It very much depends on the model, I reckon. I've driven... three Mk1 MX-5s now, and four BMWs, all of which were E36 Compacts. The best steering of all of them was the top-spec 318ti Sport that I drove, which had wider tyres and sport suspension settings. The weighting and feel were perfect. The MX-5s are all about the same as the other Compacts I drove for feel, and the Mazda has slightly lighter steering than the BMWs seem to, though this could be something to do with weighing 200-300kg (or more...) less.
Yes, the exact model BMW vs. exact model Miata would certainly make it more complicated. But let's not lose the context my original remark was in response to: the notion that all Miatas have better "feel" than most BMWs. That simply hasn't been my experience and I've pretty much driven all of them, with a few exceptions.
Here in the states, we got a model called the Miata R, which was available from '94 on. The car had Bilstein sport shocks, an LSD and no power steering. I had one drive in the car, which belong to a friend and was prepped for autocross and was also riding on R comp tires. It had *excellent* steering. Much better than the power assist racks. But alas the vast majority of Miatas out there are not Rs, and the lack of power steering is likely a big turn off for, um, certain buyers.
Would I put a '94 Miata R above an E36 M3? Honestly, I'm not sure. It was only 1 drive and it was on cold R-comps and more than 10 years ago.
I've driven a 318ti, but it was not a Sport. It's steering and handling in general was underwhelming. The E36 Compact had the same front end as other E36s. Which is to say very good and certainly better than it's direct competition, but not stellar.
The M3, on the other hand, had it's own steering rack(s), lower control arms, bushings, as well the typical spring and shock upgrades. The sway bars were also attached to the strut on the M3, versus the lower control arm as on non-Ms. It's basically a different animal --much sharper, precise and direct than non-Ms, even those with the sport package. The E36 M3 was considered for years here in the US as a steering and handling benchmark.
From what I've gathered from trawling the internet, the Mazda is at it's best on the standard-size 14" wheels and 185/60 R14 tyres. Mine wears 195/50 R15s and I'm wanting to change back to standard ones, even if it sacrifices a little grip. What it will do is reduce this:
Fair enough; our car had 15 inchers with the same rolling stock as you have. But I think even the "base" wheels/tire combo car was not as good as the M3.
...which 95% of the time will be more beneficial.
Could you rephrase this comment a little? I'm not sure if you mean that 95% of NVH is beneficial?
The MX5's steering definitely improves at speed though.
It does get better at speed. And it loads up in a natural way. But I never thought it had the level of granularity and detail that my M3 rack had.
If you compare like for like though (i.e. an earlier MX-5 to an early Z3, say) the Mazda seems to be better on the "feel" side of things if you go by virtually any review out there. I've not sampled a Z3 myself to determine whether this is the case, though had I had the money, a Z3 would have been high on my shopping list.
Well, if I were to compare our '96 Miata 1.8 to a '96 Z3 1.8 and try to keep the comparison to steering alone, I would probably side with the Miata. If I were to compare the entire spectrum of handling, then I would definately go with the Miata. I think the 1.8 Z3 is very ho-hum dynamics wise.
I think you made a much better choice with the Miata 👍 I know you like the look of Z3, but honestly the car was never up to the task of carrying the "Ultimate Driving Machine" moniker.
Does the Miata have better "feel" than the Z3? Yes, probably because it doesn't feel underpowered and over-chassied.
But again, please keep my comment in context --comparing the Miata to the runt of BMW's litter isn't really what I had in mind when I posted my reply. And as I expounded on earlier, "feel" is one of those very subjective things that very few people seem to agree on.
I do think that a lot of what many people consider "feel" is simply NVH. I think one of the things BMW does very well is filter out the unimportant stuff, while leaving in the things I really want.
M
Even in my complete abhorence to Paddle-shifting I wouldn't go that far. HOWEVER: It does turn an absolute moron into a superstar the easiest. Think about it: Even if he missed the shift for about a second or so, either the car's computer will pick it up and shift for self-preservation, or he remembers to hit the button, the shift happens .03 a second later, and he's back in it. It takes less skill to go as fast, which is something I have no respect for. 
