2006 Mazda MX-5 Grand Touring

With an all-new exterior design-by far, the most dramatic visual change to the Miata/MX-5 in its history-highly revised structure, engine, suspension, and platform-we leapt at the opportunity to drive the third generation of the iconic two-seater. After all, it had charmed judges at Car of the Year with its fantastic handling, excellent balance, and purity of design. But would the new MX-5 thrill in the long run?

Our Winning Blue Metallic long-termer came equipped with a black leather interior, manual cloth top, a 170-horsepower, 2.0-liter four, and a six-speed manual transmission, all standard with the Grand Touring model. The only option we added was a $500 Suspension Package, which includes sport-tuned suspension, limited-slip differential, and Bilstein shocks, bringing the bottom line to $25,495.

The restyle certainly makes new MX-5s stand out from the previous generations. Most thought the new look was a positive step and were impressed with the quality of the materials in the cabin. High-grade plastics and leather make the interior look as if it came from a more expensive vehicle.

Editors were instantly charmed by how easy it is to have fun in the MX-5, applauding the six-speed's quick, short shifts, and the chassis's predictability in turns and precise steering. Several added that the car's incredible driving dynamics, combined with the simplicity of the top's controls, meant even a short drive could be thoroughly entertaining. It also does well at the track, not a surprise knowing the lineage and past capability of this roadster. Despite its weight increase over the previous generation (up by a hair under 300 pounds, according to manufacturer numbers), it still offers excellent performance, reaching 60 mph in 6.9 seconds and finishing the quarter mile in 15.3 at 90.1 mph. Lightweight MX-5s feature excellent braking: Ours stopped in 122 feet from 60 mph, and two other examples we tested stopped nine feet shorter.

The MX-5 is by no means perfect, and we quickly became acquainted with its flaws. It's clear that when buying a car like this, you won't have a lot of room for gear; even though the trunk holds a scant 5.3 cubic feet, we don't consider that a shortcoming. If you want a cavernous cargo hold, buy an SUV. Where we were most let down was during the daily drive. The MX-5's true appeal is driving with the top down, and sound deadening won't be any motivating reason to put the top up. Fully closed, our MX-5's cabin was noisy-at times, it seemed it was easier to hear what was going on in the car one lane over. Forget using a Bluetooth headset, and be ready to speak up so your passenger can hear you.

For 2007, Mazda introduced a Power Retractable Hard Top MX-5, which adds relatively little weight, yet solves most of the noise problems. Also, while the sport suspension was a terrific, welcome addition on canyon roads, it made freeway jaunts rough and jarring.

Plus, sixth isn't a cruising gear-it screams at freeway speeds. Elements of these drawbacks could be expected as part of the compromise of living with a roadster and a sports car, but they do skew this car more toward "weekend toy" status.

The MX-5's maintenance schedule required a visit to the dealer every 7500 miles. Its first trip included the basics: oil and filter change, fluid-level check, chassis lube, tire pressure and tread inspection, and brake inspection. Total cost: $29.56.

In addition to the standard inspections that are part of the 15,000-mile visit (tires, brakes, battery) and service (oil/filter change, air filter replacement, hinge/latch/door-lock and weatherstrip lube), the technicians examined a few surfacing minor problems. During that visit, they replaced the burned-out fuse that had caused the 12-volt power port to stop working. They also pinpointed two spots where we'd noticed a lot of rattling, namely the shifter and the convertible latch. They had to order a new shifter knob and convertible latch, to be installed later. Total cost of that trip: $153.59. During the MX-5's final stop at the dealership, all ordered parts were installed under warranty.

By the time we said goodbye to our MX-5, we'd discovered this car was everything we'd hoped it would be-a wonderful weekend runner that eats up twisty roads at every opportunity. It'll get you as emotionally connected to the road as possible for $25,000 (on four wheels). While we were disappointed by the cabin's noise level and maintenance issues (minor as they were), it's hard to stay mad at a car that's so much fun to drive. It's a terrific roadster and sports car, one that's worth the compromises.