2015 Mazda MX-5 Miata Review

Before we’re able to usher in the next generation of open-top, track-slaying goodness, though, Mazda gave us one last chance to say goodbye to the current “NC” Miata by dropping it off in our driveway for a week. A send off for what has been the best enthusiast car – dollar for dollar – on the market since 2006. Sadly, what will likely be our last encounter with a NC Miata involved no track time or twisty South California roads, but it did come during a week of perfect Florida winter that provided plenty of top-down weather and lots of wide-open-throttle enjoyment.

Currently celebrating its 25th birthday, the Mazda Miata hasn’t really changed all that much since 1989. It is still a small, open-top two-seat roadster that can be used interchangeably as a tossable track car or a daily driver. Right off the showroom floor, the Mazda Miata can go out onto just about any road course and embarrass cars that cost more and have extra power, and it does so relying on an almost evenly balanced weight distribution and perfectly tuned suspension. Balance is what the Miata does best.

Tipping the scales in at 2,511 pounds (1,138 kg), the Miata just doesn’t need much power to motivate its mass. As such, the 2.0-liter DOHC inline four-cylinder does an excellent job with an output of 167 hp (125 kW) and 140 lb-ft (190 Nm). Pull out a stop watch and the Miata’s 0-60 is in the mid-six-second range (far from groundbreaking in today’s terms), but being so low to the ground with the top down and the wind in your face renders the heavy acceleration feeling phenomenal.

One key area where we are looking forward to the next Miata is fuel economy. The 2015 model year comes with EPA estimates of 21 mpg city, 28 mpg highway and 24 mpg in combined driving. Short gearing ends up with sixth gear coming at about 45 mph, which resulted in a pretty impressive in-town fuel economy for us at just under 22 mpg city, but we also noticed that the gearing can also bring excessive shifts in stop-and-go driving. On the highway, there’s no doubt the Miata is capable of hitting its 28-mpg estimate, but with the wide-open road ahead of us, the top down and the sun out, we were a little more enthusiastic on the throttle returning closer to 26 mpg highway. In an age when the Porsche 911 and Chevrolet Corvette also have fuel economy estimates in this vicinity, there’s no reason to see why the next-gen Miata won’t be able to hit highway numbers well into the 30-mpg range.

If there’s one word that could describe driving the Miata, it would be direct. Every aspect of the Miata is the perfect marriage of car and driver. The seats might not be the most advanced or the most comfortable, but they are supportive and give a good feel of the road. The 2015 MX-5 Miata still uses hydraulic power steering, so feedback is plentiful and the overall steering is very responsive. The same can also be said for the Miata’s brakes. Even though the brake rotors are small (just 11.4 inches up front and 11 inches at the rear), the Mazda Miata is definitely built for the track with brakes that can stop this car in surprisingly short order.

Perhaps the most direct thing about the Miata is its transmission. The Miata also offers a five-speed manual and a six-speed automatic, but the six-speed manual is by far the best way to go. As equipped on our Grand Touring tester, this six-speed gearbox has a short throw and excellent gates. Save for maybe the Honda Civic Si, the Miata’s six-speed might be one of the most entertaining transmissions to shift among affordable sports cars.

As awesome as this transmission is, the clutch is still light enough that it works just fine as an everyday driver. There is some delay in the clutch engagement, but knowing that many Miata drivers split time at the track and on the street, we’re sure Mazda doesn’t get too many complaints about this.

There aren’t many fun twisting sections of tarmac in Florida, but that didn’t stop us from bombing around along the back roads with the top down and a huge smile on our face. This starts with the low seating position, which might be more like a go-kart than any of today’s cars, with your butt sitting just inches above the asphalt. Combine that with the low beltline and the small windshield frame, and the Miata continues to offer one of the best open-air experiences short of a motorcycle.

Of course, there’s also a reason why the Miata is also so popular amongst road racers. The balanced weight distribution is a great start, and Miata tops that off with a perfectly tuned chassis. All Miata Grand Touring trim levels come standard with the Suspension Package that brings a sport-tuned setup with Bilstein shocks and a limited slip differential, but even so, the Miata doesn’t beat you up while you’re driving. Despite its short wheelbase and low-slung, sport suspension, the 2015 Mazda Miata feels just as confident carving up corners as it does on a leisurely drive to run errands. We can only hope the next-gen Miata exhibits the same dual-purpose traits.

After doing away with the overtly smiley face found on the early third-gen Miatas, the current car looks about as athletic as this model can get, but the 2016 Miata is going to be a stark departure in terms of styling bringing a breath of fresh air to the sports car segment. As much as we tend to like the new KODO-inspired Miata, we’re definitely going to miss the current car’s widely flared fender arches, oval taillights and rounded rump.

