Review: Mazda MX-5 (2015)

Text and photos by Don Halliwell

In the final facelift of the current generation model, the MX-5 has an aggressive stance. The grill and front treatment look fantastic, while the rounded rear-end leaves something to be desired. The bottom line, I think it looks down right mean in Black with alloy wheels to match.  

As the sun sets on the third generation Mazda MX-5, I was kindly treated to a week with one to put it through its paces. Admittedly, it’s taken me some time to put pen to paper on this review. When I was able to get behind the wheel, the weather was slightly warmer, while the trees were full of beautiful orange, red and yellow leaves. The delay has given me time to think. Several weeks later, I miss it – I can’t stop thinking about how it felt to be behind the wheel of a purpose-built sports car.  TLDR review: It’s a fun, no-nonsense roadster for all. 

I’ll preface this review by saying; I’ve been behind the wheel of some very powerful, very expensive vehicles. The MX-5 is neither, but that is a great thing. It has a different type of power: it’s approachable. Equipped with a 167hp four-cylinder engine and a 6-speed manual box, I was able to get it up to the legally suggested speed, and (O.P.P.  stop reading here, please) beyond, en vitesse; a toothy ear-to-ear grin with every shift.  

The sound of the engine from within the cabin is a finely tuned note that urges you to go faster, and reach your (you shouldn’t be able to touch the MX-5s on the streets) limits. It’s not the visceral note of, say, a V8, or the whine of a flat-six, but at the same time, it doesn’t obnoxiously announce your arrival long before you come into view -- something a pragmatic car owner such as myself might consider a plus.  

The cabin itself is minimalistic. You get a steering wheel, two seats, a stereo (I don’t think there were speakers, though*) some pedals, switches and that’s about it. That’s all you really need, because you should be focused on all the creative ways you can manoeuvre this machine from Point A to Point B. A quick aside – all trips, even a trip around the block, somehow turned into a glorious hour-long symphony of turns. You drive an MX-5 for the sake of driving.  

Back to the interior - The first thing you do when preparing is, decide what you absolutely need to bring and balance that with what you are able to bring. The trunk has room for a small suitcase, maybe two. Inside, there’s a glove box and a lockable wallet/smartphone-sized compartment behind the seats. Long items are out of the question.

The next thing you do is look up to check the weather, if it’s not raining – your priority, of course, is getting that automatic hard-top convertible roof stowed behind you as soon as humanly possible. When outside temperature is not an issue, you ride with the top down. End-of-story. With the top down, enjoyment goes up by orders of magnitude. With hot engine air blowing in my lap and cold wind in my hair, I found nirvana in a Mazda Miata. 

In the final facelift of the current generation model, the MX-5 has an aggressive stance. The grill and front treatment look fantastic, while the rounded rear-end leaves something to be desired. The bottom line, I think it looks down right mean in Black with alloy wheels to match.   

The MX-5 (or Miata) has a reputation that precedes it. With its formerly cute and bubbly appearance, it’s been deemed a “chick car” by some. I prefer not to add a gender label to it – it’s a human car. Of the people I showed the car to, the conversation would go like this:  “You have a Miata, now?” with a smug disapproving look. “Doesn’t matter, want to go for a spin?” . . . to which everyone always responds “Yeah, obviously”.  At the end of the day, this is a RWD hardtop convertible with two seats. It’s a roadster through and through despite how people choose to perceive it.  

MX-5 ownership, from what I can tell is as diverse as anything else. One thing they have in common is unadulterated passion for driving. This is the quintessential driver’s car. When behind the wheel, I felt like a part of a community, headlights would flip up as I passed first-gen owners. I received nods of approval from everyone else driving sans-roof in October, and it became clear to me that for MX-5 owners driving is a pastime, not a utility. 

Pulling back into the lot at Mazda Canada was bitter sweet. I knew I would miss this roadster, but was also happy getting back into my diverse, practical SUV. Who am I kidding? Practicality be damned -- I’m a driver. One thing is for certain after seven days with best-selling roadster of all time: I couldn’t be more excited for the incumbent KODO designed younger sibling to hit showrooms next season.