Mazda MX-5 Miata (1999 - 2005) Reviews, Pricing & Specs

If you like to drive, you will absolutely love driving the Miata. The little car hugs the road around turns, isn’t so powerful that it will get you in trouble, but it’s sufficient. I wouldn’t drive a Miata without a 5-speed manual transmission. Love to have complete control of the car. Gas mileage is excellent! Parking is amazing. I miss my 2002 Miata, because I gave it to my grandsons! Hope to get another one. You’re never too old to drive one. I’m a 77-year-old female, and still love it!!Apr 16, 2024

I can't describe how much fun it is owning and driving this little roadster. I picked it up from a friend about a year ago for the purpose of Auto-X'ing with my local SCCA region. What I didn't know was that this little guy is super competitive and with just a set of extreme performance summer tires I typically finish in the top 10 drivers on any given weekend with usually over a 100 drivers. Mar 26, 2015

I learned a long time ago that it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than it is to drive a fast car slow. The 2nd generation "NB" Miata is peppy in performance, but underpowered compared to more modern sports cars. But to put it into perspective, it's a power house compared to the British roadsters is is based on and would have been a supercar in the 60's or 70's. The buying market today has confusion on what makes a sports car tick and most of the cars today miss the mark by a mile providing the grand touring experience. Make no mistake, if the MX-5 only had 50 HP, it would still be more of a sports car than 99% of the pretenders on the market. Specifically, the Miata gives the driver the gift of light weight. This reduces the need for huge wheels, brakes, engine, etc., and pays dividends in the road feel and handling. The smaller size has caused the uninformed car enthusiast to label this a "chick" car, and these criticisms remain. This has led to a lower re-sale and many nice Miatas with low miles can be found for a bargain. My conclusion is that if Women buy this car, they must know more about sports cars then men. So what is a sports car? For me, it must provide an elemental raw experience. The Miata's convertible top does expose you to the elements for sure, It's a roadster after all. The top is easily folded and if you have a strong right arm, can be raised and lowered from the driver's seat. Handy in the rain for sure. I experienced no leaks. The car sits low and has a willing engine. The chassis provides excellent feedback. The 5 speed manual transmission shifts precisely and quickly. All controls and displays are excellent. Trunk space is very good for it's class and the top does not interfere with trunk space The 1.8L engine us rated at about 140HP and puts about 110 HP to the road. It's not a power house, but it's only pushing 2300 LBS of car so it's good for around 7.5 sec 0-60 and somewhere in the 15's for the quarter mile. While slow compared to most sports cars today, the braking and handling coupled with the driving experience make this a really fun ride around town. Think of it as a motorcycle substitute. The engine is willing and able to rev so this gives you the illusion of being your own formula 1 driver without shattering the speed limit after rowing through a few gears. Faster cars require boring short shifting around town in comparison. So that's the key to the Miata. You can use all of it. Some other facts It requires little maintenance. Change the oil and fluids and it will keep running. It has a manual top. No pumps to break. It has manual seats to keep the car light and simple. The Bose system is simple and can overcome road noise. The seats are comfortable. Ergonomics are excellent. The 1.8 engine was built for a turbo, but it doesn't have a turbo. Result- Very over built with excellent longevity just begging to be driven hard. The car was built solely for the pleasure of driving and it is fun. Think of it as a 142 HP go cart. What I don't like With the minimalist approach to the sports car, Mazda made some compromises. The car is loud on the highway. Really loud. I would use the car on some business trips and would have to take calls while driving. Not too good over the wind noise and lack of insulation. I also didn't like the gearing of the car for the highway. The transmission is a close ratio 5 speed and even the optional 6 speed doesn't have a deep OD. Perfection would be combine the close ratio 5 speed with the deep OD for relaxed highway cruising. But I get it. My small displacement motorcycles rev high too and if Mazda engineers had to keep the weight down to hit it's targets. Knuckledraggers tend to bring this car down as well and that's a negative. In America where bigger is better, you'll have to defend this car continuously from people not familiar with small sports cars as opposed to GT's. So as you can tell, I'm a fan of the car. Small and light, it's a willing dance partner. It's good enough to supplement your Corvette or hyper car and will make you a better driver without getting your license suspended. If you are unable to ride a motorcycle, the Miata is the closest car experience. Just make sure you can get out of it!Jan 16, 2015

