MotorWeek Retro Review: First Ever Mazda Miata Road Test

[@1970HondaCL100]

"It will go down in automotive history as the car that saved the roadster from near extinction". Good call.

[@davidaubin3902]

Agreed! John Davis is a legend for sure.

[@potatochobit]

naw, they still made the twinkie boxster S in the early 00's

[@devilsadvocate2548]

It is arguable that the Porsche Boxster wouldn't have even been made if it wasn't for the success of the MX5. I'm with Carcaine, it revived the roadster. The fact it is the highest selling 2 seat convertible of all time helps back that up.

[@pn8024]

potatochobit which was a decade after Miata hit the market...

[@PresidentMcAwesomesauce]

I would also argue the ability and availability to modify the Miata vs the Boxster in there somewhere.

[@RetroGamerr1991]

"The dash vents are difficult to manipulate" Oh Just give them about 20 years. they'll get nice and floppy....

[@N12Gautam]

STICH666 just be glad they last that long

[@Initial_Gopnik]

Hey mine are like perfectly worn after 27 years they move with the slightest effort of the finger yet the stay in place even over the worst of bumps

[@daywalker4029]

Jeep Commander vents are direct fit to the miata and have a shutter style instead of the ball style

[@nomadben]

@@Initial_Gopnik Gotta love when the little things are just right.

[@roddydykes7053]

30 now!

[@BestMillimeter18]

The NA Miata was a spiritual sucessor to 20+ year old British roadsters, but now the Miata itself is 30 years old.

[@shisui7307]

And still there are thousands of them on the road. Feels like no car is ever gonna succed the Miata, they just keep running and running.

[@signlsirchir2156]

could even purchase one in traditional british racing green

[@Dave-sw2dm]

I had a 1974 Triumph Spitfire in 1978. What a fun car for a teenager! Still can't believe my Dad didn't try and talk me out of it. I had a Pontiac Solstice for a time. Great looking and handling roadster but very inconvenient to put the top up and down and zero trunk space with the top down. I hope to own a Miata one day.

[@waynekempton7160]

@@shisui7307 Drove our 1990 NA for 20 joyous years! We're loving our 2019 ND2 now!

[@oliverkalamata2753]

@@Dave-sw2dm Nobody seems to understand that the Solstice's trunk space was practically the same with the top down. All it did was fold down over the top of the trunk space. The trunk space was still there. I also owned a Solstice which I kick myself to this day for selling....

[@clericduran]

Dash vents are hard to move? Haha 28 years later those vents are so loose they won’t stay up

[@markzuckerbergette6185]

Ephraim Duran so true lol

[@markzuckerbergette6185]

marc yep I'm gonna head to my local junkyard and do the same, it's a great idea

[@dek4de]

I slapped some RC car Work S1s in them. Only needed some foam tape for it to not move around in the rings.

[@clericduran]

There are ways around it like using the hoop side of velcro so it creates friction in joint but the video review still cracks me up

[@johnwillyn]

now days they are whit a little peace of paper or cardboard in it to stay up. :)

[@joecap2919]

I still have my Red 1990 Miata with only 59k miles on it. It only comes out in the summer, still love driving it and it still gets complements.

[@Sipeo.]

Wow congratulations! I going to buy one!

[@RustyVigero2005]

What'd you pay for it? 10k? 12k? 14k?

[@gregorsamsa1364]

Apparently you don't love driving it all *that* much- lol

[@joaquineguez]

@@gregorsamsa1364 how doesn’t he love it?

[@mulletsquirrel]

When I had my NB Miata, I drove that thing rain, shine, and snow! Top down as much as I could.

[@smitty3624]

It's really interesting hearing him compare it to MGs and Triumphs and all, seeing as how this has now become the absolute standard for all small sports cars.

[@indiekiddrugpatrol3117]

Chief Shitlord the MGB was the standard this used that as the standard in the style of an Elan and made the new standard

[@goodeggproductions]

The Miata is a special car. They’re silly until you drive one. Not ride in one, DRIVE one. Then you will either like it or love it. I owned a 95 for 9 years and regretted selling it every day for 5 years after that. So I bought one of the first ND Clubs with wheel and brake package available. But something wasn’t right. So a few months later, I bought a 1990. And there it was. The automotive world will never build another small, simple, light roadster that feels like the NA6. I’ve fully restored that little 90 and then I bought a 93 and gave it a turbo. So now I’ve got 3 miatas and they’re all fantastic in different ways. If you think they’re girl cars, or slow, or dumb, drive one. Just for 30 minutes. You’ll understand. Nothing matters except the smile you won’t be able to wipe from your face.

