Transportation

Car Review: 2015 Mazda MX-5 Miata PRHT

Published

11 years ago

June 1, 2015

By Frank S. Washington
NNPA Columnist

DETROIT (NNPA) – The Mazda MX-5 Miata PRHT roadster is a mix of modern technology and straightforward old school. PRHT stands for power retractable hard top. On the MX-5 it takes 12 seconds for the top to fold back into the tonneau cover between the driver and the trunk.

It is semi-automatic: release the latch in the middle of the windshield frame, push a button and the top folds back. To raise it is the same thing. Push a button it unfolds into position automatically and latch it to lock it.

By definition, sports cars are low volume vehicles. Still, the MX-5 has been wildly successful since Mazda brought it to market 25 years ago. The company says more than 940,000 have been sold worldwide, making it the best-selling two-seat roadster in the world.

For reasons that escape just about everybody, Mazda changed its name from the Miata to the MX-5, but enthusiasts would not accept the switch. Mazda had to tack on Miata at the end of MX-5. We have to force ourselves to write MX-5 rather than Miata, which is what we call it. The car is so popular that a 25^th anniversary edition was introduced and sold out in less than 10 minutes. When it was first introduced, the car was a throwback to the mostly British roadsters of the 1950s and ’60s: small, great weight to power ratio and maneuverable.

The MX-5 was powered by a 2.0-liter aluminum block four-cylinder engine that made 167 horsepower and 140 pound-feet of torque. The engine was placed as far back in the bay as possible so that the most weight would be between the front and rear wheels. This gave the car excellent balance and stability. Though it was calm during our week-long test drive, the MX-5 was never was out of kilter. We never felt any twist between the engine, the transmission or the differential.

Our test car was also quick – very quick. The MX-5 scooted in and out of traffic, it stopped on a dime and it was pretty quick off the dime, too. To maximize weight savings the MX-5 had an aluminum hood, trunk lid, control bars, rear uprights and rear calipers. We had the top of the line Grand Touring trim. It featured 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels, mocha interior, leather trimmed seats that were heated with five settings, a seven-speaker premium surround sound audio system, an in dash six disc CD player, leatherette door trim and leather wrapped parking brake and matching shift knob.

The car also had Bilstein shocks, a limited slip differential and a sport-tuned suspension. It had a smart key, satellite radio and Bluetooth. Still, our test vehicle weighed a scant 2,619 pounds. And it will shed more than 200 pounds when the 2016 version of the roadster goes on sale this summer. However, no announcement has been made about when we’ll see the new Mazda MX-5 Miata PRHT.

Thus, this model may remain for the rest of the year. At $32,935, our hardtop Mazda roadster was an awful lot of fun for not a whole lot of money.

Frank S. Washington is editor of AboutThatCar.com.

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Business

Fate of Bay Area Public Transit Hinges on Regional Transit Measure

Voters in five Bay Area counties will decide the fate of a regional sales tax measure on Nov. 3 that could determine the future of local public transportation. If approved, the Regional Transit Measure would implement new sales taxes in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and San Francisco counties starting in 2027. The funding aims to address massive financial deficits facing agencies like BART and Muni, providing nearly $1 billion annually to prevent station closures and service cuts. Read more.

Published

3 weeks ago

October 27, 2026

Post News Group

By Tanay Gokhale, Bay City News

On Nov. 3, voters in five Bay Area counties will vote on a regional sales tax measure that, if it fails, could prompt local transit agencies to close train stations and cut bus service.

If passed, the Regional Transit Measure, or RTM, will impose a half-cent sales tax in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties as well as a one-cent sales tax in San Francisco starting April 2027.

The tax would raise an estimated $980 million annually for 14 years to fund the region’s public transit agencies, which are struggling with massive financial deficits. Revenue would go to BART, Muni, Caltrain, Alameda-Contra Costa Transit, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, the San Francisco Bay Ferry, Golden Gate Transit, and other transportation agencies operating in the five counties.

In California, a regional measure for a new sales tax would normally require a two-thirds majority approval if the state Legislature directly places it on a ballot. Transit advocates, however, chose to collect signatures to make the sales tax a citizen-initiated ballot measure that would lower the threshold to a simple majority of votes cast across the five counties.

The RTM received more than 241,000 signatures, exceeding the 186,000-signature threshold required to qualify for the ballot.

