The Mazda MX-5 Miata convertible offers a thrilling ride but seems a bit out of place when you pit the Miata against some of the biggest names in performance vehicles. Ferrari, Corvette, and even the McLaren has some pretty nice-looking convertibles on the market. So, why would the tiny Miata be considered a player in the big leagues?

MotorTrend released a list they made that showcases what they believe are the best looking convertibles available. Out of the ones they chose, the Miata actually looks like it could belong. Let’s look at which ones made it to their list, and how the Miata stands up to them. 

The coolest looking convertibles on the list

The list MotorTrend put out has a lot of familiar vehicles and big-named luxury sportsters. Some of the most expensive convertibles include the Rolls-Royce Dawn, McLaren 720S Spider, and the Ferrari F8 Spider. Each one of these costs $300,000 and up. 

There are several big-name performance convertibles on the list as well. The Bentley Continental GT, Jaguar F-Type SVR, and the Lamborghini Huracan EVO Spyder. These fall in the $100,000 to $200,000 range. 

What’s really interesting are the ones that cost less than $100,000. The Chevy Corvette C8 is one of them, brandishing a price tag of $67,495. Then there’s the Porsche 718 Boxster S, which sells for approximately $72,600. 

The list has even lower-priced ones than that. Ford’s Mustang GT Premium comes in at $45,850, which is around $21,000 less than the Corvette C8. But, the least expensive, and coolest looking convertible award goes to the Mazda MX-5 Miata. 

How does the Mazda MX-5 Miata compete with the others?

The Mazda MX-5 Miata only costs $28,000, which proves that you don’t have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to get a cool-looking convertible. Actually, you can spend less than some of the big-named pickup trucks and still get a decent little roadster.

The Miata is a personal favorite for some of MotorTrend’s employees. It’s no surprise, however, since they report that it’s fun to drive, it’s attractive, and they don’t have to break the bank to buy one. Who wouldn’t want to get one of their own?

This two-seater doesn’t have much for trunk space, but it’s questionable whether that’s all that important. It’s a roadster that excels at joy-driving and whipping through corners and tight turns. It wasn’t built to haul groceries or family shopping bags.

It also doesn’t come with a mega-powerful engine, like the Lamborghini Huracan that can put out 630 hp and do a 0 to 60 mph run in a whopping 3.1 seconds. The Miata sports a 2.0-liter Inline-four that produces 181 hp and goes from 0 to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds, which isn’t really all that bad. 

What else does the Mazda MX-5 Miata have to offer?

Fuel economy estimates are pretty decent as well. For the manual transmission models, you can get 26 mpg in the city and 34 on the highway. But, if you have an automatic gearbox, you can expect the same mileage in the city, but 35 mpg on the highway, according to Car and Driver. 

Each Miata model comes with a 7-inch touchscreen that you can also control by voice or a switch located behind the car’s shifter. It also comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but only on the Club trim and higher. GPS navigation comes with the Grand Touring trim. 

Some of the safety features you’ll find in the Miata include rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot alert system, automatic emergency braking, and lane-departure alert.

The Mazda MX-5 Miata may be on the cheaper side of things when it comes to price. But, it still packs a punch and will allow you to have near the same experience you would have for some of the more expensive convertibles on the list.