Test drove a new MX-5 -- impressions
 

So in addition to the possibility of buying an 8 again, I've been looking into other options as well. Today I stopped by the local Mazda dealer to check out the MX-5, since I've been interested in the new retractable hardtop models.

Interior:
While trying to drone out the salesperson's ramblings about various details I already know about, I started out by spending a few minutes settling myself into the driver's seat. Overall more spacious and more storage space compared to NB or s2k, but interior panels feel plasticky and hollow compared to RX-8. The 8's interior just feels more solid and higher quality. Also, if you are used to an 8 it will feel tiny at first, but the longer you spend in one, the feeling of needing rear seats starts to fade away...

Driving Impressions:
So finally the dealer came back from making a copy of my license and we were ready to go. The first thing that hit me was how similar it feels to the 8. Really, the easiest way to describe the car is "RX-8 lite". This surprised me, since I was expecting it to be a bit more noisy and rough like the S2000 I drove a few days earlier.

The main thing that disappointed me was the engine. Whereas the RX-8 and S2000 powerplants are exciting and unique, the MX-5's is just adequate at best. Sure, it's decently torquey off the line and I had no problems merging or passing on the expressway, but the feel and sound of the thing are just dull and boring compared to the rest of the car. It never lets you forget that it's just a slightly tweaked econobox motor. IMO they should offer the 4-port Renesis as a option. Around 200hp or so would work great with the current chassis, brakes and suspension, and with 500lbs less to push around the fuel economy wouldn't be that bad either. It would transform the MX-5 from merely being a good car, to being an absolutely amazing one.

Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to experience it top down, since the dealer said it was too cold for the soft top, and I would have to wait a long time for them to clear off the snow and ice from the hardtop models before they could be lowered. So I thanked them for their time, and ran off to get other errands completed before the next big snowstorm hit.

funny when i went to go check it out they gave me the keys to the car and a map to the twisty roads, great fun.

http://www.cosworthusa.com/store/pc/...?idCategory=51

tada a fix for the power

i really do like the MX-5's. after owning 27 RX-7's over the past 10 years and now an RX-8, i still don't think i could see myself in an MX-5. i think they are nice looking, great handling, sporty cars but just not for me..

Or you could just do an LS1/LS2 swap like a couple guys on another site did :)

I liked the first gen NA ones. They were basic honest top down fun little cars. The later cars are good in its own way too. But the NC has grown a bit porky and therefore less basic. First thing that caught me by surprise was the engine. It was nowhere as smooth as the Renesis and it felt really coarse at the upper rev ranges.
I agree with you in regards to the interior. Very plasticky. The GT tries to mask it but one can tell that Mazda chose to compromise in this area to perhaps save weight.
It is still a fun little car though. A Renesis in there would make it perfect.

Like the OP said, it's boring. High hoodline, you can't judge the overhang. When you drive, all you see is like a roundish hood. The dropoff at the edge of the fender is really annoying. And it's not just because I'm used to the RX8 fenders; even when I drive other cars, the view out the windshield doesn't bother me as much as in the Miata.

Engine is boring, just like the OP said. There's nothing there. Not even a peppy sound.

hmm...where is ChrisM to come the the MX-5 defence?

no need to defend.....it isnt a renesis.....wasnt meant to be...never gonna be that smooth and sexy feeling.......but mine has some add ons and unlike the renesis the car actually wakes up with mods....i currently have the Goodwin racing exhaust, mazdaspeed intake and racing beat straight pipe....locally a few 8's used to talk smack but dont any more.....they cant keep up in either straight or twisty now....

as for interior its not an 8 but has allot of the same touches.....plastic is the same but there is less of it, my steering wheel on my 08 is the same as an 09 rx8.....seats are less plush but lighter and stiffer....shifter and trans are the same but with a better feel because they are strained less than on the 8

stock the suspension is meant for the masses but with a few minor tweaks it is an absolute handling beast....so far i have eibach prokits with bilstien shocks, rx8 front sway bar and rx8 tanabe rear sway, laille/beatrush rear stb, hks kansai service fstb and -2 degrees camber rear and -1 on the front.....on the track i was spanking cars that had 3 times my power.....is it an 8...no....is it as refined....no but can it whip one now......absolutely.....question is what do you want in a car

+1000 on a 16x Renesis in a Miata
+10000 in a Coupe

mx-5 should feel comparable to the rx-8, they share the same platform now.

but the mx-5 is lighter and shorter.

i don't mind the chintzy and plasticky interior. it's a relatively cheap and affordable car, and it drives excellent. it's pretty much the most fun car you can have that doesn't go terribly fast. i do love miatas, even the new ones. if you want raw speed, then you're missing the point of the miata and probably should go with an s2k or boxster. that said, i do often fancy them dropping a rotary in the miata

IMO I like miatas! i just dont think they are for me, and my GF is buying one next month :) iw ill kepp you guys updated once i start moding her car.

