Last May I sold my 1999 BMW 323 with the understanding I would replace it. I test drove the 2004 BMW325i back in the spring but after thinking about it while we were traveling the country this summer I thought a 2 seater would be fun. So I test drove two of them last week. The 2004 Mazdaspeed MX5 Miata was the second test drive of the day! The first one on the same day was a 2003 BMW Z4. I am writing this review as a lay person. I am not a car salesperson, mechanic or expert.

The car’s features:

Before I actually review this car I want to make a note that this is a limited edition. I really went in wanting to test drive a Miata. Just the regular ordinary Miata. He was very anxious to sell me the Mazdaspeed and impressed me with what Consumer Reports has to say about the Mazdaspeed. They give it a recommend and rate it highly unlike the used BMW I test-drove a few hours earlier.

The Mazdaspeed I test drove had a sticker price of close to $26,000. It is a manual (and only available as a manual) with a 1.8 4 cylinder Turbo engine and 6 gears. This was the first time I ever saw let alone drove a car with 6 speeds.

One of my concerns with the small sports cars is driving it in the snow. I was told (by the salesman) that with snow tires this little car handles the snow very well. In fact he challenged me that it would handle the snow as well as my former 1999 BMW (323is) which I have a hard time believing. In any case, like my former car I would buy snow tires and change them for the winter months.

Some of the standard features in this car are a radio with 6 speakers; a 6-disc CD changer, anti-lock brakes, power dual locks and cloth seats. I’ll go into more features during my review.

Inside:

If you have never driven a true sports car you might want to because they are so small you'll wonder how you will fit in. The ground clearance is 4"- snow tires or not I live in Massachusetts; the length is 155.7" and the car is 48" high.

The Mazdaspeed surprised us. My husband (and Hanna our Pomeranian) came with me. (Most unusual I know.) He fit into the car very well at 5 feet 10 inches tall. He couldn’t stretch out his legs but he wasn’t uncomfortable.

The specifications on the inside include 37.1” of headroom; 49.2” of hiproom; 42.8” of legroom and 49.7” of shoulder room.

We went on a lengthy test drive. The salesman was really eager for me to take it on the highway and maneuver it from lane to lane and around corners so I did. That comes later. I was impressed with the inside of this little car. Unlike others, behind the seats (obviously I won’t say front or back since there are only two) there is a decent space where my pocket book fit in perfectly. There was also a net in the back and small pockets on the doors as well as a space on the console for change, etc.

I found a good sized glove box as well as 2 cup holders built into the console. (The reason I note the built in cup holders is because the BMW Z4 I test drove the same day had pop out cup holders.) I also found a digital clock and various warning lights, which I will note, at the bottom of the review.

Outside:

The 2004 Mazaspeed only comes in 2 colors red and gray. Two additional colors will be added I was told for 2005 including orange! It has a manual convertible top. I was put off by that at first until the salesman showed us how easy it is to put it up and down. In fact it can be done from inside the car. The window in the back is glass.

I was delighted to see a “semi-real” trunk. We were told it will hold two sets of golf clubs side by side. I was more concerned with gym bags and groceries. It will certainly hold 2 gym bags and a grocery bag but I wouldn’t count on going to the gym and buying a lot of groceries! It is 5.1 cubic feet.

The car gets 20 miles to the gallon in the city and 26 on the highway. It has a 12.7 gallon fuel tank capacity.

To add to the sports car look this car has a spoiler. I like the spoiler because it makes the car look a little larger (versus the BMW Z4 I test drove that same day). I test drove the gray car but the red one was in the showroom. There’s no doubt that the car is really cute, actually a beautiful looking car. Now for perhaps the most important aspect.

Handling:

I mentioned that the salesman wanted me to really test this car out. He wanted me to pay attention to the ease of shifting. I mentioned to him that I have a shoulder that acts up and I was concerned about the constant motion of a manual. He told me the Mazda would feel very different from the BMW Z4 I test drove that same day. He implied it was so easy that there would be no push and pull. There is some push and pull but I will say that it was less than on the BMW Z4. The car easily glides from various gears though it is not totally effortless.

It is a 178 horsepower turbocharged car that goes from 0 to 60 in 6.5 seconds. What that translated to me as I pulled out of the dealer parking lot onto the street was a car that felt like it was flying. It actually was a bit scary at first so if you aren’t expecting it this is just a bit of a warning. It did calm down though once I was cruising. I then went on the highway and wanted to test out what it could do. The steering is effortless and as I was told I quickly went from lane to lane without any hesitation. I purposely went around curves (I was seriously considering buying this car.) at a fairly fast speed. It hugged the road and didn’t toss my husband or me around.

