A year ago,
we wondered which of these two cars would be a "future collectible": the
Mazda MX-5 or the
Toyota 86? We scoured around not only in our very own online car portal but also our competitors to see which one is being kept by its original owners as proof of its "collectible" status. We figured it's time to update the story to see which one has still managed to retain its value to its owners.
The implementation of
President Rodrigo Duterte's
Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law early this year has made looking at the
used car market for either of the two vehicle models
a more attractive proposition, especially for someone who's
not willing to spend more than PHP2 million. As it is, the "base" MX-5 with a six-speed manual already costs
PHP1.88 million while the priciest variant, the retractable hardtop RF with Nappa Leather Interior and six-speed slushbox, is at
PHP2.3 million. As for the 86, the "base" variant with the six-speed manual can be had for
PHP1.93 million while the six-speed automatic with White Pearl paint has a
PHP2.045 million price tag.
Once again, we turn to
Carmudi.com.ph and filter our search for 'pre-loved' units and this is what we found out:
Not a single Mazda MX-5--of any year or vintage, for that matter--was listed for sale while there were
19 units of the Toyota 86--ranging from 2013 to 2016 models--that were looking for new owners, including one with a
price tag of just PHP538,000 although no mention was made as to why it was priced as such.
Again, for the sake of fair play, we also looked at other online car sales portals.
One site had no used-car listing for an MX-5 whereas a search for a used 86 only yielded
two units--a 2013 and a 2016 model.
We also searched through another site where we found
six ND MX-5s for sale--three soft-tops and three RFs--and
32 Toyota 86 units ranging from the 2013 to 2018 model year. Oh, there's also
one 2014 25th Anniversary Edition NC MX-5 if you're looking for one, FYI.
So, it seems most owners are still holding on to their MX-5 while the magic or appeal of the Toyota 86 may have waned through the years. And we'd like to note that we intentionally left out the
Subaru BRZ--which is practically the Toyota 86 save for a few minor differences and a different badge--from the search but for the sake of transparency, one portal had eight BR-Zs listed so if we had lumped it together with the 86, the number of cars listed for sale would be even higher.
To be fair, both cars are collectibles on their own: the Mazda because it has returned to the roots the very first-gen NA MX-5 is known for as a lightweight roadster runabout; and the Toyota because it's an homage to the original AE86--never mind that it isn't based on the same platform as the Corolla like the OG 86 if you're after authenticity--and was a return to sporting form by Toyota after the demise of the Toyota MR-S in 2007.
In the end, it's really a matter of preference to the buyer: an impractical but relatively affordable two-seater convertible or a more practical 2+2 hardtop coupe. Regardless of your choice, coupled with a temperance of expectation, and you will be rewarded with a rewarding, fun-to-drive car.
