Can you have more fun than this with your clothes on? I don't think so.

MY HISTORY WITH THE MIATA
I have owned two Miatas. In 1996, I bought a 1992 Miata and owned it for about two years. I purchased my current 2002 MX-5 in August of '06. I bought the '02 because my first Miata was such a blast.

THE SOUL OF THE MIATA
The Miata can be summed up in one word - FUN!!! That is the whole point of this car, and it delivers in spades. Go ahead... complain that it's not a dragster. Say it's too "cute." Call it a "girly car." Those who make such pronouncements simply miss the point of this automobile. Moreover, they've probably never actually driven one. If you must have a thrashy stoplight car, get a Z28 Camaro. If aggressive, nasty-looking cars are your thing, there are plenty of sports car wannabees out there that will fit the bill. And if the Miata is particularly appealing to those of the feminine persuasion... well, what's so bad about that??? Furthermore, if such things as heated seats and height adjustments are a preoccupation for you, perhaps a sports car isn't your thing after all. Ditto for storage space. And if wind and outside noises bother you, what the heck are you doing in a convertible in the first place?? Get a Camry.

Other reviewers have done an excellent job of describing the joys of driving this car; the incredible handing, the oneness with the road and surroundings, the sublime, soul-satisfying experience of driving top-down through the hills at dusk. Therefore, I won't rehash all that here.

My '92 Miata was a base model; manual windows/locks, cloth seats, and a ho-hum sound system - and all of that was fine. The car was just too fun to drive for me to be bothered by such things. However, my '02 is the upscale LS with leather, chrome, premium 16" alloy wheels, wide racing tires, power everything (except steering), and an awesome Bose sound system. And I have to say I like this even more. It makes the car look even better, and other people almost always assume it's a much more expensive car than it actually is (hence, even more admiration).

That brings up another very relevant point: attention. If you're the shy type, this car might not be for you. People look at you in this car... all the time. They can't help it. Old people, teenagers, girls, guys... it doesn't matter. This car gets noticed by virtually everyone and, consequently, so does the driver. Heck, a toddler once stopped right in his tracks to gape at my parked '92. A young married couple who are friends of mine and my wife's, upon seeing the car for the first time, stood wide-eyed looking at it, fidgeting around uncomfortably as they walked around the car, eventually stumbling over words about how "impractical" it is. The message was clear; they absolutely loved the car - so much so that they had to find a reason as to why they didn't own one themselves. My two-year-old son refers to our current Miata as "the neat car." Our other, practical family sedan - a Taurus - is merely "a car." From old men scowling in jealousy to girls in the drive-thru window cheering to your wife smiling in spite of herself during the test drive, very few vehicles have such universal appeal.

Some others in this forum have suggested that it's not a daily driver or a commuter car. I beg to differ. I drive my Miata to work every day and absolutely love it. I could drive the Taurus - but why?? Given the choice, I will drive the Miata over the "practical, comfortable" car every time.

MY ANALYSIS OF THE MIATA
Acceleration in the '02 Miata is surprisingly good. While it's still not going to break any speed records, this car is markedly more sprightly than the M1 (first generation Miata; 1990-1997). This is particularly true off-the-line. The M1 crawled from a stop, and no manner of encouragement could persuade it to do otherwise. By contrast, the M2 (second generation; 1998-2005) enthusiastically surges forward upon step-off. Drop the clutch and nail the throttle in second and the car will push you back into the seat with authority. Canyon roads are even better, now; the M2 has no trouble sprinting up steep grades, often even without downshifting. This, no doubt, is due in large part to its low weight (around 2400 lbs.). Having said that - and there's no getting around this - the Miata is not and never has been a fast car. Even the Mazdaspeed Miata will be embarrassed in any speed competition with a truly fast car, such as the aforementioned Z28, Firebird, Mustang GT, and many others commonly encountered on the street. These cars will BOOM-BOOM your zoom-zoom, so don't even think about racing one. Those who want speed should look into a different vehicle. The Miata is about fun, not drag racing.

Braking performance is excellent; the car stops on a dime. The four-wheel disk brakes and, again, the car's low weight account for this.

My '02 came equipped with a close-ratio six-speed manual. It has taken a bit of getting used to (all my previous manual cars have been five-speeds). Getting into sixth gear is trickier than it should be, and this is the one complaint I have with the otherwise wonderful short-throw shifter. Sixth gear and reverse are intimately close and, despite many years of experience with a manual and a lot of caution on my part, the transmission has repeatedly rebuked me sharply with the chilling sound of grinding gears as I attempted to engage sixth but rudely interrupted reverse at freeway speeds. The six-speed is supposed to be an enhancement over the standard gearbox, but I think I'd prefer the five-speed where reverse and top gear do not flirt.

Raising the top from the driver's seat seems to require a slightly longer reach than it did in the M1 and, as always, requires reasonably strong triceps. Women of average strength and arm length will probably need to perform this operation outside of the car. Dropping the top remains a snap; just undo two latches and toss it back. The glass rear window, which I believe is standard on the M2s, does not need to be unzipped before lowering the top, unlike the standard plastic windows of Miatas of yesteryear, making it even easier.

I am 180 lbs. and 6 feet tall, and I find the interior dimensions quite adequate. I do not feel cramped at all; on the contrary, I really like the snug fit - like a glove. Sometimes I wonder what to do with my right foot when cruise control is engaged on the freeway, but this is a minor thing. Mazda seems to have merged the armrest and the cup holders; much of the time, I find my right elbow resting where a Mountain Dew should be. The storage binnacle between the seats is flimsy and its lock superfluous; only the most easily discouraged thief would be deterred by it. Just give it a good pull and it will open, locked or not. Many have complained about the gas (and trunk) lid release being located in the binnacle, but for me, it wasn't a big deal. The first time you look for it, you might have a hard time finding it; but after that, you know where it is, so I don't know what the problem is. As far as reaching it is concerned, that was never difficult for me, either inside or outside the car.

CONCLUSION
Buying this car has added a whole new dimension to my life. It's not that life wasn't good before, but it just got a whole lot more fun.