2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata

From the October 2017 issue

Lust, admiration, appreciation, familiarity, pity, longing, nostalgia, resignation, fear. Mazda Miatas (okay, MX-5 Miatas) have been a part of our lives for so long that, at one time or another, we’ve felt nearly every way about the world’s most familiar roadster.

But we would never say that we felt nurturing of a Miata. Or protective. At least we didn’t until we took delivery of a 2016 MX-5 Miata Club. Maybe it’s the size of the thing—trim and light and infused with a youthful vigor—that pulled out of us the parental instinct. We suppose that the Camaro SS, which we had in the long-term fleet at the same time, also brought out that part of us. But in that case, it was more like being the parents of a teenager with wayward tendencies. The Miata seemed a little more vulnerable, the one that was more likely to get hurt than to hurt others, thanks perhaps to the profusion of SUVs and trucks on our roads.

This despite the best efforts of Mazda’s designers, who decided it was finally time to let go of the retro adorability that has been the car’s hallmark since 1989. The newest Miata still shares the general layout and seating capacity of the old British roadsters that inspired the first one. But where there once were wide-eyed hopeful peepers reminiscent of Bugeye Sprites, there are now fierce little eyes glowering under a low, angry brow. The new car is to old Miatas what the Gremlin is to the Mogwai. And unlike the happy primary colors of the earliest Miatas, this car is offered in white, off-white, gray, and black. Yes, a red is available (for an extra $300) and also a blue on the best-equipped models, but even these colors are moody, as if always reflecting overcast skies.

We chose Ceramic Metallic, a no-cost light gray/dingy white that looks as if it would always be cool to the touch. Combined with dark wheels, our long-termer looked about as sinister as a Miata is ever going to. And though it shares its 155-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder with every other new Miata sold in the United States, our model is probably the best-performing version available. The mid-level Club, which started at $29,420 for 2016, comes with a clutch-type limited-slip differential, a strut-tower brace, and a sportier-than-stock suspension tune that includes Bilstein dampers. Well, Club models come with that equipment provided you order yours with the six-speed manual transmission. You know you should do that, right? The Club also rides on 17-inch dark-painted wheels wearing 205/45R-17 Bridgestone Potenza S001 summer tires.

We specified only two options: The $3400 Brembo/BBS package, which you’ll be shocked to learn brings Brembo front brakes with red-painted calipers and 17-inch BBS wheels in the same dark finish as the standard Club wheels. That package also includes side-sill and rear-apron extensions along with keyless entry. We like the BBS design, and Mazda says each wheel is two pounds lighter than the standard Club unit. The Brembos promise greater fade resistance, and we found none in repeated full-force stops from 70 mph. We also threw in all-season floor mats for $90 because, like all our long-termers, the Miata would suffer through Michigan’s winter, two of them in this case. The total cost came to $32,910.

It’s really the things that come standard on all Miatas, though, that define it. That short-throw shifter, which was a revelation more than 20 years ago, remains a joy to use. Despite a switch to electric power assist, the steering is plenty talkative, if not in comparison with earlier Miatas then at least in comparison with other current cars. The softtop still drops with a wrist toss and can be raised easily with the same arm almost as quickly with only a single shoulder rotation. The car feels balanced and natural in corners with an easy give-and-take of forces and responses. The clutch pedal, shifter, and throttle pedal work together so seamlessly that you sort of forget that they are separate systems. The Miata remains the jet trainer of the sports-car world. Fat, gummy tires and stonking power don’t deliver this sort of driving joy, despite what some makers of sporty cars seem to believe. It’s about usable performance. It’s about flirting with the limits without necessarily flirting with disaster. In a Miata, old or new, the sensation of speed is greater than the actual speed. It’s the inverse of many hyperstable autobahn stormers, which are capable of tremendous stability and are quiet at hideous speeds but at the expense of the experience of speed.

The Miata is not slow, however. Our test numbers were impressive. It made it to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds at the beginning of our loan and added only a tenth of a second at the end. It posted quarter-mile times, beginning and end, of 14.6 seconds. Yes, we hear you: A Honda Civic Type R will crush those times. And that’s true. It’s also true that not all that long ago, a 14-second quarter-mile was a Mustang GT time. Seventy-to-zero-mph braking performance was excellent: 158 feet at the beginning and 162 feet at the end. And the Miata posted 0.88 g on the skidpad at both tests.

