Used 2023 Mazda MX-5 Miata Consumer Reviews
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Most fun of any car ive ever been in.
Ive had a 2000 vette, two mini coopers (which I loved), multiple Chevy ford Lexus Nissan Mitsubishi land rover Honda Toyota cars and trucks (I'm old!) and this is the most fun of any car ive ever had. Its my daily driver. The handling is phenomenal. Its sweet spot is 90-100mph but even at slower speeds its a blast. The cornering is fantastic. Its like driving a comfortable go cart daily! Could it use a smoother ride and more storage ...yes but it would add weight and size and its perfect size now for anyone 6'2" and under (I'm 5'10"). 32 mpg and I drive it like I stole it! Had it 6 mos now. I suspect I will trade it in for every new major update until I die or until the other companies make something similar. Havent had a "stick" since my 20's but stick is the way to go here. Very easy to shift. Mark hoyle Dallas Texas.
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Deja Vu Many Years Later
I just purchased a 2022 Grand Touring 6 speed manual in Soul Red. Many years ago, I went to buy a fully loaded Protege. they didn't have what I wanted and the salesman asked me if I wanted to have fun? I said yes and we took out a Miata. (1st gen.) Most fun I ever had buying a car until now. I went there looking at something totally different and ended up buying in right off the showroom floor! The art of driving is can still be had with this amazing vehicle. It's been said a thousand times, the Miata is truly an extension of the driver. It makes you feel like a way better diver than you really are. (Not trying to offend any boy-racers out there.) You can handle any turn and twist the road ahead of you has to offer all while enjoying the elements. (Wind in your hair if I had any ;) Driving was starting to be a chore and now I look for excuses to go and don't even mind the "grind" that is my commute. You owe it to yourself to drive one and learn to drive a stick before it goes the way of the Dodo bird! Besides, it's the best theft prevention on the planet. The only this I'll say about the size is that I'm 5'5" and it fits like of glove. I'm also older and can still get in and out of it easily enough. Visibility is good and BSM picks up on anything you might miss. If you miss the art of diving as much I as apparently did, this is your ticket for the best time you can have behind the wheel of anything! You only get one trip around the block, have fun doing it!
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- Grand Touring ConvertibleMSRP: $28,99897 mi away
- Grand Touring ConvertibleMSRP: $30,995151 mi away
- Grand Touring ConvertibleMSRP: $28,000436 mi away
an enjoyable ride
This is the first car that I look forward to driving every day. The small size makes it very agile and the car feels like an extension of the driver, and it's easy to ignore the compromises made. With the top down, visibility is great and the wind creates of a feeling of speed, even when driving moderately fast. With the top up the car feels cozy, but rear and side visibility are very limited and the noise from the soft top is excessive at highway speeds. The addition of aftermarket wide-angle side mirrors, noise cancellation earbuds and a clear wind deflector (why not include it upfront?) helped. Acceleration is good with room for improvement. Fuel economy averages about 29 mpg although savings are negated by the requirement for premium gas. The ride on my Sport trim is sporty but not hard, so I am glad I didn't go for the stiffer suspension of the club. Body roll is acceptable when the electronic control is activated. The cloth seats were quite comfortable but retained moisture so I had them upholstered with marine leather - a must in a convertible. Mazda apparently also decided to punish buyers of the Sport by saving a couple of dollars on a padded armrest, but that wasn't enough for me to upgrade to the Club. I did pay $450 to get an Android Auto but ultimately found that I didn't really use it. Gear shifting is good. The entertainment system is sub-par and the speakers failed after 3 years, the first car that I have that happen. On removal, they were $5 paper speakers, so shame on Mazda for installing garbage in a $30K car. My AC had a leak that took 3 years and many trips to different dealerships to get diagnosed and fixed, and even without the leak it is pretty useless, making driving in the summer in Florida an ordeal. Overall, I am happy with the car and it remains by far my favorite vehicle but wish Mazda wasn't pennywise and cared a bit more about their drivers.
