An Office Hack Made a Cross-Country Trip In A Miata Much More Bearable

Earlier this year, I migrated west from Texas to Arizona in an effort to be closer to parents and family sprawled across the west coast. The convoy consisted of a Penske box truck pulling a Buick on a trailer, while I drove my 2021 MX-5 RF. This would be the car’s first serious road trip.

The Mazda Miata is an epic little roadster. It’s so light and agile that it doesn’t require sporty parts to make it sporty. This retains the Club package, which throws in a limited slip diff, sport-tuned suspension with Bilstein shocks, and a Bose stereo for added bump. Despite the more aggressive setup, the ride quality doesn’t touch on harsh when you’re driving it just to make a grocery run.

The same can’t be said about the seats, which isn’t a flaw specific to this car, but to all ND-generation Miatas since it went on sale in 2015. The trouble lies in lack of adjustment for the sake of saving weight. This is almost as light as a Miata built in the 1990s, which is an incredible accomplishment when you consider all of the refinement, safety features, and tech that has since become federally mandated equipment. But it doesn’t do much in the way of comfort.

So imagine my surprise when my office chair came in handy. On it sits a cushion that I ordered off Amazon months ago to help me write comfortably for longer, particularly focused on lower back support. Knowing I start to ache if I drive the Miata for longer periods, I threw the cushion in at the last minute.

Boy, I’m glad that I did.

It was a 1,200-mile trip and I have the cushion to thank for making it an easy drive. So much so that it’s stayed in the car since. This let me enjoy the Miata as the riveting roadster that it is.

I will recommend a Mazda MX-5 to anyone when given the chance. It doesn’t matter whether you buy one built in 2024 or 1994, it’s going to bring you joy. The least I can do is share ways for you to enjoy it for longer.