2023 Toyota GR 86 VS Mazda MX-5 | Which Is The Best Affordable Sports Car? 

I had the exact same choice a few months ago (with either 2022 mx5 or BRZ) And made the exact same decision 😂

@@ArkhamJacks, I do hope that you'll drive it happy and with no worries! (just change the oil and the filters twice often than what Mazda recommends - I am doing this for all cars, no matter the producer).

I now have to make that decision and can't choose still its gonna be my only car

@@HotoonALshehri, while both cars are nice, the Miata is more reliable and more fun. The GR86 will give you more cargo space etc. But you'll regret all your life if you'll not purchase the Miata 😉

nowadays it's not an issue anumore because GR86 is impossible to buy here in jewrope

Meanwhile totally forgot about the muscle cars.

Convertible is nice, but isn't as rigid and typically heavier, plus it's for niche purposes.

Mustangs are dogshit

you can get a wireless adapter for 100 bucks or so still a shame it isn’t a standard feature though

@@wifiluna7632 yeah, those things never work quite right, not as seamless.

The Mazda is in no way better than the 86 unless you prefer convertibles. The 86 outperforms it in every way

@@ak740_ lmao 🤣 😂

@@dr.magnanimous8973 For kids or tweens maybe. Big leagues are Porsche’s.

Miata is the #1 (most) reliable car (giving it an amazing TCO), it has an excellent quality/price ratio (that's why some people able to buy a Porsche go for a Miata) and the (considered low) tech numbers are misinterpreted by some other wanna-be car enthusists. It has "only" 184 HP (in Europe) but it is far lighter than the 86 therefore the power/weight ratio is better. Adding the 50-50 balanced body and so on the Miata is far more fun than all the other entry sports car, being great also for tracking, even without mods. It is clear that it has not much space (no big trunk, no back seats etc.), but this is each person choice and I do understand why some people have choosen the 86. However, I do not understand the hate they gave to Miata. For me it was a very easy choice: I got a Mazda MX-5 G-184 ND2 RF Top Revolution 3 years ago.

@@codincoman9019 I'm one of those people that prefer the 86 over the Miata. I acknowledge that the lower weight and shorter wheelbase of the Miata does have some benefits in terms of dynamics, especially on tight roads and motorsports such as autocross. The FMR layout of the Miata (front mid engine, rear drive, since the engine is placed behind the front axle) also provides an advantage in terms of weight distribution, making the Miata more eager to rotate while going through a corner compared to the 86. However, this nature of the Miata, specifically the short wheelbase and the FMR layout, while arguably making the car more fun to drive and more engaging especially at lower speeds (the point of a sports car), can make for a very unpredictable experience at higher speeds, especially when trying to control oversteer. The FMR layout and the short wheelbase, while allowing incredibly fine control through a corner, is a double edged sword. Once you lose control in a Miata (which is somewhat unlikely, mind you), it is very hard to get back. The GR86, being a little more of a blunt insturment with its FR layout, has oversteer that sets in gradually and is very easy to control. TLDR: I can drift in an 86. It's more difficult to do so in a Miata. I want to be an idiot in my sports car. The Miata doesn't really let me do so. Therefore I like the 86 more. Also it has trunk space and I can fold down the rear seats. That's a definite bonus. Side note: The new GR86 actually has the better power to weight ratio, at 181 hp per metric ton compared to the ND2's 171 hp per metric ton. Neither of the cars are very quick in a straight line (because that isn't the point of these cars), but the GR86, because of this is consistently faster.

I do own a 2019 Miata ND2 RF Top Revolution (with the Recaro seats you are complaining about) and they are the best for such a car. I am driving it to Greece for 10 hours once in few months and I have no back pain like in other cars I used on the same route (I had a ski accident - lombar 1 vertebra broken into few pieces - when I was young, thus my back is quite sensitive). Something is very wrong with your affirmations and my guess is that you do not own a Miata and you have never driven one on a long distance.

@@codincoman9019 Good day. I do not own one, but I was, or I am considering to buy one. I did, though, make a testdrive with both, with the stock and the Recaro seats. The stock leather seats are slippery (I do not understand why they do not offer them here, in Europe, in cloth, wich is much better and more durable) and they have hardly any lombar support (the sock seats of my old but good Nissan Almera are much better, and you can adjust the lombar support); and the Recaro seats are missing the same and are too hard, and the alcantara leather, not perfurated, is very bad in the summer, making you sweat more. Tell more, when your long trip is over. I realy would like to know how you felt in those Recaro seats after so many hours. Thank you.

@@immanuel9040, a good day, indeed! I had already 5 trips to (and from) Greece, no back issues, even we do only 2-3 short breaks on the way. The fact that the alcantara is not perforated doesn't constitute an issue. I am sweating in other parts of my body, those exposed to the sun - that's why, middays in the summer, I prefer to have the roof above me. My initial approach in 2019 was to buy the 30th anniversary edition. My friends, tracking similar Miatas, told me that it is not smart to pay few more thousands euros on Brembo brakes, BBS wheels, orange paint etc. when some €1600 mods can make my Miata more raceable. Btw, the stock wheels, brake pads and rotors are very close in performance to the more expensive replacements. They only insisted me to get the Recaro seats. They were right, I can confirm. I have a G-184 RF Top Revolution (Red Soul Crystal) - and this is my recommendation for anybody looking for the quality/price ratio. The Recaros are anatomically shaped thus ergonomic. On previous cars I had lumbar support (used it to maximum) and I thought issues might arise. I had none.

@@codincoman9019 Thank you for the explication. If you have the Recaro seats, you must also have the Bilstein dampers. How do you evaluate the suspension, after so much time? Is the suspension to hard over time, or is it still pleasant to cruise around, even long distances? Thanks.

@@immanuel9040, yep, my Miata has the yellow Bilstein dampers too. For racing they are not stiff enough, for the road they are good, but not that soft. For me they are a good compromise, but its up to your personal needs. The drive-test should give you a very good idea how they behave vs. your taste. For me they are doing better than expected overall. Especially that I do not get any back pain at all (not even when I'm tracking the car).

I guess you have had some NA, NB or NC, underpowered. The Miata ND2 with 184 HP is far away from those and they are great for tracking with or without mods. Try it and then we can discuss.

Of course an Internet joe knows more than car journalists when it comes to naming conventions.

It’s literally the closest mass-produced car sold today that befits the foundational definition of a sports car . Of course, you shouldn’t listen to me nor all the other experienced car professionals saying the same. you should listen to whatever TikTok tells you.

@@codincoman9019 All Miatas are proper sports cars. Sure some of them are faster than others basis looking at the stopwatch, but that’s a separate discussion.

@@pushslice, agree. Still, for me, the ND2 is better than the underpowered ND and far better than the NC which is too heavy, missing a lot from what I expect from a sports car. NA and NB are better than NC, but being older you have to put in some effort/time/money for their repairs and maintenance (which for me it is a "no go!", as I had some issues with two other classic cabrios I had). For me the reliability is crucial, that's why I have the #1 and #2 reliability champions from 3 years ago (when I changed my old cars). So there is no denying in Miata being a sports car with all its generations, just my personal preference for the last model.