A very fun car... more so when you paint them like a cow. Check mine at http://www.cowcar.com

Responsive and peppy -- not to be confused with muscular.

Fairly reliable -- 112K on mine with only one stint of garaging for a mysterious gumming of cylinders since resolved.

Top can be raised/lowered manually while in car.

The early ones were amazingly beautiful. They get uglier each year (horrible Mazda emblem added to hood? And now flip up headlights?)

The center arm rest's ashtray and such corrodes readily.

Early ones had soft windows in back.. new ones have glass so that's one advance.

Standard tapedeck/radios notoriously unreliable, electrically. They sometimes do not care to turn on in damp weather (a friend with a '91 notes the same issue)

I would recommend a Miata to anyone wanting fun at a reasonable price. It is not a powerful car, but it is fun for the people not aiming to project great wealth or consumerism. Understated, but not stiff.

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This is my first "true" sports car, having owned muscle cars and trucks all my life. I traded a 97 Dodge Ram extended cab 4x4. I have been mulling over this for nearly a year and finally took the plunge. I went from 12 mpg to nearly 30 mpg, the car seems like an extension of my self the way it handles. I love the mechanical feel of the entire car working together. The top is so easy to operate and the boot only takes a minute to install. Everything is cheap to buy and the car seems inexpensive to maintain. Japanese engineering and quality is still top notch. Stereo works great and can be heard above the road and wind noise with the top down. The self adjusting volume works well and the CD player hasnt skipped yet. No squeaks or rattles and the chassis feels rock solid, this was designed to be a convertible from the ground up. Leather still smells new and interior pieces are top notch.

golf clubs are passengers, not cargo. I'm not thrilled being able to identify muffler brands on the suv infront of me. But then again the car is purpose built. If I want to haul something I have an F-350 duelly that gets 9 mpg. Wife takes the car to work and leaves me her Grand Marquis (yawn).

I paid 13300, my options are the top stereo, leather, and power everything. I cant give the dealer or the Mazda certified used car program enough praise. The dealer spent 2 hours inspecting the car and replaced the brakes, tires, floor mats, and a missing screw on the sun visor. Mazda's policy is to replace if its less than %50 according to the dealer. I also have a 12k or year warranty. I've gone round and round with this purchase for over 2 years and finally took the plunge. My friend has owned a Miata for 10 years and the only maintanaince in over 125k is replaced the top. He is pretty hard on the car and I know his oil changes are few and far between, nevertheless the car is still running strong. I recommend this car without reservations except for one, realize that this is not a cargo carrier. Lets hear it for Mid-life crisis...

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I had a Fiero in 86, thats about the closest to the Miata. The Pontiac was typical GM and was sold in 2 years. The Camaro, Mustang and Firebird I owned were totally differant cars and the only similarity between them and the Miata is 4 wheels

Convertible, cheap. Thats about it

Way too small
Slow acceleration
Plastic rear window
poor visibility

The car wasn't very expensive, but I can see why. This car is like a toy. I could pick it up and throw it 100 yards. It is nice for people entering the sports car world, but I wouldn't recommend it for anyone who wants performance and styling. If you want a real car, get a Trans-Am. Then you won't have people snickering behind your back

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Fun, fun, fun! It begs to be driven fast. It eats corners and turns. Price - thousands less than others in its class. It's a convertible and it's cheap. I could have just as much fun in one of those expensive convertibles but why?
Handling - the car's weight is nearly perfectly balanced front to rear
Shifting - requires only a flick of the wrist
Feel - I never feel nervous even when testing its limits on the open highway or on curvy roads, it gives me great feedback, I feel at one with the car and the road
Reliability - no problems in the two years I've had it as my everyday commuter

Size - but it's a coupe so I shouldn't complain.
Power - could use a little more (even though I have enough traffic violations as it is)
Noise - noisy interior
Cupholders - what a terrible place to put them (right behind the shifter so my elbow almost knocks any drink down)
Blind Spots - it's hard to see the left and right rear corners with the top up
Needs a sixth gear (which is now available on the Special Edition)
The new 2000's have more standard features and MSRP is 500 less than 1999's!

As I look in my rearview and see a big V-6/V-8/V-10 car/truck/SUV riding my tail, I just smile, step on the gas, hear my little 4 cylinders growl, and deftly maneuver my perfectly balanced Miata through the highway traffic. The smile returns as I once again glance in my rearview to find that the car/truck/SUV gamely tried to keep up only to get stuck behind some slow poke and is too big to maneuver around it.
Other times when I smile: when I put the top down, when I downshift into a corner and give the gas a push and feel the tires grab as the Torsien Limited Slip balances the power out, fitting into any parking space, getting compliments at the gas station from other people, taking only 15 minutes to wash it on my driveway, paying my gasoline bill, passing other convertibles (BMW Z3, Porsche Boxster, MB SLK) and knowing that I paid thousands if not tens of thousands less and I get just as much if not more reiability and it doesn't cost me several hundred dollars everytime I stop at the dealer. I sure smile a lot.
Definitely recommend for those looking for a fun to drive roadster that don't want to spend a lot of money.

