2016 Mazda MX-5 Interview with Dave Coleman

[@cruzer6181]

This is genuine auto criticism and journalism. NEVER see this type of stuff anywhere.Real insights into Mazda's thought process, and really interesting and valid reasoning. Love the fact you address deficiencies that you identified during your time with the car, and in turn, allow us to hear Mazda's response. SO informative and I have a greater respect for both Mazda engineering and you as a auto critic. GREAT stuff. Really hope you keep going with your entertaining, but real reviews. It's so mind numbing to watch all the other reviews simply regurgitate press material.

[@markbackeris7215]

+Cruz er Couldn't agree more. I'm a huge fan of the way you guys are approaching your coverage and reviews. Big ups to Mr. Coleman too for such straight forward insight into concessions and design principles. Keep it up all around.

[@noaidie]

Cruz er I'm impressed

[@nicholasfrisch244]

It's 2020 and I am still grateful for this video. I am glad Mazda has people like this.

[@markvorise4574]

Your honesty is something that auto journalism has been lacking for years. Thank you and keep this up.

[@noaidie]

Wow! I'm impressed with how generous Mazda R/D is with their time and candid conversation. Good Work!

[@rpiereck74]

Nice to see Dave putting his genius automotive insights to good use with Mazda, I read his stuff extensively back in the SCC days.

[@WeAreN1nja]

Weeeeeeerd. I still have a stack of SCC mags. He was a great writer as well.

[@ag4allgood]

@@WeAreN1nja Mazda knew what they were doing by hiring Dave Coleman as North American Design engineer. I also subscribed back in the day. So I was so impressed with this 2016 MX-5 Club soft top after the test drive had to Buy it. Very addictive place that drivers seat even after 6.5 years owning as a daily in Northern Illinois. I put the Michelin winter tires on for those snow & ice days. I didn't expect the car to handle so well in those conditions but it makes the 50 / 50 weight distribution show up more. Really well engineered car.

[@elewinski]

That was the most useful information I've gotten about the new MX5.

[@gorrilaunit99]

This is AMAZING. You guys, are AMAZING! This is true criticism. True journalism. True passion. Just keep doing . . . ALL OF THIS, PLEASE!!!!

[@bbbmw]

Pulling out of the parking garage with the Ferris wheel reflecting on the car was stunning. Quite delightful cinematography brah. 🤩

[@Flakey86]

Dave Coleman seems like a totally legit dude and represents the Mazda brand well. Still, his answer to the 2.5L question was kinda BS, I give it about a year before someone figures out how to get a 6.2L LS in there - lol.

[@Cinoism]

+GadgetsNGear Definitely BS, but I understand. He wants to defend the top management decision even though he doesn't want to put it that way.

[@Digi20]

He is not necesseraly bullshitting. Its quite possible that the 2.5 skyactiv is at least as tall the LS3, and from the factory they still have to fit the aero stuff and panels underneath and have a certain ground clearance etc. but i am very curious if the new 2.0 skyactiv-x will find its way into the mx-5.

[@kcav1255]

Not BS at all, he didn't say it was impossible, he said it was more difficult. Mazda has to be concerned with production constraints and cost that a one-off tuner doesn't. Flyin' Miata has an LS in the car, doesn't mean that it wouldn't be difficult for Mazda to mass produce it with the 2.5L.

[@JayTac1]

And completely ruin the handling dynamics in the process.

[@youcanrunnaked]

@@kcav1255 : Mazda has to consider the cost vs. benefit (i.e., sales potential). FM has stopped doing LS swaps, because it was taking up too much of THEIR time, but when they did, it was $50,000 -- and you supply the ND. Could Mazda fit the 2.5L Skyactiv-G (or better yet, the 2.5L Skyactiv-T) in the ND chassis, and mass produce it? Maybe. But there isn't a business case for a $50K Miata.

[@djkim23]

This is my favorite auto review source. Keep it up please!!!

[@tomhb9479]

Mine too. Always done in an interesting and often humorous way. I think I'd be watching these even if I didn't love cars.

[@mman8795]

Glad to hear someones giving real insight on things that drivers feel while driving the car! Hope they use it for future reference keep us updated!!

[@brantharris4666]

Great interview. As was your MX-5 and 124 review. I really liked your hard top question at the end there - especially considering 2020 hindsight with the RF coming out. Was Dave genuinely clueless about the RF, or was he just very good at commercial confidentiality? The RF looks to me like it was considered with the original design development of the car - I find it hard to believe that it was an afterthought. Kudos to Mazda either way.

[@kgb4187]

Technically he only talked about a removable hard top, the RF isn't removable.

