Why Trim Levels Matter: The 2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring

The 2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring.

A little over a year ago, we had our first week in the new-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata.  I was torn.  While the new MX-5 Miata was better than the previous one in every possible performance metric, I found it less comfortable to deal with in day-to-day driving.  There were a couple of possible factors. One was me...if I were 20 years younger or 20 pounds lighter, would I love it more?  And the other was the trim level.  We were in the Club the first time around...the model most suited for the track.

2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring.

Well, 14 months have passed, I am that much older but 18 pounds lighter and the fine folks at Mazda have sent the 2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring.  

And all is once again right with the world.  The loss of 18 pounds has removed the issue I had with the space intrusion of the new, wider console. And the Grand Touring, while not as creamy-smooth as the MX-5 Miata-based Fiat 124 Spider Lusso we reviewed last month, strikes a perfect balance of refinement and reflexive handling.  The Grand Touring is the sweet spot.

2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata interior.

Say yes to the Grand Touring and its base price of $30,065 and you get front and rear stabilizer bars, LED daytime running lights, automatic headlights, auto-dimming driver-side mirror, auto-dimming interior rearview mirror with Homelink, 17-inch dark silver wheels, body-color front and rear bumpers and door handles, body color heated side mirrors, rain-sensing windshield wipers, dual silver exhaust outlets, automatic air conditioning, keyless entry, a nine-speaker Bose audio system, Bluetooth phone and audio, cruise control, steering-wheel mounted audio and speed controls, a leather steering wheel, shift knob and parking brake, an engine immobilizer anti-theft system, tire pressure monitoring, heated leather-trimmed seats, a cloth-lined convertible top, the new Mazda Connect infotainment system with color touchscreen display, navigation, two USB inputs, blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive front lighting, high beam control, lane departure warning and an anti-theft alarm.

Again...that's all standard. And our tester had but one option...the Interior Package, which adds $425 for a red engine oil cap with the MX-5 logo, stainless steel door trim plates and alloy pedals and footrest.

Bottom line with $835 destination charge: $31,325.  EPA fuel economy estimate 27 city/34 highway.

A bargain.  A steal, in fact.

Let's be clear:  There is no bad MX-5 Miata.  The Club is a great choice for a weekend toy.  But if you're planning on using your MX-5 Miata as a daily driver, the Grand Touring is the one to have.

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Alternative Energi: The 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid

The 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid.

Earlier this week, our Publisher and Executive Editor wrote a highly favorable review of the 2017 Ford Fusion Energi, which is a plug-in hybrid.  Plug-in hybrids have their advantages, namely greater pure electric range before switching over to the standard gasoline/electric hybrid mode, but they also have drawbacks.

For those of us who are apartment dwellers, a plug-in is less practical.  We are unlikely to have 240-volt chargers in our garage---or a garage, for that matter.  Running an extension cord from your apartment is likely to get you evicted, or at the very least, your extension cord stolen. And that's why Ford makes a non-plug-in version as well, which is what we drove.

2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid badging.

The 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid is as simple as it comes.  Put gasoline in the tank when the fuel gauge indicates it is low.  The electric part takes care of itself, thanks to regeneration from braking and other sources inside the car itself.

2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid regenerative braking gauge.

The Fusion Hybrid not only regenerates energy through braking, but a handy gauge reports back to you on how efficiently you brake, coaching you on your technique to maximize the amount of energy that is put back into the hybrid batteries.

It may not have the extended pure electric range of the Energi, but once that's gone, the Fusion Hybrid and the Energi return the exact same EPA-estimated 43 miles per gallon in the city and 41 on the highway.

2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid instrument panel.

There are four trim levels for the 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid.  S is the base, SE next, followed by Titanium and the top-of-the-line Platinum.

Our test vehicle was the SE.  Base price $26,840, with automatic halogen headlamps, intermittent wipers, power front seats, dual-zone electronic climate control, active noise cancellation, hill start assist, remote keyless entry, push-button start, a rear view camera, 17-inch wheels and a nine-speaker audio system with SiriusXM Satellite Radio all standard.

That is an extremely reasonable price for a very well-equipped car, but as usual, our test vehicle had options:

• The SE Hybrid Luxury Package:  Memory driver's 10-way power seat, leather-trimmed seats, heated front seats, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, bright exterior window and door trim moldings, body-colored door handles with chrome inserts, intelligent access with remote start, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, LED fog lamps with chrome bezel, LED headlamps and taillamps, upgraded heated sideview mirrors, with memory, turn indicators, auto-dimming on the driver's side and security approach lamps and warm interior accents.  $2,995.
• Burgundy Velvet paint.  $395.
• Upgraded 17-inch premium wheels, bundled with a reverse sensing system and the SYNC 3 infotainment suite.  $995.
• Enhanced active park assist.  $995.
• Adaptive cruise with stop and go. $1,190.
• Driver assist package with lane keeping system, blind spot information system and cross-traffic alert. $1,575.

