Congratulations, you’ve graduated, landed a great job, and have enjoyed enough job stability that you’re looking for your first five-figure car. Your heart says second-hand BMW or 20-year-old Porsche Cayman, but your brain says new or late-model economy car with reliability, good fuel economy, and cheap consumables like tires and brakes. Can’t choose? How about satisfying both sides with an ND2 Mazda MX-5?
There are good reasons why Mazda has sold more than a million of these little roadsters over the past 35 years. They’re historically reliable, inexpensive to run, and stick to a classic formula that promises ear-to-ear beaming enjoyment: Low curb weight, a just about perfect manual gearbox, engine at the front, drive to the back, and low enough output to truly be exploitable on an everyday basis without being flat-out slow.
While MX-5s have always been reasonably priced among the sports car set, between rent and student loans, $30,765 for a new one is a lot of scratch. However, if you’re willing to really hunt around, you can still pick up an MX-5 that’s only a few years old and just as much fun as the latest model for about two-thirds of that price.
What Are We Looking At?
For 2016, the Mazda MX-5 got the sort of glow-up normally reserved for Hollywood. Sticking to the classic script of a lightweight front-engined rear-wheel-drive two-seater, Mazda crafted a sub-2,400-pound roadster with positively rakish sheetmetal that punched far above its price tag. Then, for 2019, things got even better. Parts like reworked heads, a new rotating assembly, and a larger throttle body enabled Mazda to raise the redline on its little roadster to 7,500 rpm, kicking output up to 181 horsepower and 155 lb.-ft. of torque. At the same time, the steering column became telescopic in addition to tilt-adjustable, the seat controls and cup holders were redesigned, and every trim got a backup camera. The result was the most liveable MX-5 yet and a more exciting sports car than the first-series ND, without sacrificing anything. As Car And Driver wrote:
The engine revs more freely, the exhaust barks with more authority, and a jab at the throttle nudges you back into the seat a bit harder. Throttle response is prompt, and the power curve is more linear than before—peak power is reached 1000 revs higher, at 7000 rpm, and yet torque peaks 600 rpm lower, at 4000 rpm. More important, when the power starts to taper off in the 155-hp 2.0-liter at about 6000 rpm, the new 181-hp example keeps climbing for another 1000 revs. This allows for just a single shift to reach 60 mph. Spinning the tach all the way to the elevated redline is thrilling in a way that it wasn’t in the old 2.0-liter, elevating this engine to the same emotional plane as the rest of the car.
What Mazda did with the ND2 was take a great sports car and make it one of the best of the 21st century. The handling is grin-inducing, the steering is just about as good as you’re going to get this side of a Porsche, the whole thing feels feather-light, yet you still get Apple CarPlay and a backup camera and air-con and good headlights. You can use an ND2 MX-5 as your everyday car, and now you can pick one up for new Versa money.
How Much Are We Talking?
First off, let’s assume you want a Versa with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You’re then looking at the S+ trim, which stickers for $21,380 including freight. That’s not a lot of money for a new car, but you can still buy a used ND2 Mazda MX-5 for less. For instance, this 2022 MX-5 RF, the one with the stowable hard roof, sold for $20,500 on Cars & Bids last month. Sure, grey isn’t the most exciting color, but this thing’s loaded with a limited-slip differential, leather seats, a Bose audio system, and navigation, and it has the six-speed manual transmission. With 67,800 miles on the clock, warm climate ownership, and a cold air intake as the only functional modification, this seems well-bought.
If you’re enthusiastic about sensible mods and looking to spend time at the track, something like this 2019 MX-5 Club might pique your interest. A southern car with just 30,900 miles on it, this thing’s been modified for light trackday use, and the list of components is quality. We’re talking Verus brake cooling ducts, a Flyin’ Miata Koni damper and spring package, a tasty yet reasonably subtle Good-Win Racing exhaust, an oil temperature gauge, a Blackbird Fabworx roll bar, and a Karcepts sway bar with the recommended subframe reinforcement for a larger sway bar, among other things. Functionally, it has just about everything I’d personally want on an ND2 for frequent HPDE use, and it sold on Cars & Bids for just $20,250.
If you don’t want to wait on an auction, you might want to start shopping Spirit flights to pick up something like this 2021 MX-5 Grand Touring up for sale in St. Louis. Alright, so it does have a minor damage entry on its history report and 88,000 miles on the clock, but it’s a loaded soft-top model in deep blue, has a manual gearbox, and is listed for $19,425. At that sort of price, why not, right?
