Handling, Looks, comfort

Needs more power

I would recommend to anyone for the Grin Factor! Nothing is better than top-down in the mountain twisties, feeling the suspension work under you and the g-forces work on you.

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1000% better than old British Sports Cars!

Wonderfully balanced and nimble in the turns. Quick acceleration, not fast but can with the help of the huge aftermarket community for this car.

I haven't found any except for the trunk space which can be overcome with some interesting packing techniques.

I bought My 95 four years ago. I looked at most every car I could find under $20,000. The Miata was the last one I drove. Before I got in I had the impression that it was a chick car and all that but one run through the gears and a blast through some twisties and it was all over. I would recommend everyone drive a miata at least once and I guarantee you will get out with a smile. If you are worried about it being a small car just remember in a miata you can out maneuver most anything else on the road to avoid accidents. So far I have had no troubles in the snow with it. the 50/50 weight distribution allows easy correction of slides and last winter I was actually cruising up hills in my area while SUV's and trucks that had been in front of me were sliding into ditches and guard rails. I got some good looks from stuck SUV drivers. HEHE! It's a great little car and I can guarantee I will own mine for a lifetime.

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Honda civic: The civic feels like a sluggish boat compared to the miata.
BMW MCoupe: The MCoupe is definately faster but you just don't get the feeling of being connected to the road in it like you do with the miata.

Handles great, affordable, tons of storage space (with the top down). It has wonderful style and is an honest example of a classic sports car. This car is just FUN.

Could use more horsepower and torque, but the aftermarket can help you with that. It would be nice if the seat bottoms had some adjustment.

The Miata is my only car. I don't have a need to haul a lot of stuff or a lot of people. When I replaced my Infiniti, I wanted a fun reliable car. When I realized I could mount a receiver hitch under the rear bumper (to transport my road bike) I was sold. I never drove a Miata until the day I bought this one. I regret not doing so ten years sooner.

A Miata is not for everyone. Some people are more status conscious and some people need more power or creature comforts. Personally I don't need those things. There is also a large community of Miata aficionados (over 550,000 have been sold in 11 years) and it has been very enjoyable and entertaining to become part of that community.

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The Toyota MR-2 is a fine car. For the price, nothing else compares. I prefer the Miata because of its traditional roadster configuration (Front engine, rear-wheel drive).

Great little car. Fun to drive, responsive. No problems just routine maintainence and turn the key and drive. Top down most of time. Top is tight and secure when needed. Heating and A/C work very well. Gas milage is 28 to 32 MPG. I have a hardtop that makes it seem like a different car in the winter. Like a nice little coupe.

I'm 6 ft. and 220 lbs. Just a tad big for the car. I'm willing to put up with this because I have so much fun.
Drivers seat leather is wearing out. Hey it's almost ten years old.

Best fun sports car for the money.
You can get a '90 for less than 5K if you look or you can buy a brand new M2 for almost 30 K.
Depends on what you like.
Lots of aftermarket equipment to personalize your car. From mild ( floor mats, pinstripes) to Wild ( Body treatments, turbos, V8s).

Might not be the best if it is your only car. I have a van for transporting kids, their friends and occasional supplies from Home Depot.

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'59 MGA. When I was a teenager. Had to work on it all week to have it running for the weekend! Top leaked. Windows (side screens) leaked air and water. Before you are Old and Wise, you must be Young and Stupid.

Handles better than anything this side of $50,000. cheap to insure and buy. If you don't like the way it does anything, there is an aftermarket part that addresses it. If it's too slow for your likeing, you can choose from 1/2 dozen turbos and superchargers. If it doesn't handle well enough (you must be high) then there are twice as many things you can buy to help that. Exceptional fan club following (www.miata.net) can help you with anything.

Makes my face hurt when driving... I can't stop smiling! Sluggish from the factory.

A well modified Miata will put the hurt on anything from a Viper to a Corvette and you will still have paid less than $30,000.

If you want to most fun car you've ever owned, get the Miata. If you are worried about smoking rice-burners at the stop light drag strip, then you'd be better off with some American muscle with no finesse.

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BMW = Too expensive to insure for similar performance.

What's not to like? It looks good, handles like it's on rails, has a very exotic sounding engine noise, and doesn't cost an arm and a leg to purchase. Only an idiot would pay twice as much for a BMW Z-3 that is almost, but not quite, as good as a Miata.

Just a few things-twitchy handling in rain and snow, parts can sometimes be hard to find, and it could use a little more low end torque.

Everyone should drive a Miata at least once, if for no other reason than to remind them that they're alive. If you don't do a lot of commuting during the winter and don't tote a lot of extra stuff with you, a used Miata is a great second car.

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I currently drive a '96 Pontiac Sunfire convertible. It's not a Miata by a long shot, but front wheel drive is safer in Nebraska in the winter.

Awesome balance. Totally reliable. Best fun/dollar ratio out there.

Acceleration, can always use more power.
Not great high-speed manners.

The Miata is one of the few "true" sports cars. I still enjoy taking my 1991 Miata out even though I have a 1999 BMW MZ3. The BMW blows the Miata away on acceleration and high-speed handling but the Miata still is more fun to drive in the twisties. I have visited the dealer to fix things more times in two years with the BMW than the entire time (~10 years) with the Miata. I think everyone should own a two-seater convertible in their lifetime and I think the Miata is a great place to start. Join the national Miata club, it is one of the best out there.

