The 2013 Mazda MX-5 Miata GS is Mazda’s two seat hardtop convertible sports car that provides a thrilling ride. Although pretty bare bones as far as features go, the 2013 Mazda MX-5 is geared to those who can appreciate an exhilarating drive – proven by its record breaking 900,000 units sold for the over 20 years of production.
ENGINE & DRIVE
The 2013 Mazda MX-5 Miata GS is equipped with a 2.0L four cylinder engine paired with a 6 speed manual transmission which outputs 167 horsepower. This may not seem like a lot, but keep in mind this is a small and lightweight two passenger sports car. Having driven the 2013 Mazda MX-5 Miata GS for over 300 kms, I attained a combined fuel economy of 8.4 L/100km which fits well within the posted 9.7 L/100 km in the city and 7.1 L/100km on the highway.
Driving the MX-5 is what this car is all about. The peppy engine accelerates you at stimulating levels and the manual transmission provides a very responsive ride. The low center of gravity allows the MX-5 to stick to the ground in turns and handle very well. I did think that the steering wheel could benefit from a few grooves or a bulked up section around the 10 and 2 locations.
On top of the acceleration, the loud and rumbling sounds that the engine outputs is pleasing to the ear. However, this small engine REVs at 3,000 RPM at 100km/hr making for loud interior noise on long highway drives. The 2013 Mazda MX-5 Miata GS sounds like a true sports car and combined with a zippy acceleration and the open top, one can’t help but smile while driving this car.
INTERIOR & EXTERIOR
The aggressive looking exterior of the 2013 Mazda MX-5 Miata GS can be attributed to the dual exhaust and the black coloured accents on the side mirrors, rims, grille, fog light well and automatic convertible hard top which converts in seconds at the touch of a button.
If you are looking for convenience, comfort and technological features, then you won’t find it in the bare bones interior of the 2013 Mazda MX-5 Miata GS. The basic interior has radio and climate controls, along with the standard gauges and steering wheel mounted controls.
On the mid-level trim of the GS, I would have liked to see a touch screen for navigation and controls as well as some features that should be considered basic in this day age, like Bluetooth and USB connections, heated seats and keyless entry.
Based on the exterior, you should be able to guess that the interior of the 2013 Mazda MX-5 is quite small. For anyone over 6 feet this would not be an ideal vehicle as interior space is quite cramped with minimal room for seat adjustments. The small interior space also translates into the lack of storage spaces. There is a lockable compartment in the middle as well as the glove compartment and the center console’s armrest retracts to reveal two cup holders.
The trunk space was very disappointing as it couldn’t even fit one set of golf clubs. The retractable hard top takes up the majority of the rear space, leaving a small trunk for miscellaneous items.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The 2013 Mazda MX-5 Miata GS is definitely a car for drivers and most likely will not work as a daily driver because of its two seat capacity, minimal interior room and lack of trunk space. On the other hand if you are thinking of the 2013 Mazda MX-5 for the thrilling ride, then take it for a test drive because it’s definitely a fun car to drive and the option to take the top down makes the ride even better.
The 2013 Mazda MX-5 Miata GS is priced at $36,045 which seems a bit much for the lack of features, but who am I to put a price on an exhilarating ride!
