{"id":34733,"date":"2025-07-10T10:42:35","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T14:42:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=34733"},"modified":"2025-07-10T10:42:35","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T14:42:35","slug":"payne-the-first-convertible-of-summer-mazda-mx-5-miata","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/payne-the-first-convertible-of-summer-mazda-mx-5-miata","title":{"rendered":"Payne: The first convertible of summer, Mazda MX-5 Miata"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Oakland County<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 It was a looooong Michigan winter this year with bitter temperatures, record snowfalls and chilly May days. In the South where I grew up, we hail the first songbird of April spring. Here in Michigan, I look for the first convertible of June summer.<\/p>\n

It arrived in my driveway as a Mazda MX-5 Miata.<\/p>\n

What a joy this little car is. With its drop-top, manual gearbox and normally-aspirated 2.0-liter engine, Miata is the purest expression of a roadster on the market today. It\u2019s a throwback to the glory days of Lotus Elan, Alfa Romeo Spider, Fiat 124 Spider. They don\u2019t make \u2018em like this anymore.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/div>\n

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The 2025 Mazda MX-5 Miata’s top goes down when the sun comes up. It’s one of the few convertibles left in the U.S. market.<\/em><\/div>\n

Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n

Remarkably, the Miata has gained little weight over its four generations (Gen 1 weighed 2,210 pounds), staying true to its purpose as a driver\u2019s car. Unlike other performance cars \u2014 Mini Cooper, Porsche 911, Chevy Corvette \u2014 the MX-5 has maintained its svelte, 2,332-pound figure by remaining tiny. At 6\u2019 5\u201d I don\u2019t so much sit in the Miata as wear it.<\/p>\n

Knees in the dash, elbows in the console, seat all the way back, skull stuffed in the roof. Thank goodness the Miata goes topless. So small is the cabin that I can reach up, unlatch the roof from the windshield, pull it back, and stow in in the trunk in one motion. On a crisp 65-degree evening, I took the Miata over to Woodward Avenue to play with its kin \u2014 classic convertibles like Camaro, AC Cobra, Dodge Viper, Jaguar E-Type, MGB, Honda S2000, Mercedes SL, Chevy Corvette, Ford Mustang. But for the latter trio, all have left the market.<\/p>\n

And none of them are featherweights as tossable as Miata.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/figure>\n
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The 2025 Mazda MX-5 Miata has been in the U.S. market sine 1990 and is as lightweight (2,332 pounds) and as appealing as ever.<\/em><\/div>\n

Henry Payne<\/em><\/div>\n

Exiting Woodward, I headed for Oakland County\u2019s twisties. Miata smiled that big jack o\u2019 lantern grille smile and hustled from turn to turn, clipping apexes, rotating on demand, chirping tires.<\/p>\n

Mazda makes the best six-speed shifter this side of a Porsche (or you can buy, ho hum, the automatic option) and it\u2019s a joy to row. Relatively affordable at $30K, the Mazda is your car for summer fun \u2014 and to teach your children the joys of driving stick. Master the Miata\u2019s manual and you feel in total command of the car.<\/p>\n

Amidst this organic goodness, Miata hasn\u2019t totally ignored the modern digital world. The cabin revolves around that glorious shifter, while modern cars (like the Tesla Model 3 in my garage) are built around big screens.<\/p>\n

The Miata is properly equipped with an improved infotainment display.<\/p>\n

\"Date<\/figure>\n
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Date night. The 2025 Mazda MX-5 Miata in its happy place: Woodward Avenue on a sunny day.<\/em><\/div>\n

Henry Payne<\/em><\/div>\n

My Android phone synced wirelessly with the nine-inch display and took over the touchscreen \u2014 a welcome alternative to the Mazda\u2019s native, remote-controlled rotary device screen. The touchscreen works \u2014 ahem, as long as the car is in PARK, but then shifts to the rotary controller when on the move.<\/p>\n