[@lazarushernandez5827]

No true automotive fan would consider them silly, Miatas are staples in auto racing; lightweight, perfect balance, you'll always find them competing well in the various series they participate in.

[@jimmygrant3212]

Lazarus Hernandez what you said is not true. So many better cars for the same price.

[@lazarushernandez5827]

@@jimmygrant3212 What exactly did I say that isn't true? Miatas are staples in auto racing; it is the most raced production car to date, it is lightweight, it has 50/50 balance, and they compete well in the series they participate in. It fits the classic definition of a sports car. Nowhere in my post did mention price or whether there are better cars for the same price.

[@rodmunch69]

I'm guessing you wiped more from your face than just a smile after Miata meet-up down at the interstate rest stop. LOL!

[@roddydykes7053]

goodeggpro how does the NB compare with the NA? Pretty negligible difference in driving experience I’m assuming?

[@Almighty_cornholio]

Miata Is Always The Answer

[@rodmunch69]

The question is: Explain what gay is.

[@DirectInput]

@@rodmunch69 Gay backwards is still gay

[@rodmunch69]

@@DirectInput It's even more gay if backwards.

[@casey3916]

@@rodmunch69 nice

[@travisp11]

Anyone that votes thumbs-down has no automotive soul.

[@pn8024]

travisp11 A guy driving a Miata may or may not be gay...but if someone dismisses this car because it's a "gay man's vehicle" then I for sure know they're a homophobe who doesn't know that much about cars. If that's who they wanna be, fine with me.

[@crowttubebot3075]

There is a reason that you get automatic "penalty laps" if you bring on to a Lemons race. All their "not gay" cars are posing in some parking lot. Miatas are being raced. (Including mine)

[@simplytoxic9421]

They are the people who drive automatic miatas xD

[@rodmunch69]

The car looks gay.

[@rodmunch69]

@@thirdstar9255 You meet a lot of guys at the Miata Cup?

[@marshalmagooo3899]

One of the few cars that has a true soul.

[@Sipeo.]

Miata is always the answer!

[@mr.butterworth]

One of the few modern cars with a true soul. There are plenty of much older cars with soul!

[@2006gtobob]

Nearly 30 years later and most of us still ask for more power out of our Miatas. What a car, so nimble, great brakes, and rides reasonably well. Our recently purchased 2001 has 58,000 miles. My wife finally caved in and wanted to learn to drive a stick just so she could drive it. She is in love with it and named it Lil Blu.

[@Sipeo.]

Congratulations! I’m buying an NA8!

[@palebeachbum]

The first generation Miata is a great example why the Japanese succeeded and blew away the American auto makes in the 80's an 90's. They gave a damn and made better cars.

[@romanval69]

The Miata was a Japanese revival of a classic British/Euro roadster (MG, Triumph, Fiat etc) -- Most American auto manufacturers stopped making mass production roadsters by the 1960's.

[@palebeachbum]

Roman Val the closest American competitor to this I can think of is the Pontiac Fiero, which was a neat car, but an absolute turd in comparison to the original Miata. Poorly built and unreliable. Goes back to my original point.

[@romanval69]

The Fiero was never laid out like a classic roadster -- which are light weight (under 2500lbs), 2 seat, open top, front engine+rear wheel drive. The US hasn't built one since the first gen Corvette; later Corvettes were too heavy. Other roadsters such as the AC Cobra weren't mass production cars. The closest one being built in the US today is probably the Polaris Slingshot... which technically isn't even a car.

[@palebeachbum]

Roman Val as I said, it was the closest thing to a Miata made by an American mark.

[@bandombeviews6035]

Roman Val Pontiac solstice and saturn sky are the only 2, and even then they’re mostly opel.

[@erikhertzer8434]

...John wants that damn voltmeter!...hes a true electrophile...

[@hondamanvtec2894]

John dreams og driving electric cars

[@negativeindustrial]

1st thing I install in all my old car projects. I prefer to know far in advance before an alternator or battery failure.

[@johntechwriter]

A voltmeter was essential before the introduction of the alternator and 12V battery. British sports cars from the '60s would run down their batteries if they used their headlights in slow city night-time driving,

[@CheesusSVT]

😅😅😅

[@theodor12]

One of the most legendary sports cars of all times, from the golden age of Japanese autos.

[@mervinprone]

That’s quite a stunning prediction he made at the end, for a car that was just introduced.

