mazda mx5 or new Fiat 124? How reliable is multi air turbo engine?

Mazda is proven, I would avoid anything made by Fiat.

Using forced induction to make a small engine produce more power is always going to require strict maintenance and shorten engine life.. regardless of who's name tag is on it! Turbos have the added element of HEAT, which demands A critical eye be kept on the cooling system(s) ..Intercooler too. I've been involved with the automotive industry 20 yrs(development).. SO what!.. But, I KINDA of agree "DO NOT" purchase a first year model car...just as Microsoft releases products before all glitches are worked out on the public. The same is true in the auto industry., Fiats multi Air design shot at VVT, Colleagues in the major manufactures agree. Purchase what you really want, DON"T listen to anyone! I do suggest you drive both models and evaluate them for your wants / needs. Regards

I own a 2012 MX5. Seriously, go for it. It's an awesome car. Value holds incredibly well. Don't overthink it. Fiat's reliability is suspect at best.

Mazda MX-5 Miatas newest engines redline almost 1000rpms less than the original NA 1990-1997 Miatas. Winding out Mazdas fun and willing and did I say rock solid reliable BP engines was what it was all about. Now Mazdas new Skyactice DI engines run out of breath and seriously take away from the joy of Miata driving and ownership. Rumor has it this may be addressed in the 2019 or 2020 Models. Thanks for making us wait. Boo!! Now don't get me started on the Mazda lost their way (old BMW Z4 looking, new Miata styling!!) Damn melenials and/or homophobics just had to fiddle with and ruin perfection. A cheaper car can look just as amazing as an expensive car. Especially now that a flippen Miata costs in the 30s now, that used to get you a loaded 330i M performance pkg. in 2005, now the new Miata looks like a bathtub, you sit in a foxhole, gone is any open space behind the head, looks like the old bathtub Lexus SC I thinknit was. Bring back something like an improved upon original NA 90-93 Miata, I leave out 94-97 because of the 1.8 liter engine which can't idle worth a shot, and eats gas. Come back with a 1.6 properly turned turbo/sc hybrid, all aluminum, or stainless steel body, and come up with an elegant expensive seductive styling and make people men, guys, girls, women, everyone who likes them for all their did reasons and let us get excited again. Please Mazda!!!

I too would like to know what the reliability is going to be on the Fiat PowerPlant. Doesn't the Fiat 500 use this same engine? Other Fiat vehicles? How have these held up on these other cars. I did speak with owner of one of the West coast's great Miata shops and they purchased a Fiat 124 as soon as they came out and according to him he has had zero problems with the engine or anything else. He has done a lot of aftermarket testing and research on the Fiat 124s and he assured me that I really shouldnt notice any reliability issues compared to a Miata. He went on saying actually the 2016 MX5 Miatas have been horribly unreliable due to a now understood defect in the 2016 Miata manual tranny. So if your buying a 2016 Miata used make sure this repair has been made. It was not uncommon for a single 2016 Miata to go through 3 trannys before they finally figured it out. What a surprise for a Mazda even more so a New Miata. I guess the BMW z4 gremlins decided the new Miata looked just as yummy as the ugly BMW Z4s that the new Miatas now rezemble. I sure hope Mazda already has a running refresh, or even better redesign in the works for 2019 or 2020. I will not be purchasing a new style Mazda MX5 z4ortia!! I've been won by the Fiat, and am willing to take the chance. I still have my 94 NA Miata to fall back to if the Fiata reliability goes south. It's been a tough decision, dump loads of money into my 94 NA Miata and restore it, repaint to like new, or buy new Miata, new Fiat 124s. It's taken over 30 years however my NA has left me stranded a few times and I can't keep trying to.find which relay has gone bad this time, or what wire was bitten through by Mr. mouse. I still love it but I need the car to start, go stay going now at my age. I'm 46 an early adopter of the original NA Miatas. I've owned 6, it's now my body that can't handle the crawling around in the dirt any longer to fix my beautiful NA 94, or try and narrow down wiring issue. and the worse thing I did was install a Megasquirt, even with professional running, and my buttometer tuning, the car now eats gas like a monster, idles like crap, stalls when come to stop, stalls when turn on A.C. because the A.C. circuits are known to be to small a guage of wire and melt themselves off of the board. If anyone has done a reverse conversion going from Megasquirt back to OEM computer please contact me. I have just never experienced a MS equiped miata engine function as if it were from the factory. Now that FM does not install, sell, or otherwise program aftermarket ECUs. My dream of an amazing so equipped Miata have gone gone gone. They are the Only ones I trusted to.do.such work, others have botched the programming up and charged $600 to do it. Thankfully they agreed to a refund as my own programing had significantly better results than the "professional" Nice guy, was a shame as I was soooo excited to climb into a factory smooth running engine with good gas miliage to boot, but it did not materialize. So, Fiat I think will be my next try. I just wish they came equiped with the limited slip diff. like the Miatas mostly do. I don't want a sky rocket red tachometer, or seats made from the horrible fake suade "Alacantara" it wears way fast, it pills badly, the soft sued like quality disappears after say a good two years or active seating. You will be left with a grey, thin, no longer as soft, more like divers suit, or old wet suade ed shoes. Not sure how long until it will tear as I had it on my BMWS steering wheel as part of the M branding. Did not like it!! So anyway, please offer the ltd slip on the Lusso or at least a stand alone option on all trims kinda like BMW does. Sport pkg. (right now you can only get the lmt.slip.dif on the Abarth) please sport pkg. offerings on all trims. NOW YOUR TALKING!!! If BMWs weren't so annoying to maintain after warranty is up, id swiftly go back to a BMW. However they like VW have arrogant leadership, and always seem to have the strangest warranty repair needs, and after warranty is over just darn expensive repair needs, for items that you rarely see go bad on other cars, esp Japanese cars. Let me see.....always a failed sensor this, failed sensor that, window regulators, seat belt windings, ((bad wheel bearings on brand new 2005 330i M performance pkg)) VANOS this, VANOS that, lol.....sensor this little sensor that.) They never left me stranded, and nothing drives or handles so masterfully as a sport pkg.equiped BMW but they Nickle and dime you to death. Hondas??? Great motor company, awesome reliability, but oh so boring styling, and sever lack of noise suppression in the cars bodies. Yes I know fuel economy, but.....Just saw a civic hatchback, it looked like a transformer toy!!! YUCK!! All this body cladding for no reason. Its like we are back in 1987 all over again!!! Now, if not the Fiat then simply a used Porsche Boxter S. I wish votes could be taken, Used Boxter 2013 and newer or 2017/2018 Fiat 124 Spider, or for those that like the new Miata styling a 2016-2018 MX5 Miata????? Sorry for the wandering off of topic at times it's how my brain works with the small tad bit of toxic chemical brain injury I have, thanks to my airline career that left me dissabled