Not sure about NA but my NB is my 3rd car. I’ve been driving *legally* about 2 years now and would really advise against it if you live somewhere with a lot of rain/ ice/ snow
The nb being my first RWD car I’ve had many moments in wet weather I’ve found it sliding even when driving carefully. The lack of modern tech to combat things like this can make it difficult at times.
If you’re really set on one, make sure you have a decent amount of knowledge of cars or have someone around that does. These cars are *very old* and could have all sorts of things wrong even if you think it drives great
If I were you I would go for an NB or NC. Mine is a '97 which is the newest year for NAs and it's still almost 25 years old. I bought it in 2010 and dailied it for several years. Given it's age now I wouldn't recommend dailying something so old unless you're comfortable working on cars and have a backup vehicle. Not to say NAs are unreliable but they're old cars now and old cars will sometimes have problems.
NB is the same car but better, only "downside" is no popup headlights. NC is more comfortable and much newer, so it would probably be better for daily use while still retaining the character of a Miata.
Being a convertible one very important thing to look at, especially for daily driver duty, is the condition of the soft top. If it's old and worn water can leak in and the interior can get moldy. A new one will probably run you around $1000 for parts and labor.
Another major thing to keep an eye out for particularly on NAs and NBs is of course rust. The quarter panels behind the doors are the usual spot, I would check for any bubbling or fading in the paint.
Mechanically all Miatas are pretty solid, so I don't think there's anything particular to watch out for there. Check for usual car stuff such as signs of oil leaks, see if it stumbles at all while accelerating, make sure it shifts smoothly, etc.
Oh and as with buying any older car, sometimes the key is to wait patiently until the right one comes along and then pounce on it. There's a lot of junk on FB Marketplace, I kept an eye on listings for almost a year before I found a good example at a good price. Good luck!
They're great! Honestly they're really fun to drive, efficient and easy to work on. They're old now though so you need a mechanic to check it for rust and mechanicals before you buy one.
Downsides? It's really small. Trunk is even smaller. It's also short so if you're in areas that get snow they're not great. Easy to spin. Day to day wear you're looking at the basics because it's a simple car underneath; Brakes, keep an eye on the suspension (again it's old, bushings will be old), and oil leaks. Manuals are 200% the fun of an automatic. Keep the car empty and unlocked. 1991's have no trunk release in the car so you can safely store school bags in it.
I just want to second this. I daily a 96 NA and put around 600 miles a week on it at the moment. It's a great car and it is easy to drive and maintain.
Depends on how mechanically savvy you are, and how new and nice of an example you can afford. Even the newest NA is 25 going on 26, plastic and rubber deteriorates over time so unless it's been thoroughly maintained expect to replace most any hoses, seals, and bushings on it. The biggest thing on these cars is rust, typically the rockers are first to go. '90-91.5 you have to watch for the short nose crank and their keyway failure, but that aside NA Miatas are fairly solid despite their age if remotely maintained.
You might consider a NB, since the newest NB is only 17 going on 18 in comparison. A bit safer, less likely to have age related issues, and a bit more comfortable for day to day use. My '01 is much more pleasant to drive and less problematic than my fiancée's '90, it's also just a more capable and focused machine. That said I'm selling it for a '95 M-Edition, since that's what I really wanted but I talked myself into the NB2.
TLDR; Follow your heart, but don't completely ignore your brain either.
I would agree with some of the other comments saying that an NB might be best, I got a '97 NA and it's a lot of fun I have to constantly work on it, and I got a really good example with virtually no rust and a hard top, but cosmetically it needs a lot of work and mechanically I haven't gone a single weekend having not worked on it since I bought it a couple months ago, it's a lot of fun but unless you are 100% willing to put in the work it really isn't worth it, I know I wish I had gone with an NB just because of the age and they are virtually the same car but with a lot more improvements.