It’s telling that in 40,000 miles, not one staffer complained about the level of power. Nor did anyone complain about any other performance aspect of the car. Well, one person whined that the steering effort was too light. A couple of staffers complained about the body roll in the corners, implying that the car was too soft. But the rest of us registered it as feedback, smoothly raising the alarm about an impending loss of traction. We do acknowledge that its body lean is slightly inconsistent with its new, modern visage.

The gripes we did register were fairly predictable for a car so obsessively focused on its fun-to-drive character. The thing is loud, especially on the expressway. Really loud. It makes 90 decibels of racket at wide-open throttle and 80 decibels at a steady 70-mph cruise. Unfortunately, this is not the blare of a wound-up Ferrari engine. There is a lot of wind noise. A lot of road noise. We take our sound-level readings with the top up and found that dropping the top brought some auditory relief by smothering the din with wind rush. It’s like turning up white noise to drown out a nearby leaf blower.

Also, the Miata is—wait for it—small. Not everyone fits. We recommend you try one on for size before committing. When driving the Miata, our largest human looked like a circus bear riding a bicycle. Surely Mazda could have added more sound-deadening materials to the thing. The company could have spec’d a thicker sound-absorbing top. It could have done much to isolate the driver from the noisy bits of the car and from the outside world, but that would have added weight. And because the company didn’t do those things, it brought the car down to an impressively low 2324 pounds.

What we just did in the above paragraph is what most of our staffers did in the Miata’s logbook over the 20 months the car was in our care: Bring up an annoyance (no heated seats or telescoping steering wheel, for example) and then immediately forgive the shortcoming since, most of the time, curing the issue would involve adding weight or complexity that would detract from the core of what a Miata is. Suffice it to say that, while the Miata will deliver a truly excellent 32 mpg in mixed driving, it’s not designed to be a commuter car. To use one as such, especially through the winter, will highlight a few things that might be considered faults in, say, a Honda Civic.

During the coldest parts of winter, the Miata developed a rough idle and the top mechanism squeaked in about 10 different places. And since the top was always up in the winter, the car was loud.

But as a measure of our protectiveness toward the Miata, we sought to make excuses for its foibles as an everyday transportation pod. Instead of “This car sucks in the winter,” one staffer wrote, “This poor car does not deserve a Michigan winter.”

When the Miata visited California, an L.A.-area miscreant kicked out one of its taillights for no apparent reason. The logbook writer went on a furious rant, referring to the perp as a “f*****g s*****g” and questioning his own faith in humanity. And after L.A.’s park-by-touch morons damaged both the front and rear fascias, we felt we should bring the car back to our Michigan home where we would fix it and protect it from such callousness. The Miata was clearly going to have to fail spectacularly for us to give it a negative review and . . . it did not.

In fact, nothing of consequence failed on the thing, at least not of its own accord. We replaced a mass airflow sensor at 20,344 miles under warranty. And on several occasions, we had to reset the tire-pressure-monitoring system (an easy push of a button) when we got erroneous warnings, usually on especially cold days. And, well, that was it. Otherwise, the car ran and drove faultlessly, within the context of its mission. You see, our little guy has heart and personality. And what he does well, he does spectacularly well. So what if he talks loudly?

Rants & Raves

"The Miata is the only modern car to make 70 mph feel fast. I love that." –Eric Tingwall

"This car is 21 years newer than my ’95 Miata, and it earns a drink for preserving its predecessor’s magic." –Alexander Stoklosa

"This gearbox is perfect. It takes a lot of effort to flub a downshift." –Rusty Blackwell

"The bulge for the catalytic converter protrudes into the passenger footwell worse than a ’90s Camaro’s." –Tony Quiroga

"At highway speeds, it’s so loud that dropping the top makes it seem quieter." –Steve Siler

"Everything I would ask for—a telescoping steering wheel and more sound deadening for long trips—would only add weight, so I’m not going to ask for them." —Aaron Robinson

"Feels nicely upscale in the modern Mazda way." –Mike Sutton

"Any more highway trips and I’m investing in hearing protection." –Carolyn Pavia-Rauchman

