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No sports car has dominated the used car market like the Mazda Miata over the last thirty years, but the used Subaru BRZ models might take the crown.
Sporty Used Car Options
As fewer automotive manufacturers are willing to build sports cars, only the very best still remain. Two of the remaining pillars of the segment are the Subaru BRZ and the historically excellent Mazda Miata. These cars both feature a similar recipe of moderate power, excellent handling, and attractive styling that have been distilled over many years.
What’s perhaps most intriguing about each is that high-quality used examples can be found for just $15,000 or less. The question we have is which one is actually the better buy. Exploring them back to back has been an enlightening experience. Can the new-school BRZ dethrone the king of all affordable sports cars? Or will the Mazda Miata beat down the boxer imbued hardtop?
Used Mazda Miata vs Used Subaru BRZ Specs
These two vehicles couldn’t be much different when we start spending anywhere near our $15,000 budget. The used Subaru BRZ is largely available in one general form. A 2+2 sports car of a single generation that was released in 2012. Even cars with more than 100,000 miles will still cost more than $10,000, but that’s no reason to dismiss the BRZ. The flat-four nestled low in the chassis produces just about 200 horsepower, an amount that its rival in this comparison has never reached in its 30-year history.
On the other side of this coin, the only thing that is a prerequisite of Miata ownership is that buyers will end up with a 2-seat sports car. For our budget of $15,000, buyers can find multiple generations, hardtops, convertibles, or even super low mileage classic examples. What’s great though is that regardless of options or generation, the Miata is universally known to be an engaging and good driver’s car. For the sake of getting as close to an apples-to-apples comparison, we’ll focus on the latest generation that’s widely available. That’s the third-generation NC version of the Miata. Under the hood of these used Mazda Miata is a 2.0-liter engine making some 170 horsepower.
Driving Characteristics
In much the same way that these cars differentiate in terms of features, they branch away from one another when behind the wheel. The Mazda Miata has earned its place at the peak of the sports car mountain despite having to claw its way there. Continually considered to be underpowered, it’s simply so responsive, so communicative, and so charming that unless you’re on a racetrack, you’re going to forget that this thing only has 170 horsepower.
We’ve all heard about how ethereal its athleticism is though. What might be the hidden gem of the Miata is that when driving a bit less passionately, it’s a drop-top that provides an open-air experience the BRZ can’t provide no matter how much one spends.
What the Subaru BRZ does offer is a more practical and more powerful experience. The BRZ might weigh a bit (300ish extra pounds) more than the Miata, but the additional 30 horsepower shows up in spades. Where the Miata can feel asthmatic coming out of a turn, the BRZ is a greyhound chasing after a rabbit. It might offer two extra seats, but it’s nearly as nimble as its lighter rival and thanks to a bit wider stock tires, it is downright glued to the road until you don’t want it to be.
When that happens you can easily guide the BRZ into easily controlled slides that are as satisfying as they are influential. You see, they push you to find more corners where you can allow the car to slide its back end out and we can’t find any fault with that. The world could use more cars that fully engage their pilots.
Used Subaru BRZ vs Mazda Miata Interior Comfort
As sports cars, many would dismiss the ability of these vehicles to offer comfort, but the truth is that both of these two-door coupes feature just that. The Mazda Miata is fairly simplistic but comfortable. Leather is laid out throughout the interior and material quality is above average.
The Subaru BRZ is also pretty impressive. Seating is snug and excellent at keeping drivers in place regardless of how hard cornering gets. Rear seats are incredibly sung and unfit for anyone that’s out of middle school, but just the fact that it’s there offers a utility that the Miata can’t.
Neither car is what we’d call a grand tourer. It’s not that one couldn’t go across the country with them so much as the fact that neither would be particularly comfortable. The Miata is probably the one that most would prefer, as the experience of driving without a top is novel and enjoyable, but overall ride quality is similarly spartan.
The Miata benefits from its lighter weight in high-speed bends, but it’s a detriment when it comes to bumpy roads where it bounces around more than the BRZ. The Subaru doesn’t fare much better, but if we were forced to choose one over the other for a 4-cylinder cannonball run, we’d be picking the boxer because it’s just that much more sophisticated.
Trims & Features
Both cars are offered with minimal trim levels. The used Subaru BRZ options come in either Limited or Premium variants. The used Mazda Miata is available in Sport, Club, and Grand Touring. Regardless of trim level, the vast majority of the difference comes in the way of additional technology over athletic additions. For example, automatic climate control, premium audio, and heated seats are all available when selecting the higher-end trims. For those that want the bare minimum it’s easily available, and for those that need a bit more practicality, both of these cars offer equal luxury at the top end.
The Used Subaru BRZ Is the Best Bang for Your Buck
A used Mazda Miata is undoubtedly excellent and refined in a way that very few cars can claim to be. Nevertheless, for the money, no Miata can keep up with a used Subaru BRZ around the boulevard or the banked turns at your local racetrack.
In addition, should one be the kind of buyer that needs a bit more practicality in their lives, the Miata can’t offer the same level of utility. Finally, though there are multiple low mileage MX-5’s available from different generations available for our $15,000 budget, there’s something vital to remember. These are both driver’s cars and they are designed for one thing, democratizing maximum driving pleasure. To buy a low mileage example might influence one’s feelings about driving it as much as possible and that’s a travesty. Don’t sweat the mileage, buy a used Subaru BRZ and drive the wheels off of it
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