Mazda Miata MX-5 2012Change

The MX-5 wasn’t too voracious on fuel, and a 70/30 per cent mix of highway and city driving netted me an average of 7.7L/100 km (37 mpg).

But it’s not all praise for this amiable Japanese roadster. With the hard top up there’s a fair amount of road noise that infiltrates the cockpit. In fact, the interior is a bit quieter with the top down at lower speeds — the tire noise has a chance to dissipate into the open air, whereas it just resonates off the top when it’s up.

I prefer the power-operated hard top to the soft top available on the lower trim levels, but you must keep your finger on the power button while retracting or putting the top back up or it’ll stop midway. It takes about 14 seconds for the top to complete its cycle either way: a one-touch operation would let me get back to sipping my coffee sooner.

The MX-5 is a small car. Although I never felt cramped, the cockpit is narrow. Six-footers like me are a better fit in the driver’s seat — and that’s not just an excuse to win an argument with the spouse as to who will be driving. There’s not enough room on the floor pan on the passenger side to place size 10 feet beneath the dashboard without tilting them sideways. But these are minor inconveniences in a car that will most likely occupy a second spot in a household garage.