Sports cars excel in multiple areas like speed, performance, and handling. There has to be a winner for best value as well though. For 2021, the winner of the Sports Car segment of the 2021 Vincentric Best Value in America™ awards is the 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata. Here’s how it sped away with the win.

The 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata won a best value award

For the third time in a row, the 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata has won the Sports Car segment of the 2021 Vincentric Best Value in America™ awards. Vincentric says having the lowest cost of insurance for the class was a main reason it has the best value. The 2021 Miata comes in 6.7 percent below the expected ownership costs for the sports car segment. Each trim level’s ownership costs are determined at the annual mileages of 10,000, 15,000, and 20,000 miles. These costs are averaged to calculate the model year’s cost.

What Vincentric is

The Vincentric company collects data in its database on multiple different costs associated with owning and operating a vehicle. Its data on how those costs affect value are used by the automotive industry.

Vincentric comes up with a “measured” cost of ownership for 3,000 various vehicle configurations. To come up with that cost, the company looks at costs connected to “depreciation, insurance, repairs, maintenance (scheduled and unscheduled), finance, fuel, taxes and state fees (including the federal hybrid tax credit), and opportunity costs.”

The “expected” cost of owning a vehicle is calculated by looking at both the ownership cost and the market price. The vehicles are compared with others in their segment. The best value vehicles have a lower ownership cost for their price. Vincentric determines that by seeing which vehicles have a “measured” cost of ownership “that is the greatest percentage below the ‘expected’ cost of ownership.”

The 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata

U.S. News named the 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata its No. 2 sports car behind the Ford Mustang. It likes the car for being “a top-notch performer that also impresses with its well-built cabin and abundance of standard features.”

This tiny car isn’t the most powerful, but it offers “the highest performance score in the class,” according to U.S. News. The rear-wheel-drive 2021 MX-5 Miata has a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 181 hp and 151 lb-ft of torque. That’s paired with a standard six-speed manual transmission, but a six-speed automatic is available. The Miata can accelerate from 0 to 60 MPH in a respectable 5.7 seconds.

The Miata has great fuel efficiency. The EPA rates the manual version for 29 MPG overall and the automatic version for 30 MPG overall. The car does use premium gasoline.

The Miata comes standard with a seven-inch touchscreen that is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The touch function only works when the car is stopped. Otherwise, the system is operated with a dial. A six-speaker stereo system is standard, but a nine-speaker version is available. Satellite radio and a navigation system are also available options. Push-button start and proximity keyless entry are standard.

For advanced safety features, the 2021 Miata comes standard with a rearview camera, low-speed forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross traffic alert. Also available are automatic high-beam headlights, adaptive headlights, traffic sign recognition, and rain-sensing windshield wipers.

Available in three trim levels, the 2021 Miata has a starting price of $26,830. While small, the 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata is a standout sports car. Value is among its great qualities, and drivers can look forward to fuel efficiency and low insurance costs. These practical factors will make the enjoyment of driving this sports car even greater.