2011 Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring Soft Top

God, I love this car! This generation of the Miata was launched back in 2005, but it's still incredibly exhilarating to drive and somehow very practical, too, given its usable trunk, piece-of-cake soft top, thread-the-needle handling, and affordable price. I really, really want one...possibly even more than those vintage British roadsters that I lust after (i.e. Sunbeam Alpine, Triumph TR250). The rev-happy 2.0-liter engine sounds throatier than I remember from my last MX-5 experience, too. Complaints? The steering wheel feels a bit slippery, although that could have something to do with the fact that I had the roof down in sub-50-degree temperatures and my hands were a bit numb. Even at those temps, though, the Miata is more than tolerable, what with a great heater and, in this Grand Touring test car, fabulous heated seats. Clearly, this car was built for brisk fall mornings. Also, the marvelous Mazda has an excellent stereo that's more than loud enough to hear with the top down. Sing your hearts out, Miata lovers! Rusty Blackwell, Copy Editor