"Is it too late to do a 100,000-mile test of this car?" –Rusty Blackwell

"Such an easy clutch and shifter. If every 16-year-old learned to drive in a stick-shift Miata, the world would be a better place." –Joseph Capparella

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door convertible

PRICE AS TESTED: $ 32,910 (base price: $29,420)

ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 16-valve Atkinson-capable inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 122 cu in, 1998 cc
Power: 155 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 148 lb-ft @ 4600 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 90.9 in
Length: 154.1 in
Width: 68.3 in Height: 48.8 in
Passenger volume: 49 cu ft
Cargo volume: 5 cu ft
Curb weight: 2324 lb

PERFORMANCE: NEW
Zero to 60 mph: 5.8 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 17.3 sec
Zero to 120 mph: 29.5 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 6.5 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 8.6 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 8.4 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 14.6 sec @ 94 mph
Top speed (drag limited): 132 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 158 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.88 g

PERFORMANCE: 40,000 MILES
Zero to 60 mph: 5.9 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 16.2 sec
Zero to 120 mph: 29.5 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 6.4 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 14.6 sec @ 95 mph
Top speed (drag limited): 132 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 162 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.88 g

C/D FUEL ECONOMY:
Observed: 32 mpg
Unscheduled oil additions: 0 qt

EPA FUEL ECONOMY:
Combined/city/highway: 30/27/34 mpg

WARRANTY:
3 years/36,000 miles bumper to bumper;
5 years/60,000 miles powertrain;
5 years/unlimited miles corrosion protection;
3 years/36,000 miles roadside assistance

We have recently welcomed into our long-term fleet a 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata because, well, of course we did. Why wouldn’t we?

We’ve been enamored of this newest Miata from the moment we first got behind the wheel. But we’ve been enamored of Miatas for a very long time before that. Our parking lot is littered with first- and second-generation cars—some bone stock, others modified for track duty. The older members of our staff remember experiencing the first Miata as the rebirth of the simple, light British sports cars of their youth. The middle-aged among us remember going to the local Mazda dealership when we were in high school at the very end of the ’80s just to gawk at the newly arrived Miatas, resplendent in one or the other primary colors. And the young guys, well, they’ve never known a world without Miatas. It’s those guys, the ones without children, who own our back-lot collection of old Mazda two-seaters.

It should come as no surprise, then, that we ordered a new one at our earliest opportunity. Now it sits in our lot, all evil eyes and flared fenders, looking like the devious gremlin compared with the earlier Miata’s cute and cuddly Mogwai.

The Miata (er, MX-5 Miata) no longer is available in its original, happy primary colors or in the British Racing Green of special-edition Miatas of the past. Instead, it’s offered in gray and black and white. Heck, even the available red and blue paint colors are relatively dark and moody. We chose one of the grayscale options. It’s called Ceramic Metallic. But it’s actually very light gray. It’s like white with attitude. It is, in fact, a little like the color of the Ducati 899 Panigale superbike that passed us as we drove our Miata to the office one morning.

With only 155 horsepower, the Miata obviously is no match for a superbike, but we ordered our little roadster to be as sporty as a stock fourth-generation Miata can get. We started with the Club model, which sits between the base Miata Sport, with its 16-inch wheels, and the relatively luxurious Grand Touring, with its standard leather seats. The Club version, which starts at $29,420, brings a torque-sensing limited-slip differential, a strut-tower brace, and a sportier-than-stock suspension tune that includes Bilstein shocks. Well, the Club version includes those things assuming you choose the six-speed manual transmission, which—come on—of course we did. The Club also brings larger 17-inch wheels finished in gunmetal gray and wrapped with 205/45R-17 Bridgestone Potenza S001 summer tires.

To that we added the $3400 Brembo/BBS package, which includes, well, Brembo front brakes with red-painted calipers, handsome BBS wheels in the same gunmetal finish as the standard Club wheels, side-sill and rear-apron extensions, and, curiously, keyless entry. The Brembos are said to offer better resistance to fade and in our initial instrumented testing we noted exactly no fade. The forged BBS wheels are each about two pounds lighter than the standard 17s, according to Mazda. Because we live in Michigan and will be driving the car through the winter, we also grabbed a set of all-weather floor mats for $90. Total damage: $32,910. That’s less than the average price of a new car in 2015.

