MSRP: $31,000

Engine: 2.0 Liter 4 Cylinder

Horsepower: 181 Horsepower

Torque: 151 ft/lbs

Text: Yousef Alvi Photography: Geoff Dennis

Do you want to feel alive behind the wheel of a car?  Do you want to do so without breaking the bank? The answer has been in front of you for decades now...the Miata.  

The 2019 Mazda Miata sorry MX-5...has been updated with more horsepower, more torques and a revised gearbox.  Those added bits add to a recipe that’s been perfected from the start. The equation is simple…lightweight equals fun. The Miata is dances on its feet while everything else lumbers around it.  

I have never driven a car that has so much simple driving satisfaction.  The GT86 came close but it’s interior left me wanting for more. The Miata on the other hand, with it’s Grand Touring spec, is a beautifully equipped and put together little roadster.  The seats are excellent, the driving position is near perfect and everything just falls into place to enjoy the experience.

Speaking of which...is just plain fun!  The chassis plays with you as you play with it (sounded dirtier than I meant…but you get where I’m going with this).  The entire car feels like it is alive behind your fingertips and feet.  The clutch and gearbox perfectly align with your body and soul…you just feel immediately at one with the car.  The steering is telepathic and the suspension is damn well the best combination of tossable and comfortable I have ever been in at this price point.  Hot damn I love this car.

So how do I sum up the 2019 Mazda MX-5?  Do you want to put a smile on that face? Go drive and buy a Miata...and never let it go.