ME73 Comparison: 2001 MX5 and 2017 MX5
Discussion
I was able to sample and compare a new ’17 Miata Club with the Bilstein/Brembo suspension package and a 2001 LS with the upgraded Nardi steering wheel, shift knob, upgraded wheels, suspension, and 6 speed manual transmission last seek. I didn’t get to aggressively drive the new Miata on a twisty road, but I got a decent feel for its nature.
First, while Mazda claims the interior space of the new car is greater than the older car, I found the opposite. The leg room in the new car was just not enough for my 6’2” frame, while I can find a reasonably comfortable position in the ’01. The earlier Miata, while attractive on the inside, is disappointing to touch as it is covered in nothing but hard plastic. The ’17 interior is more nicely finished with stitching throughout the dashboard and soft touch materials where arms land and on the dash. It’s an unfortunate styling decision to put the infotainment screen in a non-retractible position on top of the dash.
I’m most disappointed in the new car’s stereo system which is confusingly controlled by a knob under the driver’s arm, with the CD player in the space at the back of the center console. While the touch screen can control the radio with the car stopped, it freezes once moving. It’s a hard to control arrangement for the driver and makes it impossible for the passenger to operate. I strongly disliked the new infotainment system. The simple din-sized head unit in the old car with actual knobs on the unit are a solution that really don’t need to be improved on. Another disappointment is the loss of the glovebox, replaced with a cubby at the firewall above the CD player. A location much harder to access and again partially blocked by the driver’s arm if the passenger wants to access it. The seats in the new car are very comfortable, covered in a grippy cloth. While the older car’s leather seats can be a little uncomfortable on long drives for me. The new top actuation is brilliant. It is spring loaded so when released from its retracted position, the top bounces up enough to pull forward while in the driver’s seat easily. When stowed, it serves as the tonneau cover, very similar to the design of the original Boxster. The older car’s vinyl top looks lower in quality and while also easy to raise and stow, it can take a twist of the body to get leverage to do so from the driver’s seat.
A look under the hood shows that the engine of the newer car has moved towards the back of the chassis by about 6 inches. The timing cover is now nearly even with the strut center lines. This should bode well for balance and agility despite both cars having a reported 50/50 weight distribution.
Out on the road, the liveliness of the older car is much, much more subdued in the newer model. The steering, that communicates texture and grip very clearly in the ’01 is significantly more muted in the ’17. The steering feel in the earlier car is surpassed only by manual rack cars like the Elise or early 911. The new car has feel, but it’s much less alive. Likewise, the suspension adapts to road imperfections better in the new car. Cracks in the road that feel like they interfere with the contact of the tire in the old car have a much less pronounced effect in the newer one. With this, the steering response actually feels about the same between the two cars. Both cars also have noticeable amounts of lean in a corner.
The 2.0 liter engine in the new car sounds great and offers a respectable amount of thrust. The car, while still not fast, can easily get up and going. The older car’s 1.8L has a 25hp deficit to the newer, but it feels like even more in a straight line. The throttle tip-in in the older car feels reasonably strong, but when winding it out, there just isn’t a lot of acceleration. Having said that, the old Miata can be driven with the throttle flat on the floor around public streets without breaking laws (mostly), which has a certain allure, actually.
The 6 speed in the ’01 has narrow gates and short throws, minimizing the motion needed to make a shift. I wish the Elise had a shifter like this. The only downside is that without a reverse lockout, it’s really easy to go beyond 6th and hit reverse. A mistake you only do once. The newer car’s 6 speed again feels more substantial. The lever is longer, but still not long. Throws are short, but don’t seem to be quite as short both in gear selection and in cross gate, and the action is more notchy. Still very pleasant and satisfying, but not as much fun and the earlier car. While the new car is a more refined place to be, the older car has more character and feels more like a traditional roadster.
First, while Mazda claims the interior space of the new car is greater than the older car, I found the opposite. The leg room in the new car was just not enough for my 6’2” frame, while I can find a reasonably comfortable position in the ’01. The earlier Miata, while attractive on the inside, is disappointing to touch as it is covered in nothing but hard plastic. The ’17 interior is more nicely finished with stitching throughout the dashboard and soft touch materials where arms land and on the dash. It’s an unfortunate styling decision to put the infotainment screen in a non-retractible position on top of the dash.
I’m most disappointed in the new car’s stereo system which is confusingly controlled by a knob under the driver’s arm, with the CD player in the space at the back of the center console. While the touch screen can control the radio with the car stopped, it freezes once moving. It’s a hard to control arrangement for the driver and makes it impossible for the passenger to operate. I strongly disliked the new infotainment system. The simple din-sized head unit in the old car with actual knobs on the unit are a solution that really don’t need to be improved on. Another disappointment is the loss of the glovebox, replaced with a cubby at the firewall above the CD player. A location much harder to access and again partially blocked by the driver’s arm if the passenger wants to access it. The seats in the new car are very comfortable, covered in a grippy cloth. While the older car’s leather seats can be a little uncomfortable on long drives for me. The new top actuation is brilliant. It is spring loaded so when released from its retracted position, the top bounces up enough to pull forward while in the driver’s seat easily. When stowed, it serves as the tonneau cover, very similar to the design of the original Boxster. The older car’s vinyl top looks lower in quality and while also easy to raise and stow, it can take a twist of the body to get leverage to do so from the driver’s seat.
A look under the hood shows that the engine of the newer car has moved towards the back of the chassis by about 6 inches. The timing cover is now nearly even with the strut center lines. This should bode well for balance and agility despite both cars having a reported 50/50 weight distribution.
Out on the road, the liveliness of the older car is much, much more subdued in the newer model. The steering, that communicates texture and grip very clearly in the ’01 is significantly more muted in the ’17. The steering feel in the earlier car is surpassed only by manual rack cars like the Elise or early 911. The new car has feel, but it’s much less alive. Likewise, the suspension adapts to road imperfections better in the new car. Cracks in the road that feel like they interfere with the contact of the tire in the old car have a much less pronounced effect in the newer one. With this, the steering response actually feels about the same between the two cars. Both cars also have noticeable amounts of lean in a corner.
The 2.0 liter engine in the new car sounds great and offers a respectable amount of thrust. The car, while still not fast, can easily get up and going. The older car’s 1.8L has a 25hp deficit to the newer, but it feels like even more in a straight line. The throttle tip-in in the older car feels reasonably strong, but when winding it out, there just isn’t a lot of acceleration. Having said that, the old Miata can be driven with the throttle flat on the floor around public streets without breaking laws (mostly), which has a certain allure, actually.
The 6 speed in the ’01 has narrow gates and short throws, minimizing the motion needed to make a shift. I wish the Elise had a shifter like this. The only downside is that without a reverse lockout, it’s really easy to go beyond 6th and hit reverse. A mistake you only do once. The newer car’s 6 speed again feels more substantial. The lever is longer, but still not long. Throws are short, but don’t seem to be quite as short both in gear selection and in cross gate, and the action is more notchy. Still very pleasant and satisfying, but not as much fun and the earlier car. While the new car is a more refined place to be, the older car has more character and feels more like a traditional roadster.
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