DRIVEN: 2006 Mazda MX-5

Story and Photos by Mark Atkinson

In this time of ever-increasing levels of complication and computer assistance, it’s always nice to find something so (comparatively) basic and simple. That’s what has always made the Mazda Miata so appealing – it’s an affordable, easy to live with, unpretentious two-seat roadster in a sea of 4000-pound sedans and sky-high SUV’s.

That the Miata is a highly-capable sports car only helps its cause.

Since its introduction in 1989 – and the subsequent freshening in 2001 – the little Mazda has caught the hearts of more sports car owners than anyone else. In fact, it’s in the Guinness Book of World Records as the best-selling sports car of all time.

If you go back a few issues, you’ll remember that we were big fans of the Mazdaspeed Miata – it proved an excellent platform for our High Performance Tire Test in April thanks to its low weight, nimble responses and just-right power.



So given all the history, all the hearts and wallets on the line, do you suppose Mazda may have been a just a little nervous to completely redesign the world’s favourite roadster?

It certainly seemed that way during the Canadian press launch in Kelowna, BC in August as Mazda executives seemed wound fairly tight when discussing the third-generation’s attributes. After spending a full day driving on spectacular roads from Kelowna, down to Osoyoos near the Washington border, and back up through the Okanagan to complete the circle – and another full week with one in Toronto – I can quite faithfully say they have nothing to be afraid of.

Except the name. Quite confusingly, we were made aware that in keeping in line with the rest of the world, the new Miata would now be called the MX-5 – which is how Europe has known it from its inception. In Japan, it used to be sold as the Roadster or Eunos Roadster – don’t ask – but even the home country is getting the memo.



It just seemed so strange to build 15 years of equity in a name – Miata – and then just give it up to follow some silly alpha-numeric system. That would be like Ford ditching the Mustang badges and calling the car a ‘Feelgood’ just because it wants its car names to start with ‘F’.

Even more confusingly, the Canadian Mazda executives were wishy-washy on just how hard-edged the changeover would be. The car itself doesn’t have a Miata badge on it anywhere, but the customer literature and commercials might refer to it as the ‘MX-5 Miata’ and see how it goes.

So, to aid in any confusion, both the old and the new cars will be referred to as Miata, because that’s just what they are. Stubborn, I am.



At any rate, the really positive thing is that even though this Miata is all new – with some drastically changed styling if you look really hard – from 30 (or more) feet away, it just looks like a Miata.

Now the gory details. The one complaint that could regularly be leveled at the old Miata was its size – or more specifically, the size of the drivers who could actually fit comfortably in one. I was at the extreme edge of the scale, and once wedged behind the wheel with my knees jammed between the rim and the door and console, could only pray that an accidental airbag deployment would not deprive me of my goal to one day have children.

The new Miata is larger in every dimension than its predecessor – length, width, wheelbase and weight. However, thanks to a weight-loss diet that comprised not of trying to pull out pounds at a time, but of shaving ounces wherever possible, the new Miata weighs only an unbelievable 22 pounds more than before. Twenty-two lousy pounds. I’ve seen bigger Thanksgiving turkeys.



Anyway, what that’s allowed is for Mazda to make the new Miata not only a better performer, but also a more livable car day-to-day – more on this in a minute.

The platform is a shortened version of the one used to underpin the brilliant RX-8, albeit with a different front sub-frame to accommodate the new all-aluminum 2.0-liter 16-valve four-cylinder engine. The four-banger puts out a healthy 170 hp at 6,700 rpm and 140 lb-ft at 5,000 rpm, a substantial 30-plus horsepower increase over the old 1.8. Coupled with the Miata’s legendary slick-shifting transmission, the car scoots to 100 km/h in the mid seven-second range.

The suspension features coil-sprung double wishbones up front, with a coil-sprung multi-link in the rear; both ends also get stabilizer bars. Combine this with the engine placed behind the front wheels, and you get a very nimble and responsive car that’s a cinch to drive.



The styling is a mix of the RX-8 ‘big fenders’ and the Ibuki show car from 2003. Whereas the original had a Coke-bottle figure, the new one is much more curvaceous. Even the top’s been improved – while still a do-it-yourself affair, it now folds in a Z-shape, which eases operation and allows for a much cleaner look when stowed.

Mazda will be offering three versions of the new Miata in Canada. First is the GX, which comes complete with 16-inch aluminum wheels and a five-speed manual transmission. Next up, the GS is the performance-oriented package, with upgraded Bilstein shocks, stiffer spring rates, a six-speed manual, 17-inch wheels, Dynamic Stability Control and a limited-slip differential. The GT has none of the performance upgrades other than the bigger wheels and the six-speed manual, but it comes loaded with leather seats, automatic climate control, air conditioning, ABS, a seven-speaker Bose audio system… you get the point. Seems a bit confusing, right?

Well, if you want your cake and to eat it too, then the ‘Third-Generation Limited’ is the way to go. Based on the GS mechanicals and associated performance upgrades, the Limited comes with the retina-searing metallic red paint, an equally bright red-leather interior, silver-finish trim, the chrome windshield and headlight surrounds, and generally everything Mazda could throw into the diminutive two-seater.



Amazingly, a five-speed automatic is an available option on the GX and GT models – you can even specify wheel-mounted paddle shifters in the GT…
In Kelowna, we had the opportunity to drive both the GT and Limited models, and found both to be highly entertaining choices. The Limited was just that much sharper and more focused, but the GT was certainly no slouch. Whichever way you choose, chances are you’ll be more than happy with the decision.

The biggest complaint comes from the Miata’s tires – they’re just too big. Well, let me qualify that by saying that the sticky rubber does a great job of keeping the car planted, but with the current power levels, you’d have to be an absolute loon to get the tail out under power. The LSD seems superfluous in everyday driving, but for those with an interest in competing, it’ll prove a vital companion.

Other minor quibbles include brakes that can be a tad snatchy at low speeds – but which really are quite acceptable when really pushing on, and the molded door-mounted cup-holders, which really are only good for banging your knee on. There are two console-mounted cup-holders as in previous versions… how many bottles of water do you really need in a Miata?



At any rate, pricing for the new Miata starts at $27,995 for the GX, moving to $30,995 for the sport-oriented GS, and on to $33,995 for the leather-lined GT. The Limited actually seems quite a bargain compared to the GT; at $34,495, it's only $500 more for all the performance goodies, and the visual upgrades as well.

The question we’re all waiting for now is whether or not Mazda will push forward with a Mazdaspeed version in the near future. The answer at the launch was ‘no’, but given the company’s past actions, keep your eyes peeled in the next year or two.