"Zoom, Zoom" icon
gets a retractable hardtop
(This review is representative
of model years 2006 & 2007)
Sixteen years and more than 700,000 sold,
the Mazda Miata reaches iconic status and holds
a place in the Guinness book of records as
the best selling sports car of all time.
Now comes the third-generation iteration that
doesn't share one single trait with its
successful antecedents, including their name. Dropping
the Miata, the roadster is simply known as
the MX-5, aligning this model with other Mazda
products that use alphanumeric nomenclature. Confusingly,
however, Mazda will still use the Miata name
when advertising the car.
What hasn't changed about the spunky
little roadster is that driving it is still
about having fun, and it's better in
every way.
For most, the MX-5 strikes little visual difference
from the previous generation Miata. The
black honeycomb grille still sports a happy
face, but the fenders now flare in an aggressive
fashion similar to its pricier big brother,
the RX-8. The car's aluminum hood
is higher, necessary to pass new pedestrian
crash standards. Gone is the little
hump on the trunk's rear edge; new are
the multi-element clear-cover taillights.
While the overall length has grown less than
an inch and the width only 1.6 inches, Mazda
stretched the wheelbase 2.6 inches. The interior
feels much roomier in a cabin that now has
50 cubic feet of room, up from 46. However,
I didn't detect any additional leg or
head room, so taller drivers will still want
to scratch the MX-5 from their shopping list.
Miata has always had a manually operated folding
top and for 2006 the operation couldn't
be simpler. Without leaving the driver's
seat, simply unhook one latch above the windshield
and the top easily drops straight back into
its folded position behind the headrests and
snaps into place. The forward section
of the Z-fold design forms a hard tonneau boot
cover, eliminating the need to stretch a cover
in place. The folded top does not intrude
into precious trunk space.
New for 2007 is a power-retractable hardtop
model. Mazda says it makes the MX-5 an
all-weather, all-50-state car. The retractable
model costs $24,945, compared with the base
$21,000 MX-5. That has to be the automotive
bargain of the year.
As for the top's operation, it's
as simple as putting the tranny in neutral,
pushing the one-button headliner latch, pushing
a second button and voilá! In a mere
12 seconds the little funster goes from hardtop
to convertible without encroaching on even
an inch of valuable trunk space. Another 12-seconds
reverses the process.
Other changes for 2007 include an auto-down
feature for the passenger window and two new
exterior colors, Stormy blue and Highland green.
The interior- let's call it a cockpit-
while small, is attractive, well laid out and
feels just right for the car. The instrument
clusters are straightforward with white numerals
and red needles on black-faced gauges.
The dash in my tester was a monochromatic
finished in shiny piano black graphite with
matte silver accents on gauge trim, door handles,
the three spoke steering wheel, shift knob
and console, air vents and the back-of-the-seat
headrest roll bars. Our upscale Grand
Touring edition tester came with standard leather
upholstery. Cloth seats are standard
on the entry-level Club Spec model.
All controls are simple and easy to use with
twist knobs for the audio, heating/air-conditioning
systems and redundant radio and cruise control
buttons located on the steering wheel. Power
window switches are located on the console
between the manually operated seats. There
are cup holders built into the doors. I
liked the lockable console bin between the
seats.
The MX-5 is available in six trim levels with
the stripped down Club Spec starting at $20,995
including $560 destination charge. This
is a very basic model that comes with a 5-speed
manual transmission instead of the 6-speed.
It has a cloth interior and is not available
with air conditioning or cruise control.
The next in line is the Base at about $1,000
more. It adds air conditioning but no options
are available for this model.
Standard equipment is added exponentially
as trim level and price increases to the Touring,
Sport, Grand Touring and the small run of 3rd
Generation Limited models. Only 3,500 will
be available worldwide of the Limited models,
identified by a numbered plate on the center
console, a special Velocity Red Mica exterior
paint finish and red leather seats (black optional). We
tested the Grand Touring with a seven-speaker
Bose audio system, optional $500 Bilstein shock
absorbers and fancier interior.
Miatas are known for excellent gas mileage,
precise handling, responsive steering and excellent
balance from its perfect 50/50 front to rear
weight ratio. On fast curves the car
handles with aplomb when pushed hard, cornering
flat, confidently. The ride might
be too firm as a daily driver for some.
You still have to shift a lot, but that's
the fun of driving a roadster. The six-speed
manual is world class with shift throws merely
a flick of the wrist. I can't imagine
anyone opting for the $1100 six-speed automatic
that comes with steering wheel paddles to override
the computer system.
Horsepower has been upped to 170 in the new
2.0-liter inline 4 cylinder. It drops
to 166 with the automatic. Zero to 60
takes just over seven seconds. Don't
confuse the MX-5 as a racer's car. It
isn't. While it's just as
happy cruising at 70 as it is darting in and
out of city traffic, the MX5 is about the top-down
joy of driving.
Side airbags are now standard and have been
incorporated into the seat backs. Front
airbags, anti-lock brakes with electronic brake
force distribution, yaw and traction control
are now all standard. There is no crash
test data for the MX-5.
Having been the standard for affordably priced
top down fun in a two-seat sports car, the ever-popular
Miata now faces a serious challenge from the
likes of a sold-out-for-2006 Pontiac Solstice
and soon-to-be-introduced Saturn Skye, both in
the same size and price class. That said,
the new Miata - oops-MX-5 - is
better than ever with much to like and very few
faults.
