Freakishly Lightweight - 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Convertible Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

Freakishly Lightweight - 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Convertible Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds conducts a long-term test of a 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata and ponders its lightweight construction.

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ebeaudoin

Consider this- there are half ton pickups (F-150, Silverado 1500, Ram 1500) that have payload ratings capable of holding the Miata. That speaks to the lightness of the Miata as well as the engineering prowess of half ton pickups.

kirkhilles1

Wow, that is really impressive. 90's cars were so light, so getting that down to that level with the 100x levels of safety is quite an achievement. Congrats Mazda!

misterfusion

The Fiat 124 will be slightly heavier than the Miata, but my guess is they're tuning it for comfort/touring, so it won't matter too much. And even then it'll still be freakishly light for a modern car...AND it'll have a turbo! (cue Hallelujah Chorus)

ctpaul

This is misleading. There are cars lighter than the Miata, and cars in between the Miata and the Alfa, at least according to automobile magazine.

http://www.automobilemag.com/features/lists/the-lightest-new-cars-in-u-s-for-2016/

including the upcoming Fiat 124 (which is heavier than the Miata and lighter than the Alfa) - all by a minimal amount of pounds.

allthingshonda

As material costs get cheaper and fuel economy standards rise I'm guessing more vehicles will be on a diet. Look for more extensive use of aluminum and composites.

allthingshonda

You guys should start doing videos like this to show why lightweight matters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI8yRvUVqcE

craigo7

allthingshonda said:

As material costs get cheaper and fuel economy standards rise I'm guessing more vehicles will be on a diet. Look for more extensive use of aluminum and composites.

Pretty common already, the glass on newer vehicles is thinner and so are the body panels. Easy denting! I'm also convinced less fasteners are being used in interiors. I've been in quite a few vehicles over the past couple of years and I'm kind of surprised at the flex and rattles that develop at relatively low miles vs a few years ago.