{"id":25426,"date":"2020-05-28T13:35:51","date_gmt":"2020-05-28T17:35:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=25426"},"modified":"2020-05-28T13:35:51","modified_gmt":"2020-05-28T17:35:51","slug":"payne-mazdas-sporty-mx-5-miata-is-a-great-escape","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2020\/05\/payne-mazdas-sporty-mx-5-miata-is-a-great-escape","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Mazda&#8217;s sporty MX-5 Miata is a great escape"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/19\/PDTN\/4b5b1e0b-7d46-44a0-b503-4e29efbd6ea3-miata_fr3-4-high.JPG?width=520&amp;height=390&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2020 Mazda MX-5 continues a 30-year Miata legacy of small, sub-2,500-pound cars that are fun on the track and off.\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"asset-double-wide double-wide p402_premium\" role=\"main\">\n<p class=\"speakable-p-1 p-text\">Two months into the COVID-19 shutdown, Michigan motorheads were taking to their sports cars for some therapeutic social-distancing. Metro Detroit\u2019s Woodward Avenue, suburban twisties and country roads were suddenly full of spring songbirds: the sharp call of the Porsche flat-six, the gurgling growl of the Mustang V-8, the throaty bark of the Corvette.<\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable-p-2 p-text\">One of my favorite getaway rides is the 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata roadster.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">That\u2019s assuming you can still fit in it, of course. Living within a few feet of my refrigerator in lockdown for weeks with limited access to my usual sports routines had me concerned when the MX-5 arrived in my driveway in late April.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SuSnbiuES4U\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/19\/PDTN\/b4f89e4f-cb5f-49d5-9b70-9ea24e6808de-miata_int.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The cockpit of the 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata. Manual and automatic 6-speeds are available, but the manual is particularly enjoyable for throwing the wee sports car around.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/19\/PDTN\/b4f89e4f-cb5f-49d5-9b70-9ea24e6808de-miata_int.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/19\/PDTN\/b4f89e4f-cb5f-49d5-9b70-9ea24e6808de-miata_int.JPG\" \/>The cockpit of the 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata. Manual and automatic 6-speeds are available, but the manual is particularly enjoyable for throwing the wee sports car around.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">I\u2019m 6-foot-5\u00a0and probably that wide by now. Could I still fold into the wee Mazda\u2019s cabin? It wasn\u2019t easy. The Miata should come with a giant shoehorn \u2014 if it had more than 4.6 cubic feet of cargo space to put it in. I wedged in sideways between the steering wheel and seatback, then yanked the manual bar to pull the seat all the way back.<\/p>\n<div class=\"teads-adCall\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"ad-position-74\" class=\"partner-placement partner-spike partner-placement-visible\" data-ad-placement=\"native-article_link\" data-ad-sizes=\"[&quot;fluid&quot;,[3,3], [2,6], [300,250]]\" data-monetization-id=\"native-article_link\" data-monetization-sizes=\"fluid,300,250,3,3,2,6\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">It was already back. I always underestimate just how tiny this mouse is.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">I rotated my giant frame,\u00a0stuffing my head into the roof, both knees in the dash, then adjusting the steering column in my lap. Watching my friend John \u2014\u00a0a fellow\u00a0ex-basketball player with another inch on me \u2014\u00a0perform the same feat was like watching toothpaste being stuffed back into its tube.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">How tiny is the MX-5 cabin? It doesn\u2019t have room for cupholders. Instead, clip-on cupholders are provided that hang off the center console into the passenger seat. How tiny? There isn\u2019t room for a glovebox under the dash so it\u2019s located in the firewall behind the driver.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The cabin might have less shoulder room than\u00a0Delta coach class. You can smell what your passenger had for breakfast. I recommend driving with intimate acquaintances, so I took Mrs. Payne for an afternoon outing.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SuSnbivxzN8\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/19\/PDTN\/e292e3b7-d6c5-486f-a337-dedc4fbf5b5e-miata_instru.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata features classic, analog gauges \u2014 with the tachometer right in the center, naturally.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/19\/PDTN\/e292e3b7-d6c5-486f-a337-dedc4fbf5b5e-miata_instru.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/19\/PDTN\/e292e3b7-d6c5-486f-a337-dedc4fbf5b5e-miata_instru.JPG\" \/>The 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata features classic, analog gauges \u2014 with the tachometer right in the center, naturally.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">First things first.