Performance: Acceleration, especially with the manual is speedy but not rocket-sled like. Braking is excellent with stock brakes. I have Riken Raptor HR tires on right now which are functioning great in all types of weather except snow/ice. Handling is like your on rails. Every little nudge of the steering wheel is translated to a change of direction. One of the best handling cars I've ever driven. To sum it up, it swallows corners. Supercharger planned in distant future (i.e. when I have money) Build Quality: Excellent craftsmanship and everything is laid out very simply. Would be a very easy to work on car. Modifications require little effort. Few squeaks and rattles on interior, but that is acceptable with the stiff suspension. No repairs as of today. Appearance: Fantastic looking car, but could do with some more muscle. Some say it looks like its smiling, which just reflects how one feels when tossing this thing through corners. The "Classic Red" combo with the tan top is very british sports car like and is a good look for the car. Cost of Ownership: The Miata commands a premium over similar models made by other manufacturers because of it's excellent build quality, good gas mileage, and high demand. I got a good price on the car, and so far, all regular scheduled maintenance has been relatively inexpensive. Fun factor: VERY FUN! I'd probably give it a 9/10, just because it could use a little more power. Feb 23, 2009

This is a fun little roadster-convertible! Beautifully designed and very high quality! We have it for 3 years, used model from 2003, but never had any problems with it. I'm sure it will last for many years to come. To summarize: excellent performance, high quality build, awesome appearance, low cost of ownership and fun factor through the roof (pun intended)! :)Jan 13, 2009

Acceleration: Off the line is sluggish, but once the cams change profile, not too shabby. Brakes: Great, no ABS, but I like that cause it makes be a better driver. Handling: excellent, according to data aquisition, higher G- loads through all of the corners than a 911 GT3 tested there by Road & Track. Just PERFECT balance. Fun Factor: This car puts a smile on my face everytime I drive it. Much more so than my GTi, or my mom''s GTO. Cost: Everything's cheap, tires, brakes, oil changes, everything. Even gets about 33mpg on the highway! Appearance: I like it a lot. And I get a lot of compliments on it wherever I go. Issues: some weird rattles have developed in the last year. But then again this car has almost as many track miles on it as street miles. Bottom Line: If you want a cheap, fun car that can be great on the track, this is your ride. I have tons of in-car video footage of me killing much more expensive cars (F430 for example). It's easy to learn on, and a blast once you're good.Dec 13, 2008

Dollar for Dollar, the Miata is the best performing, most neutral handling, mechanically reliable sports car on the road today. Paying homage to sports car heritage, like the MGA's and Austin Healey's of the late 50's and early sixties, it is a DOHC 1.8 liter front-engine, limited-slip rear wheel drive, light-weight two seater sports car. It's perfect for weekend jaunts to the Russian River and Sonoma coast, or Monterey, Carmel, and Big Sur. Mine is a fine example of the first year of the Miata's second generation. It's triple black; exterior, interior and top. Cloth seats which are cooler and less slippery in the twisties. It's a "weekend car" with low milage, and it's stored in a dry wharehouse under a cover. I hope it lasts forever.Nov 22, 2008

good paint color for this special model, more appealing style of the NB generation miatas. excellent handling, 6speed, MPG, low maintaince, fun to drive. rather cheap feel interior, rattles, brakes could be better, soft paint. seats arent as comfortable, high rev on freeways. overall its an awesome car to have, just wish my was in better exterior condition.Aug 25, 2008

This is really my wife's car, but I'll comment on it anyways. This is a great car to drive, and nothing beats putting top down and going for a cruise down to the beach on a cool summer night. The handling is responsive, and there is enough power to get up and go. After 80k miles, the car is still is great shape as well. There are some small paint problems on the top of the trunk, but the paint is still in good shape. The interior still looks brand new as well. The car has also held up fairly well. The only major problems at this point at the fact that the power windows are on the fritz. Also, the O2 sensor went out a few months ago. Then I realized that most replacement parts for Miatas are only made by Mazda, and they are expensive. Other than that, the car still runs great. The car is a great commuter car as it is easy to maneuver on the freeways and parking lots and gets good gas mileage. It is also a great car to take on a Sunday drive. However, it is horrible if you want to go play golf or go to the in-laws for the weekend. Even if you pack light, it is hard to fit everything into the trunk. Also, it is very impractical for families as it does not hold a car seat and it is hard to go on a full grocery run with it.Feb 07, 2008