Indeed, the new 2006 MX-5 Miata is larger inside, especially in terms of leg space, but it’s less comfortable than the old car. You sit lower, looking out over a hood that resembles a beveled bell curve – or a first-generation Dodge Durango. The sides of the car are taller than before, the seat bolstering firmer, the fabric on the seats more coarse, the upper door panels constructed using harder materials. Kudos to Mazda for moving the parking brake lever to the passenger’s side of the center console, but the person who designed the door panels ought to be fired. Why Mazda allowed a design that places a hard plastic cupholder right where your left leg braces for high-speed right handers and where your left knee rests during highway cruises is beyond comprehension. It’s almost as though product planners forgot that this is a car for driving, not sipping up to four café au laits. Yeah, the new MX-5 has four cupholders. Go figure.