[@patrickmaclean1524]

Love the cheeky pop ups at 4:15

[@superlegoboysz]

Ok, when it got to the slalom test, my lord you can really just see the way this car handles and why its so much fun

[@pepster85]

Acceleration test=😀 Slalom test= 😲 At that point you understand that cars are not all about 0-60 acceleration.

[@johntechwriter]

Yes, there's body roll but as many experts attest, on bumpy corners the softer compliance will aid in tracking compared with stiffly sprung coil-overs where a wheel will come off the ground.

[@kittvskarr2080]

I was 18 when these came out & they were in such demand that after dealer markups were $30,000 in the La Times in 1990......

[@albear972]

Holy crap! I was 17 back in 90' then and I also remember the greedy dealers almost doubling the price on these in LA. And people were paying the money for em'

[@pn8024]

Praetorian when talking about this car you are clearly surrounded by idiots. And you know the rule, if you met an idiot, you met an idiot. But if you keep meeting idiots, then it's quite possible you are the idiot.

[@pn8024]

Praetorian are you a homophobe?

[@pn8024]

Praetorian if you only need horsepower to have fun in a car, you don't know how to drive. I'm not saying high hp cars aren't fun, but you should know to make the most out of a low hp car to truly appreciate something with 400hp.

[@pn8024]

Praetorian how so? And if it didn't deserve the praise, why is it one of the most popular cars in motorsports? I doubt you've ever been at a track or autocross event that didn't have a miata at it. I seen those even at Lotus/Corvette/Porsche type events.

[@EzMDr]

Finally a retro review on 89 Miata!!! , have been waiting for this for a long time. Thanks

[@mackchannel6348]

Miatas are so dreamy. When I was looking to buy my first new car in 1991 I had interest in a Miata, but the price was just out of scale. That's how I became a Celica man, but I always smile when I see a Miata, because I know the driver is having a good time for sure.

[@waynekempton7160]

Thank you for posting this 1989 review of the then-new 1990 MX-5. Just read this in November 2020. Loved it! So wonderfully nostalgic for us. Our 1990 MX-5 was a May 1989 manufacture. We drove that little red roadster for 20 joyous years. All the fun and none of the repair problems we had on the British 1967 Sunbeam Alpine in which I first taught my wife to drive a manual transmission. And what has this led to all these years later? Still driving sports cars. In fact, my wife secretly saved up our Social Security checks so she could surprise me with a 2019 ND2. We traded in our 2003 BMW Z4 on that and never looked back. And, yes, I married well.

[@SpiritOfHalloween31]

Man, you really got lucky in every sense of the word, great car and great woman. Extreme rarity to have both in this day and age.

[@captainzz4723]

6:09 The way he pronounces wheels reminds me of Stewie Griffin and his take of "Cool Whip" 😂

[@Ithinkiwill66]

Bbbhaha!! Emphasis...means everything! 🤣🤣

[@heatseeka14]

but then he said steering wheel normally.. I guess he likes his alloy woheels

[@gregorsamsa1364]

Whil Wheaton

[@darrylyoes414]

I was an MG fan, owned several of them. I had a personalized plate on my '74 MGB that read "NOMIATA". I had no idea until years later just how much better the Miatas were than my MGs...

[@mr.queasy2280]

Darryl Yoes no more crying into an open bonnet

[@darrylyoes414]

I got very good at rebuilding SU carbs. On the side of the interstate, in the rain, on back roads, at 2 a.m... No place or time was too inconvenient for one of them to fail.

[@mr.butterworth]

To be honest, the MGB was a top selling sports car, but was not the best at being a sports car. There is really nothing besides the Miata to compare to its spiritual inspiration, the Lotus Elan.

[@paullytle1904]

@@mr.butterworth well it was probably the most reliable or atleast easiest to keep running of any of the brits

[@hamerplayer1229]

Owned a Mariner Blue B Package brand new. Kept her for 23 years. I hope the new owner loves her as much as I did!

[@NYstranger74]

I love how they man handle interiors on these videos for some inexplicable reason.

[@landyachtfan79]

Back to where it all started, baby!!!!! I wanted one..............BADLY when they first came out!!!!!!

[@RetroGamerr1991]

Get one while they're still cheap

[@smithsfan425]

I’m still waiting for that s14 240sx review motorweek. Only a few years now guys.

[@Some_Person6]

smithsfan425 we were never given one to test.

[@smithsfan425]

Ben Davis 😪 well at least now I know. Thanks Ben!

[@GT6SuzukaTimeTrials]

It'll be legal to import first-year S14's by the end of this year.

