Miata

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2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata: One size fits all for iconic roadster

The tall, lanky guy getting into the car parked next to mine contorted his frame into a 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata. I unfolded my body to exit another MX-5, the same year and color. Both vehicle’s rag tops were down. “You’re a tall guy for a small car,” I said during the parking lot exchange. ”Yeah, I’m 6-4, but it’s worth every second of it,” he said, as we both smiled while acknowledging our twin vehicles. Key Takeaways Test car: the top-line Grand Touring with a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine that makes 155 horsepower and a six-speed manual transmission. 0-60 mph in 6.2 seconds, with a curb weight below 2,000 pounds. 27 mpg city and 34 highway on the figures in

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2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata: Top roadster keeps getting better

In April this year, worldwide sales of the Mazda MX-5 Miata surpassed one million since the two-seat roadster debuted in 1989. The 2017 MX-5 Miata continues the tradition of the little sports car that can. The MX-5 Miata was re-designed for 2016, but exterior and interior tweaks for 2017 keep the roadster’s current competitors (including offerings from Nissan, Mini, and BMW) searching for ways to infiltrate the little wonder’s dominance. Key Takeaways Test car: the Grand Touring trim, with a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine making 155 horsepower and a six-speed manual transmission with a short-throw shifter. 0-60 mph in 6.2 seconds. 26 mpg city and 33 highway on EPA estimates for the six-speed manual. Soft top: manually retractable and black, with

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2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata: Lighter, faster, more fun

A guy in a shopping center parking lot looked over at me and said, “Nice car.” He then pointed to his identical 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata parked about 50 feet from my test vehicle. “You’re taller than I am,” I replied. “Is it hard for you to get in and out of the car?” “I’m 6-4 and it is, but it’s worth it,” the guy responded. And so it is for Mazda MX-5 enthusiasts. The best-selling roadster in history has a new generation for 2016 and it’s among the most talked about vehicles in the industry. Key Takeaways Test car: the Club trim with the six-speed manual, a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 155 horsepower and the Brembo/BBS package. $28,600 MSRP and

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2014 Mazda MX-5 Miata Review: Sporty, affordable

The Mazda MX-5 Miata debuted in 1989 as a 1990 model at the Chicago Auto Show, and at an ideal time. Roadsters were particularly en vogue at the time. But Mazda nevertheless introduced the little beast as an affordable two-seat convertible sports car. The rest is automotive history. The Mazda MX-5 or as it’s called only in the North America, the Mazda MX-5 Miata, is the best-selling car of its class globally. More than 900,000 have sold since the most recent international tally at the end of 2011. The name Miata derives from the German word for “reward.” And thus the car’s name also serves as an homage to roadsters of yesteryear like the Triumph Spitfire, MG MGB, Fiat 124,

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2013 Mazda MX-5 Miata Review: World’s top-selling, two-seat roadster

The Mazda MX-5 Miata was a sensation when it arrived as a 1990 model. It was an alluring, reliable copy for only $13,800 of the unreliable-but-respected 1960s-70s Lotus Elan costly low-volume sports car. The 2013 MX-5 Miata, which I tested in new “Club” trim, hasn’t lost the original’s charm. The first Miata quickly won over male auto buffs and replaced the Volkswagen convertible as the most desirable car among female high school and college students. And never mind that this two-seater lacked the Volkswagen’s back seat. The Miata is still very much with us, and is the record-holding top-selling two-seat roadster, with more than 900,000 produced. That means many have had two or three owners by now. Key Takeaways Test

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