Thrills On A Budget: MX-5 vs TT vs GT86 Which Is The Best Entry Level Sports Car?

Of that trio, the only one worth having is the TT, but it's in an entirely different class.

The Audi will carve the track.

The GT86 will slide slowly through corners and the Miata will be neutral but both are compromised by lack of power.

For the price of the GT86 and Miata, the real competition is the Mustang V6 or Ecoboost that have much better power along with excellent handling for the same price.

Apples to oranges perhaps, but so is the TT to the Miata and GT86.

Exactly, what an idiotic article. Fun factor? I will take a Mustang or Camaro any day before a Miata. People buying TTs are not looking at GT86s or Miatas.

Ha! for some reason I had guessed the rankings right. Go Mazda!

If you haven't owned a Miata you have no idea how much fun and reliable the car really is. It makes a trip to buy a loaf of bread as much fun as goosing a Mustang GT500 on a back road. There are many great cars with different personalities but I know of none so satisfying to own, drive or park anywhere with no concerns.

OK fanboy, I don't need to own one to have an opinion about it.

Clearly, if buying bread is how you define automotive excitement then the Miata is perfect for you.

I don't hate the Miata. It has a dead-predictable chassis with no surprises, but it needs more power for those of us who have been to driving school and know how to push the limits. It also needs some suspension tuning because it does not do turn in well. You can feel the attorneys saying "Dial it back. That much fun could get us sued."

Any moron can push the limits in a Miata and not kill himself. There is literally no challenge to doing so. It's a boring Camrytastic drive at the track. 300 horsepower would delightfully upset the balance just enough to make it entertaining.

There is no reason why such an option should not be perfectly OK with any sports car fan.

Mazda could continue to make the Camryiata for people that get scared of power.

But Mazda would probably triple the terribly slow Miata sales with a Monster Miata.

Mazda will sell less than 11K Miatas this year if current sales are a predictor. Given the Miata's advantageous price point, the sales figure is disturbingly low.

Power the the people, right on!

It would be the MX-5 for me. I love the mini-F-type styling. It doesn't feel like you're sitting in a soaker tub. It's interior is nicely styled, comparable to the TT, IMO. And it's a friggin' blast to drive and you don't feel like it's going to break.

What's the weather in Palm Springs today?

Psychopath Mattie is a little more off than usual today. He just returned from his his trip to Sacramento on Sunday after spearheading the neo-Nazi event. He was recognized for his outstanding leadership contribution to hate mongering and racial discrimination leading him to an even greater inflation of his ego and self worth in society - - - a view not shared by anyone other than himself.
#Darringer_the_neo-Nazi_Fanboy

LOL. It's okay. Our precious Mattie is still upset because the last time he visited the "Springs" in his Stang, he thought it'd be a piece of cake to pick up a play thing in his macho machine. Only he was disappointed to realize that those manly men he was eyeing clearly understood that a Stang hanging in the Springs was just an average man's way of overcompensation.

If I understand MDarringer correctly, anyone who drives a Miata is gay because it has less horsepower than a Mustang?

What kind of juvenile idiot actually believes this crap? And what kind of website allows someone to continue to post this stuff?

Well Carloslassiter, this site is renown for it's ball-less moderators. Real car sites ban idiots like Darringer, on this site they stroke him.

It's demographics actually. Real data from who actually buys Miatas.

i find it funny how darringer talks trash about certain brands when he speaks so highly of Sh*tboxes like huyundai, but cant accept people liking the mazda over the audi.
audi tts or tt-rs for sure over the miata, but base vs base, id take a miata over the audi.

I would take a GTI before any of these 3.

To MDarringer...I've been very fortunate through hard work to have owned over 75 cars in my life. Everything from Mustangs, Vipers, Corvette, Porsches, Hellcats, etc. When asked which have been my favorite cars the Miata always belongs in my top five...its an honest car that consistently puts a smile on your face. Great handling, reliable, great value to buy and run, always willing to be playful at any speed. High powered fast expensive cars are fantastic to own...however they come with their own issue as well (expensive maintenance, cannot park and leave them anywhere, high cost of insurance and repairs, finding places to really find their limits,
high depreciation, etc etc). Don't get me wrong, I loved many
high end performance cars I've owned but a Miata on liveability and fun factors alone deserves to be included on any list of outstanding cars.
I'm far from alone in this view.

While I appreciate you comments - I too have had dozens of cars - and worked on lots of race and drag cars too. The problem I Have is that I consider a two seat sports car NOT TO BE a regular driver - but a special ride. There should be something truly special about that car - for me to want to keep it as an extra car. And while the Miata is a two seat roadster - it is basically a run of the mill small car - not particularly compelling to me. I would not actually buy this "Sports" car - as a value - or for its ability to be invisible - that is for the Appliance I drive for work. I would want something with a lot more Pizzazz - both in looks (Which have not changed much in decades) and in driving. I could not possibly call a converted appliance car to be a great car - sorry.

However - I would also like to point out that as a "extra" car - weekend car - they are likely not to get a lot of mileage - and very little in bad weather. SO - I would consider a used car as well as a new one - and since I am a mechanic - I can identify relatively well kept ones. So - Just as I have an S-600 12 Cylinder that normally is a questionable choice for most after the warranty is up - I have had no real problems with it - I would consider a well kept off lease car as a better choice for me too.

I recently watched a video from the "Fast Lane Car" between a Mustang GT and Camaro SS. They did 0-60 and a time attack around their track they use in Colorado. Of course being a mile above see level 0-60 times were slower. Being that the Mustang GT is both heavier and down on power to the Camaro SS it was a bit slower(5.7 seconds versus 5.4) However the commentator indicated that the Mustang was easier to launch than the Camaro and seemed to have better low end torque. So considering that the Mustang is about 100 LBS heavier and has about 50 Lbs. less in torque 3/10's of a second slower to 60 is not too bad. However when they ran the time attack around the track(about a mile and a eigth) the Mustang GT was 4 seconds slower than the SS. The commentator was noting that the GT was all over the track with lots of body roll, slow turn in, and a little snap oversteer. Part of it was down to the tires(The Mustang GT having all season and the Camaro having summer tires). However the commentator indicated that the Camaro handling was very dialed in making it easier to lean on the car more and the ability to carry more speed through the corners. The times were 1.04 for the Camaro and 1.08 for the Mustang GT. What's really interesting is that a stock Miata Club ran the same track in a 1.09. That's with a car with less than 1/2 the horsepower. However in terms of livability the Mustang beats the Camaro hands down. It has a softer more comfortable ride, quieter exhaust, more interior room everywhere and much easier to see out of. It simply that the Mustang is tuned in stock form more as a cruiser where as the Camaro is a true sports car. Therefore I cannot imagine that a stock V6 Mustang would handle any better on a track than a Miata, 124, FRS or BRZ. It's one advantage is that it would beat them in a straight line. My guess is that the best handling Mustang is the Ecoboost version. However until Ford really upgrades the suspension there are other better choices if you want a rwd sports car on a budget.