[@codyclark1782]

GT6SuzukaTimeTrials wemeet again.... Great taste in videos!

[@markbucholtz6395]

Was there ever a test of the 1988-1991 CRX?

[@Jorge-Tamacas]

My favorite roadster. I had the chance to drive one of this and I loved it. I don´t care about the trunk capacity, it´s enough for me. This is not a car you take to the groceries store. Another feature I like is the roof operation, It's manual, yes, but very easy and simple to operate

[@pn8024]

Jorge Tamacas I've gotten groceries in a Miata...it's not that bad haha just keep unnecessarily shit out of the trunk

[@roddydykes7053]

Surely you’ve seen people get their groceries on a pedal bike before? This has much more than that

[@HiRiSC300]

I am grateful to have been blessed with a clean 90 Mariner Blue Miata. Had an adventure driving her home 2.5 hours after it sat for 2 years with the previous owner. They are pretty rare on the Big Island and even rarer in decent shape. Glad I made the decision to rescue one :)

[@TheZProtocol]

YES!!! YES!!! AFTER YEARS OF ASKING FOR THIS ONE I AM HAPPY!!!! Proud owner of a '90 NA6 in that exact color!

[@kt81776]

TheZProtocol its called mariner blue

[@McBeamer94]

Say what you will, but I think the NA is the coolest looking of all Miata generations! Whenever I see an NA on the road, it truly makes my day! Still dreaming of an NA with the wooden Nardi steering wheel!

[@McBeamer94]

marc I agree, all Miatas look cool, but I have to say that some details of the NA make it special, for me! The pop-ups, the wheels shown here, the mirrors, the Nardi wheel, the overall lightness and simplicity of the car...!

[@pn8024]

I had an NA and it was kind of cool seeing people give me thumbs up.

[@Kettakelly]

I love my Na , pop up headlights 😍

[@sumthing24]

My 97 na has the stock momo wheel with no airbag but not the wooden i wanted it to but cant win em all i guess

[@nigelmccure6640]

I was actually in Elementary School when this car came out and it's really good too see these very old school car Reviews all over again from whenever I saw them on TV and I just actually enjoyed them then and I will definitely always continue to enjoy them every time I watch these older videos of old school car Reviews keep them definitely comin

[@douglassdeserts4380]

You guys are seriously underrated. I love these reviews.

[@ggcostelloe72]

"Alloy hwheels"

[@scottwheaton9689]

My wife has a red 91 Miata in mint cont with 39k original miles that only comes out in sunny summer weather here in the north east which is currently in winter storage. They are very reliable bullet proof cars that are fun to drive and relatively easy to maintain/repair yourself too!

[@bOoStInVT]

I'm a happy and proud owner of a 1993 Miata Limited Edition with only 43,000 miles on it.

[@catjudo1]

My 01 Miata is now twenty years old and it's still an absolute hoot to drive. There is a lot of carryover from the first NA Miata and it just shows how well designed it really was. My NB is nimble, stylish and doesn't look nearly as old as it really is. The NA is a certifiable classic, and it deserves to be, but any Miata is a great driver. I just miss the pop-ups.

[@kippaseo8027]

My 5th grade summer school teacher in Boca had one of the first Mazda Miatas ever sold. It was white end I'll never forget the time she took before a ride in it on the way back from a field trip. It was the first convertible I had ever written in and even though I was only 10 I never let on how freaked out I was it how tiny the car was. She told me that she had only had the car for about 2 weeks and she was terrified to drive it in the rain because it flu all over the road. I didn't know what that meant at the time but I was still feeling cool as f*** riding shotgun in the little Miata that Miss Smith had just bought with her divorce settlement LOL

[@fastdude2002]

She should be fired by evidence of your lack of grammar skills. 😜

[@SpiritOfHalloween31]

Money well spent. I wish I was her age at the time to buy one new. I wasn't even alive until 4 years later in 92.

[@davidaubin3902]

Thanks and as always great retro review, Motorweek

[@Zangan]

Having just recently gone through several dealerships over the past few months only to leave due to outrageous price markups, it’s interesting to see that even back in the late 80’s/early 90’s the same thing was happening, albeit under different circumstances. Luckily, I was to find a dealership that did zero markup and couldn’t be happier with my ND2 Miata! 😁

[@theKevronHarris]

My former occupational therapist had a '90 NA Miata MX5 in Elmo red since I was in the second grade back in the 2002-03 school year! It had an aftermarket translucent bumper protector when she'd brought in new in '89!

