Ron Perry’s opinion of the 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata’s Quality:
Mazda has been building this car for long enough that it has the build quality down to a science. Everything is tight, solid and squeak-free. Fit and finish inside and out is great. The only downside to our test car has to be the abundance of black, multi-textured plastics used throughout the interior. The last time I drove the Miata this didn’t bother me, but I guess with time I’m getting more critical. The nice quality leather seats in this test car were definitely appreciated more than the cloth seats in the last car.

Thom Blackett’s opinion of the 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata’s Quality:
Build quality is one of Mazda’s better attributes, and our MX-5 tester was no exception. Gaps were uniform and all of the interior bits and pieces were securely fastened. Those parts, while seemingly durable, were hard plastic and gave the MX-5 a budget-conscious character. More soft-touch or rubberized surface panels would be preferred, especially for the center console where knees and elbows rub. Putting some padding on the driver’s door ain’t a bad idea either, considering how much discomfort that hard plastic beverage holder can cause.

Christian Wardlaw’s opinion of the 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata’s Quality:
Our blue MX-5 Miata’s build quality was improved over the previous vehicle we drove. The top folded properly on the first try, nothing inside the car popped off under pressure, and I found no egregious assembly problems like I did with our red car earlier this year. However, during my mountain road driving run, something kept clunking behind me, from either the well into which the top collapses or from the trunk itself. But, after a check for loose items, I found nothing amiss.

Aside from this mystery noise, this Winning Blue test sample struck me as a quality piece of work. The interior is definitely a step ahead of roadsters from General Motors, and the exterior panel gaps are tight and precise. The paint was so lustrous it glowed, and the doors slammed shut with a positive thunk.

James Fabin’s opinion of the 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata’s Quality:
Mazda knows quality, even when it gets a little carried away with the amount of hard plastics. Even though the 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata’s interior is dominated by hard plastic surfaces, our test car was squeak- and rattle-free. The only area where I found a dip in the quality department was in the convertible top. When closed, the interior of the top isn’t fully lined, exposing the round metal crossbar supports. The top also requires a good amount of force when closing it to insure it latches correctly, though unlatching and putting the top down is a simple, quick, single-handed motion. This is an area Mazda can improve on, but it would most likely increase the cost of the vehicle and doesn’t impact the overall driving experience.