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2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata 2.0L First Drive [w/video]

The 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata is easy to comprehend. It is an enthusiast roadster in its purest form. There's no need for any sort of sales pitch. You don't have to ramp up in order to get people excited about it. Say the words "new Miata" to anyone who cares about cars, and you've immediately got their attention. And now that I have yours, I'll to cut right to the chase. It's brilliant. That's a fact I've known for a while. I drove the Japanese-spec ND Miata in Spain earlier this year, with the 130-horsepower, 1.5-liter engine that we aren't getting in the United States. The new Miata is a modern day reincarnation of the original NA that stole our hearts in 1989. It's smaller and lighter than the outgoing NC, yet boasts more interior room. It's comfortable. It looks great. And it drives like a Miata should. In other words, it's perfect. So what about this US-spec car, then? It's got more power – 155 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque from Mazda's 2.0-liter Skyactiv four-cylinder engine. But it's also heavier. Our car weighs 2,332 pounds, compared to the roughly 2,200 pounds of the 1.5-liter car. Yes, the ND Miata loses 12 hp compared to the outgoing NC, but it's up 8 lb-ft of torque. Plus, according to Mazda, because of the improved powerband, anytime you're under 5,700 rpm the new Skyactiv engine is stronger than the old MZR mill. It's more efficient, too. With the manual transmission, the Miata is estimated to achieve 27 miles per gallon in the city and 34 mpg highway. That a jump of six mpg in both categories compared to the old six-speed. Consider this: The Japanese-spec car uses a 130-hp engine, which I found to be perfectly adequate. The increase in power for the US-spec car mostly just balances out the extra weight, but it also improves performance on the highway. Hit the throttle in sixth gear with the 1.5 and nothing happens. Do the same with the 2.0, and there's movement. Low-end power is far more important in the US than it is in other markets, and that's why our car has the larger engine. "North America is why the two-liter car exists," engineer Dave Coleman told me. Plus, 155 hp power means you eke out the Miata's dynamics at legal speeds. 45 miles per hour in an MX-5 is a far more exhilarating experience than that same speed in any supercar. So yeah, it's not powerful. But to paraphrase Jay-Z, the MX-5 is a super car, not a supercar.

Mazda2 refreshed for 2020 with new style and tech

The North American market Toyota Yaris is a badge engineered version of the Mazda 2. Now, the Mazda underneath the Toyota badging has received some updates in its home market of Japan, and it will be interesting to see if or when the U.S. counterpart will be refreshed with any of these updates. The 2020 Mazda 2, now indeed called "Mazda 2" instead of the older Demio name on the Japanese market, has received new front end styling to bring it in line with bigger Mazda models. The grille and bumper are new, as are the headlights with adaptive LED technology and LED daytime running lights. Apparently the headlights are constructed out of 20 individually controlled LED blocks to optimize light output and direction, which sounds awfully interesting for this class of vehicle. The front end design, just like the new 16-inch alloy wheels, is Mazda-specific and the Yarisized version is unlikely to benefit from them, especially since the headlights are also different on the Toyota. Cabin materials have also been updated, and the driver’s seat is available with six-way power adjustability for 2020. The MZD Connect infotainment has Apple Carplay and Android Auto support, like the Yaris setup. In addition, cabin comfort is said to have been improved with better soundproofing, which is sometimes sorely needed in this class of cars. Safety and convenience features include adaptive cruise control, which is impressive on a city car, and the Mazda 2 also has the G-Vectoring Control Plus system for high-speed stability. Both the diesel and gasoline versions will get Mazda's i-Eloop brake energy regeneration system. The Japanese market also gets an all-wheel-drive version, which is surely a hoot despite only being available with the automatic transmission. CarAdvice says the Australian market will receive the redesigned Mazda 2 early next year, which is probably in line with the rest of the global market that gets it as a Mazda instead of a Toyota; Mazda says Japan market pre-orders have started today and official sales will begin on September 12th. It pays to remember that the base car dates back to 2014, and that the 2020 refresh is a facelift instead of a ground-up redesign. Assuming the usually expected shelf-life for the facelifted edition, the 2 will have racked up respectable mileage from the “DJ” generation bodyshell.

2017 Fiat 124 Spider priced below most Miatas

The Fiat 124 Spider and Mazda MX-5 Miata might be siblings, but all that means is the rivalry between the two cars will be unusually intense. Pricing for the reborn 124 has been released and is added proof of that fact – aside from the very base trim, the turbocharged Italian is cheaper than its Zoom-Zoomy brother. Fiat's base model, the 124 Spider Classica, starts at $25,990. The MX-5 Sport isn't much cheaper, at $25,735. Both cars get 16-inch alloy wheels, black cloth seats, LED taillights, but the Mazda will throw in LED headlights. It's also interesting to note that the two cars have differing destination charges – $995 for the Fiat and $820 for the Mazda. Move up to the mid-range Fiat, and you'll start to see the "Italian" car eke out a pricing advantage. The Lusso, Italian for luxury, rings up at $28,490 compared to the MX-5 Grand Touring's $30,885. Yes, we're comparing the middle-tier 124 to the range-topping Mazda, because the mid-range, enthusiast-oriented Club is more analogous to the 124's Abarth model. The Lusso matches the MX-5 GT with 17-inch alloys, heated leather seats, a 7.0-inch touchscreen with navigation, and dual-zone automatic climate control. The Mazda does come with a bevy of safety features as standard – blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, and automatic high-beam control – which look to be optional on the Fiat, so take that into consideration if you're thinking about buying one of the two. We enthusiasts are most interested in the matchup between the 124 Spider Abarth and the MX-5 Club. The scorpion-badged 124 starts at $29,190 and the Club at $29,420. You'll get more power – 10 additional ponies according to FCA – as well as all the performance goodies from the Club. There are Bilstein-tuned shocks, a mechanical limited-slip diff, and a front strut bar, plus a very imposing exhaust note. Recaro seats will be an optional extra, as will Brembo brakes (the MX-5 bundles them with BBS wheels). Finally, there's the 124 Spider Prima Edizione Lusso. The limited-edition wears Azzurro Italia (translation: pretty blue) paint and rings in at $35,995, which gets you a bunch of swag on top of the normal Lusso stuff. Oh, and if you choose the automatic transmission, you'll be punished with a $1,350 charge, regardless of which Fiata you go for. That's less than the premium Mazda charges for an automatic on an MX-5 Club or GT, but more than the $1,480 extra it charges for a two-pedal Sport.