Mazda Miata Named One of Best Daily Driver Sports Cars
Sports cars may seem like an expensive and impractical pick for most drivers. However, in a recent roundup of the segment, HotCars named the Mazda Miata as one of best daily driver sports cars. Here’s why this classic roadster made the shortlist.
Show Off Your Style on Your Daily Commute: Customize your Miata with genuine Mazda parts
What does it take to make the list?
In order for a sports car to earn a nod, it needed to be affordable — not just in terms of its MSRP, but also its efficiency and maintenance costs. Top picks also needed to offer ample standard tech features to help you stay connected whether you’re commuting to work or running errands around town.
The Mazda Miata delivered a variety of fronts. Unlike many vehicles on the market, it offers a manual transmission for a more traditional and engaging drive. With a starting price of $26,830, it’s reasonably affordable, and its standard amenities are nothing to sneeze at, either. In addition to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the Miata offers a 7-inch touch-screen display with Mazda Connect infotainment software, Bluetooth hands-free calling, and more standard safety features than other models in its class, adding to its suitability for your daily drive.
And when it comes to efficiency, the Miata comes with a lightweight Skyactiv-G 2.0-liter engine that pumps out 181 horsepower and 151 lb-ft of torque while earning 35 mpg on the highway and 26 mpg when cruising down city streets.
Hotcars further praised the Miata for its easy and affordable maintenance, but noted that its lack of seating capacity may make it less suited to drivers with kids in tow. That said, the publication praised its combination of style and practicality, and cheered its monumental success of selling over one million models.
Add Some Fun to Your Daily Drive: Shop for a Mazda Miata
If you’d like to learn more about the Miata, check our coverage of its special edition models.
Kimiko Kidd is a native Daytonian. She graduated from Wright State University with degrees in environmental science and sociology. She loves her trusty old Honda Civic, but dreams of owning a 1974 Ford Falcon XB with a custom paint job and a vintage Kawasaki Z1000. In her free time, Kimiko can be found watercolor-painting, baking muffins, collecting rocks, playing old-school Nintendo games, writing her novel, sewing stuffed animals, and cosplaying as her favorite Mad Max characters. See more articles by Kimiko.