All models share the same 2.0-liter engine, making the same 155 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 148 lb-ft of torque at 4600 rpm. All Miatas with manual transmissions share the same gear and final-drive ratios. So it’s not like we built a hellfire-fast Miata. But our 2324-pound car made it to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 14.6 seconds at 94 mph. That’s quick enough for a car that’s not exactly built for drag racing. And despite being down on horsepower compared with the 167-hp, previous-generation car, it’s about a second quicker to 60 mph. The new Miata carries a slightly better weight-to-power ratio (15.0 versus 15.2) compared with the last previous-generation car we tested, thanks to an overall weight reduction of 216 pounds.

With 0.88 g of lateral grip on the skidpad, the Miata won’t be challenging any fat-tired pony cars or sports cars. But the Miata never has been about maximum grip any more than streetlight drag races. It turns in an excellent braking performance, stopping from 70 mph in 158 feet.

It’s a well-rounded performance package. But as ever, the Miata is about how all of those various parameters combine to generate fun. The steering is delectable. The shifter remains one of the better mechanical devices in any automobile. Clutch takeup is progressive and easy. Heel-and-toe downshifts are a breeze. The car just flows in a way that makes you wonder why more cars aren’t like this. It feels like the natural order of things.

We’ll see how natural it feels through the errand running, soul-crushing commuting, and winter nastiness that all of our long-termers must sometimes endure. Will the cranks on staff stop complaining about the car’s body roll? Will we be able to fit anything in that little trunk? We shall see. For now, we’ve only just accumulated enough miles on the car to safely take it testing and be free of the break-in restrictions.

And so the Miata epoch begins, again.

Months in Fleet: 1 month Current Mileage: 1751 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 30 mpg Fuel Tank Size: 11.9 gal Fuel Range: 360 miles
Service: $0 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0
Damage and Destruction: $0

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door convertible

PRICE AS TESTED: $32,910 (base price: $25,735)

ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 16-valve Atkinson-capable inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 122 cu in, 1998 cc
Power: 155 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 148 lb-ft @ 4600 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 90.9 in
Length: 154.1 in
Width: 68.3 in Height: 48.8 in
Passenger volume: 49 cu ft
Cargo volume: 5 cu ft
Curb weight: 2324 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 5.8 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 17.3 sec
Zero to 120 mph: 29.5 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 6.5 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 8.6 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 8.4 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 14.6 sec @ 94 mph
Top speed (drag limited): 129 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 158 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.88 g

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 27/34 mpg
C/D observed: 30 mpg
Unscheduled oil additions: 0 qt

WARRANTY:
3 years/36,000 miles bumper to bumper;
5 years/60,000 miles powertrain;
3 years/36,000 miles roadside assistance

WHAT WE LIKE: The new Mazda Miata is all ate up with charisma, such that only the most dedicated cynic would be immune to its charms. We don’t drive this little car so much as slip into it like silk pajamas. It’s small in the way 1960s roadsters were small, seemingly all four corners reachable by extended arms from the well-appointed cockpit. Thus, the human-machine bond is strong when we hit the road, the car slaloming from corner to apex as if an extension of the limbs, the steering and gearbox sublime in their organically direct operation. And the speed feels real even when it’s not. More than one driver noted that this car makes legal limits fun, no small feat these days. The softtop is so easy to drop from behind the wheel that you’ll do it on a whim even for a five-minute drive, and we’re currently averaging a very thrifty 32 mpg. It’s a car for youth, meaning both the young and those who want to be young again.

WHAT WE DON’T LIKE: Well, it’s small, which means a small trunk, a small gas tank, a passenger footwell crowded by a floor hump where the body is shrink-wrapped over a catalytic converter, and so on. Not everyone fits, either, the sliding seat running into the rear bulkhead just a bit too soon for some staffers. You’ll want to try one on first before buying. The connectedness that makes it such a delight on back roads is proving tiring on freeway excursions, when we just want the wind and road noise to go away. With winter tires on the car the interior thrum invited headaches. Some drivers say the suspension is too soft in twisties, allowing more body roll than they’d like. Others say the stiffer Club version that we have is not soft enough for highway work, where the poor Miata can get body-slammed by frost heaves. In the end, though, everything we would add to the Miata, from a telescoping steering column to more sound insulation, would only increase weight.

