With summer just around the corner, many northeastern car owners are surely looking forward to enjoying some leisurely weekend drives around the countryside. Those who are interested in an exciting, quick and flashy sports car may want to take a look at the 2008 Mazda MX-5 Miata, which was ranked as the most fun to drive new vehicle on the road in 2008 by Consumer Reports.

The 2008 Mazda Miata is the most popular small convertible in production today. It comes standard with a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder gas engine capable of creating 166 horsepower and 140 pound-feet of torque. When paired with a manual transmission, the Miata can go from 0-60 miles per hour in 7.5 seconds, while still sporting a strong fuel economy.

However, the hallmark feature of the Mazda’s 2008 convertible is still its pinpoint steering and control.

“Although tuned for a smoother ride than before, the Miata still changes direction with the immediacy of a roller skate and speaks to you clearly through the steering wheel and driver seat,” says Edmunds.com.

In Consumer Reports test scoring, the Miata almost tied the Porsche Boxer, while costing almost half as much.