2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club Update 1: Real MPG and In-N-Out

We’ve already established that the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata is made for track rats. Pack rats? Snag a CX-9 or embrace the minimalist lifestyle because the Miata has the bare minimum when it comes to storage. I spent years living in a tiny Edwardian flat in San Francisco with a bedroom smaller than my parents’ walk-in closet. I can work with minimal.

My previous long-term test car was a 2015 Honda Fit, so making the move to the Miata felt like downsizing from a McMansion to a “Portlandia” style tiny house. For starters, the Miata has no traditional glove box, which was a necessary sacrifice to free up passenger leg- and kneeroom. A lockable storage bin between and behind the front seats serves a suitable glove box substitute and is large enough to hold half a dozen In-N-Out Double-Double burgers.

Additional bins can be found directly behind each seat, and these are large enough to each fit another half-dozen Double-Doubles, though a wiser choice would be a set of gloves, scarf, and beanie for cruising during colder temps. The center console and interior door handles can hold smaller items such gum, smartphones, and coins. The clever cupholders are movable so one can be switched between the center tunnel or a spot above the passenger-side footwell.

Mazda claims the trunk will hold 4.6 cubic feet of stuff, and yes, it is as small as it sounds. The trunk’s odd shape makes it even more of a challenge. An average-sized carry-on luggage and a backpack will easily fit, and there’s probably room for another backpack and other small items. A road trip with two people will necessitate duffel bags or custom-made luggage, the latter of which already exists in the aftermarket. (I’ll likely acquire a set for a future update.) Thankfully, the trunk lid’s hinges don’t invade the cargo area.

Speaking of road trips, I’ve already knocked out four in our Miata, with treks out to San Diego, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Idyllwild, California. After almost 2,000 miles and minimal pain to my back, I can say the Miata is a relatively comfortable cruiser for being such a small car. The suspension soaks up bumps well, and the engine has no issue maintaining 80 mph, even on inclines. There’s plenty of power to confidently execute passing maneuvers. Wind noise, however, can get tiresome at times, especially if you’re driving with the top up in a head or crosswind at speeds over 75 mph.

For the most recent trip to Vegas (which including a spirited drive to Mount Charleston and through Lee Canyon), I averaged 33.4 mpg, which is pretty close to the EPA’s highway rating of 34 mpg. Meanwhile, the Emissions Analytics team returned with good numbers overall. In the city, our Miata registered a Real MPG number of 25.4 mpg, down about 6 percent from the EPA’s rating of 27 mpg. Real MPG highway, however, was much better, at 39 mpg, which is 14 percent higher than the EPA highway rating of 34 mpg. Its combined Real MPG figure of 30 mpg is spot on with the EPA’s.

More on our long-term Mazda MX-5 Miata Club: 

• Arrival

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