The name Miata comes from Old High German, and it translated to “reward.” And when the Miata was introduced, it was a reward for any car enthusiast in the world. For those who like to speed up without having to spend a lot of money, the Miata has long been the most affordable and attractive among entry-level sports cars.
For those who dreamed of driving down to the beach in a two-seat roadster with the love of their life, Mazda was a fresh breath of life into the forgotten automotive genre. Nowadays, vintage Miatas are becoming more and more collectible. But if the Miata doesn’t cut it for you or you prefer something more luxurious and expensive, we’ve listed some alternatives.
10 Honda S2000
If we’d have to choose a Miata doppelganger, it would have to be the S2000. Some people might argue that it drives better, but that’s a discussion for other times. However, the two-seat roadster has a 2.0-liter 237 horsepower engine in the front, which will get the S2000 to 60 mph in under six seconds. Considering how slow roadsters usually are, this is a great achievement.
But you’re already familiar with the S2000, and if we’re lucky, you already love it. Whether from playing too much Gran Turismo or simply because you’re a petrol head who lusts over iconic roadsters. In that case, we won’t have to convince how great it is, you know it.
9 Porsche Boxter S
The new Boxter ss an absolute wonder, style- and mechanics-wise. But, honestly, it’s not an alternative to the Miata, it’s way more expensive and way faster. For the purpose of this article, we’ve chosen the forgotten and underrated Porsche Boxter S from the year 2000.
The main strengths of this Boxter S come from the excellent handling and comfortable driving experience. Although its horsepower has always been considered average, the overall quality is nowhere close to being “average.” After all, it’s a Porsche. It deserves tons of appreciation, only for that.
8 BMW Z3
BMW decided to go entirely traditional for their entry-level roadster: engine in the front, soft top, and fantastic handling. The Z3, in fact, was specifically built for the U.S customers in South Carolina. Who loves an exotic roadster more than Americans, after all?
And indeed, most of the owners were quite pleased. The ’98 model had a 240 horsepower 3.2-liter inline-six engine, which deserves every appraisal. Although the Z3 might not be very similar to a Miata, it’s still an excellent alternative for a cheap roadster.
7 Alfa Romeo Spider
The Alfa Romeo Spider is probably the prettiest car on this list. It has everything we love: round headlights, Italian DNA, and gorgeous styling. The Spider model dates back from 1960, and even the 1992 model still managed to save the classic look, better than a Miata. That’s no surprise when you consider that the legendary Pininfarina designed it.
Unfortunately, the Alfa Romeo Spider doesn’t have remarkable handling or a lot of horsepower. However, anyone who is a fan of classics knows that the Spider ticks all the boxes for a vintage roadster that everyone’s going to stare at while you play Simon and Garfunkel and pretend you’re in The Graduate.
6 Toyota MR2 Spyder
While the original MR2 is not as reliable as people think, and it’s becoming more and more expensive every day, the MR2 Spyder is its forgotten sibling produced from 2000 to 2007. The unloved child of Toyota is an iconic roadster, who’s been ignored for far too long due to replacing the popup headlight for huge frog-like headlamps.
While its styling can be hated or loved, the performance of the MR2 Spyder turned out to be quite exceptional. It has the same horsepower as the Miata, but it’s 150 pounds lighter, making it much faster. According to Motor Trend, the MR2 Spyder outperforms the Miata in acceleration, braking, and handling. So, congratulations, you’ve found your better alternative to a Miata.
5 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class
As an alternative to the Miata, we’ve chosen the original SLK, which debuted in 1997 as the SLK230 Kompressor, equipped with a 2.3-liter supercharged inline-four engine. Output was 185 horsepower, which got improved in the upcoming years.
For example, the SLK32 AMG, which arrived as a BMW rival, had 349 horsepower. But never mind the AMG edition, even the SLK230, whose 2.3 engine felt like a V6, was meant to be driven slow. One mile per hour below the speed limit, while the sun is shining and your dog is sticking its head out.
4 Fiat 124 Spider
The vintage Fiat 124 Spider from the 80s looks as classy as a roadster can get. After all, it comes from Italian Space Age, designed by Pininfarina, with an independent suspension and a luxurious leather interior. It would be no surprise if the 124 Spider will become a collectible in the near feature.
Did we mention that these cars also come with a spacious trunk and back seat? And then you thought roadsters aren’t comfortable. Not to mention the splendid ergonomics and extremely affordable service. Honestly, there’s no better bargain than the 124 Spider.
3 Suzuki Cappuccino
Do you know a car with a cuter name? Seriously, whoever thought to name this Japanese roadster "Cappuccino" already managed to make us go “aww.” Just like the name, the Suzuki roadster is a small bundle of fun. It’s actually one of the first Kei-regulation cars to be developed only with one purpose: joy.
If you ever have the chance to hop into it, you’ll be amazed how normally-sized everything feels, although it’s a tiny car. You might’ve heard stories of tall men trying to fit into a Miata. In the Capuccino, such distress hardly happens. Conversely, the Cappucino will become your kind-hearted best friend, like it was always meant to.
2 Lotus Elan
It’s fair to say that the Elan is a forgotten roadster, waiting to be rediscovered by a new generation of car enthusiasts. However, the Elan is one of the most fabulous roadsters with front-wheel drive and is a real gem for gearheads who want nothing but pure driving experience from their sports car.
The Elan is not as refined or comfortable as some other cars in this list, but it offers a lot of character, that is so rare in today’s roadsters. Besides, if you’re looking for a roadster that’s not as obvious as the Miata, the Elan is the way to go.
1 Audi TT
The Audi TT was only a concept car when it got introduced. However, public demand pushed it into production. That’s no surprise, really. The Audi TT not only looked handsome from the outside, but its interior was quite impressive and stylish.
The TT featured two turbocharged four-cylinder engines, one with 180 horsepower and the other with 225. Nonetheless, the latter one was offered with AWD and turned out to be the desirable version. Today, you can buy one for only $8,000, making it an excellent value for money.