WHAT WENT WRONG: Los Angeles, that’s what. With just over 5000 miles showing on the odometer, the Miata made the trip to L.A. for a five-month, circa-9000-mile stay. There, Angeleno parkers used it as a punching bag, driving into both the front and rear of the car and doing mild body damage. Then some lowlife kicked out the circular section of the right taillight while the car was legally parked at a metered spot in Culver City, where The Wizard of Oz was filmed in 1938 and 1939. We say “kicked” because the only clue in the heinous crime was some black impact streaks on the bumper that looked suspiciously like they were from a Dr. Martens heel. Alas, it’s all conjecture until the perpetrator, described eloquently in the car’s logbook as a “f--king s--tbag,” is caught. We’re told CSI: Culver City is on the case. The replacement cluster cost $269.25 and was easily installed by our own selves, the black marks coming off with rubbing compound. The other damage wasn’t so cheap to fix—we paid the body shop $2353 to repair and refinish both bumpers and a front fender.

WHERE WE WENT: Two trips across the U.S. took the Miata to places as far flung as Mesquite, Nevada and Tucumcari, New Mexico. In between it roamed up and down the California coast, top down and open to the Pacific breezes, doing what it does best.

Months in Fleet: 11 months Current Mileage: 17,475 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 32 mpg Fuel Tank Size: 11.9 gal Fuel Range: 380 miles Service: $207 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0 Damage and Destruction: $2622

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door convertible

PRICE AS TESTED: $32,910 (base price: $25,735)

ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 16-valve Atkinson-capable inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 122 cu in, 1998 cc
Power: 155 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 148 lb-ft @ 4600 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 90.9 in
Length: 154.1 in
Width: 68.3 in Height: 48.8 in
Passenger volume: 49 cu ft
Cargo volume: 5 cu ft
Curb weight: 2324 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 5.8 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 17.3 sec
Zero to 120 mph: 29.5 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 6.5 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 8.6 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 8.4 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 14.6 sec @ 94 mph
Top speed (drag limited): 129 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 158 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.88 g

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 27/34 mpg
C/D observed: 32 mpg
Unscheduled oil additions: 0 qt

WARRANTY:
3 years/36,000 miles bumper to bumper;
5 years/60,000 miles powertrain;
3 years/36,000 miles roadside assistance

WHAT WE LIKE: What we like best about the MX-5 Miata is the MX-5 Miata. Oh, there have been quibbles. We are, after all, professional quibblers. But the Miata embodies such clarity of purpose, and so compellingly delivers on its promise of being simply a fun car to drive, that our logbook notes have fallen into a predictable template. “The Miata [some trivial concern], but the car is so satisfying, I just don’t care.” The light clutch pedal, short shift throws, and perfectly modulated braking response turn this car into the equivalent of a trainer jet for advanced driver training. There are many faster sports cars and many cars with more power—most of them, in fact—but there aren’t many things as well realized as a Miata.

WHAT WE DON’T LIKE: We do not like that our Miata is now back on a set of Bridgestone Blizzaks in preparation for the trials of another upper-Midwest winter. Nothing wrong with the Blizzaks, mind you. It’s just that sometimes, when we look out our office window and see crisp blue sky, we can fool ourselves into imagining there’s time left in the season for one more top-down romp with our old friend. Spying the aggressive siping on the winter tires stops cold that particular idyll. Other minor, but oft-noted, objectionable traits include excessive road noise on the expressway, cramped interior quarters for our larger staffers or for long-legged passengers, and the lack of a telescoping steering wheel. As noted above, though, all of these complaints are quickly followed by acknowledgement that to remedy these concerns, which would be considered failings in the regular-car realm, would require adding unnecessary weight and would detract from what is actually an almost perfect thing.

WHAT WENT WRONG: Once safely away from touch-parking Angelenos, not much of anything has gone wrong with our Miata. A check-engine warning light was traced to a bum mass-airflow sensor, which was replaced under warranty at our 20,000-mile service. We paid $94.99 for that visit, which included an oil change, inspections, and a tire rotation. The car’s computer requested the 30,000-mile service a bit early. We paid $74.02 for the oil and filter change and inspection at 28,810 miles.