\u00a0I popped the cloth roof, then \u2014 in one motion \u2014 buried it in the boot. Click\u00a0and it\u2019s done, as easy as storing a blanket in a dresser drawer. The spring air was invigorating and my cranium relieved. My wife eyed my head sticking above the windshield nervously \u2014 is it now the car\u2019s roll bar? \u2014 but her worries were fleeting as the wind swept her hair back and the pleasure of a topless sports car washed over us.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Once stuffed into the wee Mazda, it is pure joy. You don\u2019t so much sit in a Miata as wear it. Like hand in glove, the car is an extension of me.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The Miata is Mazda\u2019s halo vehicle, its sporty DNA infecting everything in the Japanese maker\u2019s lineup including its three-row CX-9 SUV. For 30 years MX-5 has stayed true to its purpose: serving fun in an affordable package.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SuSnbiv7vX8\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/19\/PDTN\/2b52e1b9-44f6-476b-8228-300d81da5d74-miata_carplay.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2020 Mazda Miata offers Apple Car Play and Android auto app compatibility on upper trim models. The feature enables navigation as good as your smartphone.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/19\/PDTN\/2b52e1b9-44f6-476b-8228-300d81da5d74-miata_carplay.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/19\/PDTN\/2b52e1b9-44f6-476b-8228-300d81da5d74-miata_carplay.JPG\" \/>The 2020 Mazda Miata offers Apple Car Play and Android auto app compatibility on upper trim models. The feature enables navigation as good as your smartphone.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">While other performance cars have\u00a0grown (looking at you, Mini Cooper)\u00a0the 2020 MX-5 is remarkably similar in size to the 1989 original. The fourth-generation model tips the scales at 2,339 pound,\u00a0just 119 heavier than Gen One. The MX-5 has been a lot more disciplined in its diet over the years than I have.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cMazda is dedicated to the purity of the MX-5 Miata,\u201d says Mazda in its press materials.\u00a0\u201cThe Guinness World Record holder for the best-selling two-seater sports car.\u201d Here\u2019s to purity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">As important, the Miata has actually gotten cheaper over time, costing about $200 less in inflation-adjusted dollars today than 1989 despite gaining 50 more horsepower, the latest safety features and a suite of modern electronics.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">New for 2020, for example, MX-5 sports standard features like blind-spot assist, rear-traffic alert, lane-departure warning\u00a0and 7-inch tablet touchscreen. Step up to the Club and Grand Touring models (like my $32,790 tester) and you get Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, too.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The latter is my wife\u2019s favorite feature, and she immediately plugged in her iPhone and we set course for Zingerman\u2019s Deli in Ann Arbor for lunch. Satisfied that I could still fit in the MX-5, I figured a\u00a0Reuben sandwich wouldn\u2019t hurt.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">With our Google guide leading the way, heated leather seats\u00a0and the automatic climate-control cranked to 75 degrees, the Miata\u2019s open cabin was surprisingly comfortable on a 60-degree spring day. My wife and I could even converse above the wind noise given our close proximity.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SuSnbiuUrmU\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/19\/PDTN\/2cf53483-f9f7-425d-9384-a98bb03e1e34-miata_fr.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata shows off the evolution of Mazda's design from Lotus wannabe to a style in keeping with the Mazda family.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/19\/PDTN\/2cf53483-f9f7-425d-9384-a98bb03e1e34-miata_fr.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/19\/PDTN\/2cf53483-f9f7-425d-9384-a98bb03e1e34-miata_fr.JPG\" \/>The 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata shows off the evolution of Mazda&#8217;s design from Lotus wannabe to a style in keeping with the Mazda family.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The discomfort comes in proximity to other vehicles. On I-696, I was acutely aware of how small the Miata was compared to the rest of the auto kingdom. My mouse was surrounded by herds of SUV wildebeests and towering semi-truck elephants. On two occasions, SUVs cut across my nose, oblivious to my presence. So good is the roadster\u2019s visibility, however, that I could see all four corners of my steed at all times.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">After lunch, we headed to Huron River Road in Washtenaw County, its\u00a0berms busy with boaters and hikers escaping from another COVID-induced Groundhog Day.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Despite the traffic, there was still room to play.\u00a0 The Huron River is a delightfully twisted, natural Miata habitat. The roadster\u2019s light weight means a healthy power-to-weight ratio, and I rowed the 2.0-liter four-banger hard over dips and turns. My Grand Touring model amped up the sportiness with Bilstein dampers for a firmer ride, but the MX-5 is never harsh.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">True to its wee \u201960s English sports car forefathers, MX-5 still comes with a manual transmission and I recommend it highly. Its shifts are precise and the car\u2019s pedal placement perfect for easy heel-and-toe\u00a0downshifts \u2014 even in my size 15s.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SuSnbivJJ4g\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/19\/PDTN\/0f499f15-8835-4e0f-a0f4-3a06b6310c79-miata_engine.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Weighing just 2,339 pounds, the 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata gets nice power from its 181-horse, 2.0-liter engine.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/19\/PDTN\/0f499f15-8835-4e0f-a0f4-3a06b6310c79-miata_engine.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/19\/PDTN\/0f499f15-8835-4e0f-a0f4-3a06b6310c79-miata_engine.JPG\" \/>Weighing just 2,339 pounds, the 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata gets nice power from its 181-horse, 2.0-liter engine.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The Miata may give up storage space to its affordable Subaru BRZ\/Toyota 86 competitors, but its engine is more responsive. And unlike muscular, high-horsepower Corvette and Mustang convertibles that need more acreage to stretch their V-8 legs, Miata can be flung around on small rural roads with plenty of room to spare.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Perhaps the MX-5\u2019s most underrated feature is its styling. Mazda took a big gamble in its Gen 4 upgrade by ditching its retro-Lotus styling for a more 21st-century Mazda design. It\u2019s stunning, and the MX-5\u2019s athletic lines and lean face are always easy on the eyes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">It might inspire me to lose a few pounds myself after this COVID thing is over.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SuSnbivPhZ4\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/19\/PDTN\/4b5b1e0b-7d46-44a0-b503-4e29efbd6ea3-miata_fr3-4-high.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2020 Mazda MX-5 continues a 30-year Miata legacy of small, sub-2,500-pound cars that are fun on the track and off.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/19\/PDTN\/4b5b1e0b-7d46-44a0-b503-4e29efbd6ea3-miata_fr3-4-high.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/19\/PDTN\/4b5b1e0b-7d46-44a0-b503-4e29efbd6ea3-miata_fr3-4-high.JPG\" \/>The 2020 Mazda MX-5 continues a 30-year Miata legacy of small, sub-2,500-pound cars that are fun on the track and off.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"presto-h3\"><strong>2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Vehicle type: Front-engine, rear-wheel drive, 2-passenger sports car<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Price: $27,500, including $920 destination charge ($32,790 Grand Touring\u00a0model as tested)<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Powerplant:\u00a02.0-liter four-cylinder<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Power:\u00a0181 horsepower, 151 pound-feet of torque<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Transmission: 6-speed manual (as tested); 6-speed automatic<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Performance: 0-60 mph, 5.7 seconds (Car and Driver); top speed, 140 mph<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Weight: 2,339 pounds<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Fuel economy: EPA 26 city\/ 34 highway\/ 29 combined (manual); 26 city\/ 35 highway\/ 30 combined (automatic)<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Report card<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Highs: Throwback\u00a0purist\u2019s sports car; modern electronics<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Lows: Tight fit for 6-footers; limited storage space<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Overall: 4\u00a0stars<\/p>\n<p id=\"article-body-p-last\" class=\"p-text p-text-last\">\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"story-right-rail\">\n<section id=\"module-position-SuSnbiqiYw4\" class=\"storyrightrail-bucket car-search-module story-car-search-module\"><\/section>\n<section id=\"module-position-SuSnbiq6ElY\" class=\"storyrightrail-bucket poster-ad-asset2-module story-poster-ad-asset2-module\">\n<div class=\"partner-asset-right-ad-2\"><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/aside>\n<section id=\"module-position-SuSnbisFyOI\" class=\"storybottombar-bucket taboola-related-module story-taboola-related-module\">\n<div class=\"more more-stories-wrap vertical\"><\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Two months into the COVID-19 shutdown, Michigan motorheads were taking to their sports cars for some therapeutic social-distancing. Metro Detroit\u2019s Woodward Avenue, suburban twisties and country roads were suddenly full of spring songbirds: the sharp call of the Porsche flat-six, the gurgling growl of the Mustang V-8, the throaty bark of the Corvette. One of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25426"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25426"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25426\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25427,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25426\/revisions\/25427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25426"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25426"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25426"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}