2011 Mazda MX-5: The Good, the Bad... But Definitely Not The Ugly

The Mazda MX5 is the sports car of my generation. Created in 1989, the first Mazda Miatas began appearing on Vancouver’s city streets right around the same time as I entered the first months of sensible communication and self-awareness that are apparently the hallmarks of a child’s fourth year of development. Marching off to kindergarten a year later, it didn’t take long to realize that one of the cars in the staff parking lot was substantially more intriguing to my five year old eyes than any other. Of course, it would be a few more years before I realized that racy green car was in fact a Miata. Fast forward a couple decades, and the most honest Japanese sports car extant is still making waves with the younger crowd. Having grown in nearly every dimension, it may be larger and heavier than its predecessor, but there’s certainly no mistaking the 2011 Mazda MX-5 for what it truly is: the benefactor to one of the most important badges on the market today.

Initially looking to Lotus’ first generation Elan for inspiration, Mazda’s designers brought the sports-car starved public of the early ‘90s something that they’d been lacking for far too long: a classically laid-out, front-engined, rear-wheel-driving, open topped sports car with sublime handling, good fuel economy, and most importantly, a decent reliability record. Following in the slightly unsteady, Lucas-lit tire tracks of so many British sports cars, the Miata was hailed as an instant classic; a car that was going to singlehandedly bring fun driving back to the masses, albeit without the pitfalls associated with the Austin Healeys, Triumphs and MGs that paved the way. And it did.

And it has continued to do so ever since. Thousands upon thousands of cars later, it’s still not hard to see why. Sufficiently restyled from the slightly stylized Tylenol pill it morphed into in 2005, the 2011 car looks fantastically upbeat with a face that’s only slightly less personable than the ridiculously happy Austin Healey Bug-Eyed Sprite of yore. Unchanged otherwise, the remainder of the body retains the same flared fenders and rounded corners of that 2005 revision, and that’s ok. Looking very modern, things like the dual exhaust and clear taillight lenses may cause some purists to turn up their nose, but the overall effect is one that most will appreciate.

And the situation is similar within. Although once a spartan and lightweight sports car boasting just 1/6 litres of displacement, the new MX-5 is a much more mature vehicle. Power windows and locks, leather seating surfaces and a sophisticated power hardtop all represent huge leaps forward for Mazda’s sports car, and really improve its tractability. Likewise, good cupholders, a decent amount of in-car storage, heated seats, and a potent climate control system just go to show how upmarket this car is from those early Miatas, and it’s a downright practical daily driver as a result. Tested during British Columbia’s hottest week on record this year, the MX-5’s hardtop did a commendable job of quelling road noise when up, while the flip-up wind deflector did its part to minimize gusts permeating the cabin when the top was lowered. Coming in handy during the cooler evenings, the heated seats and climate control kept things toasty inside, with special thanks going to the excellently designed heater vents that give total control over the airflow; a real boon in an open-topped car. However, it wasn’t coming up roses all over though, as many audiophiles will assuredly agree. Although blessed with what I would surmise to be a pretty decent radio and head unit, the MX-5’s audio reproduction capabilities appear to be hampered by a downright terrible set of speakers, and all but the most basic tones come out distorted and distant. Be it FM radio, CD, or playing from my iPod, the sound produced was of a sufficiently lower quality than I’ve ever heard in a brand new vehicle, and was really only acceptable for AM radio.

However, that’s far from a deal breaker in a car such as this, because all one need do is drop a gear or two and enjoy the harmonious tones that only a sports car like this can produce. Powered by a 2.0L four cylinder making 167 horsepower, it’s a far cry from the high rpm scream of Honda’s S2000, and even farther still from the baritone howling of Nissan’s G37 and 370Z convertible. No, the MX-5’s exhaust note is an even mix of induction, mechanical, and exhaust noise, and the auditory product is every bit the modern iteration of nearly every four-cylinder British sports car produced, albeit with something of a Japanese accent. Smooth, steady, and incredibly linear, the little 2.0L is a real gem, and when combined with the six speed, close-ratio transmission, gives the car an impressive amount of flexibility.

Which is precisely what has made this the single best selling sports car ever. Be it on the morning commute or a mountain road, the MX-5 is simply sublime in an honest way that more complex cars can only hope to match. With no multi-stage, electro-diff, throttle-controlling stability control programs or fancy all-wheel drive to get in the way, the MX-5 is forced to rely upon its nimble chassis and fantastic powertrain to succeed, and succeed it does. Be it trundling down the crowded highways and byways that connect Vancouver’s various suburbs, or dissecting the most convoluted empty road I could find, the diminutive sports car is the perfect picture of composure. Telegraphing its every move and misstep perfectly, it slices through traffic and apexes with similar ease, making quick work of both. But most importantly, it makes both fun. While larger, more complicated cars may be infinitely faster, there are few cars that can put a smile on your face as readily as a Miata or MX-5. Tossable, light on its feet, and utterly toylike, there isn’t a vindictive bolt in this car’s body, and it simply eggs you on to eke every last drop of power and performance out of it without ever exhibiting the slightest of brow-furrowing behavior.

But, as fun as the still-harmless MX-5 is, it has deviated from its predecessor’s path in one major way: price. Currently wearing a base price $28,995, the as-tested price for the top trim GT model is just a Whopper Meal away from $40K, making this one pricey little ride. And although it may be worth every penny of that $39,995 cost to the right buyer, the reality is that the little Mazda is no longer the sole champion of the sports car cause. Although Saturn’s Sky may have been a flash in the pan, and the sun has set on Pontiac’s Solstice, there still exists a gamut of competitors to harass the MX-5. And although there certainly are few cars as fun as this, there's quite a few more that boast better interiors, more cachet, or higher performance chops. The question is, is there another car that distills the driving experience down to this much satisfing simplicity?