1997 Mazda MX-5 Miata Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Performance - out of the box these cars are ready for a great deal of street fun. Older Miatas are plagued with heavier add ons like Power Steering, Air Bag, and Air Conditions. Most of the accessories serve a good purpose and you can still improve handling by getting a coil over kit and sway bars that will make it an instantaneous fun track car. NA engine is weak for muscle car enthusiasts but plenty powerful for sharp cornering. Brakes are great, racing pads and SS lines make them even better. Build Quality - It's a Japanese car, however because Miatas were supposed to be the affordable British roadster, things like the mirrors hood and exhaust shield vibrating are very common. Appearance - Styled to mimic the old Lotus Elan, the Miata looks awesome in every color. Plus the huge market of aftermarket parts makes it very easy to customize and any Miata's appearance. Cost of Ownership - With mid grade gas and averaging 28 mpg, the car is surprisingly economical for something people take to the track. Parts are available, there are a few common mechanical issues that pop up at different mileages but overall, if you keep a Miata properly maintained, it should outlast a lot of newer cars with more ECU guided systems. Fun Factor - It has it.Sep 30, 2011

There isn't a whole lot more to say about the Mazda Miata that hasn't already been said, but you haven't heard it from me! I purchased my Miata from a dealer with 50,500 miles in 2008. CarFax listed the car as having 3 previous owners: 1 year lease, dealer-owned for 2 years, sold to a private owner who put 10,000 miles on it in 7 years. At time of review (11/2010) I have 75,0XX miles. My Miata is a bit more uncommon because it has an automatic transmission. This eliminates the stunning manual transmission the Miata is famous for, and the acceleration suffers greatly from it. It will not be winning any drag races any time soon. However, this is never what the Miata was about. It was always meant to be the small, top-down roadster that had disappeared from the landscape. It handles very predictably, and changing tires from a Grand Touring to a Summer performance tire has payed in dividends. Performing a panic swerve at 65 mph to miss a deer on the freeway at night with little more than half a second notice can only be done in this car. It's almost like driving a go-kart. The same goes for braking. With discs at every corner, it comes to a stop quicker than most everything else on the road. My car does not have the optional ABS, but the pedal is so responsive, that you know exactly how far you can push until they lock. Mazda has been known for much better than average build quality, and the Miata is no exception. I have had no major repairs on the car, other than regular wear-and-tear items. There have been minor, non-essential electrical issues, but it's to be expected with it's age. With an automatic transmission, 87 octane gasoline, K&N air filter, summer tires, and synthetic oil, I am averaging around 25 mpg. This is mostly urban highway driving, and it changes with AC usage and temperature change. The 1.8L enging is very sensitive to change, and it will let you know, good or bad. Another misnomer is that it is too small to be functional. I am 6'1" and I drive this car daily. I also managed to pack an amazing amount of things into it for a two-week road trip through the Rockies. Pictures to prove it! Nov 12, 2010

I enjoy the car, mechanically it hasn't given me hardly any trouble and I've taken it on a 2000 mile road trip. It gets good gas mileage and the power isn't terrible, but isn't anything to brag about either. I would like to upgrade the suspension and replace the top, as they are both getting a little worn after being used for close to 14 years. Altogether though a great little car, corners great and would be an amazing driving experience with some serious money put into the engine (perhaps a supercharger or v8 swap?).Oct 26, 2010

Acceleration is so-so, most expect better than 0-60 in under 8 seconds, however this car truly shines in both braking and cornering. Build Quality is generally high, cast iron block thats well assembled, no rattles or missing parts and has yet to need repairs aside from replacing a serpentine belt. However, the wiring is...poor. I've had a number of fuses that need replacing and my small lamps relay went out. Interior styling is fairly basic. two cloth seats, two speakers, a steering wheel, necessary pedals and shift knob. vinyl dash, [pseudo?] leather doorpanels and a basic FM unit(highly recommend an aftermarket radio and new speakers). exterior styling is not the most aerodynamic (.30 coeff of drag, if i recall correctly) but is easy on the eyes and shares some styling cues with the FD rx7. KBB on a good miata is around 2500 and Aftermarket support is very strong.mileage averages to about 31 combined city/highway. Car is a blast on winding roads just dont much when driving in a straight line. Aug 16, 2010

high revving motor for an NA- four wheel disc- low center of gravity- any Jspec car will serve you forever if u take care of it- for a 12yr old car with 133000miles on it it's as strong as can be....fun too!- nostalgic look everytym i park and walk away- hardtop fastback with a wide body kit iz in order after a stroker motor slidez in boosted- will definitely need 16x10s in the back- 31mpg highway- Japanese so low maintenance coz it waz built right with flip up lights to boot- total drift machine and hugs a corner at 60mph without flinching- perfect weight distro with the right suspension setup- DO NOT BUY THE 89 to 93 b4 upgrading crank and diff...everything else after that...Have @ it! love this car! ill buy another one just like it for fun!Sep 13, 2009