Same here. I had one for a rental. I was in a hurry and assumed it was an A4. I drove it for a bit and thought, “why is this car cheap-feeling and not feel like a German sedan?” Then I realized it was an A3. I had driven a 2009 and 2016 A4, both felt pretty solid and sporty.

Entry level Audi, BMW, and MB aren’t nearly as good of a value as many buyers think they are. You are paying for the badge, and honestly not much else. Buyers are often better off buying a luxury trim level of a non-premium brand when shopping in this segment of the market. In the case of the A3 specifically, it rides…

2025 Audi RS 6 Avant GT - $198,900... maybe he meant this 

I had a loaner A3 while my car was in for some service recently. It drove significantly worse than my wife’s Mazda 3, and the interior felt like it was scraped together from bargain basement parts. It amazes me that anyone would consider buying it at all, much less at FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.

“Only 6'6"”? What land of giants do you live in? lol

You can get them for $30K; in fact I just did. It’s the Sport model — same 181hp engine as all the others, 6-speed stick and a cloth interior. The key is to avoid the hype and thinking that you need the Brembos, the Recaros, the fancy LSD, the Bose, etc. I’m not going to the track;I’m zipping around and winding it out…

My fully loaded Club just arrived in the port before the strike and suspension. Fresh from Hiroshima.

The Miata gets a pass by the YTers, as does the GR86.

Doesn’t this happen with every generation of almost every car? The takers buy one in the first two or three years, and after that there’s a decent supply of used ones.

The ND came out in 2015 in the US and hasn’t really changed much since the big 2018 upgrade (it now makes 1998 Integra GS-R numbers!).  I think it is time for a full new model.

This is true. The oldest Miata is still new enough to feel like a modern car, unlike some fussy post-war British thing. Or peak Detroit iron, to be perfectly honest.

Still, the Eye of Sauron has finally swung around the the NA/NB. Deals can still be had but the old $1-2000 car is now more likely a $7-8000 proposition…

The ND is great. It’s punchy at 180ish HP (and short gears for torque!), but also lighter than the NC. And it doesn’t body-roll like you DONT want it to.

you probably aren’t getting out the door for less than $30,000. That’s a lot of money to spend on anything, especially a car

I’ve had a NA and NB.

Well yeah, but I meant the current iteration.

34 years actually.

Some of the culprits in this car’s sales issues are surely quarter-mile-time-is-everything Youtubers / Car and Driver dick-measurers, etc.

All this tells me is that pretty much everyone who wants and can afford one, already has one. I already have one, and I’d consider another one if and when they make the next generation.

I think the Miata will be fine. With Mazda going upmarket and making vehicles with higher margins, it’s not like they need the Miata to be a huge moneymaker in the first place. They keep it around for the enthusiasts and for the brand image. Compared to all the CX-5/50's and CX-70/90's, losing a couple thousand Miata…

bring back the pop ups! if pickups can have 6' tall hoods, miatas should have pop-ups!