Mazda Miata Owners Barely Drive Their Cars: Study
The
Mazda MX-5 Miata
is the everyman's sports car. It's reliable and practical, and designed to be used every day without huge compromise. Yet, according to the
latest study by
iSeeCars.com
, Miata owners barely drive their cars.
The study analyzed odometer readings from over 1 million three-year-old used cars sold between November 2024 and April 2025, finding that, on average, owners drove 12,307 miles per year. The MX-5 Miata emerged as the least-driven car of the vehicles analyzed, averaging just 5,073 miles per year—less than half the average.
The GMC Hummer EV came in second place, averaging 5,205 miles per year. And in third place was the
MX-5 Miata RF
—the retractable fastback body style—at 5,375 miles per year. Here's the full list of the top 10 least-driven cars, according to iSeeCars.com:
Model
Avg. Miles Driven Per Year
Compared to Avg.
Mazda MX-5 Miata
5,073
0.41x
GMC Hummer EV
5,205
0.42x
Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
5,375
0.44x
Mini Hardtop (2 Door EV)
6,726
0.55x
Mazda MX-30 EV
6,755
0.55x
Mini Convertible
6,929
0.56x
Jeep Grand Cherokee (PHEV)
7,039
0.57x
Ford Mustang
7,142
0.58x
Mini Hardtop (2 Door)
7,781
0.63x
Ford F-150 Lightning
7,877
0.64x
Though the Miata can make for a perfectly acceptable daily driver, we're not surprised to see it at the top. Most people use it as a second or third car, meant only for nice weekend jaunts. That means less seat time throughout the year, when it's cold or rainy. Had iSeeCars analyzed rare or exotic car mileage, we bet this list would be nothing but Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Koenigseggs.
There are also a healthy number of electric cars among the least-driven vehicles in America. That's due to their limited range, according to iSeeCars.
"It's telling that vehicles like the GMC Hummer EV, Mazda MX-30 EV, Ford F-150 Lightning, and Volkswagen ID.4 are among the least driven models," said
iSeeCars
Executive Analyst Karl Brauer. "These are all utility vehicles that should be seeing a lot of use, but their electric drivetrains appear to limit their annual miles."
The list of the most-driven cars in America is exactly what you'd expect: Mostly utilitarian workhorses designed to haul people or cargo.
Model
Avg. Miles Driven Per Year
Compared to Avg.
Chrysler Pacifica
20,882
1.70x
Chrysler Voyager
19,948
1.62x
Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
19,575
1.59x
Chevrolet Malibu
18,762
1.52x
Chevrolet Suburban
18,317
1.49x
Nissan Armada
17,885
1.45x
Ford Mustang Convertible
17,660
1.43x
Ford Expedition Max
17,051
1.39x
GMC Yukon XL
16,926
1.38x
Kia Carnival
16,884
1.37x
Though most of these vehicles are vans and SUVs, cars like the Chevy Malibu and the Mustang convertible can be explained by huge rental usage. "All of these sedans see a certain amount of rental fleet use, which is likely pulling up their annual mileage numbers," says Brauer.
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