Latest MX-5 Miata maintains two-seater tradition

This review first appeared in the April 2019 edition of the Northern & Central California Cruisin’ News published out of Folsom, California – mg

Sacramento, California – It has been 30 years since Miata Mania swept the nation, but the current MX-5 Miata preserves those good feelings with its current layout.

My recent tester was the 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club RF, a long name to describe a delightfully fun two-seater with plenty of pop.  RF designates the retractable hardtop version.

There's also a soft top version of the MX-5, but trust me, the hardtop that disappears into the back of the vehicle is much more entertaining.  Up or down in 13 seconds.  Love that part.

Mazda installed some upgrades in this 2019 MX-5, including an improved sport suspension.

Best of all, the 2-liter, four cylinder engine now has a max horsepower output of 181, up 26 ponies from the previous edition.  This extra oomph is a significant rush as it blasts the lightweight roadster around most everything on the open road.

I don't recall feeling this comfortable behind the wheel of any of the MX-5s I've driven in the past.  After all, the car sits so low that I previously would make the extra effort to stay out of harm's way on the freeways.  But my 2019 ride zipped into safe spots so quickly and easily that I was never nervous.

About that low-slung part:  I'm 6-4 and getting older by the minute, so I pretty much had to fall into the driver's seat to get into the car.  That was the easy part.  Getting out meant swinging both legs left and onto the pavement, then pushing up from there.  I think the neighbors could hear my knee joints squeaking.

Just sayin'

One other word of warning:  Pack light as cargo space in the MX-5 is pretty much one briefcase.

But enough about that.  This is a go-have-a-blast driver and not a long road trip warrior.  The MX-5 is meant to be whipped through twisty Sierra Nevada foothill roads, hugging corners with monorail-like stability.  Opening up the MX-5 on a quiet stretch of country road is similarly appealing.

For all its pop, the tested two-seater rang up an impressive 26 miles per gallon in the city and 35 mpg on the highway.

My relatively loaded tester wore a sticker price of $34,265.

Is it worth that?  Oh my, yes!

I loved the rush of the agile, original Miata all those years ago.  Kudos to Mazda for preserving what made me love it ... and making it better along the way.