Applicable to: '90 - '97 '99 + 1.6 liter 1.8 liter
Mazdaspeed Sportseats, black vinyl wings with gray striped jersey logo'd insert. Available with red or white vinyl as well. These are the "base" MS seats and are now labeled as "A-Spec" on the included literature.
This were imported as part of a group buy. Two seats and sliders to fit any model Miata. Install is easy, about 30mins a side. No modifications are necessary.
First these seats are top quality, the fit and finish is better than most OEM stuff. The seats are also built with normal OEM-style seat construction. Comfort is great, these seats have a very nice firm feel to them. They provide great lumbar support as well as good thigh support too. Thigh bolsters are more aggresive than the side & wing bolsters. The seat provides great cornering grip but I feel the side bolsters could be a bit more aggressive. The drawback to MS seat when mounted with the stock MS sliders is twofold, first the seat will be ~1" higher than stock due to the deeper cushion on the MS seat, secondly you will lose some seat travel due to interference between the seatback and seatbelt pillar. Custom mounting would probably cure this but be forewarned! Tall people WILL NOT fit in this stock. No way. I'd guestimate 3" loss in total legroom. Pics can be seen @ miata.cardomain.com/id/icehawk - please feel free to email me with any qu! estions. FYI, I am 5'7" 125lbs.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter 1.8 liter
Mazda Speed Type F Sport Seats (imported via Cork Sport in Oregon)
- All Instructions are in Japanese. - All seats are right side seats although it is easy to switch the rotary knob that controls tilt from the right side to the left (making it a left side seat) - Although the seats are identical, the mounting brackets are side specific. I didn't know this and for a few days thought the brackets weren't the right ones. - The Driver's side 'tunnel' is quite thin and I have been unable to lower the seat enough to get all four bolts secured. I only have been able to bolt three of the corners down. The fourth corner is about 1" away from the floor. - The wide 'wings' at the top of the seat are wider than stock. The seat cannot be tilted all the way to the rear wall because the 'wings' hit the seat belt guide (where the seat belts come out of the rear deck). - The seats sit slightly higher than the stock seats. - The seat back seems thicker so you lose a little leg room with these seats.
I bought these seats because very few aftermarket seats fit in the Miata. I am tall (6'3") and my head could easily roll back over the top of the stock seats hitting my hard dog rollbar (2001 Miata appears to have decent head rests). So I wanted seats that would protect my head if I get rear ended.
These seats are beautiful. They are as comfortable as they look. On the down side, I've lost a noticeable amount of room in the cockpit. Probably not a big deal for many people but I now have to tilt my head to avoid being pressed against the roof. The slightly higher seat cushion and not being able to tilt the seat back all the way are the main reason for this. I don't have anything against the seats as they are very nice, but I'm still in a position where I feel my seating is unacceptable.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 '99 + 1.6 liter 1.8 liter
Black leather/gray cloth inserts with a large Mazdaspeed logo. Fully reclinable and adjustable, with the correct bracket supplied with the seats. Mazdaspeed designed these seats for endurance racing, so comfort was taken into consideration as well as lateral support. It has a special spring “suspension” underneath that cushions the passenger. Well contoured seats with hip and shoulder supports keep you planted in the seats during hard cornering, so you can concentrate on driving instead of trying to stay in the seat! 2 seatbelt holes and an integrated headrest complete the aggressive look. These are kinda pricey, but one of the best things you can do to the car. Only a few were brought into the US, so if you come across some, grab them while you can!!!
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Mazdaspeed Sport Seats (Black)
Purchased from Moss Motors for about $1200 for the pair. The seats look very aggressive and are a lot more comfortable than factory seats, the seats have lumbar support and grip the body much more. However these seats don't see satisfactory for much larger bodies over 6 feet and over 200 lbs. Seats would seem to narrow to these types of people. Installation isn't too hard took about 1 1/2 hours to complete. However, I had some trouble because Moss Motors sent me too left seat brackets. I had to wait for the other brackets to complete the installation. I have to say along with some other unhappy customers with Moss Motors, that they really suck in the customer service department. They couldn't reimburse for their mistake, I had to send one of the left brackets back to them (This isn't the first time I had to send something back to them) They wouldn't even send me a Mazdaspeed catalog worth $9 even after I spent over $1200.
Mazdaspeed sport seats - Black
Simple bolt-on replacement.
With my Mazdaspeed suspension system, these seats really keep me from sliding all around the interior during extremely spirited cornering. Snug yet comfortable with intense looks. What more could I ask for?
| Back to Product Reviews | 16 December, 2000 |