Well guys, last weekend I went and drove a '07 Miata thanks to this little deal from Mazda, and a first for me: they gave me the keys and let me go without a salesman riding shotgun. 8)
I've driven several different Miatas at length, and I must say that this is quite a different car from the older ones. The exterior seems to be significantly larger and it has an entirely different interior as far as I could tell. The interior feels nice for the price and I had no trouble fitting in (I'm 6'2").
Unfortunately I had a pretty short drive (I was pressed for time, so I had to make it short :roll:, oh well). It drives very nicely and the structure is much stiffer than earlier Miatas. I would love to take it out on some good mountain roads and see what this new suspension can do. The ride is an improvement over earlier Miatas as well, while still seeming sporty. I really didn't want to romp on it since the car had only 2 miles when I set out, but a Miata isn't about straight-line speed anyways. The gearbox and clutch were, as usual with a Miata, excellent. The engine has the nice little Miata bark to it which I enjoyed. I definitely would like to drive a broken-in example at greater length on some good backroads! From a very superficial drive I say: good car, good job Mazda. 8)
Beyond that I don't have much, kind of a half-assed review, but oh well, not bad, since its the first test-drive I was paid to do! :roll: