Two too many seats. Nice beach car, maybe. I'll stick to two seaters.

On the Miata side, it's definitely a fun car to drive... and the new one I'm sure is better than previous generations, plus it's way nicer looking. Big drawback for me is the Boot size. Pretty tough for 2 people to tour in a Miata, never mind one. I think the specs for the Miata boot is about half of the R59's capacity. That's what has kept me out of a Miata.

 

I don't know why they can't manage to make most roadster with a bit more trunk space? I know a lot of them are RWD which takes some space and most car enthusiast prefer the RWD experience. And I understand the trade offs between center of gravity, and the roof top folding space, not to mention the styling. I still think if it was more of an important spec they could do much better.

Personally I don't need RWD to get my dose of fun. If I needed a true sport car I'de be happy to get RWD. But I love the sporty everyday top down driving the MINI provides and would sorely miss the trunk space of the MINI if it were not there.

I guess that must be a niche need within a niche market

 

Totally agree.

RWD is definitely fun, especially on a track. For everyday driving, I'll take FWD. Mini has very confident handling characteristics and can be tossed around, too. When the roads get wet and the going get's slick, FWD is really nice to have. The R59 is feels more substantial and solid than a Miata. That's something I noticed right away when I drove them both. Can't speak for the newest version yet.

I made my choice and will be sticking with it. Great to have a small two seater that you can actually travel in for more than just a couple of days or so. R59 is a reasonable touring car, where the Miata is a little lacking 'cause you can't take much along for the ride.