2008 Mazda MX-5 Miata Safety Review [ 2007 ]
Based on analysis of 49 MX-5-Miata reviews and test drives.
Safety - What the Auto Press Says
The Mazda MX-5 Miata, last tested in 2005, does well in federal government frontal crash tests and slightly worse in side crash tests. A repeated safety complaint is the MX-5's poor visibility for both short and tall drivers.
The 2005 Miata earned four stars for driver protection in front impact crashes and five stars for front passenger protection. In side impact crashes, the Miata earned three stars for front seat occupant protection, which is "nothing to write home about," according to Newsday. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has not yet tested the MX-5.
Accident Avoidance
Active safety features include anti-lock brakes (ABS) and a tire pressure monitor system, which is optional only on the Touring and Grand Touring. Dynamic stability control with traction control is available on the Grand Touring only as part of two premium packages that include keyless entry and high-intensity headlamps. But regardless of safety equipment, The Auto Channel finds, "Excellent handling and stopping characteristics help active safety."
MSN has a unique safety complaint. "There's no delicate way to say this: The Miata's horn is wimpy," the reviewer says. "It almost sounds like a toy. I'd be hesitant to use it on U.S. roads as drivers in big SUVs and pickups are more likely to snicker than pay attention to this silly horn." The reviewer also mentions another safety detail regarding children riding in the front passenger seat: "Mazda moved the parking brake lever away from the driver and next to the passenger seat for 2006. As a result, there's now an access hole over by the passenger seat that's held shut only by a Velcro snap. It can be tampered with easily, potentially exposing fingers to very hot mechanicals."
Another safety issue is limited visibility. MSN notes that there's no height adjustment for the driver, making it "difficult for someone my size -- 5 feet 4 inches -- to back up this car, even with the top down. I struggled to raise myself up off the seat as the car moved backward. The problem wasn't just the molded head restraints. It was the plastic wind deflector that's positioned between the head restraints. I just couldn't see over it." CNET finds that there are also visibility issues for taller people, noting, "With the driver's seat fully back, forward visibility is impaired by the rearview mirror, which takes up around a quarter of forward visibility." The reviewer also mentions that rearward visibility is significantly obstructed "with the hardtop up, and the stocky B-pillar on the driver's side means that all rear-left sight lines are non-existent."
Crash Protection
Passive safety features include dual front air bags with passenger deactivation switch, side impact air bags, side impact door beams, engine immobilizer and three-point safety belts. Newsday worries about the MX-5's small stature, noting that "this tiny and light-weight car is unlikely to be any safer than its predecessors on an American road populated by -- some would say 'infested with' -- 6,000-pound SUVs and plagued with careless and drunk drivers with cell phones in their ears."