2008 Mazda Mx-5 Review

My thoughts on the 2008 Mazda Mx-5 with a 2.0L inline 4 cylinder engine and 6 speed manual gearbox: The Miata is a legendary car. Almost every car I drive is compared in my mind to the driving feel of the original first gen (NA) Miata. So now, eighteen years after the first miata came out, how does the NC stack up? Does it keep the driving spirit of the NA? Is it worthy of the Miata name? The NC is packed with more features than any NA ever had. The NC has abs, airbags, a modern radio, four cup holders (yes, 4), and rather comfortable seating. The NC is equipped to be a modern daily driver, something the NA is starting to move away from. Yes you can daily a NA, but wouldn’t you rather be a little more comfortable, a little safer, and a little less worrisome? That’s where the NC outshines the NA. With all of those additions, the NC is the heaviest Miata ever made. So what impact does that have on the signature Miata feel? Some, but it’s not a haymaker to the chin. The steering feel was surprising to say the least. Most modern cars I’ve driven have rather numb steering feel, but the NC really blew me away. It felt tight, like the go-karts at your local Fun Zone. I got excited when I was coming into a curve at high speed, because I knew I could turn my way out of any sticky situation. The acceleration was decent, but won’t set any records. But that’s the Miata way. Miatas harness the most fun you can have at the speed limit. The NC feels grown up. If the NA was the fun loving frat boy of the Miata name, then the NC is the post-college-real-world adult of the Miata name. The NC is the responsible Miata. Fun, yes the NC is still fun, but the NC also realizes you have an hour commute each way, that you have to drive through the snow, that accidents happen, and that you have to live with the NC as your only car. My last point is something I want to make a video of. The difference between the Rx7 and the Miata, is the Miata can adapt with the times. When the Rx7’s signature Rotary engine couldn’t keep up with emissions standards, it died. The Miata adapts. When airbags were required, it got them. When emissions standards got stricter, it’s engine got better. When people wanted more amenities, it got them. The Miata does what no RX car can, and that is adapt to our changing world.