If you want a tremendous entry-level sports car, there are two options that stand out from the rest, the Toyota 86 and the Mazda MX-5. They both cost about the same, they're just as fast, and they're both Japanese. However, which one is better? Is it the flat-four coupe or is it the inline-four roadster?
Both of these sports cars are brilliant in their own particular ways, but if we really had to pick one which car would we buy?
10 We'd Buy The Toyota 86: The Practicality
The Toyota 86 is a surprisingly practical car. It has a spacious interior, four seats, a decent-sized trunk, and great visibility. You can easily daily drive it if you want to since it's great on gas, and it's also very comfortable. It's a neat little car that's also very easy to park.
This is why the 86 is one of the best new sports cars to use as a daily driver. It's a very easy car to control and a very easy car to live with. It's also reasonably priced at $26,985 and the insurance is relatively cheap too. No wonder why this car is so popular amongst younger car enthusiasts.
9 The Mazda MX-5 Is Better: The Looks
The 86 looks awesome, but the MX5 looks even better. The Mazda MX-5 has always looked like a proper sports car and the latest fourth-generation ND is no different. It's a very curvy car with timeless lines and wide rear arches. It's gone from a cute sports car in its first generation to something more aggressive and exotic in its fourth generation.
The MX-5 looks fast and the RF version is even cooler with its folding metal top. The MX5 does get looks as it's different from all the other cars out there. It hasn't got a boring generic design at all. For the money, this has to be one of the best looking car you can buy new.
8 We'd Buy The Toyota 86: The Engine
The Toyota 86 has a unique engine, a 2.0L naturally aspirated four-cylinder boxer unit that revs up to 7650 rpm. It gets some criticism that a lot of the power is in the high rev range, so you have to work it hard to actually get some power out of it, but that's what makes it special.
It's a type of engine that isn't used very often anymore. It's only Subaru nowadays who take advantage of the boxer-4 in their vehicles. By far one of the best Toyota cars of the last decade.
7 The Mazda MX-5 Is Better: The Handling
The Mazda MX-5 handles like a go-kart, just like it has for over thirty years. It feels so light and nimble. The MX-5 only weighs just over a ton which makes it very easy to control. The MX-5's handling is one of the reasons why throughout its four generations it has sold over a million units. It's the world's best-selling sports car.
The 86 handles quite well too but the MX-5 is just a bit better. It's more balanced and experienced. The handling is one of the reasons why we love the MX-5 so much.
6 We'd Buy The Toyota 86: The Performance
The base Toyota 86 is more powerful than the top-spec MX-5. The 86 has 205hp and 156 lb-ft of torque. The MX-5 2.0 has 158hp and 151 lb-ft of torque. That's an almost 50hp deficit. It is, however, over 200 lbs lighter than the 86.
The 86 hits 60 in only 6.4 seconds and flat out it will do 140 mph. The MX-5 2.0L hits 60 in around 6.5 seconds and flat out it manages 135 mph.
5 The Mazda MX-5 Is Better: Top-Down Motoring
Unfortunately, the 86 was never made as a convertible. The MX-5, on the other hand, has always been a convertible and if you do want a coupe version you can always get the RF hard-top. Nothing beats having the wind in your hair when driving, taking the roof down makes the journey so much more fun.
When driving on a great road, a convertible sports car is key. It just makes journeys so much more enjoyable. The MX-5 also looks stunning with its soft-top roof down. It's an extra show-off factor that people have loved for over thirty years.
4 We'd Buy The Toyota 86: The Maintenance
The Toyota 86 is cheaper to maintain than the MX-5. It's a very reliable sports car with a very well-built engine. The MX-5 is of course easy to maintain, but parts for the newer cars are a tad more expensive. There are more Toyota 86's out there since they have been in production for almost a decade, plus the boxer-4 has been made by Subaru for decades.
It's a very simple car. It hasn't changed much in the last nine years of production, and it has very simple mechanics that can be serviced quite easily.
3 The Mazda MX-5 Is Better: The Fun
The MX-5 is more fun. It feels like an old British sports car, and it should, because that has been Mazda's aim for the last thirty-plus years. It's lightweight, great on the track, convertible, and a lot smaller. The enthusiast base is massive too, which makes it so much more enjoyable to own.
It's a fun car that makes you want to drive a bit faster and a bit more erratic. It's a perfect sports car for everyone as it's not too powerful, it's easy to control and very forgiving.
2 We'd Buy The Toyota 86: Old School
The Mazda MX-5 may have been around for over 30 years, but it has changed a lot. It's bigger, more powerful, and more advanced. The 86 is still a very traditional car. It has a simple interior, a simple exterior design, simple mechanics, and a simple price tag. However, the 86 links back to the old AE86 and MR2 with its pure driving experience.
It's a top choice amongst drifters since it's so easy to get it to oversteer. It does have traction though since the engine does not make crazy amounts of power. It's a car Toyota is certainly proud of.
1 The Mazda MX-5 Is Better: Interior Quality
Inside, the 86 looks old. It looked old in 2012, and it looks even older today. The MX5 on the other hand has a great interior, and it's all nicely laid out. The infotainment system is far better, the materials are far better, and it's more comfortable. Mazda has really improved the quality of their cars in the last few years and the MX5 is a key example of that.
It's a nice place to be, and it makes you feel like you're in the present time, unlike the 86 which makes you feel like you're in the 1990s.