I miss my '97, gotta love a car you can thrash daily.

Bought an 07 mx5 for my wife. More of a Go-Kart than the 8 which has more GT in its blood. Like has been said, the engine is the limiting factor here. The more I enjoy my 8 (with mods), the less I enjoy the Mx5 because of the engine. Put a rotary in it and I would be all over it!

I've owned three. Really love 'em, and keep in mind that it's really two different cars: top up, like on your test drive, it's a snug—if not claustrophobic—place, which gets to be a bit much on trips over an hour or so; particularly on the interstate.

But… top down, a balmy summer night or crystal-clear autumn day, and an old, snaky blue highway? There's no drug better.

i really want one!!

I've basically added only suspension mods to my 2007 NC; a rear swaybar and Eibach pro-kit. This thing now handles like you wouldn't believe. On our cruise days the guys with Rx8's and Mazdaspeed 6's scratch their heads and ask to see what turbo I've got. :Eyecrazy: They just can't keep up.

As for m477's original post, I can understand the comment about the engine seeming to be on the lame side. Initially, I had the same impression, but like anything, once you get used to it you won't be craving any more power, it's simply so much fun.

If you need 4 seats then sure, not a great choice, but I think many would be surprised how awesome this car really is.

...damn chrism, now you've got me thinking about an exhaust DOH!

chris, you should really consider that cosworth supercharger.

cosworth is a very reputable company. i'd love to have a cosworth supercharger for my car, just to have the cosworth name in my car.

get a sticker
problem solved with money to spare :P

cosworth makes a few things now.....cams, supercharger, big valve cylinder heads....the mx5 can be made into a monster if you want to.....but with simple bolt ons its still a little beast

http://www.good-win-racing.com/miata...valve_head.jpg
http://www.good-win-racing.com/miata...s/Mazdacam.jpg
http://www.good-win-racing.com/miata...Cosworthnc.jpg

In many ways its like an RX-8 lite. Great handling car in need of of 25-50 more HP. It's getting a bit too far from the original concept though. It certainly is a more liveable car than the S2000, but both are fun. The new front end in the refresh is a good change, but a MS version would be great, but I'm sure not in this economy.

I had an NB (2000) Special Edition. Let me tell you... I would drive that thing year round. It would get cold for a few weeks here in Texas, and then we would get some amazing weather that's perfect for roadsters. Holy shit. To open that top after just a few weeks of it being closed is just plain intoxicating. I still remember driving home with my wife... a clear warm night, no wind, top down, on this fantastic scenic road we have called loop 360. Had this totally whack "out of body" experience floating above the car about 50 feet like some scene from a commercial. LOL no I wasnt on drugs. It was just cool.

Just trying to tell you that not driving the Miata with the top down means you only got part of the experience. I'd definitely like to buy an NC as a toy and chase more of those perfect roadster experiences.

oh man, don't post this stuff up. There's only so much drooling my shirt can take!!:uhh:

I like the looks of that Cosworth kit... OBD-II tuning... CARB certification pending...
With a Flyin' Miata tune and catback, it's putting down 240+ rwhp.

What would that thing trap in the quarter mile? Maybe 105mph? I just want a reference on how hard it would pull compared to my GTO... I'll trap 107mph N/A and 115mph with spray.

Also, the 2009 has forged internals and a stronger gear box... I'm reading on the Miata forums that 300 whp might be possible with the Cosworth. Now we're talking.

You bastards have me looking at a 2009 NC. Crap.

Corky Bell's kit will have a Garrett GT2860 ball-bearing turbo for around 300 hp. He seems to think a 2871 will do 400 hp but no bets on the stock internals.

http://www.bellengineering.net/artic...a6f17e04944ad9