OVERVIEW A plucky and playful roadster that stands the test of time PROS Zippy engine, impeccable chassis, power upgrade doesn't ruin the Miata's spirit CONS Tight interior, becomes expensive once you start climbing the trim level ladder VALUE FOR MONEY Good WHAT TO CHANGE? Absolutely nothing HOW TO SPEC IT? GS-P with Sport Package

As far as budget-friendly sports cars go, it’s tough to beat the Mazda MX-5 Miata — especially in its current flavour. Where the previous MX-5, known as the NC in Miata-speak, was larger and slightly pudgier than its predecessors, the current-generation ND is a return to form. Smaller, sure, but also lighter. More technology, sure, but still pure. Less powerful, sure, but still incredibly zippy.

Wait. Scratch that last one. When the ND first launched in North America for 2016, there was a glaring horsepower difference between itself and its predecessor. The new engine, a normally aspirated 2.0-litre SkyActiv four-cylinder, pumped out 155 horsepower and 148 lb.-ft. of torque. Sure, it had a bit of extra torque, but ultimately, it fell short to the NC’s 167 horses. Of course, this is all like trying to figure out which of The Three Stooges was the smartest, but that ain’t happening because the Miata was never about horsepower. Although a V6-powered Toyota Sienna could dust you at a stoplight, the Miata could do plenty with 155, without ever feeling sluggish.

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Nick Tragianis , Nick Tragianis

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Nick Tragianis , Nick Tragianis

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Nick Tragianis , Driving

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Nick Tragianis , Driving

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Nick Tragianis , Driving

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Nick Tragianis , Driving

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Nick Tragianis , Driving

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Nick Tragianis , Driving

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Nick Tragianis , Driving

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Nick Tragianis , Driving

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Nick Tragianis , Driving

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Nick Tragianis , Driving

But apparently, Mazda didn’t feel this way. Apparently, Mazda felt the Miata needed more horsepower. So, here we are in 2019 — the 2.0L four-cylinder remains, but it now pumps out 181 horsepower — a very healthy bump of 26 ponies. It’s actually quite clever, the way Mazda found this extra power: Lighter pistons and connecting rods, plus revisions to the intake, crankshaft, flywheel, fuel injectors and exhaust, to name just a handful of the tweaks — and all without resorting to any sort of forced induction. Admittedly, torque doesn’t change much; you now have 151 lb.-ft. at your disposal, versus 148 in the few years prior.

Mazda’s stubborn nerdiness is admirable, really. It could’ve taken the easy way out by slapping a turbocharger onto the 2.0L engine, or shoehorning the boosted 2.5 from the CX-5, CX-9, Mazda6, etc., into the Miata’s engine bay. But no, Mazda just had to add more power without losing any of the magic that makes the Miata so special, and most importantly, without diluting the car in the process. This last bit is key — the Fiat 124 is, for all intents and purposes, a turbocharged Miata. Turbo lag can be fun, but forced induction dulls this car, regardless of the badges it wears.

Taken individually, the upgrades don’t seem like much, but the overall package is more than the sum of its parts. You legitimately feel the Miata’s newfound urgency; you still won’t win a stoplight drag race with a V6 Sienna, but 181 horsepower is absolutely perfect for the Miata. It’s punchier and pulls harder, particularly through the midrange, and as responsive (and light on its feet) as its ever been. There are a couple of pleasant side-effects, too, aside from the obvious: The redline is now 7,000 rpm, and the exhaust note is a little deeper. Even fuel economy is impressive — after about 340 miles (roughly 550 kilometres) of hard driving, the trip computer settled at about 30 mpg, or 7.8 L/100 kilometres.

On a tight, serpentine road, the Miata is more of the same, but better. Pulling itself out of corners with ease, the tight steering informs you exactly what’s going on beneath the wheels. Get back on the gas too quickly and the tail wags ever so slightly, but it’s incredibly easy to bring it back into line. The brake pedal is firm, building up your confidence to go faster, brake harder, and steer later. Its reflexes feel like a Hot Wheels toy car, come to life. The six-speed manual shifter is crisp and precise, and smoothly clicks into each gear with … oh, yeah. About that.

Perhaps as some sort of cruel joke, this particular tester was fitted with a six-speed automatic transmission. An enthusiast’s nightmare? Definitely. Sacrilegious? Debatable. In Canada, about 40 per cent of Miata buyers spring for the automatic. Are they onto something? Well, it certainly eliminates one of the more appealing aspects of the Miata’s driving experience — the manual transmission is no doubt a masterpiece — but the automatic is smart, shifting smoothly and invisibly under normal driving, yet it’s responsive and eager to downshift when driving with gusto, keeping the engine in its sweet spot. The paddle shifters and Sport mode make up for some, but not all, of the lost driving pleasure. And even then, the six-speed automatic only makes the plucky little sports car more accessible, spreading driving joy and Jinba Ittai — the ‘horse and rider as one’ philosophy, as it were — to the masses. You just can’t argue with that, especially as we teeter on the cusp of electrification and autonomy.

Inside, the Miata boasts the familiar, driver-first layout it always has. It’s still built for regular-sized adults and the trunk is hilariously small, but it’s refreshing, really — where other cars, SUVs and crossovers seal you off from the outside world and transport you in relative comfort and isolation, the Miata sits you low to the ground. This might make you feel dwarfed compared to a Silverado or even a Civic, but it’s also playful, giving you the sense you can scurry and scamper between cars and other tight spaces. It’s also easy to find the perfect seating position; the seats are manually adjustable, but for 2019 — stop the presses — Mazda has seen the light and added a telescopic steering wheel. Forming an instant connection to the sounds, sights, and smells of the world around you is as simple as unlatching the soft top and folding it into the bulkhead, in all but one fluid motion. The Miata also packs more tech — a backup camera, Smart City Brake Support (a form of automatic braking) and lane-departure warning are now standard, and you can spec goodies like adaptive headlights, traffic-sign recognition and a digital display in the instrument cluster. Signs of the times.

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Nick Tragianis , Driving

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Nick Tragianis , Driving

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Nick Tragianis , Driving

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Nick Tragianis , Driving

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Nick Tragianis , Driving

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Nick Tragianis , Driving

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Nick Tragianis , Driving

This is fine. Nick Tragianis , Driving

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Nick Tragianis , Driving

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Nick Tragianis , Driving

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Nick Tragianis , Driving

Of course, if you’d rather keep the top up — not that there’s much of an excuse, unless you’re motoring in inclement weather — the Miata lets you pass the time with such niceties as a fancy infotainment system with a bright in-dash display, and now available with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. It’s operated through a knob on the centre console in a slightly awkward position; you might catch your elbow or forearm hitting the knob a few times, but that’s hardly a dealbreaker. What you’ll really need to get used to, if you haven’t already, is the location of the cupholders — Mazda have made them easier to reposition, but they still awkwardly live behind the driver and passenger, or cutting into the passenger’s footwell. Speaking of the passenger’s footwell, the transmission hump is still there. Get used to it.

Even with all these updates, Mazda hasn’t lost sight of what the Miata has always been. The Miata is certainly not as cheap and basic as it once was — it may start at $32,900 for the base GS, but loaded up, the soft-top pushes $40,000 — but it’s a return to form. Even with a few extra bells and whistles, and a bonus helping of horsepower, it’s still a plucky, playful little machine delivering one of the purest driving experiences you’d expect in a modern car. Even with an automatic transmission.