I've only driven our long-term MX-5 for maybe 250 or so of its 12,687 miles in the Edmunds fleet, which is a shame since it's our only true sports car. Being a sports car guy I've been missing out. Getting out of SUVs and minivans for four days was real relief. The little roadster refreshed with honest sports-car intentions, textbook rear-drive handling and brilliant steering...
And while it's still a Miata -- there's limited storage space, and my
wife can't get comfortable -- it is far more practical than the first-generation
Miata I used to own.
There isn't another car this size that has four (yes, four) cupholders. Mazda did its homework on the MX-5's interior. Each door panel houses a realistic-sized cupholder. Sure, you'll never get a Big Gulp in them, but a small water bottle or 12-ounce can of soda fits fine. And you can probably jam your Big Gulp into one of the cupholders in the center console.
Also, on an unrelated note, I spent about two hours in bumper-to-bumper traffic last week on one awful commute home. The MX-5's A/C kept me cool in the unseasonable 80-degree heat, but I did notice some peculiar powertrain behavior. The small throttle openings necessary to move the around in traffic produced detonation. The telltale ping-ping-ping of pre-ignition only appeared in these conditions -- perhaps as a product of heat soak thanks to low speed, high ambient temperature and little airflow. After verifying that the fuel in the car was premium (91 octane in California), I'm a little puzzled. I'm curious if any other MX-5 owners have noticed this issue or if I'm just hearing things.
Josh Jacquot, Senior Road Test Editor @ 12,687 miles
There isn't another car this size that has four (yes, four) cupholders. Mazda did its homework on the MX-5's interior. Each door panel houses a realistic-sized cupholder. Sure, you'll never get a Big Gulp in them, but a small water bottle or 12-ounce can of soda fits fine. And you can probably jam your Big Gulp into one of the cupholders in the center console.
Also, on an unrelated note, I spent about two hours in bumper-to-bumper traffic last week on one awful commute home. The MX-5's A/C kept me cool in the unseasonable 80-degree heat, but I did notice some peculiar powertrain behavior. The small throttle openings necessary to move the around in traffic produced detonation. The telltale ping-ping-ping of pre-ignition only appeared in these conditions -- perhaps as a product of heat soak thanks to low speed, high ambient temperature and little airflow. After verifying that the fuel in the car was premium (91 octane in California), I'm a little puzzled. I'm curious if any other MX-5 owners have noticed this issue or if I'm just hearing things.
Josh Jacquot, Senior Road Test Editor @ 12,687 miles
jstandefer says:
02:26 PM, 10/23/06
I have never experienced any pinging in my '06 MX-5, including in similar and more grueling situations involving triple-digit temperatures and very hard driving through the back-country mountain roads in northern San Diego County. I have noticed that at low engine speeds, under a slight load, and with the AC on (such as inching along in traffic), there is a nasty resonance that vibrates through the interior and produces some strange noises. It's hard to notice the resonance sometimes, but anything loose (such as a soda can in the cupholder) will make itself known. I have occassionally mistaken some of the noises as coming from the engine.
However, it is possible that your MX-5 is experiencing some pinging, although the anti-knock sensor should make short work of it, and if it is an ongoing problem, the PCM should illuminate the check engine light. The problem with a small roadster like the MX-5 with its single-layer top is that noises from other cars can sound like they're coming from yours. I have had a diesel a few cars behind me while stuck in traffic. I couldn't see it, but the clickety-clack of its engine was barely audible through the soft top, and I must have spent ten minutes trying to figure out why my car was making that noise!
lcachola says:
02:30 PM, 10/25/06
Don't know if this is related to the problems you were experiencing, but a handful of MX-5 owners over at miata.net have had to take their cars back to the dealer due to bad coil packs and/or bad crankshaft sensors. However, haven't had that problem with my car.