The Most Affordable Sports Car in America Lacks Even 200 Horsepower

Contemporary sports cars generally boast a minimum of 250 horsepower beneath their hoods, with numerous models exceeding that figure. For instance, the standard BMW 230i Coupe delivers 255 hp, while the basic Ford Mustang offers a robust 315 hp. However, as driving aficionados and Dodge Demon owners often emphasize, sheer power means little without proper handling and control.

And paying mega sums for a sports car also doesn’t always guarantee a great experience. Perhaps this is why the cheapest American sports car still makes do with less than 200 hp, yet it is one of the most celebrated vehicles ever. It is, of course, the Mazda Miata MX-5.

The criteria for this article required that the vehicle be a genuine sports car, specifically designed from the ground up for high-performance driving, rather than a sportier variant of a standard model. The Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP), excluding destination fees, was utilized to identify the most affordable option.

The Mazda MX-5 Miata: A Joyful Champion with Modest Power

181 horsepower for a price of $29,330.

The Mazda MX-5 Miata is the quintessential sports car, devoid of any fripperies. It is the distilled essence of what driving for fun is all about, which is why it won the CarBuzz Affordable Fun Award just a few weeks ago. Introduced in 1989, the original Miata’s basic recipe wasn’t all that different from the model you can buy today. The essential ingredients include a front-mounted naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine, rear-wheel drive, two seats, and a manual transmission. An automatic option is available, but speccing your Miata with one is missing the point entirely.

The current version may look fresh in its fourth generation, but it has been on sale since 2015. As you might expect, it has undergone several updates since then. The most recent was in 2024 when an updated limited-slip differential, revised steering rack, and new head- and taillights were introduced. The most noteworthy though, was in 2019 when the engine got a power boost from 155 to 181 hp. That may seem puny compared to the turbocharged hatchbacks and sports cars out there, but take a look at that impressive 0-60 mph time and you realize that there is more to this little sports car than just horsepower numbers.

The Balance of Power and Weight Matters More Than Horsepower

Although we often get caught up in the impressive horsepower numbers, the curb weight of a vehicle plays a crucial role in its performance, potentially even more so. This is due to the fact that a car's total weight influences its braking ability, cornering stability, and overall handling.

The MX-5 Miata has a curb weight of just 2,366 pounds. Most high-powered sports cars and performance cars are way heavier than that figure. For example, the BMW M2 weighs in at 3,814 pounds. It’s 60% heavier than the MX-5. What this means is that the M2 needs 290 hp just to equal the little Mazda’s power-to-weight ratio. BMW makes up for this by fitting a powerful turbocharged 3.0-liter engine, but it also needs larger wheels, bigger brakes, and more robust suspension to cope with that extra weight. With 473 hp on tap, it’s an impressive machine, but imagine what it would be like if it weighed as little as the Mazda.

Smaller, more price-comparable performance cars are still way chunkier than the lithe little MX-5. A Toyota Motor Corporation GR86 weighs 2,811 pounds, while a base-spec Volkswagen Golf GTI is 3,188 pounds. Both are more powerful than the Mazda, yet their acceleration times are more or less on par. As you can see from the table below, that's because their power-to-weight ratios are very closely matched. The less weight each horsepower has to haul along, the better the acceleration will be. While the Golf GTI and BMW M2 aren't the Mazda Miata's direct rivals, they show just how much a hefty curb weight can affect power-to-weight ratios.