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Mazda and Lexus crowned with KBB 5-Year Cost To Own awards

We report on a lot of awards, some of which are given out based on more solid criteria than others. This one, the Kelley Blue Book 5-Year Cost to Own awards, seems like one that new car shoppers should pay attention to.
The cost of a car goes far beyond what you pay for the actual metal, leather and rubber at the point of purchase. Fuel, insurance, maintenance and repair costs, and the cost of fees from the state and financing will all weigh on your wallet while you own the car. That's not even taking into account the biggest cost: depreciation, or the amount of money you lose based on what your car is worth years from now versus the day you bought it.
KBB tracks these sorts of things, and they've compiled a list of winners for 2013 models. On the brand level, Mazda and Lexus earn the 5-Year Cost to Own award for having the lowest overall projected five-year totals (though, curiously, we note that Mazda and Lexus each had only one segment winner). There are lots of winners for all the various segments, so we'll just pick out a few surprising ones to share and you can view the rest here.

eBay Find of the Day: 1990 Mazda Miata with just 27 original miles

Some cars have low mileage, and others have close to no miles at all. This 1990 Mazda Miata, currently listed on eBay Motors and located in Kingman, Arizona, falls into the latter category with only 27 miles on the odometer, according to the seller. But we have to wonder: how did one of the best-driving, most influential sports cars of the past two decades sit without being driven for 24 years? Consider it the seller's loss on this one.
The seller says he bought the car with 20 miles on it, and explains 6.9 miles were added when the car was towed home on a car dolly. It was never registered. Furthermore, the seller says the car didn't come with a set of keys, so he had to have a set made. Though the paint is clean and shiny, the Miata didn't escape minor cosmetic damage over the years, with scratches on the hood, the trunk and the factory hardtop that is included with the car. The front, right fender has a small dent as well, which can be seen in a picture. The seller says the car was stored in a building with windows, so the paint is faded a bit in some places. It's missing its antenna and the battery, and the only non-original parts on the car are the windshield wipers. The clear-title car comes with all paperwork, according to the seller, but, besides the owners manual, he didn't specify what other documentation would be included.
With bidding currently at $10,300 and the reserve not met, this Miata definitely isn't the deal of the century, and we have to question where the value is in this one. The way we see it, it's hard to justify the money if it can't be driven as-is (come on, no battery?), has questionable history, isn't rare and sat in storage for its whole existence. The "weather cracked" tires are probably just the first rubber parts on the car that need to be replaced before it can be driven, but at least the spark plugs were removed and the cylinders were filled with Marvel Mystery Oil prior to storage, which helps to prevent rust and corrosion from forming in the engine.

Meet our new long-term 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club!

We have a new Miata! For a year! And yeah, we're excited about it. This adorable roadster was added to our fleet over a month ago, but we've just now stopped driving it long enough to tell you about it. You can watch our unboxing video for this new long-termer above. (Spoiler alert: The car in the box is a Miata.) Then read a little more about which options and features we chose and why. What we got We chose the mid-line Club model because it's the only way to get the suspension with Bilstein shocks, the limited-slip differential, and a shock-tower brace. Club also includes an appearance package with a front air dam, side sill extensions, a rear bumper skirt, and a ip spoiler for the trunk. We chose Ceramic Metallic paint because it's white and silver and awesome all at once. The only option we chose is the Brembo/BBS Package. In addition to the upgraded brake system and 17-inch wheels alluded to by the title, this package adds Mazda's advanced keyless entry – you can unlock the doors and start the car without taking the key-thing out of your pocket. The MSRP for the car is $32,835. What we skipped The Grand Touring trim (too fancy), the automatic transmission (too few pedals), and extra-cost red paint (not ceramic enough). Grand Touring adds lots of convenience stuff like rain-sensing wipers and auto climate, some active safety systems, and leather. We wanted the upgraded chassis instead, and we' were trying to save some (hypothetical) money. Why we got it Because it's a Miata, and we like fun. The plan is to drive the bleep out of it for a year and report on the experience along the way. We'll take it to a track or two, keep the top down as far into winter as possible, and then slap some snow tires on it to continue . Maybe at a slight angle relative to straight-ahead at times. We'll see. If you have questions about this car, leave them in the comments below and we'll address as many as we can during the coming months. Miata! Related Video: