May 1 - we are selling this car. Why? Because I don't like it. It is very noisy and just too small for me. We also have learned that it can't be towed behind a class A vehicle. Still if you want an affordable sports car then you can overlook what I don't like.

Back in October, 2004 I test drove a 2004 Mazdaspeed. I have been comparing the Miata with various BMW convertibles. One of my constraints is that it has to be automatic (as you grimace I know). I test drove the 2003 BMW Z4 (standard) and was going to test drive the 2002 BMW Z3 (plastic back window) but never got there because we bought the 2004 Mazda MX-5 Miata! Please note: I do not test drive to review cars; I am not a salesperson, mechanic or expert. I am the average layperson reviewing my new car.

The features

I had done my homework. One review on epinions gave the car a high rating. In addition Consumer Reports gives the 2004 Mazda MX-5 Miata a recommend.

My car had a sticker price of $24,433. It is a 4 speed automatic with a 142 horsepower, 16 valve, and 1.8 liter 4 cylinder engine. This car has rear wheel drive. If I were to drive it in any kind of snow here in Massachusetts I would have to buy snow tires. Even then I would not be able to drive it in more than a dusting. We now have three cars so that will not be necessary.

Some of the standard features in this car are a clock; radio and CD player with two extra built-in speakers. It has a manual convertible roof which with two easy to lift up levels inside allows me to put the top down from inside. It comes with air conditioning. I will go into more features during my review.

If you have never driven a true sports car you might want to because they are so small you will wonder how you will fit in. The ground clearance is 4 inches. The length is 155.3 inches and the car is 48.4 inches high. The car is 66 inches wide. In spite of the small cabin we do fit!

Inside:

The salesman is 6 foot 3 inches and he fits in the MX-5 though it is not the car I would choose for him. My husband is 5 feet 10 inches tall. He cannot stretch out his legs on the passenger side. For whatever reason he felt as if he had more room on the driver’s side. In both cases I think Hanna (Our Pomeranian) will be able to sit on both of us at the same time and she is a tiny 6 pound dog.

The specifications on the inside include 37.1 inches of headroom; 42.8 inches of legroom and 49.7 inches of shoulder room. There is no doubt about it this is a small cabin. A large person would not be comfortable in this Miata. We would travel long distances (long being to New York for the weekend) assuming we did not need much luggage. We would not travel cross country in it.

I am delighted with the trunk. We also looked at the Toyota MR2 Spyder whose trunk would not even hold a gym bag. The luggage capacity is 5.1 cubic feet. It will hold two sets of golf clubs side by side.

I am impressed with the inside of this little car. Unlike others, behind the seats (obviously I will not say front or back since there are only two) there is a decent space where my pocket book fits in perfectly. Note this is lost when the top is down. There is 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 compartment as well as cup holders built into the console. The dashboard is a bit different. The gages are white which I had never seen. This is neither a pro nor con; it is just different.

Ours has cloth seats rather than leather. They feel like suede though and are very comfortable to sit in. The sides are slightly contoured up. Perhaps that contributes to the comfort of the seats. I can tell in a much shorter time than I had driving this car if a seat will bother my back. The seats are designed nicely. I can certainly go several hundred miles in it. Obviously they do not go back so napping is not something I will do much of as a passenger.

Another feature I found interesting which I had not seen elsewhere is the Windblocker panel. This is behind the seats and reduces wind turbulence when the top is down.

Outside and other information:

You will get a lot of color choices if you go with the Mazda MX-5. We could have looked at one other in another town that was red but we were happy with the brilliant black. Other colors include black cherry mica, blue mica, classic red, black, white, emerald green, and silver metallic.

The car gets 22 miles to the gallon in the city and 28 on the highway. It has a 12.7 gallon fuel tank capacity.

There are a few options we got. One is the convenience package which we wanted. That includes Tweeter speakers, power door locks, cruise control, and remote keyless entry system.

