Mazda’s MX-5 isn’t powerful, the body leans on corner turn-in like a blade of saw grass in a stiff breeze and frankly it’s frustratingly expensive.
Despite all of that, I and practically every other member of the automotive media seem to agree that the near-gone third-generation “NC” Miata is more fun than feeding espresso to someone else’s toddler just to watch chaos unfold.
You should probably buy one, but not without careful consideration of these five points.
There’s something romantic about any vehicle engineered for purist driving appeal. The MX-5 falls squarely into that category, but even with that in mind there are some glaring gaps in what it offers that would give me pause were I weighing it against another car in the same price range.
Mazda hasn’t seen fit to adding a USB port despite the general driving public’s great migration to mobile phones that almost exclusively rely on cables with that sort of connection. Yes, you can easily buy an adapter for the 12-volt outlet but that isn’t the point. Universal serial bus connections are a must.
So is a Bluetooth cell phone connection. Again, it’s easy to bridge the gap Mazda left behind with a wireless headset, but do you really want to deal with that? People might think you’ve time traveled from 2005.
With the ponderous NHTSA (National Highway Transportation Safety Administration) talking seriously about mandating rear-view cameras, it’s disappointing that Mazda never added wireless phone connectivity when cars that cost literally half of what the MX-5 does are equipped to help you answer calls safely.
There isn’t much of the old Mazda left and if you’ve been keeping an eye on the stream of new products that seems like a good thing. Sure the current car is great, but it’s probably fair to apply the same guidance to the next MX-5, which is expected to be lighter than the current generation “NC” with improved handling characteristics.
SEE ALSO: 2016 Mazda MX-5 Specs at Our Future Car Page
So far the “SkyActiv” treatment seems to be working wonders. The CX-5 is great and both the Mazda3 and Mazda6 are contenders for best-in-class, so it seems logical to assume the same will go for Mazda’s sports car.
It’s true that Mazda will sell you an MX-5 for $23,720 but the base model is missing components that castrate the car. . . not that it’s well hung in the first place. That’s what I meant earlier by calling the MX-5 frustratingly expensive.
At $28,665 you’re getting a six-speed manual transmission, limited-slip differential and a convertible hard top that all might as well be essential components if you ever plan on visiting a race track. And you really, really should because even for its lack of power and loosey-goosey manners, you’re never going to drive anything quite like it.
I don’t really know what Mazda is going to have under the curtain when it reveals its next roadster next month in Monterey. I’m guessing it’s going to be the 2.0-liter SkyActiv four-cylinder serving as a power source, but I don’t know. It also isn’t clear what Mazda plans to offer at launch. Will there be a hardtop from the get-go? What will the new car cost? Will you like how it drives? Will I?
The future is uncertain, but this I know: the current MX-5 is one of the most fun cars money can buy.
Interested in the 2014 Mazda MX-5? Take a look at our new car buying page. You can see the entire Mazda lineup or jump straight to the Mazda MX-5 Miata Club model we were testing.