[@mikewoods1622]

Great bulletproof car. Dependable and fun. I drive an S2000 now but sometimes miss my 90 Miata.

[@pondmonserfox]

I bought a 2006 Miata NC GT 6 speed a year ago and it is the best car I have ever driven. There is no other car on the road that embodies the spirit of driving more than a Miata, every time I shift gears, turn into a corner, ring out the engine to 7k RPM or simply start the car, I'm reminded of what it means to be a car person. It is the perfect drivers car and anyone with even a small passion for cars needs to drive one, for some it will be a life changing experience.

[@converdis449]

My love affair began with a red NA MX5 ❤️ 5 MX5 ‘s later in our garage we are fortunate to have a GT Soul Red and a Machine Grey RF . Love them both every drive brings smiles to our dials 😊

[@nknasi]

Yes, the one I've been waiting for! Thanks for posting!

[@JamesLCoxe]

I remember seeing these come out when I was a senior in high school, still look good

[@heavychevy383]

just wanted to add my 2 cents worth... i have a 1971 chevy monte carlo (over 30 years now & it will never be sold) its being built for short fast quarter mile runs, ive got a 1998 ls1 formula firebird with a full tilt boogie autocross ready suspension... but my wife wanted a "girls car" (as i called it then) a while back so i begrudgingly conceded to the purchase of her a bone stock 1999 mazda miata, a very well cared for one from a fella in a local miata club, & i only test drove it around the block because i couldnt be bothered to actually take it for a "drive" ...afterall, only 140 horses in a "cute lil hairdressers car" (& btw im a master barber of 30+ years exp haha) & i couldnt let my car guy buddies see me in this thang... then it happened... a trip thru the smokey mountains, & it was, as she put it, "my turn to drive" ...so i climbed behind the wheel, cool october day, flannel shirt weather, leaves turning, perfect conditions... & a wife that, unlike some ladies out there, will climb in the shotgun seat of whatever im driving & say "give it hell!" (yes i know im blessed!) ...sooo ...i put it thru those twisty mountain roads, gaining a better feel for the car with every turn, untill i actually made my adrenaline-junkie-wife actually say "ease up, its bone STOCK" ...& it happened, on those twisty mountain roads, i finally "Got It!" ...i finally understood what all the fuss was about... i fell in love with mazda miata! (i feel like i should be giving this speach at a "roadsters anonymous" meeting haha) thanx & god bless

[@flashindapan7965]

John Davis’s jacket matches the Miata so cute!

[@thetreblerebel]

Probably the best roadster ever made. It can be modified and tweaked to fit almost any racing you wanna do. Time attack and autocross legend. Wheel to wheel too!

[@rainystorm88]

Miss my NA. I bought a beat up NA as my first weekend toy car and loved it so much, but eventually I upgraded to an NC when my NA started getting too troublesome to repair. I feel safer and more comfortable on longer trips in the NC but I definitely miss that little NA :)

[@mr.butterworth]

The NC was definitely not an upgrade in all the ways that matter to a Miata.

[@TheAdventureAuto]

I still daily my 95. Such a great car so many years later.

[@Sipeo.]

I buying one! Na8 definitely hard to get one stock clean title and in good condition, soon!

[@SpiritOfHalloween31]

How long have you had your 95? I'm glad that you have that car. They're getting harder to find now, the NAs that is.

[@TheAdventureAuto]

@@SpiritOfHalloween31 I had it from Sept 2017 - April 2021. Some guy came up to me while I was parked at work and out in it eating my lunch. He told me he was looking for one just like mine and I jokingly said I'd sell it to him. He paid me so much for it that I figured I'd sell and find another someday.

[@SpiritOfHalloween31]

@@TheAdventureAuto Dang. Hopefully you're able to find another one. Not sure how much he paid you but I imagine it was really hard to say no and you probably needed the money. I wouldn't blame ya.

[@TheAdventureAuto]

@@SpiritOfHalloween31 He paid $7500. I didn't need the money but it freed up a garage spot for a new car I was getting.