[@CafeIntellectual]

Loved this interview. Thanks so much for asking tough questions and posting the response. It helped inform my decision to purchase a GT vs Club and also addressed my #1 complaint with this car: the awful sore thumb infotainment display. Just put a hinge on it, please. I don't think I can buy one without taking a saw and making a hinge myself....

[@joaomarques7180]

Cool watching this after the new 2019 more powerfull one was released

[@Ultra54able]

Wow....well done. That was so interesting to get to listen to..

[@Mago84013]

This is the video I didn't know I needed.

[@MistrMcGill]

...took me forever to finish this video, I'd watch 3 minutes here, 2 minutes there...very good informative video on the new Miata. Win!

[@ChoPi-Eww]

Thanks for doing this interview, very interesting to hear Mr. Coleman's POV.

[@seanek9]

Just a comment in general on infotainment screens. If like the mx5 you have a screen that can be specified with a rear view camera then it has to be able to pass an assessment or it cannot be legally sold in the US. Essentially there is a trade off between distance, resolution and angle. A high res IPS screen is expensive and requires a more expensive processor so in order to pass the assessment with a normal 400X800 TN screen you have to go with the floating dash solution if you have a very low scuttle.

[@liormolvin]

I would prefer a white gt model with tan seats and LSD.

[@Xmvw2X]

A good solution would be to go to a digital dashboard. Then integrate adjustable features, so you can trade out your "gauges" for different ones as needed. There's also the concept of doing a heads-up display on the windshield to generate some real estate that can exist or disappear as needed.

[@Saboda53]

That wouldn’t look like a traditional two-seater sports car, which the Miata has always been. I love the dash; has a classic analog feel.

[@serbzero]

Savage Geese had a magic ball to look into the future and ask Mazda to revise the engine to give it more horsepower, and lo and behold, 3 years later 181hp motor! 😁

[@johntechwriter]

Yeah, I have one and it's nice, but it could still use another 20 hp. (There is no end point to the quest for power, esp. when the chassis can manage it.)

[@jamescarson6681]

@@johntechwriter You should check out BBR's 'Super 220' package. It includes revised ECU, cams, valve springs, retainers and exhaust manifold and you could probably be in the 200whp range. If not, you can add Flyin' Miata's midpipe+ axle back exhaust which add a further 16whp.

[@jamescarson6681]

@Art Uro I think so, when savagegeese interviewed him again for his video called 'Mazda Miata Documentaries ND | EP5 Final Chapter?', Dave Coleman mentioned that when they were developing the ND, most of their development budget for the engine was prioritised to the 1.5 litre engine as that was how the Japanese head of engineer wanted. The american mazda HQ wanted the 2.0 litre engine for the american roads, so it was later added on, almost like an afterthought. So therefore, little money was spent on making the 2.0 litre engine 'perfect', as it was mostly off a Mazda3. But a few years later, Mazda Japan gave the engineers the greenlight to further perfect the 2.0 litre models to how they should've been from the start.

[@jamescarson6681]

@Art Uro P.S. so at the stage of savagegeese calling him at 2015, Dave Coleman was very tight lipped about future plans on making the 181hp engine

[@jamescarson6681]

@Art Uro Me too man 👊The 2019 NDs also get more steering wheel adjustment too for your ideal driving position. My only wish to Mazda was for them to build a proper coupe version of the car even if demand was limited - it would make the chassis more rigid for improved handling, it would have better refinement from reduced NVH and it would be more practical to store your trackday tyres 👌

[@bovbusto]

amazingly informative! would love to hear more interviews like this that explain the WTF?! kind of decisions from automakers. thank you!

[@MrMlyarber]

I would ask Dave to have the option of Tan leather seats in every color of the car.

[@senorbuddL24]

This, coupled with your in depth review, has got to be the best thing on a car since a bikini model! So ,much more substance tho ;)

[@fortheloveofnoise]

My main complaint with the Miata is they don't have a model year special edition color each year...that would be cool. Maybe offer a green one year, then a yellow the next, the a bright aqua, ect.

[@TheAdventureAuto]

I love the infotainment screen, but looks like I'm the only one.

[@youcanrunnaked]

+Turbo4Life1217 Me, too. Maybe because I've lived with it in another new Mazda. so I know what it can do and why it is the way it is. The people harping on how "bad" it is have no clue.

[@XtremeArtists]

4 years later, it's still great. That was a silly question, but everything else about the interview is interesting.