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2006 MX-5 updated to 2020
What an update! Hated to trade my 2006 after 14 years but glad I did. My new 2020 GT is fantastic. Love all the tech , the increased HP, the exhaust SOUND, the ride, the look, and the drive. One feature that I was not aware of is the picture of the latest speed limit sign displayed on instrument panel. Can’t believe the MPG of 37+ combined with jackrabbit starts (0 to 60 5 seconds) and 70 to 80mph with the top down! Only draw back is my 81 year old legs need seat all the way back to get out. Little different ride from my Genesis G-80 and GMC Sierra.
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Best Miata Yet!
I just recently bought a new Miata grand touring manual shift. I should mention that I have driven only Miatas since they first came out in 1989, and this will be my sixth. My first very pleasant surprise was the appearance. I wanted the Soul Red Crystal but based on the pictures on the dealer's website it didn't look too good with the gray top which is all that any of the dealers had in the grand touring. I went to test drive one, and when I saw the red with the gray top in person I almost fainted. The color combination looked just fantastic in person and nothing like the picture. My car until then was a 2016 soul red special edition with the tan interior which looked great, but this looked even better. The red is deeper and more beautiful than before which I didn't think was possible. In fact I think this is the most beautiful red I have ever seen in a car including Ferraris and Corvettes, and other people tell me that when they see my car. (I got the first compliment on the color on the test drive from another driver at a stoplight who said he loved the color.) I tell people it looks like a $100,000 car, but I honestly can't think of a $100,000 car that looks this beautiful. With the gray top it adds a sense of elegance. I had been a little concerned, because this car has a sports suspension which now comes with the grand touring manual, since I have always had the regular suspension desiring a smoother ride. However with the sports suspension it is just fine and in fact better overall. It felt a little bit rougher on a not so smooth road during my test drive, but then I decided I had better check the tire pressure. Mazda recommends 29 psi which is inside the driver's side door. Sure enough the dealer had 50 psi in all four tires which I then corrected. I have had the car for a week now and have driven 500 miles. All I can say is that as much as I loved my 2016 Miata this one is better in every way. The added horsepower added in 2019 is very noticeable and just puts the driving experience on a higher level. And on a decent road the ride quality is better than ever. It is even smoother than my 2016, and there's something about the overall feel of the car on the road that is just sensational. You feel this on the freeway at high speeds but even at just about any speed unless it's a really rough road. It's 0-60 time of 5.7 and it's quarter mile time of 14.4 is comparable to the former Honda S2000 and to the 2013 Porsche Boxster which were formidable cars. I used to love the Boxster, but I test drove one a couple of years ago and in the manual shift I was really disappointed. You almost couldn't drive it normally in the city, because you would be going 70 mph in second gear. I like the Miata better which is more like the Boxster use to be. When I say everything is better with this Miata than my 2016 that includes the clutch which is even easier than before and something, about the integration of the manual shifter and the clutch which seems even more seamless. With all of my Miatas I always thought they couldn't be improved upon, but each one is noticeably better than the one before. However this ND2 is really something else. The subjective enjoyment factor in driving this car is really off the charts. If you watch some of the current YouTube reviews with young guys who say they had never driven a Miata and had some negative preconceived ideas about it, they are noticeably blown away when they are test driving it. It's also nice to have the Apple Car Play which can be connected wirelessly on the grand touring, and the black leather with white stitching looks really nice. This Miata is the best ever and is truly a remarkable car. Given the looks, performance, and overall driving enjoyment there really is no car I would rather have.
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Best bang for the buck!
I’ve owned several high end exotic sports cars and this car is more fun to drive than any of them. It’s unpretentious and a great value for top down sporty motoring and one of the few cars you can still buy with a fully manual transmission. Impeccable quality, fit, and finish - better than our BMW or Lexus and reminds me of the surgical precise feel of my Porsche C4S.
