In Wheel Time
2017 Mazda MX-5 RF 'drive for good' with wind in your hair
Jim Nelson
Sep 1, 2017, 7:00 am
Want to get away? This is your car. In Wheel Time
Already very familiar with the MX-5 two-seat sports car soft-top model, we recently had a chance to spend a week in the new 2017 Mazda MX-5 RF, equipped with the new retractable hard convertible top. The RF joins the MX-5 soft top version for 2017 — both offering a lighter and more nimble Mazda interpretation of their classic open-top drive experience — reasonably priced and fun-to-drive vehicle that is sure to please nearly everyone in search of "wind in the hair" driving adventure.
2017 Mazda MX-5 RF
Our test MX-5 RF was the Grand Touring trim level with the exclusive machine gray exterior and a black/gray interior with red accent stitching, piano black trim and carbon fiber accents.
There are a many road trips worth of reasons to like the new rear-wheel-drive Miata RF, including its slightly lower and sleeker fastback silhouette, the iconic Boxer four-cylinder engine producing 155 horsepower with 148 lb.-ft. of torque, and the very slick and quick six-speed short-throw manual transmission that very effectively puts the power to the road. Running on 17-inch dark silver alloy wheels mounted with Bridgestone 205/45 R17 high performance tires, the manual gear box gets fuel economy of 33 mpg highway. (The available six-speed automatic is rated at 35 mpg highway.)
The key feature of the RF is the "one touch" — exceptionally fast — retractable hardtop that stows in just 13 seconds, enabling quick open-top getaways. Other attributes of note include LED headlights, LED daytime running lights, and LED taillights; standard Bluetooth hands-free phone and audio; BOSE audio system with ine speakers (including in the headrests); Mazda Connect infotainment with navigation and satellite radio; and a 7-inch color touch screen. Seating is sport type with durable cloth cover, contrasting accent stitching and three-level heating.
Underneath, the MX-5 RF features a double wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension with monotube gas shocks, stabilizer bars and uses double pinion electric power-assisted steering and equipped with stability and traction control. Brakes are 11-inch vented disc-single piston caliper front and 11-inch solid disc-single piston aluminum calipers rear.
Mazda is known for its safety features, and the MX-5 RF Grand Touring has got them, including Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Blind Spot Monitoring, Lane Departure Warning, Adaptive Front Lighting with High Beam Control and Rain Sensing Wipers.
Our test 2017 Mazda MX-5 RF Grand Touring — delivered — had a sticker price of $33,885.
A test Drive for Good extra
As part of our test drive arrangement with Mazda, they granted us the privilege of participating in their industry-leading Drive for Good charitable giving program by giving us a “giving card” that we could use to make a donation to a 501(c)3 charitable organization of our choice.
We selected the Air Warrior Courage Foundation — a 501(c)3 we work with through the Lake Travis Christmas Hope organization. Our charity provides direct financial assistance (not available from the government) to wounded warrior families going through rehabilitation at the San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC).
The Drive for Good program
Back in 2012, Mazda decided that — instead of the usual end of year holiday sales event promotion — to offer an opportunity for consumers to test drive a Mazda vehicle with Mazda making a service donation to charity as a result. Further, if one purchased a Mazda vehicle during the event, Mazda would make a $150 donation to a selected charity as directed by the customer.
It was so successful that Mazda expanded the program to year-round and continues it today, doing good across the United States through millions of dollars and thousands of volunteer hours going to worthy causes.
Mazda announced it would be donating over $5.4 million to select charities across the United States in 2017 — money raised during their 2016 Mazda Drive for Good event.
Since the program began in 2013, Mazda has donated more than $18.4 million and delivered over 263,000 hours of service to selected charities.
Mazda’s national charity partners include St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, American Red Cross, American Heart Association and the Mazda Foundation.
Thanks Mazda, for the test drive of the new MX-5 RF — it was a blast even without much hair for the wind to blow on my "vintage" head.
And a big thank you from the families of our wounded warriors in rehabilitation at SAMMC who are working every day to get back to a new normal life.
The Houston Texans addressed their most glaring needs by selecting offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery and a pair of Iowa State receivers in the NFL draft.
