Sports cars always instill a joyous feeling among enthusiasts wherein a simple blip of the throttle could get our juices pumping. While many of these performance machines are way beyond the reach of us mere mortals, cars like the Mazda Miata and Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86 offer a cure for the common man’s need for speed.
The Miata and BRZ have been a favorite amongst the community given the affordable performance they offered. A set of JDM entrants that offer the best price to performance bargain in the automotive sphere and if tuned could give mid-spec Porsches a run for their money.
It’s funny how times have changed and we’re on the brink of electric mobility taking over the entire automotive industry. For enthusiasts like you and me, it has always been about the raucous engines and the ability to work on your car. Whilst electric cars are performance-rich, it’s better than we don’t fiddle about since the sophistication is beyond the limits of what a set of spanners can do. It is evident that little things like these matter to us, but before things really take a turn, let’s embrace what we have now.
If you’re on the lookout for an entry-level sports car, you would’ve definitely shortlisted the Mazda Miata and the Subaru BRZ. As a solution to your dilemma, here’s our feature on which one’s right for you.
Engine And Chassis
The underlying fact for both cars is that they’re largely focused on power-to-weight than outright horsepower. So, for starters, the BRZ gets a 2.0-liter Boxer-4 producing 205 horsepower and 156 lb-ft of torque. As for the MX-5 Miata, power stands at a slightly lower 181 horsepower and 151 lb-ft produced from an inline-4 motor of similar displacement.
Both cars get the option of a 6-speed manual and an automatic (which, to be honest, is not the best in terms of excitement). Power is sent to the rear wheels on both of these Japanese thoroughbreds. While Mazda is a convertible, the BRZ is a coupe.
Performance figures are entertaining with Miata managing to hit 60 mph in 5.8 seconds while the BRZ is five-tenths of a second slower. This is mainly due to the fact that the Miata is considerably lighter than the BRZ. In fact, the Miata is around 186 pounds lighter than the previous generation amounting to better chassis balance and less inertial play.
Both of them feature unibody builds with immense tolerance to flex. However, being the lightest of the lot, the Miata is more fun with taller gears and a 7500 rpm redline. On the other hand, the BRZ has 6 percent shorter gears which means you’ll have to keep working the shifter a lot more than the Miata; on a more personal note, that’s a lot more engaging.
Handling And Performance
This is one of the most important parts of what makes these cars so fun to drive. Realistically, horsepower is always good and is in many ways exciting, but the thrills of driving a slow car fast are somewhat of a dying notion. Older cars had way less power but they were extremely light rendering them nimble and easier to handle unlike cars of modern times. But, the Miata and BRZ are the last of what the old-timers represented (apart from the go-kart-like KTM X-bows and Caterhams).
On the handling front, the BRZ is extremely well-balanced and easy to drive right on the edge of its grip with very small inputs. The front and rear tires are on the edge of losing grip and more often you’re modulating the throttle in order to keep the car stay in life without washing out. You have to work the gearbox a lot but boy is it rewarding. Not to mention the exceptionally good chassis with minimal body roll. The only gripe would be the lack of grip which can be resorted to with a good set of rubber.
The Miata on the other hand is a lot more wallowy than the BRZ. Though wallowy is a bit of an exaggeration, the Miata exhibits a lot more roll than you might think. On the plus side, the Miata offers oodles of grip which the Subie lacks. The shifts seem a lot slicker and the car feels much more hooked up than the BRZ.
Pricing And Ownership
Ownership is literally a no brainer when it comes to both of them, as both of them are relatively cheap; the 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata costs $26,580 while the Subaru BRZ will set you back $28,845. Mazda offers the club package where if you spend $3,400 BBS rims, Bilstein shocks, and Brembo brakes are offered.
Subaru too offers a Performance Package for the BRZ. At $1,200, the package adds Brembo four-piston calipers and rotors on the front and dual-piston calipers and rotors on the rear. Additionally, SACHS Performance shock absorbers are added along with unique aluminum wheels.
If you have to pick one and get everything done go for the Subaru BRZ, else the Miata, inclined towards being a weekend toy could be the choice. The smiles per gallon offered by both are equally good, not to mention the value they put on the table. Our verdict is, regardless of which one you pick, the experience would be undoubtedly joyous.
Sources: Subaru, Mazda USA, MotorTrend