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Sports Car Most Eligible to be an EV
The new styling makes me think "Mazdarati", with hood sloping down to a low air intake and those curvaceous fenders, sloped for a more muscular look than the "Fiata" 124 version. The accommodations are marginal but adequate for those under 74 inches tall. The rocker boxes are small enough for reasonable entry and exit effort, so there is actually room for a center console, unlike other small mid- and rear-engine cars. The available package of BBS wheels, Brembo brakes, Bilstein shocks, Recaro seats, and an aero kit makes for a diminutive, lightweight car that means business. IMO, the MX-5 strikes just the right balance between driving excitement and creature comforts, and the quickdraw soft top is just more icing on that cake. It's perfect as a daily driver or as a weekend fun car. Mazda somehow managed to capture the essence of the classic roadster in a car that is also robust enough to handle modern roads full of aggressive SUV and pickup truck drivers.
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2019 Miata the best
This 2019 is my 4th manual Miata sport. The new improved engine power, infosystem,new rear camera, side indication, lane indication and driving experience is awesome. The new 2019 model is faster, easy to manuver and safer. I have owned other much more expensive top brands but keep coming back to the reliable Mazda Miata. Anyone who has not driven a miata could never describe the excitement , speed and ground hugging fun. I find only 2 downsides but both are to be expected. The trunkspace is minimal but owners know how to fill it certain ways to accommidate much. The passenger side is smaller in the 2019 model with less leg room because of the larger engine. Price, driving experience and reliability is above all.
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Special Feeling
Athletic and sporty,This is a drivers car.Does everything you ask it to do, from quick starts to quick stops,not recommended for the tall burly type as seats,getting in and out are tight
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At 6’5”, I don’t drive a Miata, I wear it!
This car is not for everyone. Soccer Moms, people with storage needs and those who want their car to drive for them aren’t food candidates for a Miata. This is old school driving joy. You get to actually DRIVE a car; with a great sense of the road! Of course I have a manual transmission in my GT. It has the retractable roof and is a joy to drive. It’s tight quarters for me, but it feel like it is my super hero suit :). We have another car, a Cadillac XT5 platinum edition, so we have another vehicle for day to day activities. As a Floridian, we drive this car at the beach, too down and with big smiles on our faces. It is just perfect for that….practical? No way. Fun? Absolutely! This is the best car for the money if you don’t have to drive kiddos to school or haul stuff. I had a gen 1 for over 300k. Reliable, affordable and fun…what’s not ti love? Oh, did I mention how cool it looks?
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Provides maximum driving engagement
The Miata has two very different buyer types: hard-bitten sports car junkies like me, or people who want their car's cuteness to reflect back on them. I'm in the first group, and so my base Sport model has no fancy options like automatic wipers or a folding steel roof. No, my Sport, the base model with 6-speed manual transmission and bargain priced at under $25,000 in 2019, provides me with the most intense engagement between man and machine that modern driving can deliver. It's a given that any Miata is a blast to drive on the back roads. What it lacks in horsepower it makes up for in feather-lightness and brilliant handling thanks to an all-alloy independent suspension. But what sold me on my Sport was the involvement it requires of me in day-to-day driving. Most people probably won't relate, but even a trip to the local grocery store is immensely rewarding in this car. I think the kindred spirits of sports car guys are pilots -- they are just so intimate with their flying machines, from biplane to 747. First, you get into it -- I'm 5'10" and 168 lb. and it fits me like a glove. I get settled in the cockpit and yes, it feels much like an airplane cockpit. The Start button brings the highly tuned 2.0 L engine to life with a burst of revs. A few moments to get the oil circulating and then I ease the gorgeously tactile stick shift into first and feather the clutch to get me out of the parking garage. While cold I nurse the engine, easing into the slow lane of a nearby freeway. One exit down and I'm on a feeder road, the close-ratio 6-speed always providing me with the perfect gear., This car is so light (2340 lb.), I can lug along at idle in first gear at a walking pace in stop-and-go traffic. I get to the store and park away from the door-dingers in their SUVs. Fifteen minutes later I'm back, and that surprisingly deep trunk accommodates a week's worth of groceries for two. The weather is warming under a California sun so on a whim as I exit the supermarket I put down the top, an one-handed, two-second operation. Ah, yes, to be in a roadster with the sky as your ceiling. I can hear the cadenzas of its sporty exhaust as they rise and fall through the gears., Pulling back onto the freeway, engine fully warmed, I wind it out to 7,000 rpm in third and fourth gears, with another two upshifts and 500 rpm in reserve. The twin-cam, 16-valve engine is naturally aspirated, so there is no turbo lag or supercharged sudden rush of power. All is smoothness and light. I get home, nurse it into its underground parking spot, put up the top, and retrieve my groceries, The car has been programmed by me to lock itself once I'm away from it. At the garage door, as always, I can't resist a backward glance at what is not only the best traditional sports car on the planet, but also the most beautiful.
