Between driving my mom's '93 Accord (chattery clutch, soupy suspension) over the Thanksgiving holidays and our quite nice but still budget-biased Honda Fit last week, I'd forgotten what it was like to engage with a car. Actually, I didn't know I'd forgotten until I got into our long-term Miata over the weekend. When I laid my hand on the shifter while sitting at a stoplight, and felt the smooth vibration of moving parts, it rekindled something inside me. Subsequent throttle inputs were greedier...
Later on the freeway, I got reacquainted with the Miata's sensitive steering. It doesn't have much of a soft spot on center so there's some corrective effort required, especially over broken patches of pavement. In some moods, I might find this annoying, but on this evening, I enjoyed the sort of conversation we were having. The ride is also busy in these situations. Farther north, though, as the pavement smoothed out and the winds picked up, the MX-5's composure was impressive. As other motorists battled crosswinds, the low-slung Miata was unfazed and utterly stable. So I added speed.
A final note: I like parking the Miata in the smallest spots I can find. And when I emerged from Trader Joe's one evening, I was pleased to find a first-gen MX-5 joining me in solidarity.
Erin Riches, Sr Content Editor, 14,441 miles
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