The 2016 brings the Miata’s first application of electric power steering. The 2016 once again rivals the first generation in this respect.Īll these changes do indeed make the 2016 feel lighter, more grounded and nimble. The more-centered mass lowers the car’s polar moment of inertia, meaning it requires less force to rotate on its axis - to change direction, in essence. (The only lighter Miata was the original, 1.6-liter version of the first generation model, but the displacement increase of the 1.8 was worth its weight in, well, weight.)įor 2016, an efficient SkyActiv 2.0-liter four-cylinder replaces the earlier 2.0-liter, but Mazda has lowered it about a half inch - which lowers the car’s center of gravity - and moved it almost an inch rearward, which shifts more of its mass behind the front axle, where you want it.
Even more impressive, the 2016’s weight rivals that of a first-generation Miata equipped with a 1.8-liter engine. Among countless other changes, the fourth-generation Miata has lost roughly 150 pounds and is now in line with the second generation, reversing one of the transgressions of the third generation (which ran from 2006-2015). The 2016 is unquestionably the best Miata yet. The best sports cars feel like an extension of the driver, and this is where the Miata has shone where some cars - priced two or three times more - have failed. The Miata has always been about the visceral experience of a simple, front-engine, rear-wheel-drive car with equal (or nearly so) front/rear weight distribution and balance that can carve corners with a degree of controllability that makes sliding about safe in everyday driving. To drive a Miata of any generation is to recognize that the fun goes beyond the pleasure many find in a small car and/or a convertible. People in my line of work have been known to write raves about Mazda MX-5 Miatas, and to purchase them, as I have. The package also paints the unfinished brake rotors red and adds Brembo front brakes and a subtle body kit with black side sills and a rear bumper skirt. The Club’s optional Brembo/BBS Package brings BBS-brand wheels that have a black finish but remain 17 inches. The Club’s have a gunmetal finish where the GT’s are bright. Alloy wheels start at 16 inches on the Sport and grow to 17 inches for the Club and Grand Touring. They also seem to give the car’s design a touch of wickedness, which it’s always needed but never possessed.Ī black front air dam and trunk-lid spoiler distinguish the Club trim level. Key to the redesign’s shorter length and small front overhang are standard LED headlights, which Mazda says were the most compact, if not the most affordable, option. A half-inch wider than last year’s model, however, the 2016 is now the widest to date. The new Miata is more than an inch shorter from bumper to bumper than the first-generation car, which had been the smallest in the model’s history. See these models compared side-by-side here. Though they’re four-seaters and not available as convertibles, their starting prices are within hundreds - not thousands - of the Miata’s, and they share the Mazda’s simplicity and purity. If you’re looking for an affordable, fun car in the Miata’s league, I recommend the Scion FR-S and its sister, the Subaru BRZ.
The closest is the Nissan 370Z, which starts at $42,645 in roadster form - almost $17,000 more than the Miata’s $25,735 for a Sport model (all prices include destination charges). The Miata has no rivals, mainly because there are no other roadsters available at such a low starting price.
(See the 20 models’ specs side by side here.) I drove Club and Grand Touring versions.
2016 miata jdm manual#
The powertrain comprises a single four-cylinder engine and a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. If the “PRHT” will return, Mazda isn’t talking about it.Īs before, the Miata comes in three trim levels: Sport, Club and Grand Touring. The only changes that might turn off some buyers are a slightly smaller trunk and the discontinuation of an optional power-retractable hard top, leaving only the standard manual cloth top. Turning back the clock in some ways and pushing the needle forward in many others, the redesigned 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata roadster is the best Miata ever, and one of the most fun, capable cars you can buy, regardless of price.
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