2006 - 2015 Mazda Miata | Used Vehicle Spotlight
There are a lot of reasons that Mazda Miata owners and fans often say, "Miata is always the answer." It's affordable, fun, reliable, and just practical enough to be more than a car for the weekend. But the model has now been in production for 30 years and four generations, and those four generations feature a few mid-cycle refreshes. So sure, Miata may be the answer, but that leaves another question: Which Miata is the answer for you?
Though you can't really go wrong with any Miata, possibly the easiest for a lot of people to get into is the third generation (commonly referred to as the NC, preceded by the NA and NB, and superseded by the current ND). It maintained the essence of what makes a Miata great – light weight, playful handling, driver engagement – but also made strides in daily livability. The third generation (2006-2015) is the most refined and spacious example. Plus, it's new enough to have a few more modern conveniences while being old enough to be priced affordably. It's really become a sweet spot in the range.
The main reason you would want a Miata is that it’s just so much fun. It doesn’t matter what version you get, they all deliver on the same light, playful sports car experience. The absolute heaviest examples, the third-generation power-retractable hardtop (often referred to as PRHT) models, maxed out at around 2,600 pounds, while the lighter soft top versions came in at around 2,500 pounds. That’s about 200-300 pounds less than the also excellent FR-S/BRZ/86 triplets. Other generations were even lighter. Steering is talkative enough to hold a conversation, as is the chassis. And as quick and zippy as the car is, it’s also predictable and won’t bite you if you start pushing things too far.
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