Roadsters never go out of style and the 2015 Mazda MX-5 Miata brand of roadster is a well-loved and fine-tuned machine. This year, too, the Mazda folks added the 25th Anniversary Edition trim, and there were some minor changes to the base Sport convertible trim with a cloth top versus vinyl from years past.
It’s a tiny car, but it gave me a big smile as it scooted around the curves and turns. It just feels good when taking the road with precision and great handling no matter the situation.
Competition includes the 2015 Scion FR-S, the Mini Cooper and the Fiat 500, but the latter two offer a completely different vibe behind the wheel, two seats in back with these and just not as fun to drive at all.
The 2015 Mazda MX-5 Miata seats two and comes in four trims: Base Sport, Club, Grand Touring and the 25th Anniversary Edition. On the base sport you get the manually operated soft top, but on the three higher trims a power-retractable hardtop is a standard feature.
On the Sport trim you get 16-inch alloy wheels, cloth seats, a cloth convertible top with a glass rear window, fog lights, height-adjustable driver seat, leather-wrapped steering wheel, power windows and mirrors and a CD player with an auxiliary jack.
The Club has 17-inch wheels, a black exterior trim, cruise control, power door locks, keyless entry, leather-wrapped shift knob and a steering wheel with mounted audio controls. You can also add the Club features to the Sports trim called the Convenience package and get all these Club standards too.
The Grand Touring will give you a choice of a black or beige cloth top with climate control, leather upholstery, heated seats, auto-dimming rearview mirror, a Bose audio system and a silver-themed interior.
There is a suspension package option that is offered on the Club and Grand Touring and this will give you a sport-tuned suspension with Brillstein shocks and a limited-slip differential. The Grand Touring can also be had with the Premium package offering a keyless ignition and entry.
For this year’s new 25th Anniversary Edition you get better leather inside, 17-inch wheels and the added Premium and Suspension packages standard.
Under the hood the 2015 Mazda MX-5 Miata offers a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine with 167 horsepower on the manual and 158 horsepower on the automatic with 140-pound-feet of torque. If you opt for a sport it comes with a manual that is only five-speed, but the three higher trims will give you a six-speed manual transmission. Rear-wheel drive and all the trims also have a shift paddle option or, the base trim can be had for a little more money with a six-speed manual transmission.
Safety features on the 2015 Mazda MX-5 Miata include antilock disc brakes, side airbags and stability and traction control.
While a bit snug, that is part of the reality of a roadster, and while tight it was still a comfortable fit. I felt like I was in a rocket getting ready to take off. It’s easy to use with sparse knobs and buttons and everything is definitely at your fingertips. For taller men or women, this car might be a little too tight when the top is up, but with the top down it can still be a good option and just good fun.
I particularly liked the power convertible top since all you have to do it push a button and pull a lever then wait a minute and everything happens like magic up and down. With the power button versus the manual convertible top you also get the luxury of less outside noise, but even when the top is down I could carry on a conversation inside the car.
You won’t get a lot of room in the Miata for luggage, bags or hauling anything with just 5.3 cubic feet, but for a car about town, taking the road and handling perfectly, and with a nice price tag, you really can’t go wrong for summer fun in the sun.
Should You Need to Know: You can opt for a power or do-it-yourself convertible top and get from 0 to 60 in a little under seven seconds, who won’t look good with that?
Miles Per Gallon: The 2015 Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring I drove got 21 miles to the gallon in the city and 28 miles per gallon on the highway.
Cost: The 2015 Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring I drove came in with a price tag of $32,935
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