Forget $70k+ Corvettes & top trim Mustangs. That hardware is rich bish territory now. The attainable sports car is the ND2 Miata. As in “ maybe one day down the road I’ll get a new Miata after I pay off $500k combined of student loans, childcare costs, and my home mortgage ”. kJht. If you want a light, engaging, reliable enthusiast car, there are three go-to options: Mazda Miata, Honda S2000, and Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ. Each is an attainable machine with track-ready The Miata and I had lots of fun back then, and the car would go on to be named this magazine's very first Automobile of the Year and a perennial All-Star; L.A. Style, "lifestyle" notwithstanding For many years, the Mazda MX-5 Miata has had a clear playing field as the best affordable front-engine, rear-wheel drive two-seater on the market, starting at $26,830 (soft top)/$33,045 Famously inspired by the Lotus Elan, the sweetest handling, most chuckable confection of the 1960s, the Miata is above all a hoot to drive. It's a Denali XL next to an Elan (though actually only Pro: They’re Quite Affordable. While prices of first and second-gen Miatas continue to skyrocket, the lesser-loved NC Miata is looking wildly reasonable when it comes to price. A quick nationwide search via Autotempest reveals a myriad of NC Miatas for under $15,000 with less than 100,000 miles on them.

is the mazda miata a good first car