[@Saboda53]

Yeah, gotta say, I like it, too. Line of sight is perfect, yet doesn’t get in my way. I kinda resent the tone of the question, frankly, which made it sound like ‘“we all know the info unit is poor, oughta retract, and is stuck on the dash in an awkward place”. No! Some of us like it just the way it is.

[@JamesLCoxe]

I agree, I like mine as well. Never bothered me, I like it actually.

[@techexplorer9382]

Good interview ! Thanks Joe

[@ebersolejoshua]

Add a leather heated seat option to the Club, please!

[@fcofdz]

A lot more people would be pissed if the car didn't have an infotainment than for having a "kind of big one" for the car. I see the car NOT having it being a reason not to buy... but the car having it is an inconvenience at most, and a good feature for 90% of the people. I can't imagine someone saying "I will not buy this because it has a big infotainment screen"

[@Bookman11702]

Great video! I really enjoy your channel! Thank you-B!! :)

[@dougiequick1]

I love my 2018 club which is basically the 2016 EXCEPT damn I wish it had the adaptive headlighs etc. I mean that is something needed on either trim level

[@EmceeGrady]

what a great interview seriously!

[@amitkrupal1234]

What if the screen is placed where center AC vents are, then designed rectangular ac vents below it?

[@jimhlee]

as the Miata ND needs to last a good number of refreshes. what do you think the chances of the 1.5 version with turbo coming to the states? possibly could be a MazdaSpeed edition? how much HP could it produce?

[@zachmiller9175]

I really don't understand why the touch screen is standard on the club. the standard radio from the sport would make more sense for a track centric trim like that and maybe have the touch screen as an option.

[@DieselDan09]

great stuff enjoyed this

[@SourceWaterKappo]

what about a mazdaspeed version?

[@bradcomis1066]

Is this the guy that used to write for Sport Compact Car and coined the "Dave Point" suspension geometry calculation?

[@savagegeese]

yes

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

I miss the 90's so badly, and secretly my front drive honduh but ultimately I miss SCC the most.

[@bransom123]

Why can't we just get rid of the stupid screen? Dave: it has to be there. IT MUST!!!!

[@vipermoon_]

He totally avoided the LSD question at the end. I wish you guys didn't mention "suspension" in the same question (because that answer is obvious and easy - that's why he stuck to talking about it). Or that you guys at least reiterated or reasked the LSD question, because that's the real question. Not even for performance but rain driving, snow driving, etc. Then years decades down the line, you have a lopsided market for a used ND where one has to avoid the numerous Non-LSD cars driving about.

[@pfweeks]

LOL. At first I thought the savagegeese logo in the lower right was a hood ornament. Merch idea?

[@mrpmj00]

Is the $3k BBS wheel/brakes upgrade worth it or not?

[@savagegeese]

+mrpmj00 Not unless you plan on doing more track events than anything else.

[@j_thom]

2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF. . . on the way

[@dougiequick1]

" We want EVERYTHING for $25k"

[@johntechwriter]

I got everything for $24,680. It happened last September (2019), when I purchased from a Mazda dealer a new '19 Sport model with manual transmission. This is the same 181 hp power train as in the Club but for thousands less. Take my word for it . . . this is my fourth MX-5 and unless you're autocrossing you lose nothing by buying the base version. In fact, the Sport is so much cheaper, you could probably upgrade the brakes and suspension more effectively than you could with the money saved by not buying the Club, and the car would be uniquely yours. I have yet to see a Sport version reviewed on KZbin. Mazda and its dealers would prefer you didn't know it even exists. But it does, and despite its price being bumped $1k for 2020, it is the sports car bargain of the industry.

[@johnm5131]

the biggest jibe with these cars is the accommodation for larger drivers. It seems they are designed for the asian market. Once you approach 6 foot height, the car becomes cramped. Even smaller drivers sit perched up in the vehicle. Why not a mini-Mclaren driving position? Sit "in" the car, not "on" it.

[@fcofdz]

Also. I would expect the "low power" complain from someone less experimented than you, I just don't get why do you find the figure so upsetting when the car is not slow in any measure when driven. The car is not about power AT ALL... it's like requesting better handling from a Challenger Demon. Besides.... the car is as fast or faster than a Fiesta ST and I don't recall anyone requesting more power from that!!!

[@S2kTi]

FcoFdz I think the 2019 update with 181hp is going to be a great balance.

[@waclosh]

He had to ask that because a whole lot of viewers simply love to compare numbers.

[@tjrick]

Does anyone have Dave's email? I have a quick question.

[@PerryPapanier]

I watched many MX5 reviews n no one complained about position of screen on the dash. Plus I own a Miata n it never comes up as an issue.