[@bronxkitchen8753]

4:15 best part 🔥👌🏿

[@antfbi]

It’s funny because I have a 2020 Miata and I love it. I love the style of the na

[@jamesstaggs4160]

Just got my first one three weeks ago, a 1993 that's red, of course. Talk about a love/hate relationship. The first day I ever really drove it other than a mile or so it was pouring down rain. The brand new top and weatherstripping the previous owner put in leaked on both sides. All four windows stayed fogged up, and the tail would step out with little provocation. The next day no rain, but I had to take it on a 100 mile interstate trip. At 70mph the thing is at 4k, way too high. The wind blew it all over the road and the pop up headlights didn't help the aero any. So after two days of that (my other car was down so I had no choice but to drive it in conditions I never wanted to drive it in) I had decided I despised the car and had made a huge mistake in buying it. The next time I drove it though it was sunny and warm, so for the first time in my life, I put the top down and drove a convertible. There are quite a few good twisty roads with less traffic within five miles of my house, so that's where I took it. It was then I found out why these are so loved. Yeah the thing is slow. Really really slow, but give it some decent curves to navigate and wow! Everything on the car is stock. A few of the bushings likely need to be replaced and while the previous owner put new tires on it right before it became mine, they were "budget" tires and not at all what you'd call grippy. Still the car is effortless when given twisted roads. I've had two 1995 Honda Preludes with highly modified suspensions, a 1994 BMW 325IS with the "M tech" suspension from factory, and a 2003 BMW E46 330i with the factory sports setup and even a 1700 lb 1993 Suzuki Swift GTi. All great handling cars. I like the Miata more than the rest by far when it comes to handling. When I go through and replace all the bushings and put a decent set of tires on the thing I bet I'll love it even more. Only two gripes with the car when driven in the conditions it should be driven in. It needs a sixth gear, badly. Got it up to a bit over 100 and I could almost feel the motor getting worried something would break inside of it. The other is, of course, the lack of power. Yeah yeah I know "go buy a Mustang or a Camaro if you want power dumbass, that's not what the Miata is about." I don't want the thing to run 11s or 12s, I just think the chassis deserves an engine with around 160 to 200 horsepower. I'd hate to do an engine swap and take out a perfectly good, if underpowered motor, and I'm a big fan of keeping things as original as possible while making improvements, so I guess my only option is supercharger or a turbo. I think an extra 50hp is a pretty reasonable goal that won't stress out the car or my bank account too much.

[@Andrew-zs5tc]

James, you bought a 30 year old car that appeared to be maintained on a budget and your complaints seem to focus on the level of maintenance and the basic nature of the car which is how it was advertised from day one. The Miata is an extremely light, great handling but underpowered car even for its day. This was stated in the original MotorWeek review and every review since. The trick to driving a Miata fast is to build up speed and maintain the speed through the curves. It sounds like you bought the wrong car. You would likely be better off selling it and buying something that matches your expectations. Doing an engine swap would likely result in a new set of frustrations.

[@johnbehneman1546]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I LOVE IT THEN AND I LOVE IT NOW!!!

[@Porsche996driver]

I helped a German friend buy one of these back in 1993. He called it a Tic-Tac. They didn’t sell them there until later.

[@stephen3164]

Those horn buttons are awesome. I wish all my cars had them right at thumb’s reach like that!

[@SpiritOfHalloween31]

Right? I never liked having my horn at the center of the steering wheel. It would be much faster and safer for me to have it right on the thumbs on standby, especially since I drive 9 and 3, not 10 and 2.

[@bearrorist5658]

One thing I noticed is that when you're putting the top up or down I believe you're supposed to zip or unzip the back window only while the top is unlatched, otherwise the zipper can get all blown out and won't work anymore LIKE THE PREVIOUS OWNER DID TO MINE >:(

[@brian5o]

A little piece of history being made right here...... While I love all Miatas, no other Miata will ever melt my heart like the original NA. Mariner Blue has to be one of the coolest colors, too.... At least of the early NAs. Well, that and BRG.

[@Fastvoice]

An LSD doesn't help at an initial acceleration in a straight line. It's mostly for cornering under load. So there may be no differences in acceleration times between the versions with and w/o LSD.

[@Countrysideboy247]

just see the way it opened it's cute eyes with a smile,i mean the cool pop up headlights!!!!

[@thetreblerebel]

One of the best cars from this time period. Highly sought after

[@jeanshepherd7185]

around ten years ago, I bought a rust free white 91 miata from a wholesaler for $1000. It was a great car, I don't know why I sold it, but I need to replace it

[@paulrigsby2099]

I was working out a port in Florida moving cars of all makes around the parking lot says they came off the boats. I'm a big guy and I remember being amazed at how much room there was inside these. I also remember being terrified because there were Japanese engineer's on this island flogging the Miatas through their paces and nearly hitting us on several occasions.

[@josephkay7785]

Have a 91 I've owned for almost 30 years. I like the fact it is slow af. The speed limit feels fast, so no danger of getting a ticket!

