WINNER MAZDA MX-5 MIATA As products go cars fall into the unique position between utility and entertainment so picking the best one overall that we drove in 2016 is quite the task. A car can be useless but fun or practical yet boring and both could still be considered good. With that in mind we took a step back to see what cars this year satisfied the basic essence of driving and the Mazda MX-5 was tough to beat. Mazdas plucky roadster evokes extreme emotion on both ends of the spectrum some love it some loathe it. But the ones who sing its praises are more often or not the ones who actually spent some time behind the wheel. With three pedals a handbrake a naturally-aspirated engine and a rear-wheel drive setup the Miata conforms to a purists configuration. The 2.0-liter four-pot under the hood gins up 155 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque. For a roadster that weighs roughly 2300 pounds thats plenty of pep to have fun with yet remain manageable; no monstrous horsepower to fear but no less enjoyable. Complementing the power punch is its phenomenal steering braking and suspension tuning. While enthusiasts might bemoan Mazdas decision to ditch the hydraulic steering rack for an electrically assisted unit this is easily one of the best systems available. Not only is turn-in lightning quick but weight also builds as the g-forces do mid-corner leading to a natural balanced feel. Analog as it may seem the Mazda MX-5 still meets modern digital needs. Mazdas Connect infotainment system is one of the best in the industry with excellent feedback from the selection dial quick responses from the system intelligent button redundancies and clear navigation readout. Driving purity under $30K and it wont tear your head off? Sounds like a worthy ride for enthusiasts across the board. Read more: http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/best-products-of-2016-automotive/#ixzz4TyG8i53E Follow us on twitter The post BEST PRODUCTS OF 2016: AUTOMOTIVE appeared first on http://belfast.cashforcarsireland.com/ via Cash For Cars - Locations http://belfast.cashforcarsireland.com/best-products-2016-automotive/