7 Sports Cars That Are More Practical Than The Mazda MX-5 Miata

The MX-5 isn't just the most iconic Mazda ever built; it's also in contention as one of the most iconic sports cars of all time. Instead of prioritizing horsepower, the MX-5 is one of the purest sports cars you can buy, as it has been ever since it was introduced. It's not completely bare of modern features, but the feel you get behind the wheel is where it earns its price tag. Starting at $30,430 for the Miata and $38,450 for the 2026 model, it's one of the cheapest sports cars in the segment, and a solid 29 MPG combined, helping keep costs down over time. 

However, because the car is so small, the MX-5 has drawbacks depending on what you need. The main area is the cargo volume, or lack thereof, which we noticed during our review of the car. While there aren't too many sports cars on the market that are similarly priced to the Mazda, there's still a good selection of coupes and convertibles to choose from if you want a little more space inside. 

As most in the segment and on this list in particular are more powerful than the MX-5, finding a rival with better fuel economy is very hard, but for cargo volume, almost everything has it beat. Here's a look at seven sports cars that are more practical than the Mazda MX-5.

Originally called the GT86, Toyota's smaller two-door sports car has been one of the best in the segment at the more affordable end since its introduction in 2012. The coupe became the GR86 in 2022 as it entered a new generation, which, while retaining the core philosophy it shares with the Subaru BRZ, refined just about every aspect of it. With plenty of power for its lightweight shell, its larger size also naturally gives the car more space inside.

While practicality isn't the main focus of the GR86, Toyota still offers enough space to make it an everyday driver of sorts. In the back, you have 6.26 cubic feet of space, giving you a little more breathing room compared to the MX-5. Powered by a 2.4-liter inline-four boxer, you get 228 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque moving the 2,811-pound car, which is also notably higher than the Mazda. Understandably, though, it costs $31,500 with a $1,250 destination charge on top.

The original Honda Prelude was released for the 1979 model year, conforming to the simple, boxy, yet massively effective design that many JDMs had at that time. For the fourth-gen models, though, Honda fully embraced the sleek, low-slung philosophy that turned the '90s models into an enthusiast's dream.

The curvier models are where Honda drew heavy inspiration for the newest Prelude, bringing back the nameplate after a 25-year hiatus. It still very much has its own profile, and the biggest difference is the hybrid engine under the hood. The two electric motors work with the 2.0-liter four-cylinder to produce 200 horsepower combined, which is a little closer to the MX-5.

However, the Prelude manages 44 MPG combined thanks to the hybrid system, which is notably more than what the smaller Mazda can handle. Overall cargo volume comes in at 15.1 cubic feet, making this a great sports car if you want plenty of space inside while still being fun to drive. You will have to pay a lot more, though, with an MSRP of $42,400 and a $1,295 destination charge.

While some brands are bringing iconic nameplates back, Audi has been dropping a few of them in recent years as the manufacturer goes through its major fleet restructure. One of the cars that got somewhat unsurprisingly dropped was the TT, which had served as Audi's competitor in the affordable sports car market for a couple of decades. It was discontinued in 2023, which means that the last models are still ultra-competitive and below MSRP.

Whether you go for the base TT or the more enhanced TT S variant, both prove more practical than the MX-5 when it comes to cargo space. Behind the seats, you get up to 12 cubic feet of volume, which is about the same as other hardtop sports coupes. In the convertible, this drops to eight cubic feet. Both models put a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder to use, but the base 2023 TT produces 228 horsepower, noticeably below the TT S's 288-horsepower output. Still, both are higher than the MX-5 in this regard as well. On price, the final TT model was expensive at launch, but KBB reports an average used price of $34,900 for the base model and $49,400 for the S, much closer to the latest MX-5's pricing.

Another recently discontinued German sports car is BMW's Z4. A much closer car to the Miata version than most other cars on this list, the Z4 was sort of doomed as it got into the mid 2020s for a few reasons. It sat in the middle of the performance-focused M cars and the more traditional everyday drivers, and with sales numbers dropping, it was very much an outlier for the brand. However, if a premium-feeling roadster with solid performance, the Z4 was only discontinued last year, with the 2026 model being the final.

In comparison to the MX-5, the Z4 bridges the gap between a sports car and grand tourer, prioritizing power and comfort over agility. Under the hood of this sports car is a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four producing 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. It weighs 3,314 pounds, which isn't exactly heavy, but noticeable compared to the other sports cars we've featured here. As for practicality, the 2026 Z4 has 9.9 cubic feet of cargo space, more than double the Mazda's.

Japan is one of the main countries keeping affordable sports cars on the market, and alongside the MX-5 and GR86 sits the Nissan Z. This is the current iteration of the brand's iconic Z line of sports cars, replacing the 370Z while keeping the coupe philosophy alive. The 2027 model received the first facelift for the Z, giving the car a sleeker look, particularly with the smoother, curved front fascia.

The Z doesn't just look far more aggressive than the MX-5; it comes with substantially more power. This is one of the two-door coupes on this list that manages to compete with the more expensive models in the segment without quite getting to those price points itself, producing 400 horsepower as standard through the twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6. The new manual transmission is also much appreciated. It costs $44,480 for the base trim with a $2,245 destination charge.

When it comes to practicality, the MX-5 is unsurprisingly more efficient than the much more powerful Z. The latter manages 22 MPG combined at best. The cargo volume comes in at 6.9 cubic feet, which isn't much more, but it still has space for an extra bag or two.

The previous generation of the Porsche 718 acted as a way for buyers to experience 911-style handling and performance, but toned down a touch and for less money. However, the German manufacturer decided to axe the Cayman and Boxster in their gas-powered guises to make way for an all-new electric version. Despite the brand struggling financially and EV sales falling recently, Porsche is set on the big change.

If you want the gas-powered version, though, there's still plenty of choice out there for relatively new 2025 models. The sports car holds its value extremely well, so expect to pay in the $70,000s for one, but you get a lot for your money. Its base 2.0-liter flat-four produces a decent 300 horsepower, but makes up for any losses here with its top-tier driving dynamics. Despite being quite low-slung, the 2025 Cayman offers 15 cubic feet of cargo space, which drops a touch to 9.7 cubic feet in the Boxster.

We've already mentioned BMW's strong focus on its M performance division models, and the M2 is right at the forefront of that right now. Since entering its second generation, the M2's performance has continued to approach the likes of the larger M3 as standard, making for one of the most engaging cars in the segment. We reviewed the CS version last year, which produces a thunderous 523 horsepower, but even the base 2027 model produces 473 horsepower from its twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six.

BMW also made the M2 bigger when it radically changed the car's design in 2022, which subsequently gives it a good amount of cargo space for a two-door coupe. Measurements come in at 13.8 cubic feet of cargo volume, which is one of the highest on this list. Once again, the steep increase in power does make it far less frugal, at 19 MPG combined. At a starting MSRP of $69,500, it's also one of the most expensive, but you get plenty of car for the money.

To select the cars for this list, we prioritized those that have more interior space and a higher cargo volume rating from the manufacturer or trusted sources. While a few of the cars are much more expensive than the MX-5 or offer considerably more performance, we made sure to select only two-door coupes and convertibles that fall into the same segment as the Mazda.