Shortly after the third-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata debuted for 2006, we got our hands on a very basic model and took it to an autocross. It rolled, pitched and wallowed to an excessive degree, and we feared that Mazda had gone too far in dumbing down our favorite bargain roadster. Naturally, the aftermarket provided plenty of ways to correct the handling, but that first impression always left a slightly bad taste in our mouths.
The MX-5 got a face-lift for 2009 that incorporates Mazda's new smiling corporate grille. Just a couple days before our $2009 Challenge, another Mazda MX-5 press vehicle came to our headquarters. We figured it would be a perfect way to get to and from the event, and we'd be able to have some fun in it, too.
As a top-of-the-line Grand Touring model, this example had automatic AC, heated leather seats, a Bose stereo and some interior trim enhancements in addition to the regular Touring package's six-speed transmission, strut tower brace and other amenities.
That's all lovely, but what blew us away was the Suspension Package. A sport-tuned suspension that includes Bilstein dampers and a limited-slip differential totally transformed this car from the wallowing pig we had experienced back in 2006 to a sharp, delightful corner-carver. Best of all, the package is just $500; don't leave the dealership without it.
On its OEM street tires, this bone-stock car ran a 34.670 at the autocross course we had laid out for our $2009 Challengers. This would have been good for 33rd place, but subtracting 2 seconds for hypothetical R-compounds would have put it in the top 10 at the autocross. It was a heck of a lot of fun at the limit, too, with fairly flat handling, thrilling power-on oversteer and ultra-communicative brakes.
It ate up the miles on the highway, too, and the slick single-latch manual folding top can be raised and lowered from the driver's seat with just one arm. There's not a ton of room for luggage, but hey, it's a Miata. The six-speed transmission is fun to row, although it required a bit of concentration to get from second to third on ultra-fast shifts.
Dressed in Competition Yellow, this MX-5 is every bit the ray-of-sunshine sports car that can transform any commute or errand into a little driving adventure.