Mazda Miata MX-5 Grand Touring review

Introduced in 1989, the Mazda Miata went on to become the bestselling convertible in history. And particularly because of the Miata, the most raced brand in the world. Now recently into the fourth generation, the Mazda MX-5 Miata dropped a couple major things from the previous generation like horsepower and weight.  A surprising 12 horsepower and a shocking 150 pounds trimmed away to a total of 2,324 pounds in an age where weight gain is the norm, including on vehicles much larger and at least one thousand to two thousand pounds heavier.

Truly the modern quintessential “driver’s car”, this 2017 Grand Touring model with the 6 speed manual transmission is extremely light, very nimble, rear drive, quick enough for many. As stated earlier on social media, it’s not about guys, it’s not about girls, it’s about having fun. Because it’s a convertible and quite small, some call it a girl’s car. But seriously, the complete antithesis of this car, something like a Dodge Charger Daytona, is a total dude’s car. Does a gender moniker even matter, especially as the most raced car in the world?

Mazda utilizes several philosophies in their vehicle design and construction. SKYACTIV is the effort to reduce weight while improving safety and efficiency. Their Jinba Ittai process is to elevate the driving experience. This was done by redesigning the cockpit and ergonomics for a more driver centric experience and better fit. KODO theme is the Soul of Motion with a long hood, short overhangs, large wheels pushed to the far corners, and looks good with the top or down. Not many convertibles can make that last claim.

The suspension is tuned spectacularly. Bumps that upset larger cars are easily absorbed with far less drama and rebound. An emergency swerving maneuver from a wayward driver is a simple, routine process without drama. Low speed turns can generate serious lateral g-forces if desired by simply yanking on the wheel. A higher speed sweeper gives superb haptic feedback through the steering wheel without any feel of mechanical assist. The shifter has great movement into every gear, just a bit of engine vibration when in third gear. The upshift indicator gives surprisingly early suggestions which undoubtedly contributes to its 26 city, 33 highway rating.

Very easy to launch from a dig, it has enough power for around town driving. This Grand Touring model equipped with the manual transmission would get rubber going into second gear. At 80mph in 6^th gear which is about 3200rpm, it will pull satisfactory to close gaps or get around slower traffic without downshifting.  But it’s a noisy 80mph so this no long distance commuter for the highway. Some refinement in the engine for a more sophisticated feel would be also be welcome. The only performance aspect that is lacking from the car is power. It meets every other criteria of a driver’s car except for traction management, another 50hp would be very welcome. The only other feature that would be welcome is rev-match downshifting just for the convenience and joy of precision and consistency.

The convertible top has one center latch, folds back with one hand and a press downward secures it flat. Absolutely brilliant. It’s a wonderful feeling leaving the gym, putting the top down, and shifting your way home. Putting it back up is equally simple, just make sure the latch is in the proper position to prevent scratching the exterior of the latch housing. There’s no backup camera, you don’t need one with the top down. If the top is up, the backup sensor works great to make up for the rear three-quarter blind spot from the folding roof.

Yes it’s small, interior storage is limited, about the same as the front passenger space storage capacity as the new Camaro reviewed earlier. The center console will hold two iPhone 6 stacked on top of each other. Behind your right elbow is two cup holders, a difficult proposition to use.  You can put two phones in a small cubby in front of the gearshift but hard acceleration will eject at least one of them unless wedged with a wallet. No container in the passenger compartment will hold a curved sunglass case. 

The trunk however is surprisingly roomy and deeper than expected. Plenty of room for groceries or for two people on a weekend getaway. If you’re going to drive that long, the upper part of the door is body colored painted metal, nothing special yet far more comfortable than many luxury cars with padded and much fancier designs. A notch created by the intersection of the transmission tunnel and center dash is a nice fit for the right knee when cruising. The infotainment systems works well, although a bit quirky with button pushing redundancy. Despite that, the lane departure warning, navigation, and other features all worked very well. Bose speakers in the headrests add to the listening experience to offset the high speed wind noise. 

A classic view of the curving front fenders channels sports cars of the past with excellent forward visibility as well as the side. You don’t feel claustrophobic and size really isn’t a concern until another vehicle fades towards your lane, or decides to pull up too close to the back bumper. Oddly there is the sensation of sitting up a bit high but that went away very quickly.  Seats are very comfortable and supportive for performance maneuvering although a bit tight across the upper back if you’re an extra-large.

Stopping at O’Reilly Auto Parts to pick up some light bulbs for the nephew-hauler, the clerk, a fellow enthusiast, asked about the Miata and what year it was. The gentlemen behind me piped in his Club Sport edition was the one to own. Between over one million sold as of last year and an estimated 5,000 raced globally, finding a fellow owner or fan can happen on any given day, anywhere.

Well-equipped at $31,325, what other convertible is as efficient and dedicated to the experience? While on the seventy-five mile round trip commute, and when passing Porsches in traffic, I wondered if they were having as much fun. Every drive is either an adventure or memorable experience. Not many soft top automobiles that can be driven daily can make that claim and none that are as efficient. 

