I was very close to buying a Miata of the same year, and test drove a couple. But the Fiat sold me. They look almost identical inside, but the driving experience is actually quite different. The Fiat is a little heavier and doesn't feel as squirrely while the Miata is a touch too light and doesn't hold the road as well. Mostly though, the difference is between the 1.4L turbo and the 2L naturally aspirated in the Miata. The Mazda has pretty much straight line torque from low RPMs. The Fiat is comparatively very weak at low RPM and takes more accuracy and skill to hold it at peak performance... but it's a monster when the boost kicks in. The Fiat also has more soundproofing so it's possible to actually hear music... sometimes. Finally, I think just because Fiats are virtually unknown in America, the price tag on a comparable model / miles was about $3k less for the Fiat.