I was very impressed with its breaking ability. In such a small car I want to feel secure that the car stops on a dime and the Mazdaspeed does. The overall handling is nice. It steers well and feels secure. We were not pushed around from the wind. It hugged the road nicely. I was also surprised at the fairly quiet ride in spite of being so close to the ground and in a convertible. My husband and I talked in normal voices and I didn’t notice any outside noise that was annoying.

There was one part of the test drive that bothered me. My husband commented on it but I noticed it as soon as I hit 4th and certainly 5th gear. The car’s ride was less than smooth. In fact it was downright bumpy – more than I would expect even in a sports car. My husband commented on it particularly because I’m really sensitive to bumpy rides. As a driver it is less problematic than as a passenger. If I felt it as a driver then I knew this was not going to be a car I could travel any distance in without feeling sick!

Warranty:

The basic warranty is 4 years; 50,000 miles. Replacement parts and accessories are covered for 12 months/unlimited miles from installation.

How does it fare in a crash?

I commented to the salesman that I would hate to think about a crash in this little car. He showed me Consumer Reports crash ratings on the Mazdaspeed and they were very good. I was surprised. I checked out www.nhtsa.dot.gov/ncap/cars/2866.html, which corroborated that good report. The car got 4 stars for the driver in a frontal crash and 5 for the passenger. A side crash didn’t fare as well with 3 stars. Considering its size this isn’t a bad crash rating.

My final thoughts

I have read the professional reviews (Car and Driver for example) because I am really serious about buying a 2-door convertible. I seem to be the only one who notices a bumpy ride but we can chalk that up to the nature of the beast- either that or everyone is having too much fun driving it to notice. Every professional review I have read raves about this car.

It is really a beauty and one that handles extremely well. I expected to be looking at a car a few thousand dollars less but if I loved this car, the price tag wouldn’t stop me from buying it. I am concerned about a manual, but that’s my issue. I am also concerned about the rough feel of it at high speeds – again that may just be my issue. The 2005 Mazda Miatas will have an automatic option and I may go back to test drive that one. In the meantime, this is giving the BMW Z4, a run for its money at a lot less.

Remember that this is just a layperson’s opinion.


Feel free to ask a question or leave a comment.

Additional features and specs are below as are links to sites that will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about a car.


~Wheel Base: 89.2 in.
~Maximum Cargo Capacity: 5 cu. ft.
~Braking Distance (60-0 mph): 118.48 ft.
~Base Engine Type: Inline 4
~Max Horsepower: 6000 rpm
~Torque: 166 ft-lbs.
~Max Torque: 4500 rpm
~Drive Type: RWD
~Turning Circle: 30.2 ft.


~Power Engine Speed Sensing Rack and Pinion Variable Assisted Steering
Suspension
~Independent Double Wishbone Front Suspension With Coil Springs and Bilstein(R) Gas Shock Absorbers
~14-mm Rear Stabilizer Bar
~12-Volt Battery With 32-Amp/Hours
~Front Power Outlet Integral With Cigarette Lighter
~Bosch(R) Limited Slip Differential
~Front Power 269-mm Ventilated Disc and Rear Power 277-mm Solid Disc Brakes
~Passenger Airbag Cutoff Switch
~Trunk Anti-Trap Device
~Driver Airbag With Dual Stage Deployment
~Passenger Airbag With Dual Stage Deployment
~Anti-Theft & Locks
~Wheel Locks
~Remote Decklid Release Located Inside Vehicle and On Multi-Function Remote
~Front Halogen Foglights
~Projector Beam Low Beam Halogen Headlights
~Compact Spare Tire
~SBRP205/40R17 80W Toyo Proxes R28 High Performance Tires
~Racing Hart Alloy Wheels, 17-In. X 7-In.

http://www.edmunds.com
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/testing/NCAP/
http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ratings.htm

If you have any questions about this car, feel free to e-mail me.

Other car reviews I have written include:

Toyota 4 Runner
2003 Toyota MR2 Spyder
2003 Ford F150 SuperCrew
2003 BMW325I
2000 Nissan Altima
2001 Chevy Malibu
2002 Chevy Prizm
1998 Dodge Ram Van
1996 Nissan Sentra
2001 Pontiac Sunfire
1999 Toyota Camry
2001 Hyundai Accent
1998 Chevy S-10 Pick Up
1999 BMW 323is
2002 Subaru Impreza
2000 Suzuki Swift
2001 Chevy Metro





Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 26,000
Model Year: 2004
Model and Options: MX5 Mazdaspeed manual convertible