2013 MX5 Thrashed in Super Slow Motion! Plus a comparison with the FT86! [VIDEO]
 

Mazda Canada kindly loaned me a 2013 Mazda MX5 to review recently. Here is the result! And to take it all in context, I offer my comparison with my own beloved FT86!

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ht8GCDmleU"]drivingvancouver.ca 2013 Mazda Miata MX5 in slow motion! Review versus the Scion FRS and Subaru BRZ! - YouTube[/ame]


If I could have only one car, it would still be an '86, no question. Stiffer, bigger, more spacious inside, more practical, better interior, newer, the list goes on. But considered purely as a driving experience, I think the MX-5 offers a REALLY compelling alternative to enjoy. They are so different that I would actually consider having BOTH. I love this car!

So... would you rock an MX5? Would the girlier image of the car put you off?

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sure why not? if it is free and cheap

i love the miata granted i have a 90. i really applaud mazda for keeping what made the car special twenty years ago in the recent models. i think the biggest difference is (as you mentioned) the precision. the miata is more fun imo but it takes a little longer to settle into a corner. that can be a good or bad thing depending on perspective and either way its totally changeable with aftermarket suspension. the brz just seems to settle into the corner so much faster which is a little more confidence inspiring yet a little less dramatic

I haven't driven in one yet but I just see too many old guys driving it. That is not an issue, rather a random fact. The car does not seem aggressive at all and does not scream "mod me". I agree with you that the 86 is more practical and spacious which is why I got to roll with the 86.

This. I see quite a few of 55+ guys driving these around in my area.

Why is this?

Maybe because some older people rather drive a cheap sports car that does not have a lot of horsepower.

its because older people dont typically have the inhibitions of the younger crowd. the miata is just pure simple fun and i think older people have a better time not being sucked in by image. im all but certain that the miata is the most raced car in the world and thats not by mistake

A lot of them are probably chasing after the British-style convertible sports cars that were popular when they were younger. A gas-guzzling V8 and an extra $20k on the sticker probably doesn't sit too well with someone looking towards retirement either.

Motortrend also did a head to head with the FR-S vs MX-5. The Miata won. Barely.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDYaSwd4mmk"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDYaSwd4mmk[/ame]

I love the Miata. Problem for me is that it is a convertible (I live in Minnesota) and has no backseat. And if I was going to buy a third car for a weekend convertible summertime car, it would be a used S2K... Having a lot of time behind the wheel of both, I prefer the S2K.

I was this close to pulling the trigger on a used MX-5 hardtop 2009 Galaxy gray color. But the price they were asking was to much. Not to mention no back seats, no truck space. But I can't deny driving with the top down was hella fun in that car.

Agree with your review in all respects. The Miata is a very fun car for sure.

I also appreciate the Miata for all that it is, but to have a DD I needed some space and that's where the BRZ really fits my life perfectly. I have a few friends that have older Miatas and when we see each other we usually swap cars for the day and we both come away loving the others car.

I was never a fan of the styling on the older Miata's, but I'm loving the styling on the new ones.

If I were to buy a new car now, it would the be MX-5 Club (non hardtop). It's like an s2k without the theft issue and the 'hellaflusha' stigma.

Thanks for the comments, guys. The price and equipment level on this car felt really sparse to me, that was one big downside. On this mid-level GS trim, it was 36,000 as tested plus tax (canadian prices). The brz here in top trim fully equipped works out to 31,000 plus tax. You get the folding top in the miata, but you lose xenon lights, heated seats, bluetooth, navi, leather/alcantara seats, auto climate and other basic amenities. But otherwise, what a sweet car to drive with the top down.

I guess it's not really an apples to apples comparison until we see the 86 convertible (if ever) and in the meantime, that's the price premium for a drop top.

Honestly a Miata seems way too overpriced for what it is. 36 for a highly impractical softtop? I understand that it is a driver's car, but I could get a used Cayman S for 27k. I noticed you drive the same year Cayman I've driven; I would consider a Miata at 22k though.

which conveniently is just about how much the club is going for. you can get the sport for under 20k. im sure things are different in canada though. the whole msrp thing makes the frs look like a good deal but the pure pricing kinda negates that for most of the year.

either way its just nice to have a win win type deal

I'll tell you, i came up on the hard decision between these two cars. I ultimately chose the fr-s because it felt "tighter" out of the box, can take it right on a track without adding roll-bar, etc. I think i am regretting my decision though...

miatas are great. the best convertibles you can buy new. but alas still a convertible. the damn best weekend fun fun car you can get on a budget though.

Before the twins were unleashed upon the world, I wanted a PRHT MX5. Still do, really. I barely fit in them though, and even with the seat all the way down and back my knees are just about in the dashboard. Although a backseat isn't a requirement for my vehicle, it's nice to know I could cart the kiddos around if I needed to. So FRS/BRZ it is.

Yes, I noticed this as well. Pretty amazing how much roomier the 86 feels right after the MX-5 and the 86 isn't a particularly big car.

The cheapest Miata I could find near the Twin Cities (new) was $24K. The cheapest BRZ I could find was $22,900 for a Premium (new).

Miata definitely seems overpriced.

what kind of jacket is that?

