2012 Mazda MX-5 SV (Review)

The 2012 Mazda MX-5 SV is a base $29,145 GX that’s been given heated leather seating, alloy pedals, 17” gun-metal wheels, auto A/C and a Brilliant Black power retractable hard-top (PRHT). At $33,995, it’s not a bad deal but if you ask me, the money is spent on the wrong stuff.

The SV is a “show car” version of the MX-5, but it maintains all of the important ingredients that make the Miata great. The SV still sports the same nimble and agile chassis, responsive and quick steering, and peppy little engine.

Power is nothing without control (thank you, Pirelli). This is where the MX-5 could school most other so-called sports cars. The light-weight and rigid structure of the car is never overwhelmed by the power which is what makes the 2012 Mazda MX-5 so tractable. The 4-wheel disc brakes, although modest in size, are never strained. Pedal feel is good and easy to modulate. Steering, as I’ve noted, is direct and provides turn-in that was second to none in its price range (see 2013 Scion FR-S). The way all of the car’s mechanicals come together make the driver’s job impossibly rewarding.

The 2012 Mazda MX-5’s ride is good -- well, was good. The SV’s basic suspension setup is too soft for any type of real performance driving. I found out firsthand during our recently completed compact performance car comparo 2.0 that the car handles with finesse, however, it’s that level of on-the-road comfort that makes for a car that “suffers” from exaggerated weight transfers and body roll on the track. Let’s be clear: exaggerated for an MX-5, not for a 2001 Buick Century