For a daily-driven Miata that sees cold weather, buy the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 Plus. For summer street driving, the Yokohama Advan Fleva V701 is the value pick and fits every Miata from 15 inches up. For autocross and track days, get the Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RZ.
The right answer depends on your wheel size more than your generation. 16- and 17-inch Miatas have plenty of choice. 14-inch cars have almost none.
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How we picked
We only included tires sold in a stock Miata size today, checked on Tire Rack in October 2026. For each one we noted the UTQG treadwear grade, the treadwear warranty and the current price per tire. UTQG is the federal tire grading system, and the treadwear number compares how fast a tire wore on a government test course. Higher means slower wear.
We left out tires that are only sold in odd sizes, and anything on closeout unless we say so.
The picks at a glance
Tire | Best for | Miata sizes sold | UTQG | Treadwear warranty | Price per tire |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 Plus | Daily driver, all year | 195/50R16, 205/50R16, 205/45R16, 205/45R17 | 560 AA A | $158.99–$178.99 | |
Yokohama Advan Fleva V701 | Summer street, value | 195/50R15, 195/50R16, 205/50R16, 205/45R16, 205/45R17 | 300 AA A | $114.72–$166.98 | |
Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02 | Summer street, 16- and 17-inch | 205/45R16, 205/45R17 | 340 AA A | $195.99–$198.99 | |
Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RZ | Autocross and track | 195/50R16, 205/50R16, 205/45R16, 205/45R17 | 200 A A | $242.57–$263.57 | |
Yokohama Advan Neova AD09 | Track and street, more feel | 205/50R16, 205/45R16, 205/45R17 | 200 AA A | $195.99–$220.99 | |
Hankook Ventus R-S4 | Autocross on 15-inch NA and NB | 195/50R15 | 200 AA A | $167.99 | |
Yokohama iceGUARD iG53 | Winter, 16-inch | 195/50R16 | Not graded | $132.98 | |
Vredestein Wintrac Pro+ | Winter, 17-inch | 205/45R17 | Not graded | Not listed | $153.74 |
Prices are Tire Rack's per-tire prices for the sizes listed, checked October 2026. Winter tires don't get a UTQG grade.
What size your Miata takes
Most Miatas run 16- or 17-inch tires. The ND (2016 on) uses 195/50R16 on the Sport and 205/45R17 on the Club, Grand Touring and RF (TireSize.com). The NC (2006–2015) uses 205/50R16 or 205/45R17 depending on trim (AutoPadre).
Older cars vary more. The NA came on 185/60R14, with 185/55R15 and 195/50R15 as options (TireWheelGuide). The NB moved from 14 and 15 inches to 205/45R16 on most 2002–2005 cars, and the 2004–2005 Mazdaspeed used 205/40R17 (TireWheelGuide, AutoPadre).
Check the sticker on your driver's door jamb before you order. Plenty of older Miatas wear aftermarket wheels by now. If you're changing sizes, our tire size calculator shows how the diameter and speedometer reading change, and how to read a tire size explains the code.
14-inch Miatas have a tire problem
If your NA or NB still runs 185/60R14, performance tires are close to gone. When we checked, Tire Rack had no extreme-performance or ultra-high-performance summer tires in that size at all (Tire Rack). You're left with touring all-seasons, a race-only tire and a vintage-style Michelin.
The fix most owners use is a set of 15-inch wheels. In 195/50R15 you can get the Fleva V701 for $114.72 and several 200-treadwear tires. Our guide to wheel offset covers what fits.
Best all-season: Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 Plus
This is the one to buy if the Miata is your only car and you see cold mornings. It has the highest treadwear grade here, 560, and a 50,000-mile treadwear warranty (Tire Rack). It's sold in every 16- and 17-inch Miata size.
The drawback is grip. An all-season compound gives up dry grip to a summer tire, and the car will feel softer on turn-in. It also isn't made in 195/50R15, so 15-inch cars need a different answer. Our piece on all-season vs all-weather tires explains where all-seasons stop working in snow.
Check sizes and prices for the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 Plus at Tire Rack
Best summer value: Yokohama Advan Fleva V701
The Fleva is on the list because it covers every Miata from 15 inches up for less money. It's $114.72 in 195/50R15, $153.44 in 195/50R16 and $166.98 in 205/45R17 (Tire Rack). For the ND Sport's 195/50R16, it was the only ultra-high-performance summer tire Tire Rack had in stock.
The catch is the warranty. Yokohama gives it no treadwear warranty in the US (Tire Rack). Like any summer tire, it isn't for snow or freezing temperatures.
Check sizes and prices for the Yokohama Advan Fleva V701 at Tire Rack
Best summer tire for 17-inch cars: Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02
If you have 205/45R17s and want a stickier summer tire that still lasts, this is it. It's graded 340 and carries a 30,000-mile treadwear warranty at $198.99 a tire, a special price when we checked (Tire Rack). NB owners on 205/45R16 can get it too, at $195.99 (Tire Rack).
