Faults:

In the year since I bought this car The only things I've had to replace were spark plug wires and windshield wiper blades. These are both items that are considered expendable parts of the car and both were very easy to replace in under ten minutes.

There is an occasional rattle in the exhaust system. It sounds like a loose heat shield, but could be something broken loose inside the catalytic converter.

I also have an occasional ticking noise from the engine. I'm reasonably certain that it's nothing more than a sticky valve lifter. The noise disappeared after an oil change and appeared again about a thousand miles later. I should probably replace it, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

General Comments:

This car is tiny for a 6'2" driver! I had to take out the driver side interior door handle just to get my knee between the door and steering wheel. Head room is sufficient and I can even get the seat back far enough to get my legs in comfortable positions, but I still feel like I'm wearing the car instead of driving it. This car is great for short trips, especially with the top down, but gets very tight with the top up.

The engine and transmission are perfectly matched and it has the smoothest and easiest shifting of any car I've ever driven. The engine is a bit rev-happy, but still putters around well at low speeds. Acceleration is good for such a small engine and the handling is superb. Mazda did an excellent job of keeping the chassis rigid in spite of the fact that it doesn't have a top.

I've driven this car for a year in the Midwest now and was very happy with it's winter time handling. Mine has the optional limited slip differential and this makes driving in snow much easier.

I would recommend this car to anyone under six feet tall who wants to feel the wind in their hair and some fun driving without spending a fortune.

ZOOM!

Faults:

Synchronization from 1st to 2nd gear is almost gone.

"Miss" under medium acceleration since 35,000 miles.

General Comments:

Despite its few faults, this has been a very enjoyable car to own and drive.

It's not luxurious, but it's not meant to be. The interior is noisy at highway speeds, the seats are rather thin, and the defroster is next to useless.

Still, on a sunny day, with the top down, I can forgive all that. The Miata performs as advertised. It's a thrill to drive, inexpensive to operate, and even at age 5 draws admiring comments.

Everyone should drive a Miata at least once in their life.