Tiny cars, big fun! We pick our favourite affordable rear-wheel drive sports car.
It’s all about the drive There aren’t many left, but these are among the few remaining cars ideal for days when there’s not a cloud in the sky; days when you have nowhere to be but everywhere to explore, just for the love of driving. These are the machines purists adore. They are sports cars in the traditional sense, with rear-wheel-drive, row-your-own gearboxes and steering so precise, it’s almost telepathic. But which of the two is best? By Allie Marsh and Jeff Wilson ▲
The competitors Simply put, Mazda’s MX-5 (Miata) and Subaru’s BRZ are not so much about winning the race (although Mazda proudly proclaims that more people campaign Miatas for track days than any other machine), as they are for the enjoyment of the journey. For our comparison, we chose the latest versions of each – the Mazda MX-5 RF GT and the Subaru BRZ Inazuma Edition. ▲
Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus Both are no-compromise fun machines designed expressly to bring pleasure to their owners, largely at the expense of any sort of real practicality. Despite a Men-are-from-Mars, Women-are-from-Venus variance in perspective, we were hell-bent on coming to a consensus and picking a favourite between these two fun machines – because both should be celebrated. So we set to the task. We compared: Exterior Styling, Interior Styling, Infotainment Systems, Driving & Performance and The Real World to determine our top pick. ▲
MX-5 Exterior Styling: The view from Mars While most people seem to be falling all over themselves for Mazda’s new-fangled retractable Targa-top MX-5 RF, I’ll go as far as conceding that it’s a good-looking car thanks largely to those distinctive mini flying buttresses (which create nasty blind-spots, by the way), but its tiny size makes its proportions almost cartoon-like. ▲
BRZ Exterior Styling: Mars The BRZ, on the other hand, is low, wide and properly aggressive looking. The bright yellow paint is a little much for me, but it certainly stands out (for better or worse, given the attention from the local constabulary) and is my pick of the two, aesthetically. ▲
BRZ Exterior Styling: The view from Venus Well, there are those who like to stand out in a crowd, showing off and being seen, and those who don’t. To me, the BRZ is doing exactly that – showing off. And what IS with that shade of yellow anyway? It looks a little too subdued and pastel for a real sports car. I do appreciate that they have tried matching the seat trim, interior arm rest and seat back lettering to its exterior colour, but it’s overdone. I find the headlights too flashy as well, with the string-light design of LED’s, it seems they are almost trying too hard. ▲
MX-5 Exterior Styling: Venus Mazda, on the other has kept the MX-5’s design – and this colour – tasteful and stylish, allowing the car to speak for itself. No flashy bright colour to “pop” here, and in keeping everything one tone, it keeps it appealing to me. I still prefer the one-bulb headlamp design as well. Plus, the Mazda looks like it’s smiling at me. Exterior Styling Winner: Tie ▲
BRZ Interior Styling: Mars Although subtly updated for 2017, the BRZ’s cabin reveals the car’s older design, and some cost-cutting materials to keep the MSRP down. There are more trim pieces covered in softer vinyl and plastics than before, but there is still lots of room for improvement, even for a car as affordable as this. ▲
MX-5 Interior Styling: Mars By comparison, the MX-5, in GT trim, looks and feels surprisingly dapper, especially with the rich, brown leather in our test car. The stitching on the seats is artfully done and most of the surfaces are finished in expensive feeling material. ▲
MX-5 Interior Styling: Mars Both cars feature traditional white-on-black gauges, dominated by a large, central tachometer, just the way they ought to, but in the interest of minimalizing the instrument panel design, Mazda moved the infotainment controls to the centre console between the seats and aft of the shifter. This means, to effectively use it, a driver needs to have either freakishly short arms, or an extra elbow joint to easily reach them. Still, with many of the functions being managed by the steering wheel controls, the ergonomic gaffes in the Mazda are easier to excuse, making it my choice here. ▲