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None - I used to loathe the old Miata's. This redesign turned my head and one drive changed my mind. Friends have: BMW Z3, MB SLK 230, MB CLK 430. Nothing really compares because its price is too cheap.
If you're looking for a car with lots of room - look elsewhere. If you have a family, I sure hope that you have another full size "family" car somewhere. This car is a roadster in every sense of the word. Room for two (barely) and a picnic basket.

Let me start by saying I use this car purely for racing so I'll talk only about extremes.
Fabulous balance and predictability - on a 2 mile circuit with a couple of long straights the car can beat mustangs and camaros without any engine mods - what you lose on the straights you gain in the corners. Very strong engine - started racing the '91 with 70,000 miles on it and it still is competitive after two seasons. Fully adjustable suspension is excellent. I sold my MGB (of 23 years) after driving one of these - no comparison.

More a weakness of other owners than the car - but it's easy to ruin a Miata using aftermarket wheels that are heavy and tires too wide. There's not much you can do to improve a Miata except in the engine bay and using sticky tires. Slight lowering and stiffening can help if done right.

Get one now - you'll never regret it. Stay away from SUV's and other urban assault vehicles. Look for twisty raods and grin, grin, grin. Texas is the pits. North Carolina mountains - now there's a drive.

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Forget a Boxter - put a turbo in a Miata. Easy and cheap. S2000 if you love to rev all day.

Handling (duh). Gearbox. Reliability. Nicely updated design from the original Miata (bigger trunk!).

Still underpowered. Image as a "chick" car.

I got a 1999 after my lease on the 96 was up. Initially I got a 99 Honda Accord, but man I missed the handling of the Miata. So, now my wife drives the Honda and I drive the Miata. What I really wanted was an S2000, but at the time just couldn't afford it.

Nice updates include the styling, Nardi steering wheel, slightly more power and a bigger trunk. The gauges and cockpit layout are also nicely organized.

Reliability was never an issue with my older Miata, and I don't anticipate it being an issure with the 99. Just perform the scheduled maintenance and forget about it. Not once did I have to take my 96 Miata in for other than scheduled maintenance. Nice.

I'd recommend this car for anyone wanting this type of car. It's not going to haul the kids around or win any stoplight drag races, but you know that already. It's for the person who wants a very fun car to drive that gets even funner as the road gets twistier. Handling is what it's all about. It's amazing how well this car transmits feedback to the driver. You truly feel connected to the road.

If only Mazda would drop a 6 in it or turbocharge the 4. Then we'd have a real sports car...

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1996 Miata.

The Miata has great handling. This car could turn on a dime, when I ride in it it feels more like I'm driving a go-kart than a car. Most obviously this car is a ton of fun in the summer with the top down. It has been quite reliable over the past two years, the only thing it has needed were new brake pads and a couple of alignments. Also it does not require premium gasoline and with current gas prices that is a big bonus.

The Miata tends to slide around a lot in the rain and snow because it is only a light rear wheel drive sports car. It's simply not safe for winter driving because if you slide across a patch of ice and slam into someone you are going to lose for two reasons. One is the fact that you are lighter than everything on the road so there's not much car to protect you. Secondly, if you were to flip over the Miata doesn't have any roll bars. Also at highway cruising speeds the little four cylinder engine can be quite loud.

I bought this Miata used from a friend in '98 for $10,000. I thought this was quite a steal as it only had 25,000 miles and is loaded with extras such as power windows, ABS, cruise control, and a leather interior. The Miata is an excellent car for someone who is looking for a fun toy to take on weekend getaways, summer driving, or just down to the grocery store. However, because the Miata isn't safe in the snow I would recommend buying a more practical car first and then getting a Miata. Unless you live in California or Florida, then I'm jealous because if all you need are two seats the Miata is the car for you!

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This is the first roadster I have ever used. But everything I have read about other roadsters points to the fact that although the offerings from Mercedes, Porsche, and BMW have more horsepower and roomier cabins the Miata is still the superior value on the market.

Perfect balance and handling result in a car that is incredibly fun to drive. The more twisted the road, the better. This is a car that epitomizes the concepts of Roadster and Sports car (for those who know the difference between a sports car and a muscle car). Not a drag race king, but an extension of the driver allowing you to fly over the road and around curves like nothing else anywhere near this price.

