1995 Mazda Miata M edition

Cars are rated one (forget it) to four ('bout as good as it gets) James Deans

FIRST, THE BOTTOM LINE

I first drove - and fell in love it with - a Mazda Miata in 1991. They have changed little since then, except in one very important way: They are much more expensive. The little silver beauty I tested in 1991 was $13,800. Today's M edition is $23,530.

And, truthfully, it's not that much of an improvement. If I count up the important differences, I come up with only two: Today's Miata has dual airbags; anti-lock brakes are available.

At the end of this review, you'll find a link to my first review. Read it. It's entertaining and the critique still applies.

 GOOD STUFF                     BAD STUFF

     Sports car for the masses          Price
     Most fun you can have sitting      Rough ride with performance tires
     Cheap to operate                   Plastic rear window 
               

SPECIFICATIONS

• Style: two-seat sports car
• Engine: 1.8-liter four-cylinder
• Transmission: five-speed manual
• Drivetrain: rear-wheel drive
• Power: 128 hp @ 6,500 rpm
• EPA mileage: 23 city/29 highway
• Weight: 2,293 lb.
• Base price: $23,530

SAFETY

It's difficult to feel safe in a Miata. Sure, there are dual air bags, decent belt restraints, and optional ABS. The M edition even has adjustable head restraints, a first for any Miata.

But a Miata is so damn tiny.

In city driving, the size inequity isn't felt nearly as much as on a highway. Out there, in 75 mile-per-hour land, semi trucks with Confederate flags on their grills loom threateningly in a Miata's rear view mirror. RVs scrowl at the tiny intruder on the Big Asphalt. Even Chevrolet Caprices enjoy a fleeting feeling of superiority.

In that Great Pecking Order of the Pavement, Miatas reside at the bottom of the food chain. How can I illustrate this? Well, imagine Elton John trying out for linebacker with the San Francisco 49'ers. Hey, Elton John is good at what he does, but...

This fact shouldn't deter a sports car buff from buying a Miata. Sports cars have always been vulnerable in accidents. It's the nature of the tiny beast. But it should cause a would-be buyer to reflect on this one question: What will be my primary use of the Miata? If the answer is city driving, with an occasional highway trip, then you've found one of autodom's premiere fun vehicles. Buy a Miata and put an ear-to-ear grin on your face during your daily commute. But if the highway is in your soul, I'd suggest you look for something bigger to bring to the race.

HANDLING

The phrase "riding on rails" could have been coined to describe a Miata's handling. The steering is precise, the response predictable, the execution as good as it gets.

Indeed, the driving experience is the primary appeal of the Miata, and Mazda delivers in spades.

And if a Miata can't pull the g-force of a Corvette in a curve, it sure feels like it. The miniscule size, the proximity of the driver to the ground, the rush of the open air, all contribute to the feel of a performance vehicle.

It isn't one. Nope. It isn't fast. It isn't a world-beater in cornering. It doesn't stop in record distance. But from the steering wheel, you'll never know it.

PERFORMANCE

Fun house mirrors don't change reality. The trick is to present it to you so that what you perceive is not what you are.

Same thing applies to a Mazda Miata. What you feel is not what you are.

The Miata is not a 0-to-60 whiz rod. Its top end is, well, more than the legal speed limit!

But press that accelerator, hear the perfection of the exhaust note, move that precise shifter through a gear change and you'll swear this is the best performance car you've ever driven.

I can't fault you. I prefer a Miata over about 90 percent of the world's sports cars. Maybe you have to drive these "dream machines" to understand how demanding and tiring they can be.

It's the truth. I'm irked with high-performance cars that have balky shifters with a ridiculous first-to-fourth shift at low speeds. I'm tired of depressing a clutch pedal that only an NFL placekicker has the leg strength to operate. I'm fed up with traction control systems that don't kick in until a car is sideways after an upshift. And I don't enjoy being perceived a delinquent based on what I'm driving.

The Miata has none of these problems. And it has all the performance most people need in the real world of clogged urban interstates and poorly maintained streets. Plus, you'll find it a joy when you face today's downsized parking places.

COMFORT

The M edition was not comfortable. The 15-inch wheels - another first on a Miata - bore high-performance tires. Ridiculous. That's like putting track shoes on Gomer Pyle. Carl Lewis would still beat him - wearing combat boots.

The R edition, tested earlier this year, was simply intolerably rough. It's like an SCCA racer sold for street use. Only the base Miata passes the comfort test. And since it's so much less expensive, I see no reason to shell out extra bucks just to be beaten up by a car.

But the leather seats are very good, supportive for short or long trips. The controls are all accessible. The convertible top can even be lowered manually from the driver's seat. And, praise be, a driver can rest the left arm on the window sill without the elbow pointing skyward at 45 degrees.

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

James Dean would flat love this car. He'd buy a silver one, of course. He'd use it for city commutes.

The love affair that began with my first test drive of a Miata hasn't cooled over the years. But I know now that I'd prefer to own the base Miata over the M or R edition. Just remember: M stand for Money; R stands for Rough.

Finally, I have this word of warning for Mazda executives: Don't let the price keep escalating. Toyota's MR2 disappears after this year, primarily because it costs so much these days. Word is the Nissan 300ZX will die after next year, and possibly the Toyota Supra and Mazda RX-7 immediately after. And everyone knows the Corvette is on the chopping block every year (the ZR-1 was discontinued this year at model #448).

Sports cars are heading into history.

It doesn't have to be so for the Miata. If the Miata can remain true to its identity - a basic, inexpensive sports car that's reliable and fun to drive - it has a secure future ahead of it. But if it soars to $25,000 in a few years, it will join the dying breed of two-seaters that cost too much.

Now, before you go further, read the 1991 review.

data:

o o Left turn: Bob's Garage
Home, James