Long Underrated, the 2006–15 Mazda MX-5 Miata (NC) Is Zoom-Zooming Into Drivers’ Hearts

The internet’s adoring chorus for all things Miata suggests that Miata has always been the answer. But when Mazda introduced the third-generation (NC) MX-5 in 2006, many among the Miata faithful couldn’t help but furrow their brows and wonder if that was still the case.

Bigger in almost every way, and without the classically styled lines of the early cars, the NC sent skeptics to the forums with concerns over whether the new car stayed true to the Miata’s ethos of pure driving enjoyment. While the debates continue to this day over which generation Miata does it best, the NC has long since proven itself on back-road blasts, between autocross cones, and at the track. The NC is a worthy member of the Zoom-Zoom brotherhood, and the market is beginning to reflect that status.

The Miata revived the small convertible market in the early ’90s, and the popular little roadster got its first extensive update in 1999. With a fresh interior and exterior as well as more power, primarily because of a new cylinder head, the second gen (NB) gained some weight but retained the character of the original car. Those who prefer the NA’s pop-up lights may beg to differ, but in terms of driving dynamics, it’s true, because the NB was based on the same chassis as the car that was unveiled in 1989.

That dated chassis, good as it still was in ’99, made the Miata something of an elder statesman among newer rivals from Toyota and Honda as well as upmarket offerings from BMW, Audi, Mercedes, and Porsche. Several of those fresher competitors offered more power, more room, and more creature comforts—all things American buyers found appealing. Mazda could not afford to wait ten years for the third-gen Miata.

With that in mind, Mazda revealed its Ibuki concept at the 2003 Tokyo Motor Show as a preview of what was to come. Parked next to an NA Miata, you can see the family resemblance in the lights and the hood’s central bulge, but the Ibuki concept represented a clear departure from the Lotus Elan-inspired initial design. Its 180-horse engine and 2.5-inch longer wheelbase hinted at Mazda’s plans.

The production car followed in fall of 2005 for the 2006 model year, sharing no parts with either of its predecessors. The starting price for a base car came in at $20,995, or about $33,800 in today’s money. Underhood sat a 2.0-liter four cylinder with 170 horsepower backed by either a five- or six-speed manual transmission. (Power came down slightly, to 166, with the optional six-speed automatic.) Like the Ibuki concept, the NC’s wheelbase grew 2.5 inches over that of the NB, and it gained about 1.5 inches in width. The interior added four cubic feet of space, but also had more room in the footwell due to a higher dash, providing a welcome bit of leg space for taller folks who like little cars.

Weight—that critical issue that Miata fans love to bring up when talking about the NC—depended on trim. Club Spec, which was essentially the base car minus air conditioning, came in at 2441 pounds, while a full-fat Grand Touring with automatic tipped the scales at 2527. The NC was good deal chunkier than a no-option early NA, which weighed under 2200 pounds, but in some cases the NC was actually lighter than the NB. Ultimately, purists may still bring up the NC’s weight, but, especially on the road, the added chonk is not as dramatic as it’s made out to be.

To be clear, the NC does feel significantly different than the prior generations—the same theme, but tastefully modernized. Higher sills do contribute to the car’s perceived heft and take away some of that old-school roadster feeling, but the interior—from the gauges to the door cards to the finishes—is a marked improvement over that of the NB and brought the Miata up to par with its competition. The added power and trademark slick-shifting manuals make the car brisk if not quite quick, in traditional Miata fashion.

Handling is perhaps the most important part of the Miata experience, and there the NC stayed true to the brand’s mission. A significantly stiffer chassis backed up an eager front end, enough body roll to effectively communicate the car’s intent, and a very approachable limit. Couple that with the added comfort and space, and Mazda had a capable little sports car that met more buyers at their needs.

Strolling into a Mazda dealership for a Miata in 2006 was a little like heading to your local ice cream shop. You could choose from five trims (in addition to that year’s Limited Edition, of which only 750 were made): Base, Club Spec, Touring, Sport, and Grand Touring, along with five packages of options and a healthy dose of standalone bits. These would change over the course of the NC’s production, but you could almost always tailor one precisely to your liking. If they’re looking for something specific, like sport suspension and a limited-slip differential, or a certain interior trim, today’s buyers should sweat the details.