The manual shifter (5 or 6 speed) is pure joy to use as the snicking gears and short throw let you know the car is just waiting to do what it's told.

Small car and little cargo space. This isn't a car for large people nor for extended road trips with two people who can't operate with minimal accesories. This car is also low and light. Being able to see UNDER the Semi truck in the next lane can be daunting to some.

The car can be tempermental if not care for correctly: Poor tire choices or alignment can make driving down right scary.

It's still a convertible, so some leaks are inevitable.

$23500 for the loaded Special Edition (less for the basic or LS packages, just make sure you know the invoice price before negotiating). Absolutely I recommend this to anyone who likes driving for fun or who wants to spice up their driving life. While behind the wheel, you can't help but smile. You'll find yourself meaking excuses to drive anywhere. Corss country, the gorcery store, down the street or just to the neighbors next door the long way.

The Miata even works as a daily driver (it's my only car currently) so long as you don't have large cargo hauling needs or can borrow a truck in those cases.

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MR2-Spyder: The Miata is more pleasant, but not quite as fast and has a better driving position (lower door height). Right now, it's cheaper as the MR2-S seems to be commanding sizable premiums because of the low production run. Once this gouging goes away (with increaded production) this car will give the Miata a good run in every respect.

Nothing else is in the same class as of now (in the US):

The S2000 lists for $12000 more, and most dealers are getting even more. Not really comparable. For 12K more, it should better well be faster and perform better, and it does. But with 12K in additions to a Miata you could out perform that S2000 in every respect too.

The Z3, Boxster, SLK are also some times twice the price. Apples to Oranges.

There are other older cars of similar intent (roadsters) which might have more class, but have questionable mechanic reliability: Alpha Romeo's, Triumph's, MG's to name a few. None of these will out perform a Miata, and the newer Miatas (1999+, at least) are pretty darn classy themselves.

Peformance, handling, sheer FUN.

Husband doesn't fit (comfort a problem). Numerous minor problems in the M2 version as opposed to flawless operation on the M1 (1990-1997) version. Dealer satisfaction locally a REAL problem.

Paid $23,000 in 1998. This was an 'eary' model, bought to replace my 1991. It is a fun car to drive, with a great driving experience. The BOSE stereo was an improvement over the stock (Pioneer?) system in the 1991. However, there were squeaks and rattles coming from the passenger side door, the radio failed to shut off (even with the key out) and had to be reset by disconnecting the battery. The glass rear window cause problems for raising and lowering the top, with the result that doing so was a major production. I traded this vehicle in for 2000 BMW Z3 2.8 and have not regretted it. The Miata's power was very similar to the 2.3 Z3 I drove, but lagged in comparison to the 2.8 engine. The Z3 corners and accelerates with more "bite" than the '99 Miata did. And the Harmon Kardon stereo in the Z3 is MUCH better than the BOSE. The seats in the Z3 accommodate larger people (like my husband) better, and allow for more leg room as well as head room (the seats adjust vertically as well as horizontally). The saftey features of the Z3 also surpass that of the Miata, as the Z3 comes with side air bags as well as a roll bar.

Bang for the buck, though, the Miata wins hands down. I still love Miatas, but was disappointed with Mazda's dismissal of my complaints (and lack of ability to fix them). The Z3 is a better car, but not everyone can afford the extra price tag that comes with them. The Miata, for me, is the next best thing. Yes, I would definately recommend it, but I would recommend an M1 version over the M2.

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1990, 1991 Miatas, Z3.

Handles extremely well, little body roll. Shifter is a pleasure to use with very short throws. The car makes you feel as if you are directly connected to its chassis. Steering feedback is wonderful. Even the exhaust not is great for such a small engine. Reliability has been excellent so far.

No comfort at all (but then you don't buy the Miata to use as a comfortable long distance cruiser): lots of engine, road, and wind noise, considerable chassis flex (though not that bad for an older design). Very tight interior and a small trunk, best suited for soft luggage. Although overall reliability has been excellent, a few things, mostly electrical, are starting to act up. Front fiberglass bumper is beginning to fade.

About $10,000 two years ago for a 1993 model with 40,000 miles. I would definitely recommend it to those young at heart. It is fun, fun, fun, and reliability is pretty good. For do-it-yourselfers, though, I must add that working on the car is not always easy as components are crammed into very tight spaces. Don't expect any comfort, but do expect great handling and solid, though not stellar, performance.

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Use to have a first generation MR2 which also handled well (not in rain, though) and had a bit more interior space. Overall, however, the Miata is superior.