washingtonpost.com's view

I hated evenings in the old Mazda Miata. Nightfall required lights on, which meant activating the pop-up headlamps. They were ugly things, an affront to the otherwise clean lines of the littlecar. I drove mostly in daylight. But now comes the 1999 Miata, whose beauty remains the same night and day. The pop-ups are gone, replaced by almond-shaped, projector-type headlamps that flow nicely into the front fenders.

The overall look is muscular, sinewy. The car has grown up. It is sensuous vs. cute, and the change is more than skin-deep.

When it was introduced a decade ago, the Miata won raves for basics. It was a true roadster with an easy-to-handle soft top. When the top was up, it didn’t leak. The car was easy to drive. And unlike, say, a Fiat Spider or MGB convertible, it was reliable.

But long drives revealed the old Miata’s shortcomings. The car was cramped and uncomfortable. It had a good 133-horsepower four-cylinder engine. But it was no match for blue-collar Batmobiles, such as the Chevrolet Camaro, and it cowered in the presence of anything resembling a sport-utility vehicle.

The wonder of the 1999 Miata is that it retains pretty much the same dimensions as its predecessor, but it is a far more spirited runner, thanks to some judicious engineering and structural changes.

The 1.8-liter, 16-valve inline four-cylinder engine has been improved. It can produce 140 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 119 pound-feet of torque at 5,500 rpm. But that modest increase in power is less significant than the way that power is made.

The new car’s engine breathes better — that is, it does a more efficient job of moving and mixing air and fuel — thanks to a redesigned cylinder head and straighter intake and exhaust ports. Other engine tweaks include Mazda’s Variable Intake Control System, which employs sensors to open and close valves in tandem with changes in engine speed. The upshot is more power and smoother running without a substantial increase in fuel consumption.

The added power propels a more rigid car body, one noticeably absent the flexing and shimmying that afflicted earlier Miatas. But you can still be bounced about in the new car — especially if you speed over big bumps.

The rear-wheel-drive is lightweight at 2,299 pounds. But that lack of heft is offset by a fully independent, double-wishbone suspension with coil springs, gas shocks, and stabilizer bars front and rear, all of which help to keep the car upright and under control in normal driving on decent roads.

For those weekend warriors who enjoy taking spins around racetracks — and they are legion — there is a Sports Package Miata equipped with 15-inch alloy wheels, a Torsen limited-slip differential, sport suspension with Bilstein shock absorbers and, yeah, the three-spoke, leather-wrapped Nardi steering wheel.

All in all, it’s one heck of a little car, ideal for people who understand that driving is more than a matter of reaching destinations.

1999 Mazda Miata

Complaints: The Miata, like most small roadsters, still has a cramped interior. But it at least has been made more livable by a favorable ergonomic rearrangement of gauges and switches.

Praise: It’s a fun car. Period.

Ride, acceleration and handling: An all-around spirited runner, a driver’s car (the tested Leather Package includes 15-inch wheels and limited-slip differential, which reduces wheel spin on slippery surfaces). Excellent braking. Brakes include power-assisted ventilated front discs/rear solid discs and optional antilocks.

Head-turning quotient: Genuine heartthrob.

Safety: Let’s be clear: Small loses in crashes with big. The Miata is small. It’s also a convertible. If you roll this one over and you’re not wearing a seat belt, you lose your head. Okay? Other than that, it’s as safe as you can make a car this size — dual front air bags, side-impact door beams, energy-absorbing steering column and instrument panel, three-point s at belts for both occupants. Use the belts!

Capacities: Seats two people and carries 5.1 cubic feet of their stuff in what passes for a trunk. We’re talking overnight trips here.

Mileage: About 26 miles per gallon in mostly highway driving. Fuel tank holds 12.7 gallons of recommended regular unleaded gasoline. Estimated range is 320 miles on usable volume of fuel.

Price: The base price on the 1999 model is $19,770. Dealer’s invoice on the base model is $17.965. Price as tested is $24,195, including $3,975 for the Leather Package with five-speed manual transmission and a $450 transportation charge. Add $200 more for transportation if you’re buying the Miata in Alaska.

Purse-strings note: It’s a great toy. Compare with BMW Z3 1.9 and 2.8 roadsters; Porsche Boxster; Ford Mustang convertible;Mercedes-Benz SLK230 Kompressor; and Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GS.