MAZDA MX-5 MIATA STILL KING OF THE TWISTIES
The 2019 Mazda MX-5 (Miata) is by definition a play-thing, a lifestyle accessory like a bass boat, say, or a hot tub. Cargo capacity is so scarce in the two-seater — there’s room for one friend and a couple of sacks of groceries — that only a true minimalist could use a MX-5 as a daily driver.
But that’s beside the point. Most people buy MX-5s as retirement toys, and the soft-tops are perfect for fall drives in the Tennessee mountains. They are also superb driver’s cars. When one arrives for a test drive, I immediately look at the center stack. A manual transmission earns a fist pump. There’s not much that’s as rewarding as rowing a manual Miata up a twisting mountain road with the top down.
It reminds you that, at some level, driving can be a pure pleasure, not a task. Most modern vehicles are technologypacked appliances that try to mimic the home environment. The Miata, which is available in soft-top and retractable
fastback (RF) versions, is highly recreational.
Mazdas are available locally at Tim Short Mazda at 6015 International Drive. Late this week the dealership had five MX-5 RFs in digital inventory. The MX-5 shares components with the similar Fiat 124 Spider, although the Fiat has a different (read turbocharged) engine.
WHAT IS IT?
The Mazda MX-5 is a two-passenger roadster with a normally aspirated, four-cylinder engine that makes 181 horsepower. It debuted in 1989 — 30 years ago — and is currently in its fourth generation.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Our tester, provided for a one-week test drive by the manufacturer, lists for $33,050, which includes an $895 delivery fee.
THE GOOD
We still prefer the soft top, even though the RF seems to be in greater supply. As always, you can lower the top with one arm motion at a stop light.
THE BAD
It’s not really bad, it’s just a fact. The Miata has next to no storage, which makes traveling a challenge. If you can’t pack for a weekend in a single piece of luggage think twice about taking the MX-5. Also, as I get older it gets harder and harder for me to get in and out of sports cars.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
Part of the allure of the MX-5 is its simple, light, normally aspirated engine. There are 30-year-old Miatas still on the road, and that’s why. Simplicity. Purchase an MX-5 with a manual transmission and you’ll have a friend in the garage for life.
BOTTOM LINE
The Mazda Miata is still the aspirational “fun car” for several generations of Americans. It delivers tons of fun at an affordable price.
Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645. Follow him on Twitter @ TFPCOLUMNIST. Subscribe to his Facebook updates at www.facebook. com/mkennedycolumnist.