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My 2nd
I owned a 20 club soul red, traded for a cx50 a mistake, a year later I’m back this time 2022 metallic gray grand touring, this is is my retirement present, this is a wonderful automobile, so much fun to drive, very livable day to day, it’s just fast enough to stay out of trouble, the new Kpc is a great safety feature, I would recommend and single person looking for a very reliable sports car this is it. UPDATE: I traded my 2020 CLUB for a 2022 grand touring mostly due to the kinetic feature now offered on the newer models plus this one is a little more comfortable a lot more fun and just as reliable, still a daily driver and highly recommended just a fun little car great on corners, a definite canyon carver
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Mazda Epic Fail
Hello Mazda world! I wanted to let you know of an issue that I am currently dealing with. I need to preface this that I am 51 years old and have been driving a manual since I was 16. Furthermore, I am a 20 year veteran of the automotive industry having worked on the retail side and as a client retention management consultant, having traveled around the US consulting with various dealerships from BMW, Mercedes, Subaru, Honda, Toyota etc.... In September of 2019, I purchased a new 2019 Mazda Miata Club edition with a manual transmission from my local dealership. It had 56 miles on it when I purchased the vehicle and was so excited because it was my 2nd Miata after a number of years. I bought a Miata because the last one was my favorite car and I had the opportunity to buy a new one. Almost two weeks ago, the clutch went. I had the vehicle towed to the local dealership. I received a call that the warranty company declined the claim. After a long discussion with the service department they went to bat for me again. I subsequently called the Mazda Customer Experience department. I have now spoken to 3 different people. The second person I spoke to was great at handling my concerns and listened. He stated that the claim was still open. Within 5 minutes of hanging up, I received am email stating that the claim is denied. I called the Customer Experience Department again to speak with Oscar who sent the email to me. I received someone else who was not at all empathetic and sounded more like a robot than anyone I had spoken to. It was awful. I hung up the phone more frustrated. I have asked to speak with someone in the warranty department but I have been told, twice, that they do not speak with customers. I am now being expected to pay $2,200 to have a new clutch put in the car. The arguments I have heard are baseless. They stated that this is not a recall issue or a common issue. What makes this baseless is that it does not mean that one car can not have defect. Having worked for various manufacturers, I know that the fact that this car has such low miles on it, would be a red flag that maybe there is a defect. Instead, Mazda Warranty is not budging, no good will or anything. Especially in this time of need. The sad thing is that this is my 2nd Miata and I LOVE this car. I am just disgusted at Mazda's lack of customer service. This is the 3rd Mazda that my family has owned and unless they step up to the plate, will be our last. I also have many friends who come to me to assist them when it's time to purchase a vehicle. Although I love how the car drives, I can not, in good faith, recommend Mazda at this point. Corporate Mazda does not care about their customers.
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Wow
I just purchased 2020, club auto convertible in sol red this little rocket has plenty of power for city driving, the handling is incredible, it’s a sung fit I’m looking for years of fun.
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Wow great go cart type fun
For 34k u can't beat this little rocket! Quick and incredibly maneuverable. I had a corvette that wasn't this much fun. Storage limited but as a daily driver its a blast.. Tech is good too. I've got a one ton Chevy truck a suburban and now this and I love this little rocket. I get 32 mpg and I drive it like I stole it. Very smooth at 90-110 mph. The manual tranny is a blast. This car is just pure fun.
