For many, the Mazda Miata MX-5 “is the answer” when it comes to a fun, affordable sports car. And why not? After all, the Miata has built itself quite the reputation over the course of the last four generations, offering consumers sharp, low-weight handling, plus legendary driver engagement. While not the quickest thing in a straight line, there should be little doubt that the Miata is a fantastic little roadster, especially in the twisty bits, and it’s every bit deserving of its many titles and accolades. That said, when it comes to raw sales figures, the Miata is simply not the answer. In fact, there’s one American sports car in particular that has outsold the plucky little Mazda by a factor of six this year.

Of course, the American sports car that we’re referencing here is none other than the Ford Mustang. Despite the Miata’s undeniable appeal, the Mustang is much more popular, with the Blue Oval brand moving 27,444 units of the iconic pony car during the first half of the 2024 calendar year. By comparison, Mazda sold a mere 4,004 units of the Miata during the same time period.

Which begs the question – is this a fluke? Why is the Mustang so much more popular than the Miata? Read on for the Top Speed take on this seemingly one-sided sports car sales battle.

The Ford Mustang Continues To Lead In Sales

Looking over the sales numbers, one thing is immediately obvious – the Mustang is the sales leader when it comes to the sports car segment in the U.S. Let’s start with the 2024 calendar year. So far, Ford has sold a total of 27,444 units of the 2024 Mustang through the first half of the year. That’s more than six times the number of units sold for the Mazda Miata MX-5 during the same time period (4,004 units). In fact, on average, Ford has sold more Mustangs per month this year than Mazda has sold units of the MX-5 through the first six months. Ford had its best Mustang sales month in March, during which Ford sold 5,821 units of the pony car, while in May, Ford sold 5,174 units.

Ford Mustang 2024 Sales Figures

This isn’t a fluke, either. Ford has consistently sold a huge number of Mustangs over the past several decades, with 53,159 units sold in 2023 (as compared to 8,973 units sold for the Mazda MX-5 Miata), 47,466 units sold in 2022 (6,172 units sold for the MX-5), and 52,384 units sold in 2021 (10,470 units for the MX-5). Looking back over the years, we find a few outlier sales figures for the Mustang, including 105,932 units sold in 2016, 166,530 units sold in 2006, and 160,975 units sold in 2005.

Ford Mustang 2023 Sales Figures

The Mazda Miata MX-5 Miata Has Seen Better Years

To put it bluntly, sales figures for Mazda Miata MX-5 in 2024 aren’t particularly impressive. Looking over the latest sales figures, we find sales fell 45.5 percent year-over-year for the first quarter of the 2024 calendar year compared to the first quarter of the 2023 calendar year, with the Japanese automaker moving a total of 1,411 units during that time. Sales for the soft-top MX-5 fell by 66 percent, coming in at a mere 457 units, while sales for the hardtop RF model were down 23.5 percent at 954 units. Sales improved during the second quarter of the year with a total of 2,593 units sold, including 861 units sold in April of 2024, 956 units sold in May of 2024, and 776 units sold in June of 2024.

Mazda MX-5 Miata Sales Figures 2024 Calendar Year

Of course, all this is relative, and part of the reason the MX-5’s 2024 figures appear to be so mediocre is due to the fact that the MX-5 had a solid sales performance during the course of the 2023 calendar year. Compared to the preceding 2022 calendar year, where 2022 Mazda MX-5 sales increased 45.4 percent year-over-year in 2023, with a total of 8,973 units sold in the U.S. That includes 4,591 units sold for the soft top, a massive increase of 77.4-percent increase compared to 2022, and a total of 4,382 units sold of the hardtop RF. The increase in sales for the MX-5 coincided with a broader increase in sales at Mazda, with the brand enjoying a 23.3-percent year-over-year increase for the 2023 calendar year. At 8,973 units sold in 2023, the MX-5 was ranked seventh among the top-10 best-selling sports cars in the U.S.

Mazda MX-5 Miata Sales Figures 2024 Calendar Year

The Mazda MX-5 Miata Is Ok, But The Ford Mustang Leads The Pack

2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata

Engine

2.0-liter four-cylinder

Transmission

Six-speed manual or automatic

Horsepower

181 HP @ 7,000 RPM

Torque

151 pound-feet @ 4,000 RPM

Driveline

Rear-wheel drive

Starting Price (MSRP)

$28,985

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Don’t get it twisted – the Mazda MX-5 Miata is a fantastic little sports car. The current ND generation made its formal introduction in 2014 and stays true to the original formula of low weight, sharp handling, and tossable fun. Under the hood, the current MX-5 is equipped with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing a maximum 181 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque, which might not sound like a lot, but when motivating less than 2,400 pounds, it can send the little two-door from a standstill to 60 mph in less than six seconds. At the end of the day, though, no one buys a Miata for the straight-line acceleration – this thing is all about fun in a corner, where the low weight, short wheelbase, and superb chassis and suspension tuning really start to shine. Add in a six-speed manual transmission (a six-speed automatic is offered as an option) and that recipe gets even sweeter.

Pricing for the 2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata starts at $28,985, making it an affordable option and certainly worthy of consideration for anyone looking for some inexpensive fun.

2024 Ford Mustang

Engine

2.3-Liter I4 | 5.0-Liter V-8

Transmission

6MT | 10 AT

Horsepower

315 – 500 HP

Torque

350 -418 LB-FT

Driveline

RWD

Starting Price (MSRP)

$32,515 – $64,860

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By contrast, the Ford Mustang is an entirely different beast, at least when it comes to the philosophy of how to go fast. The Ford Mustang has been in continuous production since the 1965 model year, making it the longest-produced Ford car nameplate in existence. The Mustang is currently in its seventh generation, also known as the S650 gen, introduced in 2022 at the Detroit Auto Show and launching for the 2024 model year. While the Mazda MX-5 is all about low weight and immaculate chassis tuning, the Ford Mustang is about attitude, muscle, and raw performance. These are the attributes that have served the Mustang well over the last 60 years or so, and that continues to be the case with the latest seventh generation. Engine options include a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost producing 315 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque, as well as the classic 5.0-liter V8 Coyote generating 480 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque, with 60 mph arriving in roughly five seconds in the EcoBoost, and 4.3 seconds with the V8. Pricing starts at $31,920.

So, which of these two sports cars would you prefer? Both have their own personality and fun factor, with wildly differing philosophies on the art of speed. However, if you’re like most sports car buyers in the U.S., odds are you’re going with the Ford.

Sports Car Sales Aren’t Looking Too Great Right Now

In closing, it’s worth taking a quick step back to see where we are with regard to sports car sales in a more general sense. Long story short, sales figures for the sports car segment aren’t looking all that hot at the moment.

According to a report from Good Car Bad Car, sports car sales made up just 1.5 percent of new vehicle sales in the U.S. in 2021, a decrease from 2 percent in 2016. Chalk it up to rising costs of living and other inflationary issues, as well as an industry hellbent on going all-electric, and it makes sense that sports cars remain just a tiny sliver of the total vehicle sales in the U.S.

That all said, this segment remains stubbornly resilient, and enthusiasts will continue to pursue their fun wherever they can, regardless of outside influences like inflation, rising emissions standards, and electrification. There will always be buyers out there that prefer speed and performance, and indeed, many are likely reading this article right now!

While 1.5 percent may seem shockingly low when it comes to the percentage of new car sales made up by the sports car segment, sports car sales are actually on the rebound from just a few years ago, with a growth rate of more than 1 percent expected until 2028.