Christmas Light Tours with Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring Convertible

Another Christmas season has come and gone, and so has another year of driving through neighborhoods and drive-through charity light events in the North Texas area. This was our eighth year to get a press loan convertible to look at some twinkly Christmas lights, which we have been known to travel up to three hours to see. For the week before Christmas, we had the Mazda MX-5 Miata roadster soft top convertible. The mantra for the roadster is designed to seduce and engineered to astound, and it fits the bill. The MX-5 has a manual drop top that can be easily put up or down without ever getting out of your driver seat, even while you wait at a stop sign or stop light. The roadster has been designed so that the car and driver are in tune as one all the way down to the drop top.

For a great evening of looking at twinkly Christmas lights in a convertible, the first thing that is a must is an easy-to-use convertible top; and we already discussed the convenience of the roadsters drop top. Also high on this list is heated leather seats and steering wheel. The roadster we had came with Terracotta Nappa leather adding a rejuvenating touch to the Grand Touring Interior. You also need a great sound system and digital music capability to play your favorite Christmas tunes. The MX-5 comes standard with one of the top sound systems offered in a Bose Audio System that is pumped through nine speakers with one in the headrest. There is a three-year subscription to SirusXM as well as Bluetooth and wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity to listen to your favorite Christmas tunes.

Finally, you will need some type of convenient cup holder that can hold your hot chocolate on those cold wintry nights. The roadsters cabin is a throwback to a time when a great roadster's cabin was tight and small. My belief is that if you can reach the passenger door with minimal effort from the driver's seat, then it is a true roadster. So the engineers had their challenge finding a place for the cup holders; but the backseat cupholders, as I like to call them, are perfectly placed and very convenient even in the dark. I had someone once tell me that owning a convertible in Texas is like having a retractable roof on your stadium. It's a waste of money because you only use it 2-3 times a year. I say humbug Mr. Scrooge!

New for 2022, this was the first year for Mazda's new Kinematic Posture Control technology. This all-new technology, which was developed exclusively for the Miata, manages different vehicle systems to have the roadster work as a natural extension of the driver's body. It does it without adding a single gram of weight or sacrificing everyday ride quality. It would be similar to that of a horse and its rider galloping across the prairie. All I know about the new technology is that the Miata would take high-speed curves with serious purpose like it was on a rail.

Specifications

Engine: 181 horsepower SkyActiv-G 2.0L
Torque: 151 pound-feet
Transmission: 6-Speed Manual
Wheels: 17” Alloy With High-Performance Tires
Color (Interior): Terracotta Nappa Leather
Color (Exterior): Machine Gray Metallic
MSRP (shown): $$34,210

Learn More

For more information or to test drive this vehicle for yourself, stop by a local dealer or visit online at:
Mazda | MX-5 Miata

About Mazda

Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, California, and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States, Canada and Mexico through approximately 780 dealers. Operations in Canada are managed by Mazda Canada Inc. in Richmond Hill, Ontario, and operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City.