2023 Mazda MX-5 and 2023 Mazda3 Are Just Right for Two-Car Garage

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Mazda’s MX-5 Miata is gearing up for its second update of the current ND chassis. However, the first major overhaul of the ND-generation Miata, or ND2 as Mazda fans would call it, helped turn the latest MX-5 into a future classic. The featherweight roadster packs a 2.0-liter I4 that sends 181 hp and 151 lb-ft of torque through a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic. From there, power heads toward the rear wheels.

In a more utilitarian approach, the Mazda3 hatchback offers one thing that the MX-5 lacks: space. It's available with a naturally aspirated or turbocharged 2.5-liter I4 that’s mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

In naturally aspirated trim, this 2.5-liter sends 191 hp and 186 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels or through an all-wheel-drive system. With a turbocharger, and a tank full of 93 octane fuel, that figure jumps to 250 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque.

On this episode of Talking Cars with the Boss, Wesley Wren and Natalie Neff talk about their experiences with a pair of dissimilar Mazdas. They compare and contrast the benefits of the MX-5 and its more utilitarian Mazda3. The pair also discuss which one they’d park in their driveway.

Tune in below, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever podcasts are played.