Pros: Outstanding balance, excellent handling, quick acceleration, confident braking, great resale, stylish, exclusive, fun, great value
Cons: Claustrophobic with the top up, redline too low, other drivers don't treat you with respect
The Bottom Line: This is a world-class sports car that the average person can afford and maintain. If you like top-down driving in a fun car, the Mazdaspeed MX-5 is hard to beat!
jstand6's Full Review: 2004 Mazda Mazdaspeed MX5 Miata
I bought this car in July of 2004 as a replacement for a Mazda6, which was repurchased by the manufacturer.
2004 Mazdaspeed MX-5
Exterior: Titanium Gray Mica
Interior: Black
Top: Black
Options: Grand Touring Package (Black leather seats with red stitching, black fabric soft top)
MSRP: $26,720
Discount: $800
Rebates: $1,500 General, $1,500 Loyalty ($3,000 total)
The Mazdaspeed MX-5 is the first Miata to be sold in North America with a factory-installed turbocharger and intercooler. It is also only the second Mazda sold here to wear the legendary Mazdaspeed nameplate. Production was limited to just 4,000 cars, which should mean a higher resale value on top of the Miata's already high resale.
The turbocharged 1.8L DOHC 4-cylinder engine produces 178 horsepower and 166 lb-ft of torque. For a car that weighs only 2,540 pounds, this is quite a bit of power. Combine that with a close-ratio 6-speed manual transmission and you can be sure you won't be left behind the pack. In fact, most of the time, you can lead it should you desire.
The suspension has been lowered some compared to a standard Miata. The stiffer springs are painted red, although they are barely visible. Shock absorbers are from Bilstein and are specifically tuned for this car. At the rear there is also a Bosch torque-sensing limited-slip differential, which really helps to harness the extra power when coming out of a curve.
The Mazdaspeed MX-5 also comes with special 17" wheels manufactured by Racing Hart exclusively for this car. These wheels are beautiful yet simple, and they do attract quite a bit of attention. The tires are Toyo Proxes R28, which are also manufactured exclusively for this special Miata. A word to the wise: Keep those standard wheel locks on! I hear these wheels fetch quite a high price on the black market.
There were only two paint colors available for the 2004 Mazdaspeed: Velocity Red Mica and Titanium Gray Mica. The paint application is excellent, with very little orangepeel and a lot of high gloss. I have had a lot of compliments on the paint. As my uncle said, "It looks like glass."
All of the engine, transmission, and drivetrain components have been strengthened to reliably handle the extra power and the likely abuse the car will see (Miata's are very popular in SCCA racing events). In addition to the mechanical upgrades, the car is also fitted with an exclusive front chin spoiler/air dam and rear deck-lid spoiler. Both body add-ons are simple and discrete; a very tasteful design that transforms the car slightly, but doesn't look like it starred in "The Fast and the Furious."
Inside, the car comes standard with a 225-watt 6-speaker Bose sound system with an in-dash 6-disc changer. The system sounds pretty good and it does get loud enough to enjoy the music at freeway speeds with the top down. Those of you with a keen ear probably won't be entirely happy with the sound. However, this Bose system cannot be easily upgraded without switching out both the head unit and speakers. A company called Clearwater does make speakers that will work with the Bose head unit, but any other speaker will not work.
The leather used in the Grand Touring package is of good quality (not as good as Lexus or Mercedes, but better than Lincoln and Cadillac) and the center panels are perforated. This leather also covers the steering wheel, shift knob, and emergency brake handle. All of the leather has red stitching, which looks very nice. Rounding out the interior are Mazdaspeed scuff plates, silver gauges, and aluminum pedals. Overall, the interior is very tasteful, using decent quality materials, and put together nicely. But, cruise control is sorely lacking and it is not an option.
The soft top is a breeze to put up and down, despite not having any power assists. From inside the car, you just fold down the visors, open the two latches, fold the top back, and fold up the visors. It takes about 10 seconds; less if you hurry. Putting the top up is the exact reverse if you have enough upper body strength to lift the top from the driver's seat (I can easily do it, and I despise the gym). Otherwise, you have to get out of the car to put the top up. The only downfall is that the top doesn't look great folded down and the sun can damage the exposed underside of the top. There is a vinyl boot (cover) that snaps into place to cover the folded-down top. If you are quick, it will take less than a minute, but it is annoying at times. To put this boot on and take it off, you must be standing outside the car.
On the road, the Mazdaspeed MX-5 is a blast to drive. Throttle response (the time it takes the engine to react when the gas pedal is moved) is immediate, although there is a little bit of lag before the turbocharger spools and applies the extra power; you can easily learn to work around this. However, once the turbo does spool, you'll definitely know it as the car rushes forward. The downfall to this sudden rush is that the engine speed will reach redline sooner than you expect. Normal Miata's have a 7,000 RPM redline; the Mazdaspeed only goes up to 6,500 RPM. You can tell when an engine needs to be shifted and this 6,500 redline doesn't feel right; it is too early.
The shifter is outstanding... smooth and precise with very short throws. The clutch is easy to operate and driving in bumper to bumper traffic won't kill your left leg unless you're stuck there for hours. An automatic transmission is not available.
The brakes are strong and feel great. They can be pushed hard repeatedly with very little fade. Anti-lock brakes are standard and work very well when activated.
Handling is, let's say, right-now immediate. It feels like all you have to do is think about turning and the car goes. The steering is quick and extremely accurate. The downfall to this is that the car can feel somewhat darty on the freeway. It is not the car's fault. It is actually the driver's very, very slight hand/arm movements that makes the car feel like it doesn't want to go straight. This is something you get used to.
The ride quality is a little firm, but not bad at all considering this car's handling ability. I find the Nissan 350Z to have a much more uncomfortable ride. Noise levels are high though. You can definitely hear the road, wind, and engine, with the top or down. But, this is a sports car. If you are looking for a smooth and quiet ride, you're looking in the wrong segment.
When you list all of the modifications that this car has (over 1,000 changes from the regular Miata), it sounds like a car that has had tens of thousands of dollars spent in custom parts and labor. However, it is all from the factory and only costs $1,027 more than a Miata LS with the 6-spd transmission. It is an outstanding bargain and is fully covered by Mazda's 4-year 50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty.
There are a few annoyances. The black interior with the black top can make you feel claustrophobic. This is quickly corrected by putting the top down. The interior is small and you'll want to stop and stretch every few hours, although it is fairly comfortable in between. On the road, you'll find some drivers that treat you like a toy. This is when the turbo really comes in handy... you can easily pull away and stay away. You must drive very defensively in this car.
This last annoyance wasn't so annoying in the beginning: This car gets a lot of attention. It looks just different enough from a regular Miata that people want to know what it is; it doesn't have the word Miata anywhere on the car. People that do know what it is want to talk about it, which is fine if you're not in a hurry. And finally, those pesky lowered Honda's and Acura's? The second they see the Mazdaspeed nameplate, they want to race. Usually I ignore them, but on occassion, it is fun to take five seconds or so to put them in their place.
There are a lot of other cars I want to own (that new Mustang sure is tempting). But one thing is for sure... I will get another car (like that new Mustang) in ADDITION to this Mazdaspeed MX-5. I love this car and never want to part with it!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 22920
Condition: New Model Year: 2004 Model and Options: Grand Touring
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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