The following year, 2007, saw the PRHT, or Power Retractable Hardtop, arrive on the scene. Though the new top added about 100 pounds, it proved popular because it offered a quieter and more pleasant experience, when closed, than the manual ones made of vinyl or canvas. Offered on every trim level but the base spec, the PRHT was an additional $2915 on the Sport trim and $1860 on the Touring and Grand Touring cars. PRHT cars still carry a premium in the used market.

For 2009, Mazda saw fit to update the MX-5’s somewhat emotionless stare to the cheerful grin that seemed to adorn all its cars during that time period. The NC’s design wasn’t as heavily caffeinated as that of the Mazda 3 (thankfully), and the visual update also added revised rocker panels and taillights. The 2.0-liter engine got a forged crank and connecting rods, and a 500-rpm higher redline, now at 7200 rpm. Tuners, take note: If you’re planning on boosting your NC, the ’09-and-up engine is known to be plenty stout.

In an effort to sharpen up the car’s dynamics, Mazda revised the shock valving and the spring rates. Writing for Car and Driver at the time, our own Aaron Robinson glowed:

Indeed, the chassis changes combined with the optional $500 Sport package (Bilstein shocks, limited-slip differential) diminish understeer and give the MX-5 the lift-throttle rotation it lacked before. The 2009 Miata actually breaks away from the back end now—as is proper for a rear-drive car—and despite its relatively low power, we burned up a set of tires effortlessly drifting the MX-5 around a track. The only noticeable drawback to the package is slightly diminished ride quality on the highway. It’s hard to believe, but Mazda made a near-perfect pleasure machine even better.

Numerous Special Editions arrived throughout the NC’s production: the aforementioned ’06 (750 made for the U.S.), ’08 (750), followed by ’11 (750), a ’12 PRHT Special Edition (450), and then a 100-unit-only 25th anniversary edition for 2015. Decked out with a host of options and slathered in special colors, these cars may represent a catch for an aficionado, but they do not offer performance beyond that of less-exclusive trims. Perhaps less special but more intriguing to enthusiasts was the Club Spec trim, re-released in 2013. It took the Touring trim’s slot in the lineup, and combined the sport suspension, limited-slip differential, six-speed manual, 17-inch wheels, and a healthy dose of attractive aesthetic add-ons. To this author’s eye, it’s the ideal setup for an NC.

As you might imagine, third-gen MX-5s can be tweaked to the moon, and the aftermarket is substantial. Owners can stay in-house and choose to upgrade/replace with RX-8 parts, like hubs, control arms, sway bars, or front brakes; there’s quite a bit of interchangeability between the two, and the RX-8’s parts are often beefier. From there, wider wheels (the NC’s wells will accept plenty of rubber), forced induction, and trick suspension abound, meaning that anyone who wishes to change the NC’s manners can do so at will.

And they can do so with confidence—these cars have proven themselves to be incredibly capable sports cars, and incredibly durable, too. They are great companions with basic maintenance, but if you pick one up, make sure the roof drains are cleaned out, and it wouldn’t hurt to check that the thermostat and expansion tank are newer and in good condition.

Average NC values have come down $2400 since their high of $17K in January of 2023, but at $14,600 for a #3 (Good) condition example, they remain above pre-pandemic levels. The NC’s value trajectory is softer than that of the NA Miata, which has experienced a slow but steady increase and sits only a few hundred dollars off its recent market high. Of interest, though is the breakdown of the NC’s average trajectory: 2006 cars have shown as much as 51 percent appreciation since 2020, while 2015 cars are down 20 percent in that same timeframe. This suggests a car still in transition from used car to collector.

More notably, interest in the NC is on the uptick, and it’s coming from younger buyers. The volume of quotes sought from NC owners is up 57 percent since 2022 (for comparison, the incredibly popular NA is up “just” 40 percent). Gen X and younger make up 58 percent of those quotes, up ten percentage points from three years ago.

Over the four generations of Miata, there are plenty of flavors to choose from, but the NC hits the sweet spot of affordability, capability, and creature comforts, and can easily receive subtle mods to dial it in perfectly. If you think a Miata might be for you, and you aren’t addicted to pop-up lights, ignore the internet boat jokes and go for a spin in an NC.