2008 Mazda MX-5 Miata - Styling Review

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Shopping for a new Mazda MX-5 Miata?

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TheCarConnection.com and other reviewers agree that the 2008 Mazda MX-5 Miata is the closest thing to a reincarnated British roadster on the planet—with pert styling and a neatly organized interior.

The 2008 Mazda MX-5 Miata actually comes in two flavors: a roadster and a PRHT version that sports a retractable hardtop. Cars.com points out that this version of the Miata “retains the fixed headlights but returns somewhat to the original shape, with fewer curves — except for the accentuated wheel arches that recall the Mazda RX-8.” Jalopnik says it "resembles a lightweight power lifter" and describes it as follows: "flared wheel arches rising out of the hood and the trunk, aggressive swells around the headlights and dual pipes poking out of a chiseled, muscular derriere."

It’s not a butch, muscular shape, though, to some reviewers. “It doesn’t have side pipes or a hood scoop or a name that conjures images of bloodlust and rage,” the New York Times says. In fact, Car and Driver calls it a “cutie pie,” though Edmunds gives it some dignity back when it writes that the Miata has “more aggressive styling, without bumping up the price or diluting its perky personality.”

The hardtop edition is good-looking too; Car and Driver says “raised, the body-color bubble looks stubbier than the softtop but is still attractive.”

The 2008 Mazda MX-5 Miata’s cabin functions well and has a bigger dash of style than in the past. “The interior is highlighted with chrome and silver accents, and the driver faces a three-spoke tilt steering wheel,” Cars.com notes of its test car. “The $515 interior trim package,” according to the New York Times, “consists of a few bits of ‘aluminum look’ trim on the door panels and dashboard. Mind you, this isn’t aluminum trim — it’s plastic. For that price, on a per-ounce basis, I’d think you could trim your doors and dash in anything from titanium to sashimi-grade tuna belly.”