The story of the MX-5 dates back to 1990 with the late Miata. After making big waves upon its original introduction, the little Mazda went on to become the best-selling roadster in the world. Now a major automotive icon, the MX-5 just got a retractable hardtop for its 18th birthday.
The car's design is just as successful today as it was back then. In fact, the evolution from 1990 is quite a steady one. While the exterior dimensions have increased from one generation to the next, the look remains equally clean and sleek. A vivid example of great fun behind the wheel, this tiny roadster keeps arousing passion in drivers of all ages.
Unfortunately, the MX-5 also has flaws which become irritating with each passing week. Once the thrill of open-top driving is saturated, you quickly realize that you can't even think about going away on vacation... unless you're willing to leave an awful lot of luggage at home.
Access is not easy for everybody. Because the MX-5 sits pretty low and the door opening is narrow, you have to contort your body to take place inside, even when the top is down. Imagine how bad things get when it's up. The slanted A-pillars do not help either -- watch your head! At least the hard top does not take any more trunk space than the regular soft top.
Once on board, however, the driver enjoys a superb seating layout. I really liked the extended driving position and the short, nicely-positioned shifter on the center console. You feel deeply embedded in the MX-5, like in a true sports car. Enhancing this sportiness is a plain dashboard that's not full of distracting instruments and gadgets. This truly is a driver's car -- thank you Mazda.
Premium kart
Very few cars achieve a perfect 50/50 weight distribution. Those that do offer exceptional handling with limited understeer/oversteer and neutral stability. The Mazda MX-5 is one of them and, because it displays so much liveliness, drivers enjoy flawless handling performance.
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| The car's design is just as successful today as it was back then. In fact, the evolution from 1990 is quite a steady one. |
The car's design is just as successful today as it was back then. In fact, the evolution from 1990 is quite a steady one. While the exterior dimensions have increased from one generation to the next, the look remains equally clean and sleek. A vivid example of great fun behind the wheel, this tiny roadster keeps arousing passion in drivers of all ages.
Unfortunately, the MX-5 also has flaws which become irritating with each passing week. Once the thrill of open-top driving is saturated, you quickly realize that you can't even think about going away on vacation... unless you're willing to leave an awful lot of luggage at home.
Access is not easy for everybody. Because the MX-5 sits pretty low and the door opening is narrow, you have to contort your body to take place inside, even when the top is down. Imagine how bad things get when it's up. The slanted A-pillars do not help either -- watch your head! At least the hard top does not take any more trunk space than the regular soft top.
Once on board, however, the driver enjoys a superb seating layout. I really liked the extended driving position and the short, nicely-positioned shifter on the center console. You feel deeply embedded in the MX-5, like in a true sports car. Enhancing this sportiness is a plain dashboard that's not full of distracting instruments and gadgets. This truly is a driver's car -- thank you Mazda.
Premium kart
Very few cars achieve a perfect 50/50 weight distribution. Those that do offer exceptional handling with limited understeer/oversteer and neutral stability. The Mazda MX-5 is one of them and, because it displays so much liveliness, drivers enjoy flawless handling performance.
 |
| At least the hard top does not take any more trunk space than the regular soft top. |