That is true but you could pick up a used one for a solid 3K. :lol:

I came to the FRS from a 2012 NC PRHT (power retractable hard top). This guy's review is spot on.

It's nothing like the 86, but it's also a kick-ass driving experience. I think he summarized it really well at the end. With the top down in a miata, things really just do feel right in the world. It's a hugely relaxing experience and it's also a kick-ass driving experience. My only real qualm with the miata was the body roll, which could easily be addressed with some minor suspension mods / sway bars.


The main reason I made the jump to the 86 was because I was just too tall for a miata. I'm 6'6", and with the PRHT up, my head touched the roof. Also, I couldn't really do many track events in it because I couldn't have a proper roll bar under the PRHT and most tracks require that.

Also, because racecar.

If I could fit in a miata with the top up, I think I'd be sitting in a miata instead of a BRZ. Both cars are great great cars, but in the BRZ, EVERYTHING IS SO SERIOUS OMG ITS A CORNER LETS ATTACK.

In the the Miata its like.. omgomgomgomgcorner lets go around that corner c'mon lets go one more go go gooooooo.

I have both (well, a '97 NA, not a new Miata), and I love them both. The Miata (with its little engine that could) is just a pleasure to drive. I didn't know what people were talking about until I got one. It's like riding a little pony. My girlfriend loves it.

Girlier image? Huh? I agree with the others, although I did buy it from a girl, she wasn't very girly...and she knew how to drive a 5spd. A man's woman, for sure. I know it gets the image because of its wide-eyed look and small, cutesy body without tons of horsepower-adding vents and stickers, but it was designed to embrace the spirit of driving, in the purest sense. And that is not girly. Corollas are girly. Jettas are girly. Cars that only get you from point A to B are girly. The MX-5 is not that car.

We American men have terrible priorites. Don't ask for our collective taste in cars. Have you even seen DONKs? 300C's with Bentley grilles and dare I say, spinners? We are obsessed with the idea that more expensive (and more horsepower/concentrated essence of testicles) is better. Most of us have no idea what driving is about. Those of us that do are here, and we don't see the Miata as girly :D.

Haha, thanks. My jacket is made by Superdry. I should be asking them for sponsorship!

Thanks for your comment, yuicebox! I am amazed that a 6'6 person managed to own the car for any time at all. I wonder if people could get aftermarket seat rails to lower the seat.

I am conflicted by the body roll thing. I know that traditionally, we don't like body roll but in the Miata somehow it works. Granted, having that much roll feels a bit disconcerting at first, but I found that I got used to it and just drove around it. It rolls, but it doesn't do it in a heavy way. It's so light on its feet. Would love to try out a firmed up NC and see whether it maintains its magic.

And yes, the 86 is such a total racecar after the Miata.

I agree!

Great review! I had a bright yellow 92 Miata that I loved (special edition with limited slip and hard top). I could care less what other people thought - I did get lots of thumbs ups from kids on school buses through, lol

I also test drove a 2012 MX-5 and really liked it. More body roll and softer than the FR-S (and the 92 Miata as well), but still very fun. At slower speeds, I found it a bit more fun than the FR-S. I've never driven an MX-5 on the track, but I've tracked the FR-S and I think it would be more fun on the track.

I like the Miatas a whole lot.

I cross-shopped a used 2005 MazdaSpeed Miata (turbo) and a new Miata vs my BRZ (also cross-shopped an FR-S).

In the end, the new Miata that I would have bought woulda been the Power Hard top Club Edition. They are super fun to drive etc etc...

But the low center of gravity of the BRZ sold me over the Miata.

The interior of the BRZ limited sold me over the FR-S (plus I got a nice deal on a 2013...no interest, and just over invoice).

But yeah.. @miatas are a "girly car"...

I am a man...I am comfortable in my manliness...if you cannot respect a Miata...then you have never been properly spanked at AutoX by a Miata.

Us old retired folk finally realize that you don't need gobs of HP and high dollar machines to impress or be impressed. That less is more when it comes to sports cars and many other things in life. That driving a slow car fast is more enjoyable than driving a fast car slow.. It's not about having all that power and handling.. But being able to get the most enjoyment out of what you have as often as possible.
My FRS is nowhere near as quick or as capable as my last vette or M3 was.. But it's as much fun at half the speed, which makes it more enjoyable every time I use it.
The low cost of ownership and maintenance makes it a more care free experience that adds to the overall enjoyment factor..
I enjoyed all my cars over the years.. Many were more capable than I was and were never used to their full potential. The FRS allows me to use much of what's available most of the time on a daily basis.. Very satisfying in so many ways..

Ok, BYE.
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Hello.
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The last time I checked....Miata is even lower HP than FT86.

Miata still able to barely win ? "Holy...SHT!" That is all I can say

Good try !!

I could give a lot of impressions of both....

Compared to the FR-S, the MX-5 duratec actually wants to rev. Even with lower HP it still feels quicker because you can actually use the powerband. The MZR in the mx-5 makes the FRS feel like it has a truck engine. You also have to keep in mind the MX-5 is less weight, to the tune of 200ish lbs.

Yeah, I know what Miata are. Do you smell the sarcasm though ?