It’s hard to dethrone the Mazda MX-5 when it is so good at being an affordable sports car. This is surely the reason why it is one of the best-selling sports cars in the world, and why we enthusiasts insist that “Miata is always the answer”. With a rap sheet that goes back to the 90s, the Miata has been everything from a hairdresser’s fun little city runabout to a Spec Miata race car.

And the brilliance of it is, that the MX-5 is good at all the roles it is asked to fill, regardless of driver skill. That hairdresser would find the Miata fun just as much as the amateur racer trying to learn limit handling.

So the popularity of the Miata is not unmerited at all. If anything, its only fault is that it eclipses the other equally awesome sports cars that are available. And arguably, those other options can be better when used for a more focused purpose rather than the Miata’s jack-of-all-trades approach.

The Miata is great, but while its size and mass, or lack thereof, are good qualities in a sports car, it is definitely an inconvenience in most other scenarios. And open-top driving is definitely fun, but an aging man who wears a toupee might not think so. Or maybe it just rains a lot where you live. So I don’t think “Miata is always the answer”, and therefore there are other sports cars that will outdo the Mazda in one way or another.

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10 Honda S2000

Average Used Price: $35,000

The Honda S2000 has gained similar praise to the Miata for having an equally well-balanced chassis paired with a more potent engine. That F22C 2.0-liter found in the S2000 is a jewel among Honda’s road car engines.

It was, after all, the record-holder for having the highest specific output of 125 horsepower per liter from a naturally aspirated engine, only beaten by the Ferrari 458 Italia in 2010; a car that costs several times over than the humble Honda.

Specifications

The S2000, which makes more power than the MX-5, is also a bigger car but not any less entertaining. More power means more fun and more space means more practicality. So I guess you can say the Honda S2000 out-Miata’s the Miata?

And with values that hold up well against depreciation, and are already on the rise, it is on its way to becoming a bona fide collector car.

9 Chevrolet Camaro (Fifth Generation)

Average Used Price: $30,000

Yes, the Camaro is a porker compared to the Miata, but it's no less capable and fun. And at a similar price for a fifth-generation model, it can be argued as much more value for money. The 426-horsepower V-8 makes a strong case for itself, carrying the 3,800-pound sport coupe to sixty miles per hour in just 4.5 seconds when specified with the six-speed manual transmission. While the Chevy is a bigger car, it feels more substantial for the same money.

Specifications

More power, more space, and just more metal overall. The Camaro is more livable too with a better-appointed interior versus the Miata which can kindly be called minimalistic. As a coupe, the Camaro is definitely more usable and also a solid foundation to build a semi-dedicated track car, being an already competent coupe.

Regardless of your use case, the fifth-generation Camaro is more car for the money compared to a Miata and with endless trims and options packages, there’s bound to be one that suits your tastes.

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8 Ford Mustang (S197)

Average Used Price: $30,000

Being the best-selling sports car ever and the most iconic brand in the automotive industry, the Mustang is certainly another sports car that’s strong competition for a Miata. With history, heritage, and a fan base that has spread across the world, the Ford Mustang is as iconic as performance cars get.

It also lays claim as the first “pony car” that started the craze back in the 60s. And till this day, approaching 60 years later, the Mustang is as unbridled as ever.

Specifications (Boss 302)

Powered by a small-block V-8 of course, the S197 generation Mustang is just right at the same price point as a brand-new Miata. And because of the Mustang’s storied history, choices between trim levels and special editions that nod to its past are countless. Boss 302, Shelby GT500, and even a Bullitt edition if the GT-390 in the film was the object of your dreams as a kid.

For the same reasons that led to the Mustang becoming legendary, it definitely is a choice versus the Mazda Miata.

7 Toyota GR86

Starting Price: $28,400

Toyota and Mazda seem to be the last automakers who understand that horsepower is not directly proportional to fun; at least not all the time. When fun means wringing out the engine to redline, clicking up and down a few gears, the Toyota/Subaru twins and the MX-5 are the last mass-produced vehicles that allow you that luxury.

Without risking some jail time, the GR86 lets you have fun on your weekend drive and do the school run come Monday.

Specifications

With great power, comes great responsibility, says Uncle Ben. Who likes responsibility anyway? Isn’t that what we’re driving away from in the first place? Like the Miata, the Toyota GR86 doesn’t have much of it, rated at 228 horsepower, the small Toyota will let you abuse that rev limiter all day long.

Just address the RTV oil pick-up line issue and the GR86 should be equally fun and even more usable than a Miata as a daily driver.

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6 BMW Z4 (E89)

Average Used Price: $27,242

A 3.0-liter straight-six, two-seat, comfortable BMW roadster for under $30,000 sounds too good to be true, but it is! With styling that has evolved over the first generation Z4, there is no doubt that the second generation Z4 looks better with its pronounced shark-like snout and more refined body lines. Whether with the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter or the more sedate 255-horsepower straight-six engines, there’s a lot to that the BMW Z4 offers as a premium sports car.