WHERE WE WENT: Our little bisque-colored Miata has stayed close to home since returning from California. We drove to Holland once recently. But as it turns out, Holland is in Michigan. We’ve also discovered that more than one staffer has been visiting Indiana, for reasons that are not entirely clear. Otherwise, the Miata has served admirably and efficiently as a commuter and short-squirt joy rider.

Months in Fleet: 14 months Current Mileage: 28,928 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 32 mpg Fuel Tank Size: 11.9 gal Fuel Range: 380 miles
Service: $376 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0
Damage and Destruction: $2622

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door convertible

PRICE AS TESTED: $32,910 (base price: $25,735)

ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 16-valve Atkinson-capable inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 122 cu in, 1998 cc
Power: 155 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 148 lb-ft @ 4600 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 90.9 in
Length: 154.1 in
Width: 68.3 in Height: 48.8 in
Passenger volume: 49 cu ft
Cargo volume: 5 cu ft
Curb weight: 2324 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 5.8 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 17.3 sec
Zero to 120 mph: 29.5 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 6.5 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 8.6 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 8.4 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 14.6 sec @ 94 mph
Top speed (drag limited): 129 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 158 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.88 g

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 27/34 mpg
C/D observed: 32 mpg
Unscheduled oil additions: 0 qt

WARRANTY:
3 years/36,000 miles bumper to bumper;
5 years/60,000 miles powertrain;
3 years/36,000 miles roadside assistance

WHAT WE LIKE: They say you shouldn’t mix drugs, but we’ve found great success with the practice. Our most recent concoction is one of our best. Take one 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata and a liberal helping of spring sunshine, and the result is way better than whatever prescription you’re on (Joybutrin, Awesomox, etc.). And that is what we like best about the Miata, which is near to finishing its 40,000-mile test. Everyone and everything in the upper Midwest suffers from the multimonth dirge that is winter. That includes the Miata, which developed a sad shiver at idle during particularly cold months. The cold also gave rise to a chorus of squeaks from the car’s top. But let’s not dwell on such things. The shiver has subsided. The squeaks have largely disappeared. The sun is out. The plants are giddily spewing their powdery gametes all over everything. It’s a time of love and happiness. It is Miata time.

WHAT WE DON’T LIKE: Winter.

WHAT WENT WRONG: We got a few erroneous tire-pressure warnings while the Miata wore its Bridgestone Blizzak winter tires. Each time, we’d stop, check the pressures (which were always fine), then reset the tire-pressure monitoring system, and all would be well. For a while, anyway. It was inconvenient, particularly when outside temperatures hovered around frostbite territory, but at least it was easy to reset.

We took the little guy into the dealer for an oil change and inspections when its service light came on. Oddly, that happened only about 5000 miles after our previous service, which included an oil change. The mileage intervals between earlier oil changes were 10,000 and 8500 miles. In winter, the car did fewer long-distance drives and more short hops, so perhaps that explains the shorter interval. Regardless, the most recent service was entirely routine and cost all of $88.

WHERE WE WENT: We’ve kept our little runabout on a fairly short leash since our last update. It took us to family get-togethers in Indiana, Ohio, western Michigan, and way up north to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where the Miata was mistaken for an unusually pale pasty and almost eaten.

Months in Fleet: 20 months Current Mileage: 37,428 miles Average Fuel Economy: 32 mpg Fuel Tank Size: 11.9 gal Fuel Range: 380 miles
Service: $464 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0
Damage and Destruction: $2622

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door convertible

PRICE AS TESTED: $32,910 (base price: $25,735)

ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 16-valve Atkinson-capable inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 122 cu in, 1998 cc
Power: 155 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 148 lb-ft @ 4600 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 90.9 in
Length: 154.1 in
Width: 68.3 in Height: 48.8 in
Passenger volume: 49 cu ft
Cargo volume: 5 cu ft
Curb weight: 2324 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 5.8 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 17.3 sec
Zero to 120 mph: 29.5 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 6.5 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 8.6 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 8.4 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 14.6 sec @ 94 mph
Top speed (drag limited): 129 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 158 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.88 g

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 27/34 mpg
C/D observed: 32 mpg
Unscheduled oil additions: 0 qt

WARRANTY:
3 years/36,000 miles bumper to bumper;
5 years/60,000 miles powertrain;
3 years/36,000 miles roadside assistance