2005 Mazda Miata: Overview

Vehicle Highlights

Mazda's 2-seat sports car has a standard manual-folding soft top with a heated glass rear window. A removable hardtop is optional. Miata's lineup starts with the base and upscale LS, both with a 142-hp 4-cyl teamed with standard 5-speed manual transmission or optional 4-speed automatic. A 6-speed manual is optional on LS. The MazdaSpeed Miata has a turbocharged 178-hp engine, 6-speed manual transmission, sport suspension, and 17-inch wheels in place of 16s. New for 2005 is the MazdaSpeed Grand Touring, which adds leather upholstery. ABS is unavailable on base, optional on LS, and standard on MazdaSpeed models. Sport-suspension packages are available for base and LS models, as are appearance packages with rear mud guards and unique lower-body sills.

COMPETITION

Consumer Guide® Automotive places each vehicle into one of 17 classes based on size, price, and market position. The Sporty/Performance Car class consists of two-seat roadsters, 4-cyl hatchbacks, and V8 muscle cars. Regardless of configuration, all have an emphasis on affordable performance.

Our Best Buys include the Mazda Miata, and Pontiac GTO. Our Recommended picks are the Acura RSX, Ford Mustang, Honda S2000, Mini Cooper, Nissan 350Z, and Scion tC.