2003 Mazda MX-5 Miata Reviews, Pricing & Specs

I can't describe how much fun it is owning and driving this little roadster. I picked it up from a friend about a year ago for the purpose of Auto-X'ing with my local SCCA region. What I didn't know was that this little guy is super competitive and with just a set of extreme performance summer tires I typically finish in the top 10 drivers on any given weekend with usually over a 100 drivers. Mar 26, 2015

I learned a long time ago that it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than it is to drive a fast car slow. The 2nd generation "NB" Miata is peppy in performance, but underpowered compared to more modern sports cars. But to put it into perspective, it's a power house compared to the British roadsters is is based on and would have been a supercar in the 60's or 70's. The buying market today has confusion on what makes a sports car tick and most of the cars today miss the mark by a mile providing the grand touring experience. Make no mistake, if the MX-5 only had 50 HP, it would still be more of a sports car than 99% of the pretenders on the market. Specifically, the Miata gives the driver the gift of light weight. This reduces the need for huge wheels, brakes, engine, etc., and pays dividends in the road feel and handling. The smaller size has caused the uninformed car enthusiast to label this a "chick" car, and these criticisms remain. This has led to a lower re-sale and many nice Miatas with low miles can be found for a bargain. My conclusion is that if Women buy this car, they must know more about sports cars then men. So what is a sports car? For me, it must provide an elemental raw experience. The Miata's convertible top does expose you to the elements for sure, It's a roadster after all. The top is easily folded and if you have a strong right arm, can be raised and lowered from the driver's seat. Handy in the rain for sure. I experienced no leaks. The car sits low and has a willing engine. The chassis provides excellent feedback. The 5 speed manual transmission shifts precisely and quickly. All controls and displays are excellent. Trunk space is very good for it's class and the top does not interfere with trunk space The 1.8L engine us rated at about 140HP and puts about 110 HP to the road. It's not a power house, but it's only pushing 2300 LBS of car so it's good for around 7.5 sec 0-60 and somewhere in the 15's for the quarter mile. While slow compared to most sports cars today, the braking and handling coupled with the driving experience make this a really fun ride around town. Think of it as a motorcycle substitute. The engine is willing and able to rev so this gives you the illusion of being your own formula 1 driver without shattering the speed limit after rowing through a few gears. Faster cars require boring short shifting around town in comparison. So that's the key to the Miata. You can use all of it. Some other facts It requires little maintenance. Change the oil and fluids and it will keep running. It has a manual top. No pumps to break. It has manual seats to keep the car light and simple. The Bose system is simple and can overcome road noise. The seats are comfortable. Ergonomics are excellent. The 1.8 engine was built for a turbo, but it doesn't have a turbo. Result- Very over built with excellent longevity just begging to be driven hard. The car was built solely for the pleasure of driving and it is fun. Think of it as a 142 HP go cart. What I don't like With the minimalist approach to the sports car, Mazda made some compromises. The car is loud on the highway. Really loud. I would use the car on some business trips and would have to take calls while driving. Not too good over the wind noise and lack of insulation. I also didn't like the gearing of the car for the highway. The transmission is a close ratio 5 speed and even the optional 6 speed doesn't have a deep OD. Perfection would be combine the close ratio 5 speed with the deep OD for relaxed highway cruising. But I get it. My small displacement motorcycles rev high too and if Mazda engineers had to keep the weight down to hit it's targets. Knuckledraggers tend to bring this car down as well and that's a negative. In America where bigger is better, you'll have to defend this car continuously from people not familiar with small sports cars as opposed to GT's. So as you can tell, I'm a fan of the car. Small and light, it's a willing dance partner. It's good enough to supplement your Corvette or hyper car and will make you a better driver without getting your license suspended. If you are unable to ride a motorcycle, the Miata is the closest car experience. Just make sure you can get out of it!Jan 16, 2015