Ten Lessons From Driving An MX-5 Across America

I’m always up for a good road trip. Heck, I’ll even go on a bad one. Put me in a car, point me in a direction and I’ll set off like a carrier pigeon on a mission.

So when Mazda announced the world debut of the 2016 MX-5 would be taking place in Monterey, Calif., my first thought was “let’s drive!”

For anyone living on the west coast, this may not seem like a big deal, but I was coming from Toronto, Canada via Harrisburg, Penn. In all, over 3,300 miles would be driven on this journey that would take me through eleven states and one province. Over the course of a four day period, I would test both man and machine as I soldiered westward like a modern day pioneer.

But rather than use horse and buggy, I decided to grab a slightly more entertaining ride for my journey: a 2014 Mazda MX-5 Club PRHT. What better way to see the unveiling of the fourth generation Mazda roadster than to drive in one of the final third generation cars?

SEE ALSO: MX-5 to Monterey: A 3,000 Mile Journey Begins

You might not think the MX-5 is a great long distance road trip vehicle and I wouldn’t fault you for saying so. But like a New York City apartment, the MX-5 becomes quite livable once you acclimatize to its diminutive size and interesting quirks. After 3,300 miles, four days and temperatures that ranged from 48 to 108 degrees, here are 10 things I learned about the 2014 Mazda MX-5.

Before even setting out, one thing becomes painfully clear: there isn’t a lot of cargo room in a small roadster. With a mere 5.3 cubic foot trunk, my co-driver and have to pack lightly. With a carry-on sized suitcase and computer bag each, we have to play trunk Tetris each morning to ensure all our luggage will fit.

At least the trunk is a usable rectangular shape and the opening is fairly large. We realized quickly that this wouldn’t be the kind of trip we would leave with loads of souvenirs.

Another small feature of the MX-5 is the gas tank. At only 12.7 gallons, the MX-5 will drain its tank regularly during a long distance drive. Officially rated at 21 MPG in the city and 28 MPG on the highway, our average on the 3,300 mile journey is 28.4 MPG.

That means we are getting roughly 330 miles out of a tank of gas, leading to a lot of pit stops along the way. On the last day the plan is to drive Route 50 through Nevada that also known as the Loneliest Road in America. Stopping every chance we can to get gas is a must along this desolate stretch of tarmac.

Part of the less than stellar highway fuel economy comes from the MX-5’s gearing. Tightly spaced and great for back road bombing, on the highway the short ratio sixth gear means the engine never gets a break at highway speeds.

SEE ALSO: MX-5 to Monterey: Harrisburg, PA to Ames, IA

On some Nevada highways where the speed limit is set at 80 MPH, cruising along with the flow of traffic had the MX-5 at a constant 4,000 RPM. A testament to Mazda engineering, this would have a lot of cars gasping for air after a few hours, on the verge of a meltdown. Not the MX-5 though. Other than a lot of noise and some minor vibrations, the little 2.0-liter four-cylinder chugged along flawlessly.

And while on the topic of noise, the MX-5 is the antithesis to every Lexus ever made. Even with the hardtop convertible up, wind and road noise generated by the roadster at freeway speeds gets to be excessive after a while. Conversations inside the car require more effort because of how loud it is on open roads.

Of course, drop the top and the sound level goes up, but that’s always been a by-product of a convertible. The MX-5 is great at keeping excessive wind buffeting away from the passengers. Even at 80 MPH, top down motoring does not feel like I’m inside a wind tunnel.

Despite preconceived notions that a small sports car must be uncomfortable, the MX-5 is quite the opposite. By utilizing double wishbone suspensions at all four corners, Mazda can allow the MX-5 to have a soft, cushy ride that absorbs bumps in the road quite well.

The downside is body roll through corners, but actual cornering grip and chassis balance are very high. The MX-5 is one of those rare cars that is comfortable on long highway stretches through Nebraska and a blast to drive through the mountain passes of Colorado.

With days running around 16 hours including food, refueling and scenic stops, I’m spending a lot of time sitting in the MX-5. Thankfully the seats are good, blending support and comfort. After some driving stints my legs are getting sore, but that had more to do with the on-the-floor driving position than the seats themselves.

Being a passenger in the MX-5 is less pleasant. A compromise must be made with the seat position between legroom and recline angle. Worst of all though is the transmission hump that raises up the passenger’s foot well a couple of inches on one side.

Space inside the MX-5 is limited and Mazda has done a good job utilizing cubbie holes and storage nooks where possible. The one issue though has to do with cup holders. Coffee, water and other various soft drinks are a must when driving 16 hours a day. Needless to say I have a beverage of some sort in the MX-5 at most times.

SEE ALSO: MX-5 to Monterey: Ames, IA to Grand Junction, CO

The issue is the door mounted cup holder is only good for water bottles and not much else. Coffee cups, fast food monstrosities and plastic soda bottles don’t fit. The only place they can be put is in the pseudo center console and that adversely affects where my arm should go when shifting gears. Adopting an unnatural arm bend is the only way to shift gears with some cups in place, so our choices in road beverages have to be made wisely.

Twice during the trip across the country I encountered rain storms that would have Noah running to his local Lowe’s for lumber and nails. During one particular biblical late night downpour in Des Moines, Iowa, I slowed down to 30 MPH on the interstate as visibility is reduced to near zero.

Using the reflective lane markings and taillights of a big rig to keep on the road, the MX-5’s wipers have trouble keeping up with the teeming rain even on the high setting. The good news is that even with powerwasher-levels of rain being thrown at the MX-5 minute after minute, the hard top convertible does not leak a single drop of water.

One of the MX-5’s greatest traits is how nimble and responsive it is. A lot of this has to do with a quick steering rack that provides excellent feedback. Superb in the twisting roads towards the tail of my journey, the steering can be a little too responsive on wide open, straight highway stretches.

Personally, it’s a trade-off I will gladly take as the MX-5 isn’t exactly darty on the freeway and once the road does bend, it’s all worth it.

With a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 167 hp and 140 lb-ft of torque, the MX-5 isn’t exactly a rocket, even with only 2,511 lbs. to push around. But don’t let those numbers deceive you. The MX-5 packs a surprising punch thanks to an eager to rev engine and short gearing.

SEE ALSO: MX-5 to Monterey: Grand Junction, CO to Monterey, CA

Even at 70 MPH in sixth gear, stepping down on the gas pedal would produce adequate acceleration. The only time the MX-5 feels weak is at 11,000 feet in Colorado while trying to navigate a steep uphill.

Even if the MX-5 isn’t perfect, it proves to be a far better road trip companion than I was expecting. I wouldn’t hesitate at all to take another MX-5 on a road trip in the future.