---
title: 'Why the Mazda Miata is Always the Answer'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=lLqBpBXbHeI'
video_id: 'lLqBpBXbHeI'
date: 2026-07-27
duration_sec: 540
---

# Why the Mazda Miata is Always the Answer

> Source: [Why the Mazda Miata is Always the Answer](https://youtube.com/watch?v=lLqBpBXbHeI)

## Summary

In this video, the hosts discuss why the Mazda Miata (ND generation) remains an exceptional sports car, even years after its debut. They highlight its long lifecycle, affordability, reliability, and pure driving joy, arguing that it's the perfect second car for enthusiasts.

### Key Points

- **Why Miata is Always the Answer** [00:11] — The video starts with the hosts declaring the Miata as the answer to all problems, referencing a previous video on favorite cars under $30,000.
- **Long Lifecycle Unheard Of** [00:51] — The ND generation has been out since 2015 and will continue for several more years, resulting in a 13-14 year lifecycle, which is rare in today's market.
- **Parts Availability and Price** [01:18] — The long lifecycle means parts are widely available from OEM, aftermarket, and auto parts stores, which drives down the price of used models.
- **Affordability** [01:44] — The Miata is affordable at around $25,000 compared to $80,000 for other sports cars, making it accessible with a normal loan.
- **Reliability and Ease of Work** [02:12] — The car is reliable and easy to work on, especially the manual transmission version.
- **Usable Power and Lightweight Design** [02:26] — The Miata's power is entirely usable on public roads, and its lightweight, driver-centric design makes it unique.
- **Special for Mundane Drives** [02:40] — The Miata makes everyday drives more entertaining, even on straight roads, because of its excellent inputs and rev-happy engine.
- **Track Capable with Minimal Mods** [03:19] — The Miata can be taken to the track or autocross with little to no modifications; brakes and tires last longer due to low weight.
- **Accessibility and Power Not Everything** [04:11] — The car is accessible to all skill levels and emphasizes that high horsepower is not necessary for fun, especially in everyday driving.
- **Cons: Fit for Tall/Heavy People** [04:39] — The Miata is not suitable for people over 6 feet tall or over 300 pounds, with limited headroom and lateral space.
- **Joy for Driving Enthusiasts** [05:08] — For those who love driving and don't need a car as an identity, the Miata delivers immense joy.
- **Top-Down Driving Engagement** [05:37] — Driving with the top down makes slow speeds feel more engaging, enhancing the pure enjoyment of driving.
- **Pure, Affordable, Reliable** [06:04] — The Miata is described as pure, affordable, and reliable, with the Japanese engineers nailing the formula.
- **Interior and Space Issues** [06:16] — Tall drivers may find legroom and headroom lacking, especially compared to other cars like the Grand Tour.
- **Interior Design Highlights** [06:54] — The interior features a simple screen, physical HVAC controls, and a design that won't date quickly.
- **Infotainment and Audio** [07:09] — The updated infotainment system includes both touchscreen and physical controls, and the audio system with headrest speakers is excellent for phone calls.
- **ND2 Club for Low 20s** [08:17] — A used ND2 Club can be found for low 20s, making it an incredible value as a second car or daily driver.

