Amidst rising prices and rarity of well-kept examples, the Miata becomes a less obvious answer.
The Mazda MX-5 Miata. The perfect car to drift, lift, track, modify, repair, break, and repeat. Since its 1989 debut, the Miata has remained a popular entry for enthusiasts that does not break the bank due to affordable sticker prices and massive quantity. In its first generation alone, the Miata sold extremely well, with over 200,000 finding homes in the United States. The Miata also has a massive following of enthusiasts, meaning that every conceivable inquiry about it has been answered and discussed on forums, in magazines, and on YouTube. In just minutes, specific parts, whether new or used, can be found for purchase. This popularity means that, for enthusiasts with little to no prior maintenance and repair experience, such as yours, truly, the Miata is not an intimidating project car. It helps that it's one of the happiest looking cars to ever exist.
This broad appeal for the Miata has produced the popular acronym:
M iata
I s
A lways
T he
A nswer
Unfortunately, this may no longer be true.
The Miata's reputation for affordability and approachable mechanics is threatened by its own popularity. Finding the right one is no easy task. Examples with low mileage, few owners, and light modifications often crest $10,000, with many demanding for far more. These well-kept roadsters are becoming less plentiful as well. The affordable Miata, however, does still exist. Just don't expect anything in Concours condition. Opening a laptop, searching for an MX-5, applying necessary filters, and observing local listings quickly sets expectations for Miata shoppers on a budget. Listings asking for between $5000 and $10,000 are tedious to navigate. The Miatas in this price range are far from perfect and their attached photos and descriptions are often quite cryptic. Prepare for a laundry list of issues such as rust, ruined paint, dents, ripped seats, leaky tops, inoperable AC, suspicious title status, many owners, and mileage well-past 100,00. Anything below $5000 is either too good to be true or a shell of what was once a Miata. For those seeking to take the Miata to the track or for other harsh use, these issues may not be deterrents, but for those looking for a cared for example, they are discouraging. Not all cheap Miatas are subpar, however. With a bit of determination and will to hunt and negotiate, a fair Miata can be found for a good deal. With great patience and a bit of luck, I found my Miata that was the answer for me.
With over four years of observing Facebook Marketplace during school hours under my belt, I knew a great deal when I saw one. When I was finally in a position in which I had the funds and flexibility to buy a project car, I wasted no time searching for every reliable, manual, and rear-wheel drive car in my area. Though they are not similarly spirited cars, Mustangs and Miatas were my greatest contenders. After inquiries with no response, suspicious title claims, and much CarFax observation, my search was getting tiresome. Then, I got a reply about a certain Miata.
This Miata was far from perfect. The paint appeared to be a rattle-can job, dents and dings were everywhere, its mileage was near 150,000, and its Facebook listing showed more than five owners. Regardless, it was nicer than my other contenders, and its latest owner had put a lot of time and money into it. The price was also well beyond my budget, but I just threw out a severely low offer, explaining to the owner the near $5000 budget I was working with and my understanding of their potential rejection to my offer. To my surprise, the owner said he would consider my offer and let me come for a test drive. I quickly called a very generous friend of mine and we drove almost an hour to the meeting spot. The car was actually as nice in person as it was in photos. All of its modifications were fairly tasteful too. It had new tires, adjustable coilovers, a roll bar, a performance intake, a Borla exhaust, new speakers, Apple CarPlay, Dynamat sound-deadening material, and brass shifter bushings. All of this, a pleasant test drive, and the confirmation of a clean title enamored me with the car. Knowing that the car was easily worth its listing price relative to other listings, I knew that I could not afford such a car. I told the seller that I liked the car and that my budget, unfortunately, was no larger than it was when I messaged them—a few thousand too low. As my mind began to consider what would be next in my car search, my thoughts were suddenly interrupted. the seller agreed to my offer. Filled with excitement and disbelief, we did the paperwork and I drove home with an irremovable smile. I had accomplished a life-long dream of getting a project car and had done so for a great deal.
After nearly three months, my 1993 Miata has remained reliable and extremely enjoyable. Its overall condition is nothing I would not expect from a cheap, high-mileage, 30 year-old car. Other than cosmetic flaws, the only issue that has arisen has been a droning sound from the rear end that may be coming from the differential or a bad wheel bearing. These issues and fixes for them have been explained in great detail on the internet by enthusiasts more knowledgeable than me, so I feel prepared for the first of many projects for the car. Thankfully, I've still gotten to enjoy the transcendent experience of a lightweight, naturally aspirated, manual, rear-wheel drive, convertible. The engine is happy to wind out all the way to 7000 rpm and the shift feel is incredibly smooth. It sounds glorious too when I'm not enjoying music from its fresh speakers. The chassis is delightfully balanced and the car is more like a go-kart through corners. As the setting sun concludes a joyful outing, I excitedly engage its pop-up headlights that are just plain cool. All of this for the low price I aquired it for seems more than worth it to me. My Miata maintains its reputation for affordable driving experience and approachable mechanics.
So, is Miata the answer? After my experience buying one, I believe it still is, it's just a more difficult one. It may not be as easy to locate the right Miata as it once was, but they do still exist and they still offer the gratifying experience that their reputation suggests. If you find yourself asking questions such as: What is the best reliable and affordable sports car? How do I learn to work on cars? What car is best for racing on a budget? What's a good cheap car for enthusiasts? Look no further. Miata is your answer.
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