2014 Mazda MX-5 Miata Expert Review

Vehicle Overview

They tell you not to judge a book by its cover, but with the 2014 Mazda MX-5 Miata, you can. The rear-drive convertible's appearance suggests it's a fantastic little car to drive with its small size, convertible top, and smiley front grille. Its driving dynamics are no different: this car looks fun to drive, and it is. The two-seat roadster is has delivered unadulterated motoring pleasure for more than 20 years, even spawning its own dedicated racing series.

The 2014 Mazda MX-5 Miata roadster offers three levels of fun: base Sport, Club, and Grand Touring. All come standard with a manually operated soft top that's a breeze to fold down and put back up, but for those who prefer to do things they easy way, the upper trim levels are available with a power-retractable hardtop (PRHT). The base Sport trim comes well-appointed and the upper trim level models add Bose audio and leather trimmed seats. Regardless of trim level, all MX-5s are powered by a 2.0-liter inline-four, with the engine making 167 hp and 140 lb-ft of torque when paired to the five- or six-speed manual transmission, and 158 hp when paired with the six-speed automatic transmission. While those numbers may not be too impressive on paper, its driving dynamics make it a front-runner. Its front mid-ship mounted engine and rear-drive layout combined with rigid chassis and suspension tuning contribute to its inherently good driving dynamics.

In a six-way comparison involving sports cars under $28,000, the MX-5 Miata Grand Touring finished in third ahead of the Ford Mustang V-6, Volkswagen GTI, and Hyundai Genesis 2.0T R-Spec, but behind the Scion FR-S and the Subaru BRZ. Although all provided cheap thrills, the MX-5 Miata was knocked down because it was starting to feel dated compared to newer entrants in the segment like the Toyo-baru twins. Either way, it's still a blast to drive. "This is possibly the most directly connected car on the road."