Miata Is Always The Answer
My 2019 MX-5 is my third Miata. Obviously, I love the Miata, and the the 2019 MX-5 is the best of them all. Get a Club version with a manual transmission, and you will have the time of your life. They are SO much fun.
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Sweet ride
Very smooth ride, very fun to drive. Handles great and looks sharp. Top down hair blown! A year later and it’s still so much fun. Ready for spring!
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Fun driving on twisty roads
Drive the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ and you will see the MX5 is the better choice
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Just got my convertible and love it
I just got my Mazda MX5 convertible and love it. I got the sport trim as I thought it was the most driver focused vehicle. So far it has been a blast and meets the excellent Edmunds review. Handles well and has good acceleration. Driving with the top down is fantastic The entertainment system needs a bit more time to get used to. I have apple CarPlay and think other versions of it were better integrated. Full disclosure it is a small car and doesn’t have a lot of trunk space or storage space Perfect for 1 or 2 people on a beautiful day or evening
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Best car I've ever owned
I'm 60 and have had many cars. The miata is hands down the best car i have ever owned. I love the way it drives. So much fun winding it out through the gears. Best manual I've ever driven. Don't listen to those who say it's a summer only car. I live in New England and I drive mine in the winter. I couldn't bear not to. I bought a second set of rims with blizzak times. Swap to the snows around Christmas and take them off in March. Only downside is it would be tough to have this as your only car. The trunk is tiny. I had to get a luggage rack for my beach chairs.
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Better than expected pop
This is my 7th Miata but first ND. Why did I wait so long? It’s way better than I imagined….refined but playful all at the same time. It has a manual transmission, an absolute must to appreciate its engineering and design. Drive it slow and relaxed or drive it aggressively. It does both equally well.
Lots of Fun
This vehicle is not only fun to drive but gorgeous. Total quality.
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Nice drive, very light steering could be tighter
I have the 2021 MX-5 Grand Touring RF. Let me start off by saying I am coming into this 2 seater from having a BMW Z3 forever. Let me talk about the cons first - 1) my battery died for no apparent reason 4 days into ownership (not a good feeling but, at least, I was stranded at a friend's house who could jump me. 2) It is the Grand Touring model and Mazda has not figured out how to give you a full multi-way power driving seat! For us short girls, the seat needs to have the ability to lift and not just your knees. My 24 year old BMW has that, Mazda needs to catch up. 3) The steering is not as tight as I am accustomed to. I think in time I will install a brace to see if I can't get it a little better. 4) It has a large blind spot behind the passenger seat. 5) The apple carplay is iffy on connection - even when hardwired. Those are my observations that are disappointing. The pros are 1) she is a light feeling, peppy drive. 2) I like the shifting on the sport mode. 3) Braking is good. 4) I like the fact that in my model it is more like a T-top and not a full convertible. 5) and I have the Soul Red which is really beautiful and gets so many compliments.
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Well-equipped for "Costco Run"
"Second Most Fun You Can Have with Clothes On." There's an "Aftermarket package" that'll VASTLY improve the day-to-day usability by adding "car-GO" capacity. The Surco trunk rack is really quick and easy; they're often available on craigslist for a hundred bucks or so. The trailer hitch is more work and expense, but FAR more capable. Careful, though. "Giving Friends a Lift to the Airport" is hard to decline if they know you've got a trailer... 1. Surco removable trunk rack (See https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=surco%20miata%20rack ) 2. eTrailer "Class I" hitch (See https://www.etrailer.com/vm/Mazda/MX-5+Miata/hitch ) Plus one or more of the following: 3a. Harbor Freight "Mini Trailer" (See https://duckduckgo.com/?q=!harborfreight+mini+trailer&t=ffab&ia=web ) 3b. Harbor Freight Mini Carrier (See https://duckduckgo.com/?q=!harborfreight+alumminum+carrier&t=ffab&ia=web )
Bloomy
So far I love my new Miata
Best I ever drove
I’ve had many types of car and models over the years. They were just transportation modes. This is the first time when I actually look forward to driving a car. The MX-5 is fun, engaging, quick and reliable.
