The 2015 MX-5 Miata still uses hydraulic power steering, so feedback is plentiful and the overall steering is very responsive. The seats might not be the most advanced or the most comfortable, but they are supportive and give a good feel of the road. Every aspect of the Miata is the perfect marriage of car and driver. If there’s one word that could describe driving the Miata, it would be direct.

In an age when the Porsche 911 and Chevrolet Corvette also have fuel economy estimates in this vicinity, there’s no reason to see why the next-gen Miata won’t be able to hit highway numbers well into the 30-mpg range. On the highway, there’s no doubt the Miata is capable of hitting its 28-mpg estimate, but with the wide-open road ahead of us, the top down and the sun out, we were a little more enthusiastic on the throttle returning closer to 26 mpg highway. Short gearing ends up with sixth gear coming at about 45 mph, which resulted in a pretty impressive in-town fuel economy for us at just under 22 mpg city, but we also noticed that the gearing can also bring excessive shifts in stop-and-go driving. The 2015 model year comes with EPA estimates of 21 mpg city, 28 mpg highway and 24 mpg in combined driving. One key area where we are looking forward to the next Miata is fuel economy. Pull out a stop watch and the Miata’s 0-60 is in the mid-six-second range (far from groundbreaking in today’s terms), but being so low to the ground with the top down and the wind in your face renders the heavy acceleration feeling phenomenal. As such, the 2.0-liter DOHC inline four-cylinder does an excellent job with an output of 167 hp (125 kW) and 140 lb-ft (190 Nm).

Tipping the scales in at 2,511 pounds (1,138 kg), the Miata just doesn’t need much power to motivate its mass. On paper, the 2015 Mazda Miata might be easy to criticize for some with its low-powered engine, small brakes and few, if any, creature comforts, but the key to its success is the low curb weight. Right off the showroom floor, the Mazda Miata can go out onto just about any road course and embarrass cars that cost more and have extra power, and it does so relying on an almost evenly balanced weight distribution and perfectly tuned suspension. It is still a small, open-top two-seat roadster that can be used interchangeably as a tossable track car or a daily driver. Sadly, what will likely be our last encounter with a NC Miata involved no track time or twisty South California roads, but it did come during a week of perfect Florida winter that provided plenty of top-down weather and lots of wide-open-throttle enjoyment.Ĭurrently celebrating its 25th birthday, the Mazda Miata hasn’t really changed all that much since 1989. A send off for what has been the best enthusiast car – dollar for dollar – on the market since 2006. Before we’re able to usher in the next generation of open-top, track-slaying goodness, though, Mazda gave us one last chance to say goodbye to the current “NC” Miata by dropping it off in our driveway for a week.

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