BRZ Interior Styling: Venus The functionality of rear seats in tiny cars like these, is lost on me. Honestly, nobody over the age of five is going to fit in these rear seats in the BRZ, so I don’t find them very practical. I’d rather just have the extra cargo space any day. I will give Subaru credit though, for managing to provide very reasonable trunk space AND that second row of seating, which Iis what an extra 320 mm of length gets you (versus the Mazda), but back seats and cargo space aren’t why people buy these cars. ▲
MX-5 Interior Styling: Venus Neither one of these cars can be called quiet either, but the BRZ is the quieter of the two. Even when the top was up, the RF always seemed to have a lot of wind noise, making us think one of the seals in the Targa top wasn’t quite doing its job. It was annoying, especially at highway speeds. For me, the interior really comes down to the seats, and it’s here where the MX-5 – with its Chroma Brown Nappa leather – wins hands (buns?) down. ▲
BRZ Interior Styling: Venus I’m not a fan of the feel of the Alcantara suede-like material (nor the cheap-feeling yellow leather accents) on the Subaru’s seats. I get that they might grip the driver in corners, but I just kept wondering how much sweat they absorb – eww! – not to mention any other stain. (Think nails on a chalkboard, for me anyway.) Interior Styling Winner: Mazda ▲
BRZ Infotainment System: Mars It seems trivial to worry about such non-essentials as a stereo or navigation system in a pure sports car like these two, and yet here we are. The BRZ’s system – apparently commissioned by the folks who made early Atari systems – utilizes a small, dim, touch screen. Still, kudos to Subaru for throwing the system in standard, even on the most affordable BRZ (when companies like BMW still charge handsomely even on cars costing double what the BRZ does). ▲
MX-5 Infotainment System: Mars Mazda’s system, with its larger screen, is operated by a rotary control knob. It’s far from the best in the industry, but at least the screen is easier to see than the Subaru’s. Plus, the Mazda’s up-level Bose sound system features speakers embedded into the headrests, so the sound quality doesn’t degrade much, even with the Targa top off. ▲
MX-5 Infotainment System: Venus When I first got in to the MX-5, the stereo had been cranked up really loud by someone before me (hmm… I wonder who?) and I frantically searched for the volume control, never imagining I’d find it on the centre console, under my forearm. And while I can appreciate that it’s easy to see the infotainment system’s screen perched on top of the instrument panel, it just looks – and feels – a bit like an afterthought. At least make it retractable so we can get rid of that eye-sore if we want a clean interior design without distraction. ▲
BRZ Infotainment System: Venus Even though the Subaru’s screen is small and looks like an after-market add-on, all the knobs and buttons needed, are right there. There is no second guessing when reaching for that volume knob. In the new Impreza, Subaru has fitted a really decent system, one that lags far less than this one and has navigation maps with up-to-date software. Updated enough that you won’t get tripped up when, for instance, you drive on stretches of multi-lane highways that have been open for several months. In this case, however, the Mazda has the edge Infotainment System Winner: Mazda ▲
BRZ Driving & Performance: Mars Although both are relative flyweights by modern standards, the BRZ definitely feels the more substantial machine. Its low centre of gravity and squat stance translate into a more stable platform when driven hard. The Subaru’s steering is lightning quick and feel is excellent. Having 50 more horsepower over the MX-5 doesn’t hurt either. ▲
MX-5 Driving & Performance: Mars And yet, the MX-5 possesses an almost ethereal lightness about it. Sure, it rolls a lot more going into the turns, but it’s all part of what makes the Mazda so alive and fun. And as quick as the BRZ’s reactions are, the MX-5’s are even more immediate. ▲
