Mazda MX-5 Miata is big where it counts

Break out the thesaurus. Mazda just launched a redesign of its spry, nimble, lithe, and brisk two-seat MX-5 Miata convertible.

But what is the MX-5, really? Its buyer base seems evenly split between the secretary-and-hairdresser crowd who adores the Miata’s cuteness factor, and the weekend club racers who find the ragtop’s just-right balance of light weight, sufficient power, and crisp handling supremely rewarding.

In an era of cars getting larger with each redesign, it’s heartening to see that Mazda actually made the MX-5 smaller and lighter (by about 200 pounds). One can imagine the triumphant shouts from the R&D studios, “Hiroshi, I shrunk the Miata!”

Among today’s Novocaine-infused “sporty” cars, the Miata retains the essence of old-school ragtops, where you feel like a unified cog unto the machine itself. It might be one of the last intimate driving experiences on the road.

That said, the road feel is a bit less telepathic in the new model—even in our borrowed Club version with sport suspension and Bilstein shocks. The initial turn-in of the steering wheel brings a biting response, but communication from the steering gets a touch vague after that.

Check out 2016 Mazda MX-5 pricing and the quarter century of Miata history.

The Miata rewards drivers who understand the concept of smartly carrying speed through a perfectly carved corner. The 2016 edition actually has less power—a 12-hp reduction to 155 hp—from its new 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. But because peak power comes at lower engine revs, and the gear ratios are perfectly spaced, the Miata feels quicker. Shifts come with a mere flick of a wrist, reminding you of the disappearing joys of driving a manual.