4- 2012 Mazda MX-5
It is difficult for us to think of another affordable roadster that we'd rather have to drive along the Pacific Coast Highway. The MX-5's playful nature made it a pleasure to drive in almost every situation we came across.
Why the 2012 Mazda MX-5 landed in this position can be explained by its buzzy engine that we so enjoyed on the track. At 100 km/h, the 2.0L revs at 2,900 rpm which can become tiresome after a while.
Its cushy suspension fared well in town, but firmer shock tuning would have been appreciated while carving out country roads. Please keep in mind that on its own, the MX-5 is superb; but again, amongst these players, it should have been keener. Again, we wished for a GS with Bilstein shocks.
I feel as though we cannot, and should not, fault the MX-5 for being a roadster because this is one of the reasons why we love it as much as we do. In this test, its accommodations make for less of an ideal daily partner. I'm going to go flog myself in a corner of the office now...
The final nail in this car's tiny coffin in this test comes from its age. The lack of a telescopic steering wheel effects the driving position for some and, at $33,995, the absence of satellite radio and Bluetooth connectivity is nearly unforgivable.
It is difficult for us to think of another affordable roadster that we'd rather have to drive along the Pacific Coast Highway. The MX-5's playful nature made it a pleasure to drive in almost every situation we came across.
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| Photo: Sébastien D'Amour |
Why the 2012 Mazda MX-5 landed in this position can be explained by its buzzy engine that we so enjoyed on the track. At 100 km/h, the 2.0L revs at 2,900 rpm which can become tiresome after a while.
Its cushy suspension fared well in town, but firmer shock tuning would have been appreciated while carving out country roads. Please keep in mind that on its own, the MX-5 is superb; but again, amongst these players, it should have been keener. Again, we wished for a GS with Bilstein shocks.
I feel as though we cannot, and should not, fault the MX-5 for being a roadster because this is one of the reasons why we love it as much as we do. In this test, its accommodations make for less of an ideal daily partner. I'm going to go flog myself in a corner of the office now...
The final nail in this car's tiny coffin in this test comes from its age. The lack of a telescopic steering wheel effects the driving position for some and, at $33,995, the absence of satellite radio and Bluetooth connectivity is nearly unforgivable.
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| Photo: Sébastien D'Amour |