BRZ Driving & Performance: Mars Last year I had a chance to drive both the new MX-5 and Subaru’s twin from Toyota, the Scion FR-S, on a race track, back to back. Their light weight and precise handling meant I could brake a lot later heading into corners and carry much more speed through them than many of the higher-powered cars also on the track at the same time. Either one is an excellent choice for recreational track days given their relative affordability and how easy they are on brakes and tires. Which brings up my last gripe about driving the BRZ: why do we need to wait for the upcoming tS model to see what this chassis is really capable of with real performance tires? ▲
MX-5 Driving & Performance: Venus When driven with enthusiasm, the Subaru just seems to need more attention, where the Mazda practically dances with its driver. Sure the BRZ might have more power, but it weighs more, too, and never has 155 hp felt like more than it does in the spritely MX-5. Plus, even though they’re both wearing upgraded Brembo brakes, the lower mass of the MX-5 means it stops quicker too. ▲
BRZ Driving & Performance: Venus The Subaru’s shifter – shown here – has short throws, but I never felt really comfortable with its operation. The shifter and clutch set up in the Mazda, however, was pretty much perfection to me. If more manufacturers made stick shifts this precise and easy-to-use, maybe automatics wouldn’t be so popular. Driving & Performance Winner: Mazda ▲
MX-5 in the Real World: Mars Up to this point, the Mazda seems like the runaway winner; the sure bet if you’re looking for a fun machine, but there is a price to pay for all that fun, and it’s quite literally, a much higher price. At $48,000 CAD after Freight and PDI are factored in, the MX-5 RF optioned as ours was in GT trim with the Grand Sport package, is nearly $14,000 more than our top-tier BRZ Inazuma Edition. That kind of price difference could buy a lot of track days and sets of tires and brakes to enjoy the BRZ at its full potential. As much as I love the endlessly playful nature of the MX-5 RF (heck, I still consider the previous generation MX-5 I once had to be the most fun car I’ve ever owned), the BRZ is nearly as entertaining, but it just makes more sense as an actual daily-drivable car. Its trunk and albeit tiny back seat lend a modicum of practicality, and that price deficit simply can’t be ignored. ▲
BRZ in the Real World: Venus True, or that money could buy a few upgrades to the BRZ, plus a $10,000 winter beater too. Still, the Mazda feels like a far more expensive car, and the technology that goes into that elaborate folding roof mechanism can’t be cheap. Also, at that price, the MX-5 RF will definitely be more exclusive than the BRZ, if that’s a consideration Plus, if you keep the Mazda long enough, maybe it’s slightly better fuel efficiency would pay off? (Okay, I’m reaching here). If it’s purely a matter of practicality, the BRZ has the edge. In the Real World Winner: Subaru ▲
Picking a Favourite: Mars Deciding which is best between these two feels like picking between chocolate cake and chocolate ice cream. Sure, not everybody loves them, but they should. My head keeps pointing out things like budget and the day-to-day functionality of having a usable trunk and (unusable) back seat, but my heart wants the car that just has me smiling every time I’m behind the wheel. And for a sports car, that’s got to be the most important factor. The Mazda is my pick, but I’d forego the added weight and complexity (and horrible blind spots!) of the RF and save a few bucks, ordering a mid-trim level MX-5 roadster instead. ▲
Picking a Favourite: Venus Chocolate cake for me too! Having never driven an MX-5 before, this car, for me, had it all dialed in. For a reasonably affordable sports car, it doesn’t really get better than this. Everything is so precise and finely-tuned with this vehicle – one that’s been evolved and honed over four generations – making its driver feel almost as connected to the driving experience as when riding a motorcycle. Although I am a happy Subaru owner, this BRZ just doesn’t feel like a valid competitor to the MX-5 – yet. With a few tweaks, a few upgrades and a few more years under its belt, maybe I’d change my mind, but for now it’s just trying too hard to be a sports car without the experience to back it up. I’ll take the MX-5 please. Final Score: Mazda 4; Subaru 2 Winner: Mazda MX-5 ▲
Keyword: 2017 Mazda MX-5 RF vs Subaru BRZ? We pick a winner.