Teresa’s View

Sat., Nov. 4, 2006

Teresa Mccallion Marketing Department Columnist

The sporty roadster formerly known as the Miata got a groovy, new power-retractable hardtop this year and we got an early Christmas present. The power top for the MX-5 roadster, as Mazda has redubbed it, drops in just 12 seconds. With a flick of a latch and the press of a button, a rear panel lifts, the top breaks away into two pieces and slides under the panel that settles neatly back into place.

Now, it wasn’t like the previous manual soft top was a struggle to operate, but the new polycarbonate top — nope, it’s not steel — is a dream in drippy, wet climates and has the added bonus of keeping the interior quieter and better insulated, plus belongings are more secure than the cloth top — anyone who’s had their soft top slashed knows what I’m talking about.

Although the hardtop adds approximately 70 pounds to its curb weight, the MX-5 remains a nimble daily companion. There’s no appreciable change in 0-to-60 second dash and no one but a true aficionado will notice the ever so slight difference in the cars near perfect 50/50 balance. Whether one is wheeling into a tight parking spot or hugging a tight turn, the rear-wheel drive roadster remains precise and controlled.

To my eyes, the re-roofed roadster is even more stunning than the soft-top version. With the hardtop, the MX-5 is reminiscent of those dashing MGB roadsters circa 1969.

The cabin is a cross between an airplane cockpit and racecar. You can expect about the same amount of room. This is a car for slight-built people. Obviously, the controls are easy to reach. Thankfully they are also easy to read.

The renamed MX-5 received a wholesale redesign for 2006. In fact, the new MX-5 doesn’t share a single component with the car it replaces. Offered with a single engine choice — a 2.0-liter inline-four engine that delivers 170-horsepower — the MX-5 retains its legendary fun-factor. The standard transmission is a five-speed manual set-up, but if you like to play, opt for the short-throw six-speed manual. It’s fabulous. An automatic is also available but I don’t know why.

What Is It?: No matter what you call it, the Mazda MX-5 is a darn handsome two-door hardtop convertible. It’s available in five trims including a stripped-down weekend racer version called the Club Spec. Other trims in ascending order include the standard, Touring, Sport and Grand Touring models. The hardtop adds an extra $1,800 to the bottom line, although even the most expensive Grand Touring model with hardtop is still less than $30K. Base price for the hardtop MX-5 is $25K.

Grocery Sack Test: Good news! The hardtop takes up no more cargo space than the soft top, meaning you’ll still need to get the plastic bags.

Favorite Feature: Air vents set at waist level keep occupants toasty warm during top-down driving on those sunny, but chilly autumn days.

Cheat Sheet: Ford owns 33.4 percent stake in Mazda.

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