Which one makes the best overall car? Daily driver, driving pleasure, gas mileage, reliability, looks, power, convenience items, etc... Discuss.
EDIT - PLEASE DON'T USE ABBREVIATIONS - I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY MEAN - AND NO, I'M NOT YELLING, JUST TRYING TO GET YOUR ATTENTION. THANKS!
NB2 Sport gets my vote out of the box.
The newest one you can afford for pure DD-ness.
I greatly prefer the 'looks' of the NA. The clean lines and pop up headlights just do it for me. My NA gets 28-30 mpg and I'm rarely driving with gas mileage in mind. Mine has no conveniences tho...no a/c, no power windows, no power locks...so for a dd newer is probably better....but for a fun driver it can't be beaten.
The best "overall car" without a doubt would be the NC. If you're talking convenience items, power, DD ability, then it's the easy winner. My NC was a much better daily car than any NA I've had (never owned an NB). It felt roomier, more comfortable to drive daily, had more modern features. It was also much quicker feeling than the NA, the engine has a better torque curve. Had a nicer stock stereo, less windy. It just felt like a much more modern car. The trade off is that it felt much less like the true roadster than the NA does. The NA felt more raw and I felt more connected to the steering wheel.
But if I had to pick one for DD use, especially just plain boring commuting, it'd be the NC every time.
We can't answer looks - although I'm partial to the MSM. In fact, the MSM is a pretty good option. Throw on a Little Enchilada, sell the 17" wheels and put on 15" and trade the 6-speed for a 5-speed. The last two will be cost neutral and the latter will make you some money. The end result is one of the nicest interior and exteriors found on a Miata, the stiffest chassis and a reasonable 200 rwhp powertrain.
Of course, that's also about the most expensive way to go for an NA/NB. Funny how that works.
The NC is a better car. More solid, much improved chassis (although a suspension upgrade is non-optional, the stock shocks are terrible), more quiet. The big difference about the NC is that it's faster than it feels. That's good for the racetrack, but not so good for fun on the road. The NA/NB feel faster than they are.
It's worth noting that when FM travels cross-country with multiple cars and trailers, the NC is always the one that gets driven as opposed to being towed.
But my DD is a 1990 with an FM suspension and FM turbo. It used to have a Voodoo II, that was enough to have some real fun with although it's packing a bit more punch these days. Inexpensive to build, own, insure and run. Reliable with a good ride. And I do still like the looks of the NA. It's got AC and a tape deck, but that's about it for "convenience".
Depends on how tall you are. I absolutely don't fit in an NB, at least with stock seats. Even with the driver's seat all the way back, my knees touched the dash. (I'm 6'2", mostly legs) My NA is much more comfortable. Never tried the NC. The best part about it is it gets 28-30 mpg whether I baby it or drive it like a clapped out rental. So guess which way I drive it . . .
kazoospec wrote: Depends on how tall you are. I absolutely don't fit in an NB, at least with stock seats. Even with the driver's seat all the way back, my knees touched the dash. (I'm 6'2", mostly legs) My NA is much more comfortable. Never tried the NC. The best part about it is it gets 28-30 mpg whether I baby it or drive it like a clapped out rental. So guess which way I drive it . . .
Nothing stopping you from making an NB fit exactly like an NA, it's the same basic tub. Leather seats seem to eat up legroom.
92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: NB2 Sport gets my vote out of the box.
Okay, I need to say something I should have said in the beginning. I don't know what any of these abbreviations are. Please use model year and trim levels in you descriptions. Thanks!
I'm sure others will give even better details, but....
NA = '90-'97 (like the one in my avi)
NB = '99-'05 (looks similar to above, with fixed lights)
NC = '06-current
Each had different trim levels, which I'm not the foremost expert on.
What about year to year changes within each generation? Were there any? Are there certain years that are better than others?
And a further breakdown:
90-93 NA had the 1.6 and the only LSD available was crap. 94-97 NA had the better 1.8 motor and the available LSD was a Torsen.
If you're going to DD a Miata get a hardtop.
That said, I've been DD'ing my 96 (NA) for about a year now, yes through winter, and it has been great. Mine has powersteering and A/C, the latter never gets used and both are coming out in the near future.
No power locks or windows though, and I don't miss them.
bravenrace wrote:92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: NB2 Sport gets my vote out of the box.Okay, I need to say something I should have said in the beginning. I don't know what any of these abbreviations are. Please use model year and trim levels in you descriptions. Thanks!
Sorry! 
01-05 with Sport Package. I'm not voting for MSM errrr... MazdaSpeed Miata. (Though it does LOOK the best.)
I know the 99 "Sport" is supposed to be one of the better NBs (2nd gen) i think, but i prefer the looks and the lighting upgrades in the 01-05s. (Projectors, you can actually see at night!)
If we're talking about some mild modifications allowed with a lot of mileage being put on it, i would change my vote to an NC with suspension upgrades.
Klayfish wrote: The best "overall car" without a doubt would be the NC. If you're talking convenience items, power, DD ability, then it's the easy winner. My NC was a much better daily car than any NA I've had (never owned an NB). It felt roomier, more comfortable to drive daily, had more modern features. It was also much quicker feeling than the NA, the engine has a better torque curve. Had a nicer stock stereo, less windy. It just felt like a much more modern car. The trade off is that it felt much less like the true roadster than the NA does. The NA felt more raw and I felt more connected to the steering wheel. But if I had to pick one for DD use, especially just plain boring commuting, it'd be the NC every time.
I would pick the NA because I like my cars more "raw". I don't like all the modern features of cars so as long as it has a stereo and A/C (even though I could live with A/C) I would pick the least loaded car I could. I would say a '94-'97 R-Package. Actually that is the only Miata I would buy with my own money.
Keith wrote:kazoospec wrote: Depends on how tall you are. I absolutely don't fit in an NB, at least with stock seats. Even with the driver's seat all the way back, my knees touched the dash. (I'm 6'2", mostly legs) My NA is much more comfortable. Never tried the NC. The best part about it is it gets 28-30 mpg whether I baby it or drive it like a clapped out rental. So guess which way I drive it . . .Nothing stopping you from making an NB fit exactly like an NA, it's the same basic tub. Leather seats seem to eat up legroom.
Interesting. The odd thing is both my current NA and the NB I looked at before had leather seats, yet somehow I had a lot more room in the NA. I'm very happy with the NA I ended up with anyways, so not a big deal to me. Is there a difference between the bolstering of the seats NA vs. NB, or did some previous owner do me the favor of a foamechtomy that I haven't discovered yet?
FWIW, i've been riding around in an NA with an NB dash swap recently. It's SIGNIFICANTLY more claustrophobic than a normal NA, less knee room. (At least as perceived.) I really think the dash comes out farther in the NB, but i only have anecdotal evidence and not measurements.
Don't know about the pre-2006 cars, but my NC (2010 Sport model) is a wonderful 3 season daily driver here in Ohio. The only thing I'm missing is cruise control, but mine is a bottom of the line model with no options, most have cruise. Powerwise, I love it, not a hot rod, but more than enough to get myself into trouble. Ride is good, but handling could be better, that'll be fixed once the warranty ends.
As for space, I'm 6' tall, and have no problems fitting whatsoever.
For NC models, the 2009-up had improved engine internals versus the 2006-2008 models, but thats probably not important if you leave it fairly stock. 2009-up also got the goofy looking "smiley face" grill. Thats why I bought a black one, it hides that a bit.
For looks, from best to worst, my personal opinion is: NB, NA, early-NC, late-NC (yes, I own the one I think is ugliest)
Oh yeah, the NC's soft top has got to be the world's easiest manual top to put up and down.
In reply to eastsidemav:
Do you ever feel the need for a hard top?
bravenrace wrote: In reply to eastsidemav: Do you ever feel the need for a hard top?
You can get the NC with the power hard top. Unless it was a race car, that's what i would do. 
bravenrace wrote: In reply to eastsidemav: Do you ever feel the need for a hard top?
When I had my NC ('06), I never found myself wishing for a hard top. Sure, there's more noise than in a tin roof car, but it's not overwhelming. Structural integrity in the car is a lot better than in the NA, I never felt a lot of quivers and shakes. They do offer the power folding hard top on the NC, but I'd shy away from it. As eastsidemav said, the soft top is ridiculously simple to put down, as in less than 5 seconds simple. The power hard top is slower, and IMHO it's just a whole host of motors, relays, sensors, etc...to go bad. In the NA, yes I like a hard top for use in cold weather. It makes a huge difference in how the car feels.
The looks of the car are purely subjective. I'm the opposite of others. I think the least attractive, by far, is the NB. Not that I'd call it ugly, but I wasn't a fan. I like the NA and NC (even the '09+) looks equally, for different reasons.
bravenrace wrote: In reply to eastsidemav: Do you ever feel the need for a hard top?
I always preferred driving my Miatas with the hardtop on. After a while, I had gotten the convertible thing out of my system. Eventually, I removed the soft top and frame from both cars and just used the hard tops. The big window is nice and there's a lot more room behind the seats without the folded top back there. They look good, too, both inside and out. Miatas make nice coupes.
Woody wrote:bravenrace wrote: In reply to eastsidemav: Do you ever feel the need for a hard top?I always preferred driving my Miatas with the hardtop on. After a while, I had gotten the convertible thing out of my system. Eventually, I removed the soft top and frame from both cars and just used the hard tops. The big window is nice and there's a lot more room behind the seats without the folded top back there. They look good, too, both inside and out. Miatas make nice coupes.
This is what I do (did and hopefully will do soon) in my '90.
The newer cars grow every year in civility or otherwise said,
"A newer Miata is a better car, the earlier cars are a better Miata."
I have owned the same '90 Miata since '93 (or soon to be 19 yrs.) I have never had the hardtop but I have never used it as a daily. Most of its early "use" was driving in parking lots at 50 second intervals. In most recent years it has just been fair weather cruising though in the early years I did take it on a 10 day vacation. I have put on less than 50k miles in 19 yrs. I know that seems light but I have liked the Miata well enough that in that time period I have kept the Miata but sold out of a MR2 SC, CRX and 240sx. All those other cars made much better DD's than the early Miata would (to me.)
jrw1621 wrote: The newer cars grow every year in civility or otherwise said, "A newer Miata is a better car, the earlier cars are a better Miata."
That used to be the saying about NA vs NB. But then you take a step back and realize that all the hard-core NA owners who say that are busy stuffing all the NB parts they can find underneath
For a breakdown of what's going on year-to-year, check out Find It, Fix It, Trick It. The cheesy title is not indicative of the quality of the content 
Basically, an NB2 (or NB-FL if you live in Europe) is a 2001-05 model.
A word about the NC engine internals - only the stick shifts got the forged oily bits. The autos still have a cast crank. And there are a lot more auto NCs than there are NA/NB models, partly because of the paddle shift capability and partly as a reflection of the demographics.
I love Miatas with hardtops. All of my Miatas have them. In fact, two of those three Miatas don't even have soft tops anymore, including my daily driver.
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