Krazykoreankid

First off, I'm a huge fan of Mazda and their dedication to giving enthusiasts what they are looking for. Especially when it comes to engaging everyday drivers that can be used as zippy little track cars.
That being said, the 2016 Miata REALLY caught my eye. My goodness this car is beautiful (even next to my 02' Honda S2000).
I've read many professional reviews and watched many videos of it and finally had the time to go test drive one myself.
Ya'll probably know all the positives to this car so here's my thoughts:

Dislikes:
1) the clutch pedal is feather light compared to the S2000 and it REALLY threw me off, especially in 1st gear, i had a hard time nailing its tiny engagement spot from a dead stop. You barely step on the clutch and it just falls to the floor. Some may really like this, and I'm sure i could get used to it, but at the moment i absolutely hate it.

2) the infotainment system is a nice touch, but you can't tilt or angle the screen at all. Not good while using polarized sunglasses.

3) the cup holders are nice to have, but boy are they in a strange place. If you are driving and want to rest your arm in the center to use your infotainment knobs; your elbow will hit the cup holders (or smash your drink all over your car).

4) it redlines at 6,500 rpm. I don't know if I'm just spoiled from the 9k redline of my S2000 or what, but 6.5k rpm felt a little... erm... alot less exciting/fun than the S2000. Not to mention the sound of the engine is pretty tame. It may be able to satisfy most and could be improved with new exhaust, but as stock, it's a tad wimpy sounding considering how aggressive the body styling is.

Other than those few gripes, i love everything else about this car.
Thanks for reading and feel free to throw in your 2 cents ;D

windhund116

Thanks, for review. It is a nice looking buggy!

How is the interior of the new Mazda? Earlier ones were noticeably less quality than Honda (IMHO, of course).

Krazykoreankid

The interior was great! And it came with plenty of very good standard options. Was modern looking without a bunch of tacky looking superficial decorative trim and all vital controls were layed out logically. I really liked the low ride height of the cloth seats, very comfy for a sports car. One other thing that bugged me was that the sun visor couldn't be swiveled. Only up or down. Luckily the retractable roof was very well engineered and could be pulled up in just a few seconds to block some direct sun if really needed.

David1

All it needs is power.

Krazykoreankid

It's actually got plenty of giddy-up and it's 0-60 is very good. It just doesn't give me as visceral a feeling of excitement because it targets older generations as well as younger. So as a result, it's very well behaved and polite sounding. I can definitely say I would own one if I had more garage space.

hirev

Nothing really new here, it's just that after two miatas I was ready for something...more. The new car is a real improvement over previous cars and yet it's the same, it's a very nice car and if there were never an S2000 I would probably buy another one. For what it is ....excellent, not unlike a new puppy!

Krazykoreankid

Plus, the price to power ratio comparisons for a used S2000 vs a new 2016 Miata; the used S2000 price point just cant be beat.

WolfpackS2k

What exactly does that mean?

Krazykoreankid

The seats sat low (closer to the ground) so your shoulders were not above the top of the door while the roof was down.
And the one i drove, the seats were not leather (i hate leather) they were some sort of other material, cloth/nylon mix of some sort.

vader1

I loved everything about the car except for the engine. I like the looks, and all of the controls (steering, brakes, clutch) are great and provide stellar feedback. The engine just needed more oomph. The interior is just great for the price point too.