## Transcript

masculine cars on the road. Recently, we did a video of our favorite vehicles for under $30,000, and this hit that list. In this video, we're going to talk about why Miata is always the answer to all your problems, and why it has become
your problems, and why it has become even more special in the past 5 years. >> Springtime, Mark. No snow. >> I know. Top down Miata life.
>> I I think it hit me recently when we did our top cars for under $30,000, which was a wide spread of like family cars, and of course something like this. And because the Miata has been out this generation, ND, has been out since 2015.
And it will continue to be out for another several years. That means it's going to have essentially like a 13, 14-year life cycle. And when you look at that in today's market, that's absolutely unheard of.
>> I mean, really unheard of. So, what that means for the end consumer, somebody that is interested in a car like this, is it buys down the older cars. supply chain side, that means you can get parts for it. You can get
aftermarket parts, OEM parts. You can go to AutoZone and get parts for this thing. And if you're looking at the ND2 when it first came out in 2019. >> Yeah, that's >> And your McMansion with a basketball
>> You know, you blow out a knee the first time you try to dunk on me. Continue. >> No, it's just it's the availability of this car, which drives down the price to an affordable level. So, somebody wants
there contemplating like how am I going to afford $80,000, right? You're buying this for $25,000. They're still an automatic, there's a manual, and if you treat the manual well, it's going to be reliable. That's the main thing. This
car is reliable and easy to work on. So, you have that family car that's 30 grand I was going to reset my life, I would have the do-everything minivan, and I would have this car as a second car because it brings you so much joy, and
all of the power is usable on this thing. There's just nothing else like this. The Japanese were so focused on making this lightweight, driver-centric, and I Is there any other car like this currently
>> Not for this money. I mean, honestly, we get to drive everything. I mean, everything. And where this car is special is in days like this. Good you're just driving to work, you don't need to carry a lot of things, and you
want your more mundane drive to be more entertaining. We don't live in an area with great roads, right? Our roads are all straight, with the farm roads we have, all you end up doing is driving the speed limit, driving under the speed
limit, and because how good the inputs are, and the fact that for a generic four-cylinder, this engine wants to rev, there's a willingness to get up in the high RPMs, and that's pseudo an event to get up to the high RPMs, this makes your
you have to do to make this track capable? Basically, nothing, right? do hardcore track stuff, it's like every car, right? You got to do you're going to have to do some type of cooling measures if you're really at the
top level, but honestly, like >> You do your HPDE, you're good. Just show >> just show up. And just be mindful, right? Like, if you go do an autocross, are going to last forever cuz there's no weight. Your brakes are going to last
forever because there's no weight. I mean, it's just It's like the perfect car if you needed that second car that is no longer aspirational, you can go to can buy it and have like a normal loan on it.
>> Right, no. I mean, if you if you wanted to hunt and find the perfect one, you readily available, and that's why I love this thing. It's accessible to absolutely everyone. Young, old, zero driving skill, somebody that loves to
this thing. And you just have to write off the fact that power isn't everything. And it's infected almost every single sports car we've driven. They're all over like $60,000 mostly, and we're starting to see five, six, 700
horsepower becoming more the norm, which you cannot use on any road anymore if you're in a normal area, suburban, or city center. I mean, they just it's zero to 60 in like you're already in go to jail speeds, where this thing you're
thinking about it. >> The cons, which are honest, >> If you're over 6 ft tall and you're more torso than leg, you ain't fitting. extra pounds on you. >> It's To me, it's the lateral problem
300 lb, you probably ain't fitting. It is the height problem. I am 6 ft even, and my head is basically where the windshield's at. >> And then yeah, you can argue, okay, maybe it's not the
You know, I see videos like, what's the most fun man in car for a man? And it's always like a Mini Cooper and this car. But you get to a certain point of like, who gives a If you love to drive and you're not hung up on like the
and you the car has to be your identity, this car is it I I can't believe how much joy it it it's brought me just driving it in >> So, from a practical consideration, to me, again, our our roads are not
California. We don't have Angeles Crest. Probably the best drive I've ever had with you was actually in Twin Enzimiata when we did our documentary in like the San Diego area. That said, out here, practically, right?
It makes slow drives feel more engaging because the top's down. it's about. It's just the pure enjoyment. And I think this is one of the few cars in the world that the Japanese have just totally gotten right.
of course, we're going to argue power. But other than that, you know, like this But other than that, you know, like this is just so pure and so affordable and so reliable overall that that's why this car is just so special.
other than the fact that I could probably never own one just from the like some of the clubs we've driven in the past have had more headroom. That why. Maybe it's the fact that we're on a grand tour.
>> been in this thing for a while. >> Well, it might be that as well. Um I really have nothing to complain about. I wish I hope the NDE, sorry, the NE that replaces this car has an additional like inch of legroom and headroom so it
>> Not likely. >> Yeah, I know. That That's all I'm asking this car is great in the interior, too. >> Well, yeah. >> Compared to this to like the CX-5. Like this is what they kind of should
>> Simple screen. They still have their identity. It's not super overbearing. Physical HVAC controls. It won't It won't date this >> the the thing is is like the I had this argument with um about the infotainment
stuff. I got in here with the updated infotainment. This is great, right? You to use it as a touchscreen and you still physical controls. While I will defend them in the fact that this is a use case where this is really for the Miata,
because people don't care about all that. They want all this. But in the mainstream SUVs, Mazda I think has kind of They can't They got It's about that back to what their roots are without just jumping on the bandwagon. But
really, this car is perfected in that way. I really do think they did a great one of the things that really surprised me, which I knew already, is how great the audio system's calibrated and how amazing it is to take a phone call in
here because you have headrest speakers, the microphone array, the noise the top down and drive this and people have no idea you have the top down. So, I mean, there's the human element of actually using this and enjoying it and
things that you want to do on your board like listening to music or taking a call. All of these things work so great. And again, you're getting all of this right from the 2015 model year aside from, you know, the updated engine, but
came out and it's still great now. If you got an ND2 Club for like low 20s as you got an ND2 Club for like low 20s as your second car or your sometimes daily, Sorry, the fact that it's not a V8 is making me sick.
For the low 20s or mid-20s, that wasn't totally screwed up. Man, this thing is so much fun. So much fun. It's hilarious. All right, Mark, so with that, see you. See you.