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MY FIRST ONE
I had a soul red Mazda cx-50,and it was ok,but i have always wanted a miata.I saw this grey 2023 for sale, 17 miles on it,and i prayed it was an automatic,only because of a lot of stop & go driving here in virginia.I must say,i absolutely love the looks of this car. Pros- Steering/handling Ride Performance Features Gas mileage Cons- At 6 ft tall,kind of tight,but it works Bose system cuts in & out on left speakers on notifications That's it !! I really enjoy the way it drives.I am 60, single,and this is not a mid-life crisis,as i have always wanted a true sports car,and this is my 6 th convertible,and the most beautiful car i have ever owned
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Great ride!
2023 MX-5 Grand Touring 6sp manual edition is a fantastic roadster. This is my 2nd MX-5 GT (previous 2012 GT Automatic) but this one has much needed safety features such as lane departure warning system, Blind Spot monitoring, and rear cross traffic alert. The 7" touch screen display works well either by touch or using the dial control on the center console. All cockpit controls are within easy arms reach. I find putting the soft-top down and/or back up is quick and efficient and one of the nicer features of this model. You can sit in the vehicle and put the roof down and conversely, put the roof back up in less than six seconds, each way. You can actually do this on the fly, but probably not recommended when driving. In my 2012 hard-top, the one touch push button took almost 11 seconds to open or close and you had to be stopped to perform these functions. Also, with the soft-top there's two small cubbies behind each seat for additional storage, something my 2012 hard-top did not have. The 6sp manual transmission shifts smoothly. So glad I went with the manual trans. I would give a 5-star rating however I only have about 500 miles thus far so I'm still getting warmed up to this model. I probably will upgrade the rating to 5-stars however since the car is so new I'll need to put some more miles on it first. Fuel efficiency at the moment is 35mpg with combo city/Hwy.
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Little red GT
The Miata GT is a bit small and pricy, but it's the best little sports car out there for the money.
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Exhilarating
I have 20 club, I’ve own her now a 1 1/2, and she’s just a fun as the day I brought her home, no problems, jus miles of smile and fun, she’s a daily driver, a little noisy at highway speeds, and I’ve learn how to pack her for trips, this is a great sports car at any speed.
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Woohoo!
That it’s a truly great car
Automatic but Still Fun to Drive
My wife and I bought this car in January and still haven't put 1,000 miles on it. The coronavirus will do that to your driving. It's fun to drive. The gas mileage has been about 25 or a little more mpg in a combination of city (mostly) with a little highway mileage thrown in. I love the color, the top is easy to raise and lower, and it's awfully rough riding on the road surfaces in our small town.
MY First Toy
Its my 4th miata and I have loved the others this won is my very special one its the Grand Touring model I have added many little extras to the car it is a true sports car in every sense
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Exciting Lilipution
I'm a 72-year-old and drove this with my wife from MA to SC for an 11-day trip and fit everything we needed into it. I put a hitch on for my bike and/or a platform to increase luggage capacity but didn't need for aforementioned trip. Top-down works fine from 50 to 90 degrees even with indoor clothing with heat on and seat heaters for lower temps. I can't help but smile with top down and highway driving is a sensory experience. At 50 mph, this car feels like a normal car going 70, but handles very well at any speed I've had (around 85 mph tops). The car requires more attention, when driving than say our Forester, but is not tiring. I've driven it 450 miles in a day without problem. I'm 5'8" and have no trouble getting comfortable, despite limited seat adjustments. The car is fairly narrow but requires more space widthwise than our Forester because we need a wide door opening to get in or out. The doors are long and I can't clear my leg without a fairly wide door opening. Sometimes, in a narrow space, I have to move the seat back the inch or so additional I have, so I can get out without dooring the car next to me. IMHO the MX-5 can be fine as the only car for a single person, particularly with a hitch and platform to augment storage, if that person is willing to rent a car the few times a year he/she needs a larger one.