The NA Miata is the car that proved everyone wrong. By the late 1980s, the affordable two-seat roadster was effectively extinct, killed off by emissions rules, safety regulations, and the general assumption that nobody wanted one anymore. Mazda disagreed. Working from a brief that could be summarized as "make a modern Lotus Elan," a small team in Hiroshima built a front-engine, rear-drive convertible so light and so eagerly balanced that it single-handedly revived the entire category.
The early cars ran a 1.6-liter B6-ZE four-cylinder making 116 horsepower, which sounds modest until you consider the car weighed barely 2,100 pounds. In 1994, Mazda bumped displacement to 1.8 liters with the BP, eventually reaching 133 horsepower by 1996. Neither figure mattered as much as the throttle response, the willing rev, and the way the whole car communicated through your fingertips.
The NA is the only Miata with pop-up headlights, which alone has made it the most desirable generation for a certain kind of buyer. The 1991 Special Edition in British Racing Green with its tan leather and Nardi wood shift knob set the template for a long line of covetable limited runs. Clean, unmodified examples of any spec are climbing steadily. Rust is the enemy, especially in northern cars, so check the rockers and the frame rails before you fall in love with the color.

NA - 1st Gen

Every family has the one that gets underestimated. The NC arrived for 2006 borrowing its multi-link rear suspension from the RX-8, and the internet immediately noticed it was bigger and heavier than its predecessors. At roughly 2,500 pounds, it was indeed the heaviest Miata to date. It was also, by nearly every objective measure, the best-handling one yet.
The 2.0-liter MZR four-cylinder (LF-VE) made 170 horsepower with the manual at launch, and a 2009 refresh tightened the chassis and sharpened the steering feel. Mazda also introduced the Power Retractable Hard Top, turning the Miata into a proper year-round car for climates where a canvas top and winter don't mix.
Where the NC really shines is on track. The wider stance, increased rigidity, and that RX-8-derived rear end gave it a composure through fast corners that the NA and NB couldn't match. It eventually earned its own SCCA racing class in Spec MX-5, and it remains the grassroots track-day weapon of choice for people who want to spend their money on tires and seat time instead of the car itself. Prices are the lowest in the Miata family, and for a convertible that handles like it was engineered by people who actually enjoy driving, the NC deserves a serious look.

NC - 3rd Gen

If the NA proved the concept, the NB polished it. Arriving for 1999, the second-generation Miata kept the same basic formula (1.8-liter BP four, rear-wheel drive, roughly 2,400 pounds) but wrapped it in a stiffer chassis, tidied up the suspension geometry, and swapped the beloved pop-up headlights for fixed units that made the car look wider and a touch more aggressive. Enthusiasts mourned the pop-ups. They drove the NB and got over it.
The standard car made 140 horsepower, enough to keep the experience honest at real-world speeds, and for buyers who wanted more, Mazda delivered the Mazdaspeed variant in 2004 with a turbocharged 1.8 making 178 horsepower. It's the only factory-turbo Miata ever sold in the US, and clean examples have quietly become quite collectible.
The NB also brought some genuinely interesting limited editions. The 10th Anniversary car in Sapphire Blue Mica is a known quantity, and the six-speed manual that debuted with it eventually spread to other trims. Look for the Torsen limited-slip differential on 1999–2002 manual cars, which turns an already playful chassis into a proper corner weapon. Values remain reasonable, making the NB the quiet bargain of the Miata family. It does everything the NA does with a bit more refinement and a lot less rust.

NB - 2nd Gen

The ND is Mazda remembering what made the original work and having the discipline to get back there. Launched in 2016, the fourth-generation Miata shed roughly 200 pounds from the NC, dropping back under 2,400 pounds in base trim and proving that a modern car with airbags, stability control, and a touchscreen could still feel genuinely small and alive.
The 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G four-cylinder started at 155 horsepower and was bumped to 181 in 2019, a figure that sounds modest in isolation but feels perfectly matched to the chassis. Mazda also introduced the RF, a retractable fastback with a power targa-style roof that gives the ND a completely different silhouette, more mini-GT than beach cruiser. Both versions share the same willing, responsive character that rewards a driver who'd rather carry speed than manufacture it.
The ND has been in production long enough now that early examples are settling into genuinely accessible territory, while the later 181-horsepower cars, especially in Club trim with the Bilstein shocks and limited-slip differential, hold their value well. It's the car that proved the Miata formula still works in an era of 4,000-pound crossovers and 500-horsepower electric sedans. Light and communicative, with exactly as much car as you need.

ND - 4th Gen

MX-5 Miata

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Mazda MX-5 Miata

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