[ProjectM96]

I am a 986 2.7L owner. I have driven the 2013 FR-S and 2013 MX-5 1-2 month(s) ago.

Here is my review.

The FR-S:
FR-S's electric steering suprisingly has good feedback and response. The interior was very good ergonomically., but cheap looking. Everything was in the right place. The seat was amazing. Very sporty with good support. Back Seats=I am 5'11". I had enough legroom, but the front seat is low. Your feet get tucked under the front seat and there is not enough space to even move your toes. Also, I was hitting my head on the rear window. The trunk was the worst part. The FR-S Trunk has less space then the MX-5 or Boxster rear trunk. I thought it would have the largest trunk but I was wrong. The FR-S has a very light clutch. I couldn't even tell if I was pushing the clutch or not because it feels like it does not even exist. The Toyota dealer said this is to make it less tiring to drive in traffic. I felt that it took away from the driving experience.

The MX-5:
I have nothing bad to say about this car except the clutch also has a light feeling, but better than FRS. It was much more fun to drive than the FR-S. It has a higher quality interior. More trunk space. Much Smaller turning circle than both the FR-S and 986 meaning you can make a U-turn in very narrow street. The steering felt amazing. The engine noise was good. Very peppy engine that revs fast. It feels faster than it is. And it accepts regular gas and has excellent reliability. I found it to be a very comfortable car. But at the limit, it has too much body roll to inspire confidence. It needs sway bars to eliminate most of that body roll. 167HP is plenty for 2300 lbs, but there are $4000 supercharger and turbo kits available for 220-250whp. It is a car you know will always start and take you to your destination even though you can beat on it everyday.

The 986:
Its louder. Its faster with a much higher top speed than the other 2 cars. It handles a bit better. It accelerates a bit quicker. It turns more heads. It has a much heavier clutch. It has more feedback. It has a more comfortable interior except for the fact that the steering wheel won't tilt up for people taller than 5'10". My steering wheel blocks the top of the gauges because it won't tilt up. And obviously, we don't have the lower maintenance/repair costs or gas mileage or insurance rates as the other 2 cars. At the same time, the 986 is the most practical in terms of defined storage space with its second larger trunk.

Once my 986 dies or possibly sells in the future, I will probably go for an MX-5 and turbo it, then possibly a Cayman S/R later in life if everything goes well financially. Lets face it, if the 1989+ Miata wasn't so popular, the 96+ Boxster, Z3/Z4, and SLK might have not existed.