2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Grand Touring vs. Toyota 86 Hakone Edition 

About the only two affordable, “pure” sports cars left in SUV World, the Mazda MX-5 Miata and the Toyota 86, are superb choices—and not only for enthusiasts.

By Isaac Bouchard

Even those who just would want to experience the sheer joy of controlling a responsive car can find much to love from their supportive seats. Low centers of gravity (CG), light weight, available manual gearboxes, rear wheel drive and—in the Mazda’s case—a convertible metal or fabric roof—define them. The MX-5 and 86 share excellent steering precision and even a measure of road feel (though the Toyota is slightly better), balanced, neutral handling where the driver determines how much front-end push or rear-end playfulness is experienced, slick, rewarding 6-speed transmissions with light, predictable clutch takeup, and firm brake pedals that are easy to modulate right up to the threshold of ABS intervention. And in both you can turn all the electronic nannies off and slide them about with confidence.  

The 2850lb Toyota is heavier by almost four hundred pounds, which works against it in terms of outright performance; 0-60mph takes roughly a half second longer and in-gear acceleration is slower. But more importantly, the 86 always feels somewhat strained and a bit uncouth when full throttle is employed, due to the nature of its flat-four, direct fuel injection engine. This 2-liters pump out 205hp at 7000rpm and 156lb-ft of torque at a high 6500rpm, while the MX-5 makes 181hp at the same rpm and 151lb-ft, at a more accessible 4000rpm. Each has undergone a series of refinements and enhancements during its lifecycle to make them more endearing partners, but Mazda has succeeded more with its 2019 upgrades to this “ND2” series of Miata. There is a greater willingness to rev and a real rush at the top end of the tach that the Toyota still doesn’t possess, despite significant work on its engine internals. Against that, the Miata has more body roll and fore/aft pitch than the 86, with no apparent gain in ride quality or refinement. This means one needs to wait longer for it to take a set, and fast transitions from one direction to another aren’t as intuitive, as one needs to wait for the body roll to be taken up before swiveling the steering wheel the other way. 

The 86’s bigger body and more commodious trunk make it more practical for normal folk and weekend trackday or autocross warriors, who can carry a second set of rims and tires and all their gear. The MX-5 basically limits you to cramming everything into the passenger side, with odds and ends going into the tiny trunk. That said, modern-day ultra-high performance tires allow one to drive to and from an event without needing a second set of rubber. The Mazda of course comes only as a convertible, either in hardtop RF form as tested, or a soft top. There is little to no reduction in wind or road noise with the metal roof, and it weighs more, meaning that the choice of top is more of an aesthetic one unless one is a hardcore racer, in which case the lesser mass of the cloth roof makes it mandatory. The Toyota isn’t exactly refined, either, but it suffers less from noise on the highway. Because both have excellent weight distribution, they make decent winter drivers too, as long as they are equipped with modern snow tires and perhaps some weight added into the trunk.

They are also both very frugal, using regular unleaded to achieve real-world fuel economy in the mid-20s for the Toyota and 30mpg for the Mazda. Design is a very personal matter, but both have good proportions that really stand out in a sea of crossovers and trucks. The test Mazda was finished in an amazing color combination of a pearlescent paint called Polymetal Gray with a blood red interior. The 86 was the Hakone Edition, named in honor of Japanese road famous for thrilling driving, and painted a variant of British Racing Green with tan leather seats. Its very Anglocentric vibe was actually quite polarizing, with some finding its combo of paint and bronzed wheels very endearing and others being turned off—but there are certainly many other 86 models to choose from if it’s not one’s bag, baby. Regardless of what color they are painted, the Mazda and Toyota are incredibly rewarding, and a lovely antidote to the modern-day isolation chambers we usually roll around in.  

Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Grand Touring

EPA Ratings: 26/34/29

0-60mph: 5.8sec 

Price as tested: $35,645 

Here is what they have to say: MX-5 Miata 

Toyota 86 Hakone Edition

EPA Ratings: 21/28/24 

0-60mph: 6.2sec 

Price as tested: $30,825 

Here is what they have to say: Toyota 86 

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Contact Isaac Bouchard for help saving time, money and hassle when buying or leasing one at [email protected]

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