I’m from a car family. As such, my siblings and I were free to explore all manner of vehicle classes to find our “perfect fit.” Growing up, my younger sisters spent time driving around members of the roadster clan, mainly Miatas and Civic Del Sols. I even drove an ultra-compact car, a Smart Fortwo, for a bit.
While I feel lucky to have my roots, a circulating clip of a Mazda Miata meeting a Honda Pilot has me queasy with fear for roadster drivers. Let me tell you: This clip is the primary reason I don’t own a roadster today.
“Out of nowhere, he just tapped on the gas.”
Security footage of a parallel parking zone is making the rounds. It’s embedded below. While the subject Miata owner narrates, the footage shows the tiny car sitting and waiting for the driver of a white Honda Pilot to park directly in front of it.
The Pilot driver suddenly accelerates backward. However, it didn’t stop when it hit the Miata’s front end. Instead, it crawled right up and over the roadster. The Miata’s hood crinkles and pops off like a tin can. Then, the SUV’s right rear wheel enters the Miata’s windshield.
The Miata owner says he quickly moved to the passenger seat and was able to open the right door. He got out unharmed.
I don’t care how good a driver you are. Like motorcycles, roasters are no match for idiots in behemoth SUVs. My sisters have since moved on to larger daily drivers, but our family still kicks around in roadsters here or there. Now, I love driving roadsters, don’t get me wrong. But I have kids. Because of possible scenarios like the clip above, I’m wary of owning one.