All that brought the total, with $875 destination and delivery charges, to an even $35,500.  But Ford has an immediate $490 Sync and Sound discount and another $500 SE Tech discount, which resulted in an as-tested price of $34,510.

If you are looking for a family sedan with tremendous fuel economy, it is hard to do better than the Fusion Hybrid.

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Even Better: The 2017 Mazda 6i Grand Touring

The 2017 Mazda 6i Grand Touring.

Longtime TireKicker readers know that the Mazda 6 is one of our favorite cars...to the point that it's been in the TireKicker's Best Cars list on the right of this page for many years.  Freshly updated in 2016, it's a matter of minor tweaks to the 2017, all of which make the Mazda 6 an even better car.

2017 Mazda 6i Grand Touring.

So what's new?  A new design for the exterior mirror turn lamp and the steering wheel....and now that steering wheel can be heated (in this first real winter in Northern California in many years, I'm finding some serious love for that option) the Mazda Connect infotainment system is now standard equipment, lane-keeping assist is now standard on Grand Touring models, you can get heated rear seats now, traffic sign recognition is a part of the technology that edges us closer to some level of autonomy, and you now have the option of Nappa leather-trimmed sport seats, a new color (Machine Gray Metallic) and a black headliner.

2017 Mazda 6i Grand Touring interior.

Especially with the Nappa leather, the Mazda 6 has what we believe is the best interior in the family sedan segment.

All the fundamental great stuff about the Mazda 6 remains the same.  The 184-horsepower, 2.5-liter Syactiv-G four-cylinder engine, the exterior styling, the sports car-like handling and the EPA-estimated 27 mpg city/35 highway are constants.

Our tester was the Mazda 6i Grand Touring, the top-level trim.  Base price $30,695.  Ours was treated to the GT Premium Package (i-Eloop regenerative engine braking system, active grille shutters, shifter LED accent lighting, bright finish interior trim, Nappa leather-trimmed upholstery, heated rear seats, the heated steering wheel with unique stitching and the black headliner) for $2,500...a cargo mat for $75, the Machine Gray Metallic paint for $300 and door sill trim plates for $125.  So, with $835 delivery processing and handling fee, the bottom line was $34,530.

And most of all, like every Mazda 6 we've driven since TireKicker launched almost nine years ago, we were sad to hand back the keys at the end of the week.  The Mazda 6 holds its place on the TireKicker's Best Cars list for at least another year.

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Fahrvergnugen: The 2017 Volkswagen Golf GTI S 4-Door

The 2017 Volkswagen Golf GTI.

The early 1980s were a dreary time for people who love to drive.  Emissions regulations had resulted in low-horsepower engines.  Gasoline prices and overall inflation were prompting many people to buy cars they really didn't enjoy, in the name of economy.

And then came the Volkswagen GTI.

1984 Volkswagen GTI print ad.

The performance statistics cited in the vintage print ad above may not be all that impressive now, but in those dark days, they were remarkable.

Fast-forward 33 years.

2017 Volkswagen Golf GTI.

The GTI is still with us.  0-60 flashes by in 5.8 seconds, the top speed is 124 miles per hour, lateral acceleration has improved into the 0.94g range, the slalom speed depends on the slalom, and braking takes longer than the 1984 because the mass is greater, but it is fully competitive with contemporary vehicles.

And despite the greater mass, fuel economy is an EPA-estimated 24 city/32 highway.

Now known as the Golf GTI, the S model which we drove makes the sport suspension standard.  Base price is $26,695, which translates to $11,549.96 in 1984 money.   And there is far more than $3,200 in added improvements.  The performance cited above, for starters.  And literally dozens of things that either woul have cost extra 33 years ago or simply had not been invented yet.

2017 Volkswagen Golf GTI interior.

Volkswagen has made the 2017 Golf GTI S a one-price affair.  It's all standard---driving mode selection, XDS cross-differential system, vented front disc brakes, Servotronic electro-mechanical power steering, a full complement of active and passive restraint systems, 18-inch alloy wheels with all-season tires, halogen headlamps with daytime running lights, LED front fog lamps, heated, foldable, power adjustable side mirrors, front wipers with heated washer nozzles, manual climate control, a multi-function sport steering wheel with shift paddles, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, brake lever and shift knob, manual front sport seats with power recline, heated front seats, a split-folding rear seat with armrest and pass-through, cloth seating surfaces, ambient interior lighting with front and rear reading lights, a rearview camera, an eight-speaker touchscreen AM/FM/HDRadio audio system with CD player, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, a color multifunction display with trip computer, power door locks, VW's Car-Net app suite and GTI bumpers and trim with a rear spoiler and red brake calipers.

Again, all standard for the base price of $26,695.

The best part?  It is a ball to drive.  That combination of power and control, acceleration and handling, wrapped up in a Germanically solid structure---never mind that it's built in Mexico---it's difficult to describe unless you've been there.  Although Volkswagen itself coined a word for it in the early 90s:

Early 1990s Volkswagen print ad.

And with the 2017 Volkswagen Golf GTI S, it still fits.

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