The 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Review – #DriveMazda

Most of my articles understandably fall under the motherhood section of this blog. The majority of moments in my everyday life are centered around our kiddos and family, so it makes sense. But last week I had the chance to experience and enjoy a little of the “beyond” and it was incredible. I adored partnering with Mazda and DriveShop to test out the Mazda CX-3 and the feedback from our audience was great, so when they offered another car for our review I was excited. When I was told it would be the new 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata, I hesitated a bit and then decided it would be perfect. Lots of Motherhood and Beyond’s readers are parents and may have mini-vans and SUVs now as their “kid taxis,” but it doesn’t mean we aren’t interested in the “beyond.” We all dream of the day we can cruise through beautiful scenery, wind in our hair (or lack there of) with our honey by our side in a sporty little two-seater, so for this review we planned just that. Unfortunately, life filled with busy schedules, kids and work got in the way of our dream drive, but our solo cruises were almost as fun.

I’ll start with the overall look. The 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata is sexy. Clean lines and a great shape give it a sporty and luxurious feel. Just sitting inside makes you feel special. The upscale interior seems to mold itself around you making the cozy cabin feel efficient rather than confined. At 5’9″ and 5’6″ both my husband and I felt comfortable inside. Every control is expertly placed and the 7″ touch-screen display adds to the classy feel.

Not only do you look and feel good in this car, it is also extremely fun to drive! With most car redesigns, the car tends to gain a lot of extra amenities producing a heavier (and slower) car, but not with the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata. The redesign shed about 200 pounds from the former model while still updating the technology and creating a leaner, sleeker design. That coupled with the new Sky Active technology provides a power you can feel and great handling capability. The Sky Active 2.0-liter engine provides a 30% reduction in internal engine friction, 10% reduction in engine weight, up to 15% reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions and up to 15% torque improvement. What does this mean? You can do 0-60 mph in about 6.5 seconds and enjoy every second of it.  I loved shifting the gears with the 6-speed manual and in true Mazda fashion it was smooth and easy. Seriously, the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata is a blast to drive.

There aren’t many cons we could come up with. Sure it’s small and lacks storage space, but that is to be expected with a two-seat convertible sports car. Unlike other options available, you don’t lose any trunk space when you put the convertible top down and there is a small locking glove box between the seats. It won’t hold a purse, but it does hold a large wallet and cell phone. It can be a little noisy even with the top up, but again nothing out of the ordinary with a convertible and nothing the 9-speaker BOSE Audio System can’t overcome. The one extra I would love to see is a rear-backup camera, but the other safety features, such as lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are all top notch.

Truly, you feel good in it and it is incredibly fun to drive. That combined with the affordable price easily makes this the best convertible sports car on the market. Time speeds by way too fast already, so I definitely don’t want to speed it up or change anything about the stage of life we’re in. I cherish everyday, but someday even though the “motherhood” part will never be gone, there will be a “beyond,” and fun little dreams like the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata make it a little easier of a reality to swallow.