[@WindingMaster]

Yes I think that the NC was generally more appealing to a softer older GT crowd then the NA & NB & also coz it came with a Power Retractable Hardtop that is more practical unless you wanted the lightest weight possible for track use... That's why the Removable Hardtop wasn't popular. I they should definitely bring out a Hardtop as as this car is definitely more appealing to the Club Racer or Weekend Warrior as the first two were. I think that there should be both Power & Removable as there is clearly going to be a market for both with this model... They are already offering a trim for each market so why stop there??? Are you listening Mazda??? Give the GT a Power Retractable Hardtop & The Club a Removable Hardtop, Recaro's & hopefully a Supercharger this time (or a Turbo... I know more peak power & more practical blaa blaa) as it is more enjoyable to drive especially in a car like this IMHO... & that's what this car is & always has been about. Maybe even a roll bar for the Club. DO IT! I along with countless others will buy one!!! Get your arse in gear Mazda!

[@Scott-xh7wd]

That screen is a horrible touch and it's not just this car.

[@Scott-xh7wd]

+kkthxk I would rather take a bat to it.

[@youcanrunnaked]

+Scott P Love it. I'll bet none of the haters have ever used it.

[@jimhlee]

i can't get used to it on my roommate's Mazda 3 and when i test drove the Miata. was a distraction, especially for a roadster. they need to allow the option for Android auto or Apple carplay ASAP. especially since it's in all their vehicles, bite the pride and bullet. love the user and give us the standard in smartphone integration. you can make up the cost over time. my roommate tried to update the software firmware on his 2014 Mazda 3 and the dealer wouldn't help and the instructions aren't really easy. and he's an engineer.

[@Saboda53]

I really like it.

[@thimble288]

So the base car doesn't come with an LSD? That's a bummer. I think I'd still just get the base car and ad some nice tires and pads and call it good until an aftermarket LSD became a viable upgrade. I don't like the look of those black BBS anyway. The screen will be deleted by fans I'm sure, can't wait to see what goes in its place. I was sad to see that the car didn't come in any fun colors. The ND is begging to be starlight blue or dark green!

[@savagegeese]

The car needs for colors for sure. Lotus was always the anti LSD for lightweight cars, not sure how much it really matters.

[@thimble288]

savagegeese Good point about Lotus; subscribed. I think offering the LSD on the ND is a good move though. A lot of the NA fanbase that Mazda is attempting to reel back in will expect an LSD somewhere on the menu.

[@savagegeese]

+Eric Leippe LSD should be an option club or not as you said and I think most would agree. The BBS raise the cost too much for my taste, I think the stock wheels look better on the car. But you know mazda will have 20 different variations over the next two years.

[@thimble288]

savagegeese I sort of miss the days when a special edition Miata with tan leather and BBS wheels was a big deal. I guess that's another aspect of the ND being a return to form, since the base model is so appealing. Everything you opt for is just more fat! It seems like the NC was sort of lame until you threw a few options packages at it, but then I never did drive one.

[@ninjagrayfox]

+Eric Leippe From the specs page on mazdausa.com "Limited-Slip Differential : Torque-sensing limited-slip differential (MT only)"

[@rossedwardmiller]

"It's a minimalist sports car, we don't need all this crap". The brand rep understands your gripes but has to defend the infotainment implementation for his job. Lol.

[@rossedwardmiller]

And, I guess, "first"

[@rossedwardmiller]

"It's not a bitchin camaro" nice dead milkmen reference. Lol.

[@Saboda53]

Except I like the infotainment implementation. And the more I drive the car and get to know it, the more I like it.

[@3ducs]

At about 6:00, the question about the infotainment. Don't beat about the bush, that screen sucks, say so! There should be a way to fold it down, it looks out of place in a car like the MX-5. I hate it and will be buying the entry level just to avoid the honking big TV on the dash. The Bilsteins etc can be gotten in the aftermarket, which will be huge for this car.

[@3ducs]

+3ducs Yesterday I went down to the dealer and bought the Sport model, the Club is nice but I can't stand the infotainment screen. I'll get the car tomorrow or Tuesday. So here is one actual buyer who based a decision on the obtrusive screen.

[@youcanrunnaked]

+3ducs Love the infotainment screen in my ND Club! After living for a few weeks with our 2016 Mazda 6 Sport with MAZDA CONNECT, the ND Sport wasn't even in the picture. So here is one actual buyer who based their decision on wanting the infotainment screen. I guess that makes the screen 0.500. LOL. I even like the way it's "stuck on" the dash. Looks high-tech, and the location is practical, too. Controls the great Bose sound system, very good navigation, Bluetooth apps, driver preferences.... Visible when you want to see it; it disappears when you aren't paying attention to it.

