Ron Perry’s opinion of the 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata’s Design:
The new exterior design of the Miata is more muscular and projects a more serious sports car image. The bulging fenders and larger size will appeal more to men but the familiar looks will still attract female buyers. It’s hard to update a classic everyone has come to love without offending those hardcore enthusiasts, but I think Mazda designers accomplished this task with the new Miata. Inside, the layout is nearly perfect, but the basic black interior is in need of more silver trim pieces for greater contrast.

Thom Blackett’s opinion of the 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata’s Design:
There’s only so much that can be done with an interior comparable to that of a child’s electric car from Wal-Mart. The gauge cluster is mostly well designed, but the speedometer registers 0 mph at due south, and with the steering wheel and seat adjusted for my personal comfort, it was hard to determine my speed when I traveling at less than 20 mph or so. Of course, 160 mph is clearly visible regardless, though I’m not entirely sure why (160 mph? Only when being pushed by a Corvette Z06). And then there are the secondary radio buttons – whose idea was it to put steering wheel controls on a go-cart? If the driver of a MX-5 can’t reach the controls on the instrument panel, they’re either too young to drive or forgot to bring their prosthetic limbs along for the ride. As a final detail, designers added a piano black panel to the dash that has a nice cheap shine to it when the top is dropped on a sunny day.

Christian Wardlaw’s opinion of the 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata’s Design:
The redesigned 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata does not make me want to rush over to my local dealer to trade my current Miata in for the latest and greatest edition of the world’s best-selling roadster. The cupholder design that I mentioned in the Comfort section of this story is one reason. The other is styling.

Though clearly characterized by traditional Miata styling cues, from the shape of the headlights and air inlet to the bubbled hood and oval taillights, the MX-5’s design leaves me cold. The hoodline is too high, there’s too much empty space between the wheels and the wheel wells, the flared front fenders are contrived, and I dislike clear-lens taillights. The wheels are gorgeous. The car’s proportions are just right. The details appear to be a compromise crafted by a committee with cataracts.

Inside, the design is much improved over the old Miata. Fewer surfaces are soft to the touch, but the look is cleaner, more upscale, with improved ergonomics. I think I like the black-over-tan color scheme better than the all-black of our test vehicle, but otherwise I’ve got few complaints.

James Fabin’s opinion of the 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata’s Design:
Mazda took little risk with the world’s best-selling two-passenger convertible when it updated the Miata for 2006. The new MX-5 is easily recognized as a Miata – but something is a little different about it. That little something is a shot of masculinity from its brother, the Mazda RX-8. The front and rear fenders arch out slightly, giving the Miata a stronger stance, but its classic European projector-beam headlights and oval grille give it a more subdued appearance. I would like to see a bit more of the masculine DNA from the RX-8 make its way to the Miata. As for the interior, I think the buttons are all well placed and easy to use, each providing the correct feedback when pressed. The gauges are also placed logically and are easy to read, even in bright sunlight.

For 2006 Mazda simplified the MX-5 Miata’s manual convertible top. In the past, the top required two latches to open or close. Today the Miata uses only a single latch, allowing you to quickly and easily open the top with just one hand. The top also collapses to form a clean, finished appearance, so no tonneau is needed. Closing the top can be done with one hand, but requires a strange, over-the-shoulder reach that only the most flexible person would be comfortable performing.

The only design quirk I found, outside of the door-mounted cupholders, is with the opening for the rear trunk. Unlike most cars where the trunk opens like a clam-shell, the Miata opens up like a washing machine. Once the lid is open, you must lower your items down into the trunk rather than lift them over the bumper and slide them into the trunk. This design can make items like a suit bag difficult to place, but not impossible.