What Could Possibly Go Wrong On An ND2 Mazda MX-5?
By the time the ND2 rolled around, Mazda had fixed pretty much all the teething issues of the fourth-generation MX-5. Add in a reputation for reliability, and you’re looking at a remarkably solid sports car. However, there are three things to keep an eye out for. Firstly, even though the ND2 received a revised manual transmission and a dual-mass flywheel that vastly improved transmission longevity in hard use, the synchros don’t always take well to abuse. If you hear a whine, particularly in third or fourth gear, walk away. Secondly, rear hub carrier bushings can wear, causing clunking. Mazda only sells the carriers as whole pieces for between $659 and $722 per side, but aftermarket bushings are now available as a far cheaper solution. Thirdly, there’s an air conditioning line that can crack. It retails for $105.99 from Mazda and doesn’t take long to fit, so expect roughly a $500 fix if it goes out on you. Finally, Mazda’s infotainment screens can delaminate, but a replacement digitizer can be had for less than $20 from eBay and is an easy DIY. That’s about it, though. These cars are generally, well, normal cars. Tires are cheap, brakes are cheap, and by-and-large, everything just works.
Should You Buy An ND2 Mazda MX-5 For New Versa Money?
If you don’t absolutely need rear seats, yes, buy the MX-5, especially if you’re young. A time will come when you might need rear seats, or cargo room for a cello, or space for an Irish Wolfhound to stretch out and nap on road trips, but if that time isn’t now, then why not have a bit of fun? Sports cars exist to plaster a grin across your mug, and since the MX-5 has the reliability you’d expect from a regular car, that grin will last a while between scheduled service appointments. Low depreciation, low running costs, huge fun. No wonder it’s the world’s best-selling two-seat sports car.
Top graphic image: Cars & Bids
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As someone who just bought a low mileage ND1 Club/Recaro last year for my 40th birthday, do it. I thought about getting an NC back when they were new and I was in my 20’s. I could have afforded it but talked myself into being more practical. In hindsight I could have done most of my 20’s and 30’s with a Miata as my only car. Dont wait, buy one now.
And THIS is a sensible buy.
There is a ND1 near me on FB marketplace. It has like 20k miles and they want $16k for it. I found a ND2 RF in soul red for $22k. I forget mileage but it’s not much. The ND1 is so cheap but the ND2 in that configuration is the dream miat, but not sure if it’s worth the extra $6k.
As someone who just went through the ND1 vs ND2 question drive them both first. Yes the ND2 is faster, but the torque curve in the ND1 is pretty nice. I ended up going ND1 because to me the Recaros were more important and I found a good low mileage ND1 with them (and the cherry red top). 22k for a ND2 RF sounds like a steal to me.
This would qualify as my superego weekend sports car purchase. It’s completely sensible in every way and will give you years of fun with 0 headaches and minimal hit to your bank account. There’s a reason everyone loves and recommends Miatas.
That being said, I do sometimes feel like they’re almost the regular person’s 911…aka a bit of a cliched choice that’s spent so long being perfected that they’re almost boring in their greatness…kind of like watching a dynasty in sports. If it’s your team it’s a blast, but if it isn’t it just gets tiring.
With that out of the way I think my id weekend car purchase would be the best Boxster/Cayman I could get my hands on and my ego purchase would be a Corvette. Which would win out? I’m not sure. I’ll let you all know in a few years.
The Toyota Corolla of sports cars, in the best way possible.
Cheap to run, cheap to insure, cheap on consumables. Moreover, depreciation on these will be light. What might it bottom out at over time? $12K?
Had an NC for 8 years. Zero regrets. The SkyActiv is a more engaging power plant than the MZR. Just warm the trans up on the ND before you start to thrash it.
The Miata RF in Soul Red is one of the most gorgeous vehicles currently produced. There are many days where I run the mental analysis of whether this should be what I drive next. I haven’t gotten there yet, but each year of depreciation pushes a low mileage used one over to the plus column.
I have a 2021 RF and it’s hands-down the best car I’ve ever owned. I throw winter tires on it and get through Chicago winters just fine.
Loved driving the the 23 RF I had for the about 5-6 months earlier this year but after the trans went out at a whopping 8k miles on the odometer I just do not know if I could go back to the ND Miata especially if it is out of warranty.