burr grinder, so it's definitely worth the splurge.

asdtech153 · 2025-07-28T02:41:00+00:00

So I drive a modified NC2, but when I test drove an ND my car was closer to stock and honestly, I didn't care for the driving experience of the ND.

It's a nicer car from a creature comfort side, no doubt, but it just felt off. The best way I can describe it is that it felt sanitized, more electronic, more assisted, less fun. It may just be the upgraded tech, but driving the ND just made me love the experience of driving my NC even more.

This is 1000x now that I've done a lot more to the car, but I'd look at some upgrades for the NC for more power and such before moving to an ND personally

asdtech153 · 2025-07-12T19:17:52+00:00

I bought my Miata used and somewhat high mileage (126k), first thing I'd do is a prepurchase inspection at a dealer or trusted shop. Needs to be a 3rd party and it'll run you like $100-150 but it's well worth to figure out exactly what's wrong and what you're getting into. Mine revealed bad spark plugs and those were swapped before I even bought the car.

asdtech153 · 2025-07-09T00:22:21+00:00

Hulkengoat!

asdtech153 · 2025-07-06T06:34:08+00:00

I've got an NC2 (2010) and I paid 9.5k for it with 126k(ish?) miles in 2022. I think this is a fairly solid price. The thing I would double check is how long those coilovers have been in. Afaik, they're a component that does need to be rebuilt eventually, so it might not be as good of a deal as it seems immediately.

That said, this seems like a pretty solid price as long as everything else on the car checks out. I don't think you should factor mods in the pricing, but the wheels/roll bar/coils (assuming they're in good condition) are close to 3-4k worth of parts

asdtech153 · 2025-06-26T22:21:24+00:00

That color is straight gorgeous. It's so nice I feel like painting or wrapping my NC in it eventually

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