Car Review: Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring

 

Everywhere you go, you probably hear people saying that the Mazda MX-5 is the most fun car to drive in the world. After being around for over twenty years, Mazda must be doing something right.

 

It definitely has the good looks of a fun car. However, being inside feels a bit claustrophobic. If you're over five and a half feet tall, you will need to keep the roof down in order to have any headroom. Being in this car feels like being in a toy car that you outgrew years ago. Even with the roof down, you'll be looking over the windshield. Besides the little headroom and space to move around, the interior looks a bit cheap and outdated.

 

From the beginning, this car isn't turning out to be much fun. With a 2.0L 4 cylinder engine, it's not even that fast, no matter how hard you push on the gas pedal. 0-60 mph takes an exhausting 6.8 seconds and then on to a top speed of 134 mph. Thankfully, this car feels faster than it actually is, so you won't be too bored waiting for the car to pick up speed. Don't bother using the paddle shifters either, because all they do is make the car even slower and with the way they're set up, they're not very comfortable to use.

When you do get up to speed though, you then see why this car is so much fun. Unlike other modern cars which are front wheel drive, the MX-5 is rear wheel drive and has independent rear suspension. So when you get to a corner, you will suddenly have a big smile on your face. This car handles just as good as other roadsters which cost almost twice as much.