"Maybe if you rotate it 180-degrees..." my girlfriend suggested in a helpful tone, as I punched the large, wheeled suitcase into the trunk of the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata.
Returning from a quick weekend trip to Portland, we landed at LAX to find the small, off-white sports car awaiting us. Unaware for the nanoscale size of the Miata, she packed a bag nearly the size the the all-new Japanese roadster's trunk.
Eventually, thanks to her ingenious rotation suggestion, much swearing and a bit of elbow grease, we got her bag — and only her bag — in the trunk (my bag rode shotgun with her) and we headed home.
I'd like to report that this battle for space was not indicative of my time with the MX-5. Sadly, it was. At over six-foot-four-inches tall, I was never quite comfortable in the minuscule Mazda. But I won't let that cloud my judgement too much.
IMAGE: MAZDA
Mulholland drive
To juxtapose my discomfort and displeasure with the 2016 Miata, let's revisit the evening I took the car out to Mulholland in the Santa Monica mountains.
Rallying up the hills through dark and deserted switchbacks, the car showed its true colors. Though the engine — which the MX-5 shares with the all-new CX-3 — is an absolute lifeless dog when you’re not pushing it, it comes to life when you pass 3,000 rpm.
Keeping the revs high with the six-speed manual transmission in my righthand palm, I whipped the little convertible back and forth through the slaloming turns with the small steering wheel in my left.
I can tell you, this resulted in much joyous giggling.I can tell you, this resulted in much joyous giggling.
Unsurprisingly, the car felt light in the corners, as it only weighs 2,332 pounds. What did surprise me, however, was its ability to remain planted and on course — even when forced to make evasive maneuvers. You see, it's a lot harder to drive sportily in pitch darkness than in the light (go figure). So there were a couple moments when I had to mash the brake pedal and crank the wheel in order to remain on the road and right side up.
In these instances, where a heavier car might understeer (go straight instead of turn), the Miata reacted eagerly and made quick work of sudden steering inputs. To that end, the Brembo brakes were equally impressive. They absorbed many a hasty stomping without fading or fatigue.
IMAGE: MAZDA
With the wind whipping in my hair, the powerful Bose sound system thumping out a tune from "The Killers," and my right foot pressing the throttle into the carpet, I was a very happy man.
Like the suitcase-punching at LAX, this spirited night drive was not representative of my overall experience with the Miata. After all, I had to live with it for a week.
Live with it
When not forcing large luggage into the trunk or thrashing the car on a mountain highway, the Miata was ... fine.
That's not to say it's not without its fair share of creature comforts. For example, the soft-top was easy to open and close. The suspension was soft over bumps but very flat during cornering — something the Miata has always excelled at. And the infotainment system was easy to use. Heck, callers could even hear me clearly over Bluetooth — even with the top down driving at speed.
I had sacrificed too much to the driving gods.I had sacrificed too much to the driving gods.
The thing looks like a half-size Japanese Jaguar F-TYPE and drives like one, too. I wonder, though, if not having a trunk or much space inside is really worth the trade-off for inexpensive open-top motoring. And I can't believe I'm going to say this: But I don't think it is.
Let's think about it this way: The 2016 MX-5 Miata I drove was the Club model. Although the base unit starts at $24,915, my press demonstrator clocked in at $32,820, as it added an aerodynamics kit, 17-inch wheels, and the aforementioned Brembo brakes.
IMAGE: MAZDA
Granted, this is still very inexpensive for a rip-roaring sports car. Ignore a few of those descriptors, though, and the cost becomes questionable.
For the same money (or less), you can get a well-equipped Subaru WRX that has more horsepower, two more doors, seating for five, all-wheel drive, and a far, far larger trunk. And I dare say it handles as well — if not better — than the Miata.
Sure, the WRX might not be convertible, but all its windows come down, so you're not losing too much of the wind-in-the-hair allure.
Connected car
Despite it being less practical than a Subaru, there is one realm where I see the Miata standing out: As a connected car.
Now, I don't mean "connected" in the technological sense — quite the opposite, actually. As the digitalization of cars ramps up, the connection between driver and the road is eroded. For most, this isn't a bad thing because stripped-down driving is a pain (even for me, mostly).
Where a novice driver might be able to operate the 2016 Audi TTS very quickly on a track or country backroad, their handling prowess can be fully attributed not to their own hand-to-eye coordination but rather to the onboard computer systems (and German magic).
From behind the wheel, you're hardwired to the roadFrom behind the wheel, you're hardwired to the road. There are no supercomputers doing the driving for you. In order to get the best from it, you'll have to personally wring out every bit of performance. Essentially, you'll have to suffer for your artful driving.
Arguably, fewer and fewer people desire this experience from their $30,000 car, as evidenced by the Miata being the only car in its class. I wonder, though, if the market for a stripped-down little two-seater will grow ever so slowly over the next decade, as autonomy takes over.
As new cars — and their drivers — become more and more removed from the driving process, the new Miata is a refreshing if flawed return to being one with the road.
IMAGE: MAZDA
2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata
The Good
Cushy but flat-handling suspension • Micro-Jaguar body lines • Virtually understeer-free
The Bad
Tiny, tiny, tiny
The Bottom Line
Mazda’s new Miata might not offer much occupants space, but it connects them to the road better than anything else for the money.
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