Filling in the wheel wells were 17-inch aluminum V-spoke wheels wrapped in Bridgestone high-performance summer tires, but the most eye-catching visual cue that stood out on this car was its convertible top. True to form (and a fitting model with which to bid farewell to the Miata), this tester was equipped with the manually operated soft cloth top dressed up in Spicy Mocha, which perfectly accented the Meteor Gray paint job. The manual cloth top is hassle free in that it can be raised and lowered with one hand and done so while seated in the driver’s seat. Release the latch at the top of the windshield header, and you can practically throw the top all the way back. Another latch holds the top in place while folded. Yes, the optional power retractable hard top is cool and all, but it adds weight, cost and takes much longer to close. It might be a viable option in colder areas, but the cloth top does a great job on its own of keeping the interior fairly quiet when it is raised.

The biggest area where the 2015 Mazda Miata shows its age, it is the interior. The cabin design was far from cutting-edge when the NC Miata debuted, and while it is still simple and practical, there is none of the cool tech or gadgets that are found in sporty cars. There’s no navigation system, no push-button start, the cabin is surrounded by hard plastic and the trunk is small. At the same time, it might be a little refreshing that Mazda has kept the Miata’s interior so basic at a time where entry-level compact cars can now come with navigation and fancy backup cameras. The Miata’s backup camera is putting the top down and looking over your shoulder.

Being the Grand Touring, this Miata did come with standard tech included in the Premium Package such as HID headlights, keyless entry and starting, Bluetooth capability. Other than that, the only thing really to write home about in regards to the little roadster's interior is the leather seats and the faux leather on the door panels – both in the same Spicy Mocha as the cloth top. The GT also gets a leather-wrapped parking brake lever, steering wheel and shift knob.

As is the case with any sports car, there are obviously plenty of compromises one must make when driving a Miata. For starters, the trunk offers just 5.3 cubic feet (150 liters) of cargo space, but Mazda has least provided a larger than expected opening meaning you can easily access and use almost all of the available space. You can fit a couple overnight bags back there or several grocery bags or even a large bag of dog food (trust us, we did it!). Interior cargo is decent, however, with a storage compartment between the seats and a good-sized glovebox (both lockable) to keep your stuff safe and secure.

There’s also the issue of the cup holders, which are essentially rendered useless on Miata models equipped with the manual transmission. With anything larger than a pop can in these cup holders, it is difficult to comfortably reach the shifter, but even so, doing so removes the padded arm rest that makes shifting even more of a pleasure. In all honesty, if you really need your Miata to offer you cup holders, you might want to consider opting for the automatic.

It’s still amazing that for the same price as a typical mid-size sedan, you can park a brand-new Mazda Miata in your driveway. Sure, it doesn’t have the practicality of a sedan or crossover, but in the sports car arena, you just can’t argue with a base price of $23,970. Even in the loaded-up Grand Touring trim level, the Miata is still priced reasonably at $30,385. In this market of small, fun cars, perhaps only the Scion FR-S, Fiat 500 Abarth, Ford Fiesta ST and Volkswagen Golf GTI can come close to the level of fun exhibited by the Miata – the Scion can match the Miata’s rear-drive layout while the Fiat comes closest to offering a convertible top with its retracting cloth roof panel. The Miata may not have a Boxer engine, an incredible exhaust note or the added useable space of a hatchback, but it is in a class of its own when it comes to pure driving enjoyment.

Now, it is still possible that Miata drivers will be heckled by the guy driving a coal-rolling Super Duty or shunned by the Corvette and Porsche 911 owners at the track, but few cars can provide this kind of smile-inducing whimsical fun. Besides, anyone who makes fun of and/or knocks the Miata (past or present) has obviously never driven one. As for the future of fun, there is still some time before the fourth-gen (ND) Mazda Miata hits the streets, but things are looking good with a curb weight estimated at closer to 2,200 pounds and newer Skyactiv engines under the hood.

As much fun as it is to look forward to the Miata’s future, our time with this 2015 Mazda MX-5 showed us how much this car still has to offer. After 25 years, the Miata still has what it takes to earn respect and admiration from car enthusiasts around the world. When it comes to the age-old question of “which car would you buy for $100,000?,” the Miata is still at or near the top of our list. New or used, it doesn’t matter, pick up a roadster and then spend the rest of the money you saved on a membership at a country club race track. We can only hope the next-gen Miata will carry that torch.