What's a decent price for one of these?
There's not enough of them sold to get a good handle on price for year/etc, but there are some "ranges" that work depending on where you are. A never-winter-driven all original NA regardless of year with decent kms (say 160K or less) that has been very well cared for is going to run at least $5K, probably more. I paid $6K for mine in the spring of 2012 but have been offered well over that (in the $8-9K range) several times since.
My
personal pecking order of Miatas:
1. The 1994-1997 1.8L NA models. I really like the 1.8L engine vs the 1.6L. A small power bump (116 to 128) but the heavier flywheel makes the difference to me - I like the lack of rev drop as it makes relaxed driving more relaxed but the engine still ships to 6K+ easily. The 1994s also received the larger brakes from the Spec Miata cars, the LSD became a Torsen replacing the easily worn-out Mazda unit, and the bodies received additional bracing. These cars have the excellent Mazda five speed which I personally prefer to the Aisin six speed of the NB cars. As NA models go, the NA8 (meaning NA with 1.8L) tend to be a bit higher priced as they're newer and have some "upgrades" that many people find desirable. Many of the NA8s are also shod with Mazda's amazing hollow spoke alloy wheels - amazing wheel considering it's OE.
2. The 1991-1993 1.6L models. They have the rev-happy 1.6L, the same body as the all other NAs, but the 91-93 1.6L engines are not the Short Nose Crank engines of the 1990 models. While the SNC failure is overblown (many 90s out there with 500K on them) I would just prefer to go for a 91 or later just for my personal peace of mind.
3. 1990. They're the first year, and some folks love that their car is Year One. They sold like crazy that year, so your odds of finding a 1990 are good. But, they're old, and therefore lots of them are pretty used up too. Be aware of caring or the SNC engine, but otherwise, they're great cars.
4. NB models - they drive very nicely. Mazda added some rear suspension travel - the NA and NB chassis are nearly identical but changed the body to add some trunk space, lose the pop-ups, and modernize the interior. Later the 2.0L came long and power went up to 140hp. They also added an available six speed - but there's two sides to this - the extra cog is fun (it's not any taller gearing than the five speed) but some feel (me included) that the shift action is not as nice as the five speed. Changing the oil in the Aisin to the Motorcraft Synthetic cures many ills, something all NB six speed owners should do immediately. Personally, I like the driving experience of the NB and I strongly considered a very nice 2002 model I found, but in the end the even-more-diminutive looks and the pop-ups of the NA swayed me. Oh, and that I found a like-new 18yr old car helped too.
Pricing is as I noted all over. A basic rule of thumb is that any really nice Miata will be a $5K car, and some NA might get close to $10K but that's very high. NBs can go under $10K, maybe as low as $6-7K for a decent car, but a pristine example is probably closer to $10K. That's assuming low kms, no winters, etc, etc.
Wait, an NC (2006-) can be had for not much more than a top-market NA? Maybe. But, remember, logic is slowly eroding in the Miata market. The NA models are having a resurgence in popularity at the same time as supply of perfect cars is fading away.