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BMW MZ3 (not really similar but at least it is red, different league)
Honda S2000 (interior is bad, engine is awesome)

- Great handling
- Easy to park and drive
- Good Gas mileage
- Attractive styling
- Decent reliability
- Durable seats, carpet and top

- Accerleration average at best
- Noisy on highway or with top up.
- Comfort not exactly a priority
- Lousy handling in snow
- No storage space in interior
- Not exactly a bargain
- Does not impart a feeling of safety in traffic

This car is all about making compromises. A great combination of handling and economy, but not comfortable to drive. As I get older, I find myself driving it less, and pretty much only in the summer. Owned it 5 years and have put only 25,000 miles on it.

Good commuter car from getting through traffic, but you don't really feel safe in rush hour. Reliability has been decent, but there is really not much to the car to break, which is a plus. When it needs service, maintenance and parts are expensive compared to an American car, but resale value is higher. Paint job is vastly inferior to that of my 92 Taurus, chips and dulls much more easily, and no clear coat. Kind of a girls' car image.

Like the car, but new at over $20,000, not exactly a bargain. Keeping it for now, but as soon as I get married, I am selling it. I'm looking at a Crown Victoria with a similar, guess I just outgrew this car.

If you want one, buy a used one, as they are easy to find with low miles, and tend to be well cared for. You will probably outgrow it by the time your payments are up.

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Own a Taurus as well, nothing else similar

Balanced, responsive and lots of fun.

None.

The Mk II Miata (MX-5) is just about the prettiest little car there is. A stunning looker for the new century, but in the best British Sports Car tradition - except of course that it's an American-styled Japanese machine. In the front, weighting the front wheels is a 1.6 or 1.8 litre, 16v, twin overhead cam, computer controlled, fuel injection Mazda engine (legendary reliability). Either unit kicks the rear drive wheels just enough to make you tingle. Under power the back end will whip out, lift off the power and the exquisite balance of the vehicle will snap it back into line. It rewards being driven hard, and at the top of its revs where it twitches like an excited puppy at a leash. It isn't fast, but it's fast enough, and it is just so much fun.

It feels well-built; parts seem to fit together - no clumsy junctions, no rattles, no nasty plasticky bits. But largely no frills. You feel the money was spent on engineering, not gadgets. Small but not cramped. Practical and functional - except for carrying things around; even then there's a suprisingly useful trunk (it looks like stuff won't fit, but more often than not it does), and with the top up there is a very generous rear shelf.

Americans might want the automatic gear shift. Fools! Consider whether you could get excited by snapping through the Mazda's exquisite gear box. It excites me! Find a twisty lane and drive it hard.

1)Excellent on gas for a sports car.
2)Quick acceleration (stop comparing it to 6 cylinder cars! It's not a muscle car!)
3)No frequent visits to the garage. You will never see my muffin broken down on any road. Very realiable like all Japanese cars. Ya hoo for that.
4)I'm 5'9 and my boyfriend's 6'1, and we both fit in this car beautifully!
It's a sports cars, who needs more room?
5)Takes up very little space on anyone's driveway.
6)Excellent steering, and easy manouvering in the the city.
7)Radio is pretty good but I had it changed because I like the fancier stuff...has speakers on both head rests, hence sounds great on the highway with the top down.
8)Soft top, easy to put down.
9)Turn the heat up in the winter, and the little cabin heats up in under 5 minutes. (With soft top)
10) Pop up head lites-guess what? I love them! Great way to communicate with other drivers on the road. Pop them up and down with the push of a botton.

1)A little revy. A 6th gear perhaps?
2)I have tan leather seats...they won't heat up as much as black leather on a hot summer day with the top down, but they will give u a bit of a bum sting.
3)Manual transmission is a must!!!! Ban all automatics. This car is far too light, and will fish tail in wet climate. Manual transmission allows for proper control...(down shifting, etc.)
4)We have heavy winters, and yes, I drive her in the snow. If deciding to do that, I definately recommend winter tires, two bags of kitty litter in the trunk, and safe slow driving.
5)Washing. Can't run her through a car wash. Must hand wash once a week. Difficult during the winter seasons, but washing her gives me great pleasure.
6)No cup holders. I'm lucky there-I don't drink coffee or tea or anything when I drive, period.
7)Attracts @*%holes on the road. Every punk in town wants to take u on.
8)Attracts cops.
9)Every car on the road is a truck, therefore, u can't see around anyone, but a motorcycle, but a quick shift, and u can surpass just about anyone.
10)Visiblity for lane changing isn't the greatest. I have to lean over and look through the rear view window. But there are products out there like the three window soft top, or hard top with one large window that extends on the sides.

Great for young people, or anyone young at heart. If u are practical and u love sports cars, that are affordable, good on gas, reliable, and fun, I recommend this car.

Not a family car, but fun to have in a family.
: )

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British MG. The miata has no oil leaks.
BMW Z3. Other then an oil change, and check, Miata won't visit the garage.
MR2 Spyder. Miata is more beautiful.