[@3ducs]

youcanrunnaked I understand that others will like it, just not me. My driving here in NH is almost exclusively on twisting two lanes, no urban commutes. For this type of driving the car is the infotainment system. If I was back in the DC area commuting on the Beltway the big screen would make more sense. But this car has me taking the long way to places, just driving for the pleasure of it, for this reason I'd say that Mazda has hit it's goals.

[@jimhlee]

all i could think of was that the Audi TT's use of their cockpit dash is the gold standard. it's not perfect because of line of sight issues when looking at it and driving. but that dash is so nice and clean, driver focused. driver's car. if they can go digital and keep the cost down, that would be great. however, Audi can afford to do it and they are putting it in all their cars so cost goes down. unless Mazda also did with the next gen system, they won't do it for just the Miata. a clamshell laptop style option is a great idea though. have it fold down and integrate in.

[@Saboda53]

Lovin’ the screen!

[@JohnyMcNeal]

Turbowski almost died. :D

[@CarltonGauss]

I hate that stupid screen so much. Why does it even exist? I already have a screen of nearly that size in my pocket. It's attached to a computer too - why doesn't the car just have a bluetooth/usb interface + some app for my phone, and then just use my phone as the screen.

[@happy543210]

please understand that the real engineers of this car are japanese. they just hire american engineers to give the impression that americans are involved. in fact, japanese engineers develop all the important stuff like powertrains and suspensions, and they get american engineers, like this coleman guy, to develop the "fluff" like that ridiculous infotainment system.

[@saxpride]

+happy543210 for the miata, perhaps that is true. I know that Dave Coleman was one of the engineers for the 2nd Gen Mazdaspeed 3. He's also a well-known journalist / engineer back in early 2000. so I would suspect that his talents would not go to waste for mazda, and if you google 'dave coleman autoweek' you'll see that he has indeed made the japanese engineers make changes in vehicles such as the cx-5.

[@youcanrunnaked]

+happy543210 LOL. Putting aside that the Japanese know how to build a good car, and that the idea of a Japanese car company using mostly Japanese engineers to design their cars is hardly shocking, the ND is a true "world car," designed and engineered with input from Mazda employees and contractors in Japan, Europe, and North America. Also, you have no idea what you are talking about regarding Coleman or the MAZDA CONNECT infotainment system. Dave Coleman is a bona fide engineer; he has been intimately involved in Miata development for many years. Regarding the infotainment system, and putting aside the fact that it is a very good system, it is part of an award-winning interior design created by Julien Montousse, a Frenchman based in Mazda's design studio in Irvine, CA, USA. The operating system software was designed by Navteq, a company based in Chicago, IL, USA, formerly owned by Nokia, a Finnish company, and currently owned jointly by Audi, BMW ;and Daimler;-- all German companies. The infotainment audio was engineered by BOSE Automotive Systems, a subsidiary of BOSE Corp. based in Framingham, MA, USA.

[@happy543210]

youcanrunnaked you prove my point: that the blood, flesh and bones of the miata is pure japanese. the nonessential "fluff" is sublet to others.

[@truth4reel]

+happy543210 It's uncool to speak on anything without actual knowledge on the subject. It makes one sound unwise. Dave's not only an engineer, but he knows how to do many things that engineers can't do. He is your actual racer/gearhead/ghetto-fab specialist. He's been getting his hands dirty for years. Just research this "coleman guy".

[@happy543210]

truth4reel so he's a tuner...big woop. i'll be a tuner too: let me change the exhaust, shocks, tires and wheels...there, i created a "mazda speed" miata!

[@DGtrack]

The motor is so weak. Sucks for us that likes the MX-5 because of its sportscar characteristics. In the era where hatchbacks have over 300hp its such a big downer to have to deal with only 155hp. Come on Mazda.

[@FEVERNOVAA]

Hes gay too

[@jimhlee]

as the Miata ND needs to last a good number of refreshes. what do you think the chances of the 1.5 version with turbo coming to the states? possibly could be a MazdaSpeed edition? how much HP could it produce?

[@johntechwriter]

The turbo would compromise drivability. That's why Mazda have resisted forced induction. It would have been easy for them to stick on a snail and get 225 hp. Instead they developed every component of the 2.0 engine and got 181 totally linear hp with peak torque dropped to 4000 rpm. The result is a fantastically drivable car whose 0-60 time of 5.7 seconds would blow a Jaguar XK-E into the weeds, and will top 140 mph.