Kia Cadenza Limited SXL review

When thinking of a roomy luxury car for a suggested retail price of $45,000 what comes to mind? Think of some legitimate four or five passenger luxury cars, are any of them in that price range? One look at the interior of the Kia Cadenza which was redesigned for the 2017 model year is convincing enough. It’s a luxurious, roomy, front wheel drive sedan with a suite of computer driving aids making for a quiet and comfortable luxury car. This Kia makes a strong case in the segment. This particular loaded Limited SXL model styling is crisp, elegant with a touch of chrome and likely timelessness in the era of the modern sedan. If the name doesn’t carry the panache like Lexus did, the vehicle itself will be considered a gem, if an obscure one right now.

Equipped with the white Napa quilted leather seats, one feels guilty wearing old jeans and sitting in it.  The dash layout is logical, clean and probably best described as elegant. A cute greeting ditty plays when entering the car, then a pretty slick graphical system check is displayed as if preparing for takeoff. A quiet driver with great outward visibility, it’s a very pleasant driver although more shelf for the elbow on the top of the door would be appreciated. Yet such an uncouth driving position is unbecoming in this elegant tourer.

Quite capable on the high speed sweepers, it has a composed feel of proper suspension tuning and a long(ish) 112.4” wheelbase to straddle the bell curve between sport and bouncy old-school luxury.  It’s the tighter turns where you feel the front wheel drive push with subdued tire squeal. Of course that is beyond the intended demographic driving profile. Keep up that behavior and you’re simply betraying the message of the classy exterior chrome accents.

Multiple driving modes are offered and response in the Sport driving mode is noticeably sharp and will immediately spin the tires from a stop despite the classy pretentions. The only other drawback is a slight whine is heard while it continuously holds a lower gear in Sport. Comfort mode offers easy throttle response for driving in traffic, also very well executed with hardware and code. Smart mode is a decent compromise of both but Eco mode kills throttle response and one taste of that lag earned an immediate ban from further use. Despite frequent full throttle usage and over-the-speed-limit cruising speeds, 25 mpg was observed, falling right between the 20 city and 28 highway ratings.

Using all the configurable electronics is fun customization of the features, done on the center driver’s screen. The Surround View Monitor provides a 360 degree view of the vehicle when parking. A close-up view is also selectable for the front, side and rear. It even has a Rear Cross Traffic Alert in case of a passing object when backing out of space or driveway. The heads-up displays just enough information and it is both height and intensity adjustable, even working with polarized sunglasses. A night the LED headlights could be mistaken for brights from the driver’s perspective for the first few trips after dark.

On the 76 mile round-trip drive to the office and back, the Advanced Smart Cruise Control is great for relatively steady speeds. Despite the adjustable following distance, the closest setting was the ideal one as a “two one-thousand” count. Some more tweaking is needed when a large speed differential of the vehicle in front causes a sudden slowdown versus a gentle fade. It’s a little slow to react when a car moves out of the lane but when it does clear, the acceleration is brisk. The programming is logical, the closest setting is much different at 85mph than it is a 35mph, thankfully. In slow traffic when coming to a stop, it becomes necessary to reapply the throttle and the display says as much. Fading over to the lane divider activates the lane departure warning as well as the blind spot warning. Both are effective and not particularly jarring and thankfully not embarrassing if you’re talking on the integrated Bluetooth and the warning(s) beep. 

Stopping at Black Heart Racing’s fabrication shop to discuss a custom tool I needed, the 360 degree cameras were a blessing in the confined parking area of multiple businesses, trucks, etc. The owner Lloyd, a hot-rodder, fabricator and artist I had arrived in a Lexus, which is high praise indeed.

With the weather now getting hot, the air conditioning blows very cold and the ventilated seats are a great luxury, not too cold and very quiet although a higher setting would be welcome for even quicker cool downs. It also has a switch to do it manually. Other little thoughtful touches noticed are shifting into reverse automatically lowers the rear sunshade lowers and silently comes back up after shifting to drive. Locking the vehicle with the remote automatically and silently folds the side mirrors and unfold upon approach. The refinement level is top notch.

A few lacking features that have been out for year in other marques does seem a little odd. Parked car ventilation scheduling isn’t offered. Along the same thinking, holding the unlock button on the key fob does not lower the windows. The moon roof shade doesn’t seem to be able to be moved independently of the moon roof tilt or slide function. It’s either open or closed but the panoramic roof is going to the rear is a nice touch. These are all likely programmable since the hardware is already present.

Regardless of what is lacking, whether a few random features, cylinder count or where the drive wheels are, the Cadenza Limited SXL is impressively equipped. The Kia name may not be synonymous with luxury like the long established brands, yet, but the Cadenza is a strong argument for a roomy, very well equipped luxury sedan that makes driving an enjoyable, efficient and effortless endeavor.