“The idea was to try to add good players, good people that are young, tough, hungry, that want to win, that put the team first,” general manager Nick Caserio said. “These picks exemplify that.”
The Texans got players that could help them quickly despite not picking in the first round for a second straight season. They didn’t have a first-round pick last year because of trades, including the one to move up and get defensive end Will Anderson with the third overall pick in the 2023 draft.
This season they shipped the 25th overall pick to the Giants on Thursday in exchange for several picks.
Their first selection in this draft was receiver Jayden Higgins, who was taken with the second pick of the second round. They added Ersery later in the second round with the 48th overall selection and picked up Higgins’ teammate Jaylin Noel in the third round.
Ersery could be Houston’s left tackle of the future after the offseason trade of five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil. Ersery started 38 games at left tackle over three seasons at Minnesota where he was a third-team All-American last season.
He comes to Houston to help shore up a line that allowed C.J. Stroud to be sacked 52 times last season, which was the second most in the NFL.
The Texans added veteran tackle Cam Robinson this offseason and Ersery will compete with him to protect Stroud’s blind side as the Texans attempt to reach the playoffs for a third straight season under coach DeMeco Ryans.
The 6-foot-6, 331-pound Ersery, who was the Big Ten’s Offensive Lineman of the Year last season, can’t wait to play with Stroud.
“C.J. Stroud is a baller,” Ersery said. “I’m so honored to be a guy to help out and come in and help protect him. I’m just super stoked and I know I’m going to a great organization.”
Cyclones teammates
Higgins and Noel join the Texans to add more depth at receiver to complement star Nico Collins with Tank Dell recovering from a serious knee injury and Stefon Diggs gone to the Patriots.
Higgins, who has been compared to Collins, had 87 receptions for 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns last season for the Cyclones and Noel added 80 catches for 1,194 yards and eight scores.
After Higgins was drafted, Noel never imagined he’d be heading to Houston, too. He shared on social media a fortune he received from a Chinese restaurant that read: “Look forward to an unplanned reunion with an out-of-touch friend.”
Noel later shared his feelings about joining Higgins on the roster.
“I was surprised,” Noel said. “But they’ve seen that 1-2 punch all year. They’re going to be very happy with those selections for sure.”
Caserio said a talk with Iowa State coach Matt Campbell on Friday helped him make his final decisions on the receivers.
“He was effusive in his… belief and praise of both Higgins and Noel,” Caserio said.
The Texans now have three receivers from Iowa State on their roster after drafting Xavier Hutchinson in the sixth round in 2023.
Overcoming obstacles
Ersery and his four siblings were raised by a single mother and experienced homelessness when he was a child despite her working multiple jobs. He is thrilled to have put those struggles behind him as he embarks on his next chapter.
“I’ve got that hardworking mentality from her,” he said. “So, growing up times were tough but now I’ve got my foot in the door and I look forward to trying to change some things around.”
Caserio loves guys with work ethic like Ersery’s and said that’s one reason why they believe he’ll fit in with the Texans.
“If you come in and put your head down and work and just get better, take advantage of your opportunities, you’re going to have a shot to have success and do a lot of good things for the organization,” he said.
What’s in a name?
Along with Noel, the Texans added another Jaylin in this draft with they picked USC cornerback Jaylin Smith in the third round.
“We got Jaylins, and we got all these guys around. It’s going to be hard to keep them straight,” Caserio joked on Friday after they picked Smith.
Then on Saturday, the Texans added another player with the same name, albeit with a different spelling, when they took Penn State safety Jaylen Reed in the sixth round.
That gives them four players with the same name and three different spellings as the three rookies join starting safety Jalen Pitre on the team.
Doubling up
Along with drafting two players from Iowa State, the Texans also added a pair of players from Southern California when they picked running back Woody Marks in the fourth round after drafting Smith in the third.
Marks ran for a career-high 1,133 yards with nine touchdowns for the Trojans last season after transferring from Mississippi State.
Be sure to watch the video below as NFL.com Draft Analyst Lance Zierlein shares his thoughts on all the Texans' picks!