MX-5 MIATA

About the MX-5 Miata

The Miata is the best-selling roadster in history, and it earned that title by being exactly one thing: fun. Not fast. Not powerful. Not luxurious. Fun. Mazda looked at the British roadster tradition that Triumph, MG, and Lotus had abandoned and built a version that started every morning, didn't leak oil, and still delivered the open-air, rear-wheel-drive, lightweight driving experience that made those cars special in the first place. The NA arrived in 1989 with pop-up headlights, a 1.6-liter four-cylinder, and 116 hp. It weighed 940 kg. The power-to-weight ratio was modest. The smiles-per-mile ratio was unmatched. The formula has remained essentially unchanged through four generations: front engine, rear-wheel drive, soft top, manual gearbox, and a curb weight that starts with a nine or a low ten. The NB refined it. The NC grew slightly too large. The ND brought it back to its lightweight roots with a 2.0-liter SkyActiv engine and a curb weight under a tonne. Every generation has been the answer to the same question: what's the most fun you can have on a backroad for under $40,000? On Revnut, the community ranks the car that proved driving joy doesn't require horsepower.