What we did not need is the chrome fuel-filler door but it is on our car. It is supposed to add a race car touch to the car. This is the door where the gas goes in. Unlike other cars this sits on top of the back of the car. We also did not need the perimeter shock sensor alarm but it is on the car.

Handling:

In my review of the Mazdaspeed I mentioned that I actually did not like the feel of that turbocharged car. Remember not only is this not a Mazdaspeed it is an automatic. My husband and I had different impressions. I obviously wanted to note the pick up. Taking into considering that this is a 4 cylinder automatic transmission I was very happy with the pick up. I have been driving for a long time and have had many cars. This did not disappoint me. It certainly is not super powerful but I found it responsive and it allowed me to push it without feeling any strain.

The four-cylinder engine makes 142 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 125 pound-feet of torque at 5,000 rpm. The engine is perfectly matched to the suspension and steering. What this means is that the car should handle well on roads that are curvy. I took a lengthy test drive. I made sure to turn corners at high speeds. I was impressed with the tight turns it makes and though I did lean a bit more than I used to in my old BMW, I was very satisfied with the turning capability. The salesman told me it has a 50:50 balance. I have read that as well. I finally know what that means. That means there is equal weight on the front of the car as there is on the back of the car which makes for a nice ride.

I also tested the brakes in every way shape and form and they stop on a dime. I cannot remember a car braking so well. Certainly my SUV does not. I made sure to go from lane to lane and found the Miata to have enough power to allow me to do that quickly and without any jerky motion. We have rotaries in Massachusetts (also known as roundabouts). I went around one and had no problem maneuvering my way around, getting into the lane I had to get into in order to get off or picking up speed in order to get in front of someone. The steering is effortless.

The car is noisy. I could hear my husband speaking from outside clearly and certainly got a lot of noise on the road. However the stereo sound is great and it does not get in the way of hearing the radio or normal conversation. With the top down that is another story but you do not buy a convertible for conversation.

I got no sense of being pushed around by wind though I am aware that this is a light car and one I will not drive in 50 mph winds. Unlike the Mazdaspeed that I felt was a bumpy ride the MX-5 was quite comfortable. I imagine this is due to the 4-wheel double-wishbone suspension system however the Mazdaspeed has the same system so I cannot account for the difference in the way they ride.

My husband came back from the test drive concerned that there was no pick up; that it was a 4 cylinder automatic; and that it is the smallest engine we have owned in years. We decided to make an offer we did not think they would take. We held firm at our price and got the car for $18,500.

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?

The car got 4 stars for the driver in a frontal crash and 5 for the passenger. A side crash did not fare as well with 3 stars. Considering its size this is a good crash rating. It has a very low chance of rolling over.

My final thoughts

The Mazda Miata MX-5 is the best selling convertible on Earth. Is that because it is the absolutely best convertible on Earth? Probably not, though I love my car I think it is a combination of getting a great car at an even greater price. We were also considering the Nissan 350 Z and the Honda S2000 both of which would certainly give us more power and pick up; both of which would cost us a lot of money. This is our fun car. It is not for everyone and if you live in a climate where it snows this cannot be your primary vehicle unless you do not have to drive on snowy days!

The car is beautiful. I love the way it looks and though it was tempting to go for a flashier color I think given our ages we made the right choice in trying not to look like we were going through mid life crises (which we probably are doing).

Its predicted reliability has the highest rating given so I am hopeful I will not be spending much time at the dealer’s getting it fixed. This rating has held true since 1999.

Additional features and specs that I may or may not have noted are below as are links to sites that will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about a car.

~Turning circle is 30.2 feet
~Tourque is 125 ft-lbs.
~alloy 16 inch rims
~P205/45WR16 tires
~inside mounted temporary spare tire
~intermittent wipers
~rear defogger
~passenger airbag deactivation switch
~emergency interior trunk release
~engine immobilizer
~2 front headrests
~front seatbelt pretensioners
~ventilated front disc/solid rear disc brakes
~front fog/driving lights

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:

How to Buy a Car

2004 Mazdaspeed
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$): 18,500
Condition: New
Model Year: 2004
Model and Options: Automatic