[@mr-t1243]

I remember when men would call this a girls car.These days you can mod the Miata easily I never hear people calling this a girls car today.

[@SatanIceCream]

No men ever called these 'girls cars'. Only INSECURE BOYS called them that... this car doesn't help the owner over compensate for any biological shortcomings... and that's exactly why I love it.

[@rodmunch69]

It wasn't ever called a "girls car", it was called gay, and it's still gay.

[@BigWheel.]

Was and still is, however I see more high school aged boys drive these than anyone else.

[@bryanhampton6135]

Rod Munch correct

[@JoshuaTootell]

This car is basically the complete opposite of "compensation mobile".

[@horriblespaghetti]

1:10 Even in 1990, they knew.

[@jayo6725]

Bought a 92 Miata in 1998. Loved it but sold it 3 years later. My older neighbor shook his head at me and said I'd regret selling it. I did! In 2005 I bought a 94 with 60k miles. I still own it and now it has 145k on it. Still fun to drive and extremely reliable. I still get admiring looks from people. I keep telling myself I don't need this car but it's hard to part with a classic.

[@sunilayya8948]

I remember 1989 as a great year for Japanese sports cars. The miata, z32 300zx and 240sx. All were brilliant and have aged so gracefully. Good examples of these cars still turn heads.

[@loriehouston2664]

My sister got a 1991 Miata in 2001 for her 15th birthday she would cruise around the neighborhood with her 4 friend's in it she had it till she was 19 not a bad lil car I used to do the tune ups and stuff on it

[@jamiepeterson5646]

New Zealand was for a long time the largest buyer of second-hand JDM cars. Not just per capita, but in terms of raw numbers. I think they still make up around half the cars on the road here. So, as a kid, I mostly saw these called Eunos Roadsters (sometimes Mazda MX-5s if they were bought new in NZ). I always thought "Eunos Roadster" was a damn cool name.

[@floridamazdarati]

Mine has 238,000 miles on it and still running great.

[@danmccarthy4700]

I question my decision to go with an SLK over a Miata on a daily basis.

[@goldengod5915]

I love Mazda a shit ton, but I mean, with an SLK, you have a German sports car. Sure, the Miata is a better value, but the SLK is a Mercedes, and that's a full tier above Mazda.

[@danmccarthy4700]

You'd think so. I thought so. Then the problems started.

[@goldengod5915]

Dan McCarthy Oof, that’s rough, man. I’m sure the repairs aren’t cheap.

[@danmccarthy4700]

The actual mechanical parts (engine, transmission, etc) seem bombproof. The electronics? Hoo, boy, what a Pandora's box... the security system failed on me twice, keeping me from starting the car... there's a pump in the trunk that controls the exterior lights (???), that failed twice. The drive-by-wire accelerator pedal had to be replaced... the shift lever had to be replaced... I love the car, don't get me wrong... but man, there are some days where I'd wished I'd gone with the simplicity of a Miata. I don't even wanna know how hit I'll be when the top fails.

[@palebeachbum]

Dan McCarthy that type of reliability is very typical of Mercedes. Mine was no different. They're designed to be reliable for the original owner who trades in every 2-4yrs. They're garbabe after that.

[@DimitriosChannel]

I use to work at a dealership in CT in the early to mid 2000's. I honestly have to say out of all the cars I use to enjoy before the dealership opened early morning were Corvette, Camaro, Mazda wagon think it was the Mazda turbo 260HP one and this little Miata. This was actually a fun little car and it was the first car I learned standard in. Worst cars would be the sluggish no torque RX8, and Honda s2000.

[@boostfed6]

Have the same car and color 🙂

[@mrhappy8966]

pls do me a favor.....dont lower it till its scraping on the ground like i see these degenrates doing and pls leave it to where it can become stock again for some of us who might want to buy one someday scumbag fuckers should be shot lol

[@rolon-ew5kl]

Can’t wait to get one soon as my first car. I am so close to getting a 96 M edition. It is from the year I was born.

[@ohhsoofreeman]

I regret the day I sold mine. 93' Black/ Tan interior and had less than 52K original miles on it. Fully loaded but with no hard top. Quite possibly the best car I ever will own.

[@bryanscholtes8548]

It's been 3 years, did you buy another one? If not, it's time.

[@BokBarber]

"... it has better curves than anything we're used to seeing on a car" And that, dear friends, is the closest we ever got to having an innuendo on the Public Broadcasting Station.

