Collectible autos: the Mazda Miata

If I were to imagine the meeting that spawned the design for the Miata, I would come up with something like this: A half-dozen grey-haired Japanese executive types standing around an aged MGA, all saying profound things about handling and track prowess in deliberate and well-thought sentences. "If we are to build a car worthy of the heritage forged by the early roadsters," one man in a suit says, "it must be small and give the driver the sense of being intimately connected to the asphalt." An engineer looks at him understandingly and adds, "It must have very little flex in the chassis, and the weight balance must be as near to 50-50 as is possible."

At this point, I remember what the Miata actually looks like, and the mental image I've assembled of the craftsmen at Mazda is interrupted by a male hairdresser in glittery shoes saying, "and it has to look fabulous!"

And that's the problem with the car—it's got those early 1990s effeminate and noncommittal looks that endeared it to so many small-car buyers for the last 15 years that it's become the "most popular sports car of all time," if you believe what Mazda tells you. They sold over 700,000 Miatas (technically called the Mazda MX-5) since its introduction in early 1989 as a 1990 model. Do remember, however, that Ford sold over 680,000 Mustangs in its first year of production...so I'm not really sure what this "most popular sports car" is all about.

Popular or not, Mazda has made three distinct generations of Miata: 1990–1997 models have goofy popup headlights and either a 120hp 1.6L (1990–1993 models) or a torquier 130hp 1.8L (1994–1997) DOHC engine driving the rear wheels through a five-speed manual or an optional (and rare) automatic transmission. Mazda skipped the 1998 model but introduced the 2^nd generation Miata in 1999 sans the popups (so sad) and with a slightly updated 140hp engine. Most cars got the 5-speed manual but every year of production had a special edition of some sort or another (10^th Anniversary, Special Edition, and so forth), all of which came with a 6-speed. The car was freshened again in 2001 and made stiffer and more powerful, and a special turbocharged 170hp Mazdaspeed MX-5 was sold in 2004 and 2005. For 2006, Mazda has released an entirely new Miata, but we'll skip that for now since it's so damned new.

Here's a picture of the 2^nd generation Miata—compare this to the 1^st gen pictured at the top of this article.

Throughout its life, the Miata has kept a number of things constant: all models are two-seater convertibles with longitudinal four-cylinder engines sitting behind the front axle and driving the rear end. The cars are universally cramped, taut, and fantastically balanced.

Collectability: Below average. Prices will always be eroded by the vast majority of Miatas that have been owned by people who just want a cheap roadster.

So what's up with the Miata?

(+) It's the cheapest modern thrill-ride you can buy. I've said this sort of thing before about cars like the Fiat X1/9 and the Porsche 914, but they're all old and take a certain special brand of craziness to own and drive. If you've got your wits about you and don't want to spend your drives dealing with late-1970s plastic parts, then the MX-5 is about the closest you can get to a go-kart without feeling like you've wasted your cash on a toy. The Miata handles exceedingly well and when you're driving it, you really do feel like you're about as close to the road as you can get without a trip to the emergency room. The sewing-machine-like four-banger is barely enough to light up the tires, but it doesn't really matter—it's the corners that make this car so much fun, anyway.

(+) It's of perfect vintage. The Japanese really figured out car design in the late 1980s, right when the Miata was being conceived. Now, they forgot it all and were make to making shit cars again ten years later, but the Miata design was forged in that sweet spot and still works wonderfully. The entire chassis is about as old as you can go before deeming it older than "modern," which means that you can pick up an early example for cheap and don't even have to feel like you're driving a 1984 Tercel. The design aged terribly well, too, because Mazda figured out that they shouldn't dick with as it got older.

(+) It's cheap. A good friend of mine talked me out of a ~2000 MR2 Spyder a year or so ago by reminding me that if some assbasket tore a hole in the convertible top, it's a few grand for a new one. A new top can be bought and installed on a Miata of similar age for only a few hundred bucks.

(+) It's a racer. Show up at a racetrack with a Miata and it's likely that the old-school types aren't going to write you off as they do to the kid with the riced-out 240SX—although odds are good that they won't think you're very original, either. Miatas handily outnumber all other cars at most autocrosses, and for good reason.

(+) It's got pop-up headlights. Or it doesn't. Depending on how old you are, pop-up headlights are either the coolest thing in the entire universe or complete crap. I fall into the former category. But even if you disagree with me, both you and I can buy a Miata and be happy with its headlights.

Remember, though, that if you think popups aren't cool—well, you're just plain wrong.

(-) It's a capable car bought by all the wrong people. Exactly two cars, in my opinion, fall into this category: the C4 Corvette and the Miata. These are cars bought by hairdressers and midlife-crisis types and people who care more about the idea of a sporty car than the car itself.

And before you go and say that nearly any Porsche or BMW should sit in that category, too, remember that those cars are generally bought by people who like the idea of caring more about the car than the idea. It's dizzying, I realize, but the point remains—Miatas are driven by hairdressers first, and enthusiasts second.

(-) If you're Swedish or Samoan, you won't fit. This is not a car for the tall or wide—it's really pretty cramped inside. The seating position isn't as bad as a first-gen MR2 and it's got more space than the passenger seat of a Hummer, but it's still really cozy. Those over 6'2" or 220lbs need not apply.

(-) It connects you to the road. If you believe all the BMW commercials, this is a good thing—and coming from a BMW owner, I can tell you that it is. But the Miata really does tie you to the road in a very raw sense—you get to feel all the imperfections of the pavement as you bump and skitter over them, and then you get to watch all the parts on your dashboard fall off because of it. These cars rattle, hiss, and whoosh in ways that a big GT car doesn't. It also costs a fraction of what the GT car costs and weighs even less—but don't expect a Miata to be very comfortable.

Expect to pay: $2,000–$5,000 for a solid 1^st gen car, or $10,000+ for an early 2^nd gen.

What to look for:

• Absolutely positively look for any slop in the powertrain. Low compression numbers, smoke in the exhaust, clutch looseness, or play in the differential should be accompanied with a good drop in price. When these cars are driven hard, they're driven really hard.
  
• But at the same time, it's not uncommon to find creampuffs. Kids pine over Civics and Eclipses more than Miatas, so the ones that aren't completely beat into the ground tend to have faired well.
  
• Check over the convertible top with a fine-toothed comb. Brown spots on the plastic window means it's about ready to go. Leak check the top if you've got the facilities (e.g., carwash) to do so.
  
• If you can spare the change, it's worth the hunt for an M-Edition or other limited car. They're usually well cared-for and have better goodies than the base models.
  
• Any comments from readers who own Miatas?