It’s been over three years since I first test drove the new 124 Spider, and I finally purchased one for myself. I’ve had the new 124 for about two weeks now. I thought it would be a good idea to spend some time with the car before providing an updated review.  I’m still impressed!

So lets get this out of the way… it’s a Miata.  Except for the styling, engine, and related software; everything else is Mazda. The window sticker even proclaims the car is only 20% Italian. While I am an Italian car nerd enthusiast, I think this is great. I’ve always respected the Miata, and have owned a couple of Mazda’s Wankels in the past. It’s interesting to see some of Mazda’s quirks melded together with FIAT’s, and to be frank it’s better put together than the 500 line.

I really prefer the 124’s styling over the Miata’s. I just can’t warm up to the Miata’s squinting cat face. Plus I think the 124’s retro styling really works. From the out side of the car, the creases in the hood look a little goofy, but from the drivers seat it really replicates the feel of the classic Spider. On the classic the fenders come up and round over the edge of the car, then the hood starts to curve back up and is interrupted with prominent bulges representing it’s classic twin cam. Of course that is all just theater on the new 124, but I dig it.

New for 2019 the infotainment system comes standard on all models due to the backup camera requirement. This is a disappointment, as I think it clutters up an otherwise clean and pleasing dash. I would prefer an integrated phone mount and a small, possibly even hidden head unit, but tablets haphazardly growing out of the dash is what car makers are giving us these days. Other than the infotainment system, the interior is elegantly simple. The cloth seats are comfortable and functional with decent bolstering for a base model seat.

Normally I don’t buy brand new cars. I just don’t think the depreciation hit is worth it, but this time around I wanted to buy something brand new with a manual transmission in order to increase the manual take rate. I felt it was a bit of a moral obligation. It worked out well in this case as I was able to find a previous year model lingering on the lot. What shocked me was that it was the only manual transmission Spider available within 200 miles.

Initially I wanted the Abarth version, but I’m not at all disappointed in getting a base model Classica. The only options this car has is the keyless entry and all weather floor mats. The cheapest Abarth would be $9,000 more than this car. I can do a lot of upgrades for that $9k difference, and best of all bring y’all along for the journey.

The first thing to be upgraded will be wheels and tires. It comes with Yokohama Advan Sports which aren’t a bad tire, but they are in a skinny 195 cross section! The wheels are narrow as well at 6.5 inches. I don’t want to go too large with the wheels and tires. I’ve over-tired cars before and while you do get more grip it can leave the handling feeling numb. With a lightweight car such as this I think you need to be very cognizant of unsprung weight. I’ll be ordering wheels that are lighter than stock in a 7in width with 205 cross section tires. Also looking to get wheels with less offset to widen the track slightly and better fill the fenders.

Next I’ll be focusing my attention to the suspension. The factory setup is very compliant, which is generally a good thing. I enjoy how smooth it is. The problem I have with it currently is that it feels very lazy in taking a set in a corner. When you turn in you get body roll, then some more body roll, and then it keeps on progressively rolling into the turn while it washes out just a bit. Then when it finally takes a set, you get a little push into the turn from the rear. This isn’t necessarily a bad handling characteristic, but it is something to get used to. I plan on getting springs that are lower and slightly stiffer than the Abarth springs, as well as Bilstein sport dampeners. This should make the car feel more planted without being harsh.

As many of you know, the 124 shares the 160hp 1.4L turbo engine with the 500 Abarth. While the 500 makes a glorious noise, the 124 is very muted. I intend to address that… Once I have the exhaust sounding sportier, I’ll get a tune to bring the performance up beyond the Abarth’s. I’d like to keep this car simple and don’t intend on modifying it for big power. A hair under 200hp would be perfect, and should be achievable with stock components.

Finally, I didn’t really want another black car. While I think it looks fantastic in black, I just want something different. The silver lining is I get to teach myself how to wrap a car. I’m thinking maybe an olive or avacado green, or perhaps a blue. Comment below what color you think I should wrap it.

DanBook

founder

Dan is a DIY zealot and autodidact. Real science, pseudoprofessional.