[@kamrankhan-lj1ng]

😂 puritanical PBS

[@curtfox91]

Happy to own a 1992 Mint Bone Stock NA. Only Mods i plan is adding a Torsen and Sturt bar. It needs nothing else

[@alexvieira7945]

2000 Celica retro review please. 😃

[@somanymods]

I had a 2000 GTS, severely underrated car

[@alexvieira7945]

somanymods exactly, i own a 2003 gts.

[@anatess07]

86 1/2 Celica Supra! With the floppy headlights!

[@trunkshope6]

some people were paying that 21,000 dealer markup and were on waiting lists for this car, thats pretty amazing

[@slr7075]

Mazda didn't knew how successful the MX-5 Miata will eventually be. 4 generations later and the Miata formula is still the same while other competitors left or grew in weight.

[@BogattheMoon]

I put the "Handling by Lotus" badges from an Impulse Turbo on my British Racing Green Miata.

[@AaronSmith-kr5yf]

What I love about the Miata(all gens) is its a riot to drive just puttering around at the speed limit, its comfortable, relaxed, easy to drive(even ones without power steering) Cain it, its an even bigger riot, especially since you can actually drive past 5/10ths of the limit on a public road and still be going slow enough to where you can catch a mistake. Any sports car made in the last 20 years, you push it hard you are at going to jail speeds or are in a world of sh!t/in the ditch going way too fast if you do make a mistake

[@kway745]

I’m resurrecting one right now, my winter project. Pkg “A” car optioned with limited slip and A/C. 72k miles on the clock. Hard to believe it’s 34 years old. It just doesn’t feel that antique to me. A 34 year old car in 1990 would have been a 1956, and that seemed legit OLD at that time, as it does now. These days, “old” cars hit different

[@hueyfreemanhisanimatedfrie925]

People who talk down on the Eunos Roadster have never driven a Eunos Roadster.

[@i3oosted]

"everything you want is here BUT a volt meter" still going at it lmao

[@C.I...]

Honestly I wish my car had one - then I could tell how long I can afford to keep the radio on when I'm waiting with the engine off.

[@randy25rhoads]

“Cantankerous dash vents” Hahaha, I love it.

[@Northwind000]

I want a pet Miata :3

[@patrickmichael3384]

The Miata of ANY generation is my FAV non 4 door Mazda!

[@RoadCone411]

John, nobody needed the voltmeter. And if the trade off was actually the dead pedal at the driver’s foot, that was a good call.

[@seantu1496]

Have a 91 that saw use as a daily driver until 2020. Bought it in 2005 and put just over 200,000 miles on it in 15 years.

[@ParadoxdesignsOrg]

I remember when these first came out and everyone thought they were only for women or gay hair dressers. Now look at them. They are totally coveted by anyone who does just about any kind of motorsport!

[@Trance88]

What a great little car. I wish I could drive one! The first generation Miata still looks like a modern car if you ignore the pop-up headlights.

[@SpiritOfHalloween31]

Modern Car done right at the time. I hate what modern cars are now. As for the pop up headlights, honestly they really added character. I wish those could be back in style with today's car but because of a stupid safety issue... nope. its why the NB had standard headlights.

[@OG-Silesian]

the cutest and best handling roadster

[@__hjg__2123]

other than those darn side view mirrors that you constantly would hit and move... was a great car to own!

[@SpiritOfHalloween31]

I wish I could go back in time to 1989 or the early 90s really to buy this car brand new as an adult. There aren't many NAs left now and its very hard to find them in good shape for a good price, let alone being bone stock. I don't mind it having a real rollbar installed but that would be the only major mod to the car I'd make. I wouldn't mess with the engine. I wasn't alive until 1992 and no one in my family even bothered or considered getting this car at the time, even in 1998 when I was 5 and obsessed with it.

[@johntechwriter]

John Davis was prescient in his long-running show's first look at the Miata. Unlike the " purists" who dismissed this car as a soulless Japanese rip-off of the real thing, Davis credited the car's advanced engineering and ruggedness with saving the sports car platform. The purist magazines are long gone, but Motorweek survives, and so does their favorite sports car.

[@redthorn-gj7zu]

Its nice and good car still see few on the 2018

[@vossler360]

Although Motorweek has historically reported very conservative acceleration figures, when Motor Trend conducted this same battery of tests for the 1990 Miata back in the day, this is what they measured: "Though this engine’s 116-hp peak is not particularly awesome, it has a light load to pull. The result is a 0-60 mph time of 8.86 sec and a quarter-mile time of 16.78 sec with a terminal speed of 81.9 mph."