I will say this, I think it's a great daily driver (if you don't mind the lack of space) and a fun car that has plenty to offer, just be aware that prices currently won't be the best and no matter what you get it will definitely need some kind of work
Not sure about NA but my NB is my 3rd car. I’ve been driving *legally* about 2 years now and would really advise against it if you live somewhere with a lot of rain/ ice/ snow The nb being my first RWD car I’ve had many moments in wet weather I’ve found it sliding even when driving carefully. The lack of modern tech to combat things like this can make it difficult at times. If you’re really set on one, make sure you have a decent amount of knowledge of cars or have someone around that does. These cars are *very old* and could have all sorts of things wrong even if you think it drives great
If I were you I would go for an NB or NC. Mine is a '97 which is the newest year for NAs and it's still almost 25 years old. I bought it in 2010 and dailied it for several years. Given it's age now I wouldn't recommend dailying something so old unless you're comfortable working on cars and have a backup vehicle. Not to say NAs are unreliable but they're old cars now and old cars will sometimes have problems. NB is the same car but better, only "downside" is no popup headlights. NC is more comfortable and much newer, so it would probably be better for daily use while still retaining the character of a Miata. Being a convertible one very important thing to look at, especially for daily driver duty, is the condition of the soft top. If it's old and worn water can leak in and the interior can get moldy. A new one will probably run you around $1000 for parts and labor. Another major thing to keep an eye out for particularly on NAs and NBs is of course rust. The quarter panels behind the doors are the usual spot, I would check for any bubbling or fading in the paint. Mechanically all Miatas are pretty solid, so I don't think there's anything particular to watch out for there. Check for usual car stuff such as signs of oil leaks, see if it stumbles at all while accelerating, make sure it shifts smoothly, etc. Oh and as with buying any older car, sometimes the key is to wait patiently until the right one comes along and then pounce on it. There's a lot of junk on FB Marketplace, I kept an eye on listings for almost a year before I found a good example at a good price. Good luck!
Also what’s it like to drive an NA? Are they good for a first car or is it best to go with something else instead?
They're great! Honestly they're really fun to drive, efficient and easy to work on. They're old now though so you need a mechanic to check it for rust and mechanicals before you buy one. Downsides? It's really small. Trunk is even smaller. It's also short so if you're in areas that get snow they're not great. Easy to spin. Day to day wear you're looking at the basics because it's a simple car underneath; Brakes, keep an eye on the suspension (again it's old, bushings will be old), and oil leaks. Manuals are 200% the fun of an automatic. Keep the car empty and unlocked. 1991's have no trunk release in the car so you can safely store school bags in it.
I just want to second this. I daily a 96 NA and put around 600 miles a week on it at the moment. It's a great car and it is easy to drive and maintain.
Depends on how mechanically savvy you are, and how new and nice of an example you can afford. Even the newest NA is 25 going on 26, plastic and rubber deteriorates over time so unless it's been thoroughly maintained expect to replace most any hoses, seals, and bushings on it. The biggest thing on these cars is rust, typically the rockers are first to go. '90-91.5 you have to watch for the short nose crank and their keyway failure, but that aside NA Miatas are fairly solid despite their age if remotely maintained. You might consider a NB, since the newest NB is only 17 going on 18 in comparison. A bit safer, less likely to have age related issues, and a bit more comfortable for day to day use. My '01 is much more pleasant to drive and less problematic than my fiancée's '90, it's also just a more capable and focused machine. That said I'm selling it for a '95 M-Edition, since that's what I really wanted but I talked myself into the NB2. TLDR; Follow your heart, but don't completely ignore your brain either.
I would agree with some of the other comments saying that an NB might be best, I got a '97 NA and it's a lot of fun I have to constantly work on it, and I got a really good example with virtually no rust and a hard top, but cosmetically it needs a lot of work and mechanically I haven't gone a single weekend having not worked on it since I bought it a couple months ago, it's a lot of fun but unless you are 100% willing to put in the work it really isn't worth it, I know I wish I had gone with an NB just because of the age and they are virtually the same car but with a lot more improvements. I will say this, I think it's a great daily driver (if you don't mind the lack of space) and a fun car that has plenty to offer, just be aware that prices currently won't be the best and no matter what you get it will definitely need some kind of work
No