Specifications (sDrive35i)

Packaged with two engine and transmission options, a power-retractable hardtop, and gadgets and gizmos aplenty, the BMW Z4 is a comfortable sports tourer with the chassis balance and dynamics of a sports car. It comes with optional adaptive suspension and drive modes to tailor the roadster to the occasion.

With a more spacious interior and slightly larger trunk space, the BMW Z4 is a more capable, functional, and comfortable Miata.

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5 Nissan 370Z Nismo

Average Used Price: $25,000

Another car that carries an iconic name is the Nissan 370Z. Expanding on the performance of the 350Z, the 370 is an icon in its own right. With its production running from 2008 to 2021, the Nissan 370Z has been sharpened over time.

And in the Nismo trim, it is the sharpest it has ever been. Nissan was able to massage 18 more horsepower from its naturally aspirated V-6, a vocal 350-horsepower engine that will surely be missed in the new Z34 Nissan coupe.

Specifications

While the Nissan wasn’t as athletic as its sports car contemporaries, it doesn’t matter much now that it's been discontinued. And it goes without saying, that the Nissan 370Z still delivers the fun but in a much more comfortable fashion, leaning more towards a big torquey GT coupe than a light and nimble sports car like the Miata.

So if daily drivability and long drives are items on your checkbox, the Nissan 370Z is probably a better fit.

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4 BMW 135i M Sport (E82/88)

Average Used Price: $20,000

With a bit of a reputation for being a little sleeper, the 135i is a seriously quick little sports coupe. It’s not exactly a sports car but with 302 horsepower from a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged straight-six, it might as well be one. In case you’ve been living under a rock— yes, that’s right, 300 horsepower from what began life as an entry-level hatchback from BMW. That much performance in a small compact two-door is rare these days.

Specifications

The E82 generation 135i is as practical as it is quick. The little coupe from Munich has seats for four persons and a proper trunk that makes it more adaptable as a daily driver over the Miata. It definitely has the performance credentials to make it count as a sports car, yet nearly as functional as a four-door sedan. With that much more performance and utility, it's at least worth a look before jumping into a Miata.

3 Mazda RX-8

Average Used Price: $20,000

In true Mazda convention, the RX-8 is an oddity in the batch of sports cars it grew up alongside. Even now, it takes a certain misfit to appreciate the successor to the very celebrated FD-RX-7. As a non-conformist, the Mazda RX-8 has unique ways of endearing itself, like the stubbornness to move on from using a rotary engine and its rear-hinged suicide doors.

Specifications

The “Renesis” rotary engine in the RX-8 is naturally aspirated, and compared to the RX-7’s sequential twin-turbo, it still launches the mid-size coupe in a respectable six seconds. But the real secret ingredient of the RX-8 though is its lightness and perfect 50/50 weight distribution front and rear, which makes the Mazda feel athletic.

Equally unique is that the Eight is a four-door coupe. Those rear suicide doors allow easier access to the rear seats that can actually accommodate adults, which for a sports car is remarkable. The Mazda RX-8 is the path less taken, but if you’re the unorthodox type, it might just be odd enough for you.

RELATED: Why The Mazda MX-5 Miata Is A Timeless Classic Sports Car

2 Toyota MR2 (SW20)

Average Used Price: $18,000

The second generation Toyota MR2 is from a time when the Japanese automaker was still making affordable, cool, and fun cars. Back then, the MR2 was the only affordable mid-engine true sports car that was available. And it’s more practical than it looks.

With storage upfront and at the rear just behind the engine bay, and powered with either a naturally aspirated or turbocharged version of Toyota’s 3S-G engine, it had similar performance to a Miata to go along with its usability.

Specifications (Turbocharged)

Inside, it isn’t as cramped as it might seem, having grown significantly over the previous generation, it's spacious enough to get comfortable. Because of its mid-engine layout, the MR2 is a delicately balanced driving tool and was improved throughout its production run to reduce its propensity to swap ends mid-corner. It may be a classic at this point, but the Toyota MR2 still has loads of excitement and character to offer over a newer Miata.

1 Toyota Celica GT-S (7th Generation)

Average Used Price: $10,000

The 7th-generation Celica was from the last of Toyota’s fun affordable sports cars from the 2000s and shifted the nameplate from its rally-dominating all-wheel drive platform to a front-wheel-drive compact sports coupe. Although hardcore Celica fans cried blasphemy at the time of its release, the new Celica improved in nearly all aspects important in a sports coupe. It was faster, more attractive, and had respectable handling for its time.

Specifications

Powered by a then-new 1.8-liter engine co-developed by Yamaha, that provided 180 horsepower in the GT-S trim, the new Celica was also respectably quick. Its rigid chassis also managed its weight and power well.

Even as a front-wheel drive sports car, the Celica can entertain on spirited drives. With a properly sized trunk and reasonably accommodating rear seats, the Celica might just be the most affordable yet practical way to get near Miata fun for less than half the money.