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Commentary

Why AC Transit Director Joel Young is My Choice for AC Transit Board Ward 3

Former AC Transit Director Patrisha Piras is endorsing incumbent Joel Young for the AC Transit Board of Directors, Ward 3. Piras highlights Young’s tenure as the longest-serving member of the current board and his role in securing over $600 million in funding for the district. Young has previously served as board president and is credited with advancing clean-energy initiatives and workforce development programs. Piras cites his institutional knowledge as vital for navigating current financial challenges to ensure regional connectivity. Find out why Young is being recommended for another term.

Published

3 weeks ago

October 25, 2026

Post News Group

By Patrisha ‘Pat’ Piras Special to The Post

As a former AC Transit Director for more than a decade, I know firsthand what it takes to serve effectively on the AC Transit Board. That is why I am proud to endorse Joel Young for election to the AC Transit Board of Directors, Ward 3.

Joel’s dedication to AC Transit and the communities they serve has been unmatched. Throughout his years on the Board, he has been a tireless advocate for riders, employees, and residents who depend on reliable, affordable public transportation every day. The majority of his colleagues have shown their trust, respect, and confidence in him by electing him as Board president.

As the longest-serving member of AC Transit’s current Board, Joel has played a pivotal role in securing more than $600 million in funding for the District, advancing clean-energy transit initiatives, strengthening workforce development programs, and helping position AC Transit as a national leader in innovation and sustainability. His leadership has extended beyond the Bay Area, representing AC Transit on the national stage and advocating successfully for investments that strengthen public transportation across the country, even with the current federal administration.

At a time when transit agencies face significant financial and operational challenges, Joel brings the experience, institutional knowledge, and steady leadership needed to help guide AC Transit forward. He understands that public transportation is about more than buses and infrastructure. It is about connecting people to jobs, schools, health care, and opportunity while ensuring that our communities remain accessible and economically vibrant.

Joel Young has a proven record of working with others to deliver results, protect transit service, and fight for the resources needed to meet the evolving needs of our region. His dedication, leadership, and commitment to public service make him exceptionally qualified to represent AC Transit Ward 3.

I strongly endorse Joel Young for the AC Transit Board of Directors and encourage Ward 3 voters to support his election by Nov. 3.

Patrisha “Pat” Piras is a former AC Transit director.

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Featured

Opponents Smear Effective African American Transit Director as Election Nears

Incumbent Joel Young is defending his seat on the AC Transit Board against allegations of harassment stemming from a public interaction in 2026. Supporters of the director cite his record of securing $600 million for bus services and leading civil rights initiatives as evidence of his effectiveness. They argue the accusations regarding a group photo interaction have been politically weaponized by opponents to influence the Ward 3 election.

Published

4 weeks ago

October 19, 2026

Post News Group

By Kitty Kelly Epstein

I am an academic and a community activist. I take women’s issues, including workplace harassment and discrimination, seriously. I have been following the AC Transit Ward 3 election and have become concerned about what I believe is a serious injustice.

Joel Young is an effective AC Transit director. He has secured more than $600 million for local bus service and fare affordability. He led the Freedom Bus Project, integrating civil rights history, art and transit. He was presiding over the board of AC transit when it won the 2023 Outstanding Public System Award, and he raised $1 million for the hydrogen fuel cell bus program. These are just a few of his accomplishments.

I reviewed the allegations of unwanted physical contact and harassment made by AC Transit Director Sarah Syed against Director Joel Young, I believe the events of Sept. 24, 2025, have been characterized in a way that does not accurately reflect what occurred.

That interaction took place during a group photo after celebrating the life of a longtime Board member who passed away. From the video I reviewed, it appears that individuals were consoling one another and exchanging hugs in a public setting surrounded by numerous witnesses.

Young’s interaction with Syed appears consistent with those expressions of sympathy and it appears that Young was attempting to extend a gesture of goodwill toward Syed.

I am concerned by how this incident has been recently used as a political tool to influence the outcome of the AC Transit Ward 3 election and support Young’s opponent.

Syed and her supporters launched a targeted political campaign, first through the Alameda County Democratic Party and subsequently by organizing a letter from a group of majority-white elected officials who have endorsed Young’s opponent against Young, who is Africa American.
Furthermore, this manufactured controversy distracts voters from the critical issues facing AC Transit. The public deserves a substantive debate on service reliability, ridership recovery, passenger and operator safety, financial stability, regional equity, and future transportation infrastructure. The electorate should be evaluating which candidate possesses the judgment, experience, and vision to lead AC Transit forward – not reacting to a distorted personal interaction.

Regardless of one’s political views or preferred candidate, allegations of harassment should never be weaponized for electoral purposes. We all know that exaggerated or unsupported accusations can undermine public understanding of, and trust in, efforts to address genuine sexual harassment and violence.

Kitty Kelly Epstein