Even During A Polar Vortex The 2019 Mazda Miata Convertible Is Winning Awards

You will have to forgive the folks at MotorWeek for announcing their best convertible awards during the dead of winter. You see, they reside in balmy Maryland, which gets about a dozen days per year below freezing. While the rest of us are plugging in block heaters and kicking snow snots off the rear quarter panels they are carefree and topless in February. It must be nice.

All seriousness aside, we are happy to report that the Miata has now won another new honor. MotorWeek has bestowed upon it the 2019 MotorWeek Drivers’ Choice Award for Best Convertible. MotorWeek says in its awards summary, "Our Best Convertible winner is the delightful Mazda MX-5 Miata. For Mazda’s bargain throwback roadster, this is nothing new; having won our award numerous times before, including last year when they added the RF to the lineup. This year, Mazda finally got serious about giving us more horsepower. Now, the additional 26 ponies may not be enough for some, but they suited us just fine; providing more oomph, without overpowering the Miata’s fantastic chassis. Still frugal, still fun, and still a top-down winner."

It is hard to argue the Miata is not the best convertible in the world. The Miata punches above its weight class in terms of real-world performance, but what really sets it apart from the high-priced offerings by the luxury brands is its fun-to-drive nature. On a backcountry road, there is simply no better vehicle to be driving.

We recently tested the new 2019 Miata in exactly that situation and found that the new power addition did not disappoint.

“Getting behind the wheel of a Mazda Miata MX-5 is an exhilarating experience which provides the freedom of exploration to those who love driving. The Miata has always been focused on providing an elegant and intuitive vehicle to all drivers,” said Masahiro Moro, CEO of Mazda North American Operations and senior managing executive officer of Mazda Motor Corporation. “The Miata is a legendary vehicle and we are continuously innovating and improving to provide passengers the joy of driving for years to come.” We could not have said it better ourselves.

Image by Patrick Rall.