[Ecky]

Hey folks, I'm relocating from the US to New Zealand later this year. I'm strongly considering taking my Insight with me, but there may be some... ahem, regulatory hurdles, given that it is left hand drive, and has a fire-breathing 2.4L engine under the hood. It's still more efficient than all but a handful of gasoline vehicles out there. In NZ's mild weather and low speed roads, I'd expect ~50mpg to be realistic.

As a kind of mid-life crisis change, I was considering a Miata, but fuel efficiency is a major concern. I'm pretty inspired by MetroMPG's thread, seeing him able to squeeze out 50mpg+, while also having a convertible (which I miss) and a car that can get sideways or slide around in a parking lot should I choose to burn some fuel irresponsibly. A 2002 Miata in the 'states is rated for an abysmal 23 city / 28 highway. They're geared a bit taller over there. You can also find the later cars with the older 1.6 engine, while they only came with a 1.8 in the 'states.

I'm going to absolutely butcher and mix up units and currencies in an attempt at equivalency, so bear with me. Also assume that my income would be similar in absolute terms both here and there.

The conversion rate is around 1.5 NZD for every 1.0 USD. Current fuel prices are ~$8 US per gallon, or $11.70 NZD per gallon, or $3.10 NZD per liter.

Nissan Leaf - 0.19kWh / km, 0.20NZD per kwh, 0.038 NZD per km
Mazda Miata - at 30mpg (?) 7.8L/100km - $3.10/L - $24.18/100km - 0.242 NZD per km.

At 12k km / year (average for someone there):
Nissan Leaf - $456/year NZD
30mpg Miata - $2901/year
27mpg Miata (2002) - $3107/year
36mpg Miata (2016) - $2417/year
50mpg 250HP Insight - $1740/year

The cost of fueling a Miata may be around 6-7x higher than a Leaf. The cost of fueling the Insight would still be around 4x higher.

Something like a Honda Fit (~45mpg) goes for about $1500-3000 NZD.
My Insight, sold in the states, could likely net me ~$21,000 NZD. That buys a lot of fuel.
Miatas start around $9000 NZD for one in reasonable condition.
A Nissan Leaf could be anywhere from $9000-$20,000 NZD depending on age and miles. I'm wary of an older one due to battery degradation.

Given how expensive fuel is there, and how cheap electricity is, I'm thinking I'd be daft to try to own a gasoline car. My Insight would be less bad. I feel that if there were an electric rear wheel drive convertible at a similar price point, it would be a no-brainer. On the other hand, the quality of life argument for a Miata is compelling - when I had my Del Sol, I drove with the top down nearly every day - but the difference in fuel cost basically buys a used Leaf every 4 years. I could always drop a Honda engine in the Miata and tune it for lean burn, and get an honest 50mpg at a cost of maybe $10,000 NZD plus the car, and have some tire shredding on tap.

I know these are not apples to apples comparisons, but I'm looking for some feedback and outside perspectives.