The drawback is size. It isn't made in 195/50R16 or 205/50R16, so ND Sport and 16-inch NC owners can't use it (Tire Rack). If you want a Michelin, the Pilot Sport 4 is sold in 205/45ZR17 for $245.77, but Michelin only backs it for 20,000 miles.
Check sizes and prices for the Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02 at Tire Rack
Best for autocross and track: Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RZ
The RE-71RZ is on the list for one reason: it's fast and it's sold in every common Miata size. Bridgestone announced it on December 1, 2025, to replace the RE-71RS (Tire Rack). In Tire Rack's May 2026 test on a BMW M2, it set the fastest single lap and averaged 1:39.59, 0.03 seconds behind the Yokohama A052.
It's been tested on a Miata too. Grassroots Motorsports ran it on an ND at Harris Hill Raceway, where it matched the RE-71RS and Vitour P1 over a lap (GRM). On concrete autocross it beat the Vitour X1 and the Yokohama A052. It also took much longer than the Vitours to wear down to the same tread depth.
The drawbacks are real. It has no treadwear warranty, and its Tire Rack listing says not to drive, store or fit it in near-freezing weather. It starts with just 7/32 inch of tread (Tire Rack specs). Our explainer on 200-treadwear tires covers what that means for street use.
Check sizes and prices for the Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RZ at Tire Rack
Best 200TW for feel: Yokohama Advan Neova AD09
Pick the AD09 if you care how the car talks to you more than the last tenth. In Tire Rack's 2024 extreme-performance test, it was 0.9 seconds off the fastest tire, but the drivers rated its feel and communication highly (Tire Rack). It's also cheaper than the RE-71RZ in 16-inch sizes, at $195.99 in 205/45R16 and $199.99 in 205/50R16.
The drawback for ND Sport owners: it isn't made in 195/50R16. In 205/45R17, the regular price was $220.99, with a closeout version at $145.58.
Check sizes and prices for the Yokohama Advan Neova AD09 at Tire Rack
Best 200TW for 15-inch NA and NB: Hankook Ventus R-S4
On 195/50R15, the R-S4 is a 200-treadwear choice at $167.99 (Tire Rack). It's graded 200 AA A, the top wet traction grade.
It has no treadwear warranty. And in Miata sizes, it's sold only in 195/50R15, so it doesn't help 16- or 17-inch cars.
Check sizes and prices for the Hankook Ventus R-S4 at Tire Rack
Best winter tires
If your Miata sees snow, use dedicated winter tires. For the ND Sport's 195/50R16, Tire Rack had one studless tire in stock, the Yokohama iceGUARD iG53, at $132.98 (Tire Rack). For 205/45R17, the Vredestein Wintrac Pro+ was $153.74 as a performance winter tire (Tire Rack). The Pirelli Winter Cinturato 2 was $233.64 as a studless one (Tire Rack).
The trade-off is wear in warm weather. Our guide to running winter tires year round covers it.
Check sizes and prices for the Yokohama iceGUARD iG53 at Tire Rack
Check sizes and prices for the Vredestein Wintrac Pro+ at Tire Rack
Price vs wear
Grip costs money and tread life. The 200-treadwear tires are the dearest in 205/45R17 and carry no wear warranty. The all-season costs less and lasts longest.
Tire (205/45R17) | UTQG treadwear | Price per tire | Set of four |
|---|---|---|---|
Yokohama Advan A052 | 200 | $287.99 | $1,151.96 |
Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RZ | 200 | $263.57 | $1,054.28 |
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 | 320 | $245.77 | $983.08 |
Yokohama Advan Neova AD09 | 200 | $220.99 | $883.96 |
Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02 | 340 | $198.99 | $795.96 |
Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 Plus | 560 | $171.99 | $687.96 |
Yokohama Advan Fleva V701 | 300 | $166.98 | $667.92 |
Prices from Tire Rack's extreme, max performance, summer and all-season listings. Sets of four exclude fitting. Our guide to how much new tires cost adds fitting and fees.
What to do today
- Read the size off your door-jamb sticker and the tire sidewall. If they differ, decide which you want to run.
- Pick the use first: one all-season set, summer tires plus winters, or a dedicated autocross set.
- Check the exact size on the retailer's page before you buy. Some picks skip a size, like the AD09 in 195/50R16.
- Read the date code on any tire before it's fitted. Our guide to DOT date codes shows how.
- Compare installed prices, not just tire prices. See where to buy tires.
Still deciding between cars? Our Miata vs GR86 comparison covers running costs, and the GR86 and BRZ tire guide covers that car's sizes.
Sources are linked in the text. Main references: Tire Rack, Grassroots Motorsports, TireWheelGuide and AutoPadre.
Featured image: White 2016 ND Mazda MX-5 Miata Right Side by Michael R Perry, CC BY 2.0. Source
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