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Toyota’s Brings New Rugged, Fast EVs to USWhich Miata is the Best Miata?
The Mazda Miata has four distinct generations, each with their own charms. Which is the right one for you? We dig into the details.
Choosing the Right Miata for You
There is an old saw among car people that the answer is always Miata. What’s an affordable, fun car? Miata. What’s a good driver’s car to serve as a platform for tuning? Miata. What’s a simple weekend car for jaunts through the woods? Miata. The answer to which of the four-generations of Miata you should buy is also, of course, Miata. There is also a more specific answer, but that depends on the various factors we’ll be exploring below.
For the uninitiated, the MX-5 Miata is a small, lightweight, two-seat roadster that Mazda has been making since 1989. Where many sports cars lean into ever increasing horsepower numbers and blistering straight line speeds, the Miata takes the opposite approach, it trades on power and weight for balance, dynamics, agility, and feel. The Miata had always been and remains a driver’s car, first and last.
Naturally, over the decades the Miata has evolved a good deal. Its four generations are each distinct as much in terms of driving characteristics as they are unique visually. The answer is unquestionably Miata, but your personal preferences and tastes will likely inform which of the four generations would be best for you.
Knowing Your Miatas
The Mazda Miata has four generational designations: the NA (model years 1989 through 1997), the NB (1998-2005), the NC (2006-2015), and the ND (2016-Present). Each generation has its pros and cons, unique character, and price range. Because the Miata is both beloved and easy to work on, there’s a large and devoted aftermarket community. Which makes the Miata an excellent choice for your next project car.
The first-generation Miata, the NA, is, for lack of a better descriptor, the one with the pop-up headlights. It defines what it means to be a Miata, light (just 2,200 lbs.), eager to corner, and modestly powered. The NA came initially with a 1.5L DOHC four-cylinder making 115 horsepower and 100 lb.-ft. of torque. For the 1994 model, a new 1.8L engine was introduced. It made 129 horsepower and 110 lb.-ft. of torque. A five-speed manual was standard equipment or a four-speed automatic. If you’re at all interested in rowing your own gears in a sports car, the Miata is among the very best, most fun manual cars of all time.
The second-generation NB Miata carried over the 1.8L four-cylinder but power was bumped to a respectable 140 horsepower. Weight was also up slightly, to 2,348 lbs. A six-speed manual transmission was now the default with the option of a four-speed automatic. Sadly, the NB loses the pop-up headlights, and the front-end design resembles a surprised anime catfish.
The NC Miata in the US received another jump in power with the introduction of a new 2.0L four-cylinder (Japan made do with the 1.8L). The new 2.0L made the most power of any Miata motor, 170 horsepower and 140 lb.-ft. of torque. The added power was somewhat necessary as the NC put on a few pounds with a curb weight that ran between 2,450 lbs. for the soft top and 2,542 lbs. for the retractable hardtop. Oh, did we fail to mention? For the first time the Miata offered a hardtop version for those buyers living in snowy climbs.
The current ND Miata, the MX-5’s fourth generation, also featured a 2.0L four-cylinder but this time making slightly less power at 155 horsepower and 148 lb.-ft. of torque. It’s also lighter than the NC by around 100 lbs. and roughly three inches shorter in overall length. Instead of a retractable hard top, the ND offers a retractable Targa top for those that want the option.
Miata Generations Pros and Cons
To best weigh your options, here’s a quick rundown of each generation’s pros and cons.
Pros in favor of the NA Miata are as follows: the NA is the lightest Miata with an almost perfect 50/50 weight distribution. As a 30-year-old used car, the NA is also affordable. If you’re interested in doing a project car build, the NA’s simplicity and aftermarket community make it ideal, even among other Miatas. Cons for the NA Miata include its weak engine (sure, its “enough” power, but passing is also not its strong suit), its older and therefore more likely to carry wear and tear and higher mileage, and its sparsely equipped even for its day.
The second-generation NB Miata adds more power and features sharp, communicative steering. Though heavier, it still feels perfectly balanced and eager to be tossed around corners. The NB’s interior suffers from somewhat firm seats that may lack the level of adjustment taller passengers need to get comfortable (we recommend test driving any Miata, regardless of generation, to make sure you can fit comfortably).
The third-generation NC Miata was a significant leap forward and feels like a much more modern car than the prior, distinctly analogue, generations. The power hardtop is another advantage for the NC Miata, as is the added power. The car truly feels quick for the first time, despite the added weight. That added weight, along with the longer body, can feel like a hindrance. The steering is also less communicative than either the NA or NB.
The current ND-generation Miata is by far its most modern iteration. From the infotainment and safety features to the fetching interior and exterior designs, the ND feels premium. We also like that it’s smaller and lighter than the NC. The only downsides to the ND are that it still offers very little in the way of cargo space (though that’s not unique among Miata generations) and that it actually gives up a bit of power when all we want is just a little more.
Miata Prices
As the used car market is in flux, take these numbers with a grain of salt. The current ND Miata is priced new between $30,000 and $42,000 (for the Club RF hardtop). Older ND Miata can be found in the low $20,000 range to around the $30,000 mark.
The NC Miata can be had for anywhere between the low $10,000 range and up to the high $20,000 range, mostly depending on mileage and condition.
The NB Miata is actually the most affordable of Miata generations with many examples hovering around $10,000.
The NA Miata has entered the realm of the classic car and prices are beginning to reflect that, especially for lower mileage, well-kept examples. Good NA Miatas are priced similarly to the NC, between $10,000 and the mid-$20,000 range. You can for sure find cheaper NA with higher mileages below $10,000 but sorting the good from the mediocre and bad examples may take a while.
Which Miata to Buy
There’s a case to make for each generation. If you want an affordable, yet fairly modern version, consider the NC. If you have the money, the ND Miata is almost unimpeachable as a sports car. To some eyes, the NB is not the best-looking Miata, but it is certainly cheap.
Despite the charms of each generation, it’s hard not to recommend the original NA generation. It’s got pop-up headlights, you can tune it to your heart’s content, and it’s still very affordable if you want it to be.
