I Asked Mazda Miata Owners If They Think Miata Is Impractical and This Is What They Said

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When should you buy a Mazda Miata and when you shouldn't buy this car. For whom is Mazda Miata practical and for whom it is not.

Jalopnik wrote its review of the 2017 Mazda Miata two days ago and TorqueNews reacted to it here. We tried to gather information from various places on what Mazda Miata owners thinks of whether a Miata is a practical car. This is what general some owners think based on their opinions.

Practical for My Needs

Some people say Mazda Miata is just practical enough for their needs. They don't think people buy the 2-seater roadster for practicality. Rather, the general opinion is that you buy the car because this is a great little car.
Just practical enough for me and I have a kid on the way.

Miata owners say their car gets them where they need to go. It holds the things they buy and carry in their cars. Miatas also are fun cars to drive with good gas MPG. Take, for example this image by Steven Pham, carrying a large TV, which Steven graciously provided to TorqueNews.com.

If you are an average consumer and a commuter, depending on the size of your consumption and commute, the Miata is a perfectly practical car. I mean look what most people like to carry in their cars: a loptop, cell phone, tablet and other belongings like your purse if you are a woman. If you are single or only husband and wife you also will have light grocery shopping list. There is space for all of these things in your Miata. But if you are looking for a car to give your friends a ride, this is not that car. most Miata owners don't buy this car to give their friends a ride.

Miata is a small and delightfully light weight car if you are single or don't have children to give them a ride to school. If you drive a distance for you work, you can significantly cut on your gas prices as small cars in general get better gas mileage.

Some people think that the limited trunk space is a limitation for Miatas. But that's part of the compromise for the other things you get with this car. As one owner suggested, while the retractable hard top is a good idea, Mazda could save some space if they made it manual top, which could break down and save trunk space. By the way, Don't Miss This Secret Storage Area In the 2017 Mazda Miata and Fiat 124 Spider.

Not Practical

While doing my research I also saw some opinions from the current Mazda Miata owners about whey they think this car is not a practical car.

Some say the lack of back seats and a small trunk is really limiting how you can use your Miata. For example, if you need to take a long trip for vacation. If you are taking a long trip for a work, you don't have luggage, and save money on gas, but if you have a vacation and your spouse is with you, then you have some luggage, which may not fit in your car. Or, let's say a family member is arriving and you need to pick him or her up from the airport. How are you going to do this?

With Miata, it's hard to go to a Sam's Club or Costco. Even if you do some shopping sometimes it's hard to see out the back window if you have lots of belongings in your Miata's trunk.

Owning Mazda Miata is similar to owning an electric car like Nissan LEAF, which is not for everyone either. What do I mean by this? EV owners also own other ICE cars for their other needs: including long term trips. Thus, Miata is not a practical car if you have a family and this is the only car you have. You may need to have a sedan or a truck, depending on your needs and location.

Besides, Mazda Miata is not a practical car for toll people, who can barely fit in it and for the overweight people, which is a big issue in America where obesity is declared a disease in 2013.

Editor's conclusion

So after reading all these opinions it's apparent that the practicality of Mazda Miata depends on your needs and the person using it. If you mostly drive alone and pack super lightly then sure this car is a very practical vehicle. But if you have children whom you have to drive to school or to other activities you may need a bigger vehicle for your needs. The practicality of any car depends on your driving, life situation and lifestyle needs. Practicality is a relevant term.

Iimage by Steven Pham.

Submitted by Andy (not verified) on September 17, 2018 - 10:36PM

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I read once that a miata owner treated his miata as motorcycle, since many times other drivers do not see or respect you if you are in a Miata. I have a family with 3 kids and a dog and a Minivan. I sold my motorcycle and bought a Miata. and as the motorcycle, it only sits 2 and it is a bit bigger. bottom line. most Miata owners, have a family car besides the miata. So for the purposes we bought the Miata, it is very practical and safer than a motorcycle. So, I love my practical Miata.