Test Drive: 2001 Mazda Miata

A new pair of Nikes can make a twelve year old feel like Shaquille O’Neal. It’s like fitting a new set of tires on your car. There’s nothing quite like fresh rubber on the ground to make a kid (or your car) sprint, turn and stop like an NBA All Star.

The seven foot, one inch, 310 pound Shaq may have it all on the basketball court, but he’ll never have the pleasure of driving a Mazda Miata. Nor will my twelve year old son, who was fitted with a size 11 shoe this Fall. My son’s foot may only be half as big as Shaq’s size 22, but that is still too big to fit comfortably between the clutch pedal and the side of the foot well in a Mazda Miata. I know, because I can wear my son’s shoes and my foot won’t fit.

I was just as excited to test drive the 2001 Miata as a 12 year old would be to meet Shaquille O’Neal in person, such is the reputation of the legendary Japanese sports car. Imagine my disappointment when I settled into the deep, butt hugging seat, pulled my legs into the car, and found I couldn’t squeeze my foot past the clutch to reach the dead pedal.

With shoe	Without shoe
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And when I tried to shut the door, it crushed my knee against the steering wheel. No problem, I thought, I’ll adjust the steering wheel. But there was a problem, a Miata doesn’t have tilt steering.

So I wiggled my foot under the clutch pedal and shut the door without injury. I was in. I tried moving my right foot from gas pedal to brake pedal. No problem – lots of room there. But my left foot was stuck under the clutch pedal and I couldn’t easily pull it out to push the clutch in so that I could start the car. My knee was jammed between the steering wheel and the arm rest.

Now I could understand the difficulty if I was Shaquille O’Neal. Heck, Shaq probably had to move the seat tracks back in his Mercedes to fit into its driver’s seat. But I’m 10 and a half inches shorter than Shaquille O’Neal, which might be a bit taller than normal, but not unusual, certainly no more unusual than my ‘D’ width size 11 foot.

I would have to think of something or I wouldn’t be able to drive away from the Mazda dealership. If only my foot were a half inch narrower and my leg a half inch shorter…

I reached down, unlaced my shoe, slipped it off and tossed it onto the passenger seat. Problem solved.

Yes it’s true. I drove the Miata for a week with a bare left foot. Get in, take off the shoe. Get out, put the shoe back on.

And I didn’t mind at all. I could have run over to the corner store to pick up a jug of milk in the family van, but that would have been no fun. Given the choice between a couple of larger and more roomier vehicles parked in the driveway and the Miata, the decision was easy. I took the Miata, of course. And a five minute trip to the convenience store might take a half an hour or more, just to make the shoe ritual worthwhile.

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There is nothing quite like the Miata to put a smile on your face. The car feels right, sounds good and handles better than anything found off a race track.

Our test vehicle was equipped with the optional sports package which improves on an already excellent base car with a six speed manual transmission, torque-sensing limited slip differential, 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels, 205/45R16 tires, strut tower brace, Bilstein shocks, fog lights and a variety of interior and exterior appearance items that dress up the car.

Standard features include engine-speed sensitive power steering, leather-wrapped steering wheel, power-assisted 4-wheel disc brakes, power windows, mirrors and door-locks, manually operated convertible top with glass rear window and defogger, remote trunk and fuel door releases, engine immobilizer and a two speaker AM/FM/CD audio system.

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Dual air bags are standard and a passenger-side cut-off switch is provided in case your passenger is younger or smaller than recommended for a front seat.

An upscale leather package is also available at extra cost. This option includes tan leather interior and tan cloth top, four-wheel ABS brakes, cruise control, windblocker, Nardi leather shift knob, keyless entry and four-speaker Bose audio.

Regardless of options, the Miata’s power comes from a 1.8 litre 16-valve 4-cylinder engine with multi-port fuel injection. Horsepower has been increased slightly to 142 @ 7000 rpm from 140 and torque is up 6 lb-ft to 125 @ 5500 rpm thanks to sequential valve timing introduced for the 2001 model year.

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The Miata feels quick, although the close-to-the-ground driving position probably accentuates the feeling of speed. The six-speed transmission is as crisp as the five-speed, but you’ll find yourself shifting more frequently and sixth is rarely used except when highway cruising. This transmission takes a bit of getting used to. I occasionally missed shifts on the fourth to fifth up-change, but improved with practice.

The Miata’s double-wishbone suspension, strong frame, low centre of gravity and near perfect 50/50 front to rear weight distribution makes for a great handling car. It’s hard to imagine improving on this, but the additional rubber and stiffer Bilstein shocks that the sport package includes make the Miata even stronger in the turns. You can push this car hard through corners, to the point where you feel that if it wasn’t for a seat belt, you and the car might go in opposite directions.

Both cars and drivers have limits beyond which they should not venture. With the Miata, my limit was reached well before the car’s.

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Of course, open air driving is what a Miata is all about – those Miata owners you see driving with the top down in March are not crazy, just enthusiastic – and dropping the top is as easy as unfastening two-latches and a one-hand flip over the head. If I owned one, I’d have the top down all the time too, but I’d have to wear a wooly sock to keep my left foot warm on a cool March day.

Another advantage to drop-top driving – head room. With the top in place, the Miata is a wee bit tight for basketball players or six-foot-three car reviewers. With the top down there is only you, the sky and the road.

Sigh. Life isn’t fair. Short people shouldn’t have all the fun.