Forty-some automotive journalists have spent time in the KBB newsroom this year, all of them car lovers. The most common car they’ve owned? A quick survey finds the answer I expected: We’ve owned a lot of Mazda MX-5 Miata convertibles.
I, myself, miss one dearly. Long story. I’ll tell it here someday.
Our garages and parking spots have hosted daily drivers ranging from classic Porsches in mid-restoration to modern cargo vans. But the MX-5 is the car we choose most often.
Those of us who have driven most of the world’s cars across decades learn this truth sooner or later: There is simply no more enjoyable car to drive than Mazda’s tiny roadster.
I put that premise to the ultimate test in early fall. Back-to-back, I drove an Aston Martin Vantage with a price tag of nearly $300,000 and an MX-5 with a sticker price under $40,000. I enjoyed the Miata much more.
If you’re reading a Miata review, you likely understand the appeal. In case you don’t, the argument is quick and easy to grasp – the MX-5 is a little handling-first, top-down roadster with a reliable engine sufficient to make it fun, but not exceptionally fast.
That means you can drive a Miata to 80% of its capability without breaking the law. You can’t drive 10% of a high-powered Aston without endangering everyone around you.
An old saw in our business says, “It’s more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow.” A week in the MX-5 proved the wisdom of old saws.
Which Trim Level?
Mazda builds the Miata with a foldable metal roof, as the MX-5 Miata RF, and with a soft cloth roof. You want the soft one (more on that in a moment).
The company builds soft-top models in four trims — base Sport, sportier Club, more luxurious Grand Touring, and a limited-availability Anniversary Edition.
Mazda loaned me the Club model in Aero Gray. It had just one additional box checked, but it’s the big one – a Bremobo/BBS Recaro package adds beefier brakes, heated Recaro sport seats, and gunmetal alloy wheels.
If I were shopping for a Miata again, I’d likely go Club. Its stiffer Bilstein suspension and front strut tower brace make the crisp handling even more precise. The Grand Touring’s cushier seats are nice, but this car is about inexpensive fun.
New 2025 MAZDA MX-5 Miata Prices
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Retail Price
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Fair Purchase Price (28201)
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$30,715 |
TBD |
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$34,215 |
TBD |
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$36,015 |
TBD |
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$37,435 |
TBD |
Favorite Feature
You’re probably wrong about convertibles. The songs tell you they’re for the summer. But they’re built for spring and fall. When the weather is mild and the scenery is beautiful, throwing the top down engages all your senses. Most cars cocoon you away from the world around you. A ragtop with the top down includes you in it.
The MX-5’s soft-top goes down and comes back up faster and easier than any other convertible on the market. To lower it, you simply reach up to disengage a hook and throw it back. It locks itself in place behind you.
To raise it, you pull a lever to unlock it, reach behind you, and pull it up. Then you reengage the hook.
Either way, the process takes two seconds at most. I have somewhat limited mobility in my right shoulder – the consequence of a rotator cuff repair a few years back – and I can do it without even turning around.
The simple top operation lets you lower it at stoplights when the road gets pretty, and raise it as you start the turn onto a highway on-ramp.
What It’s Like to Drive
Some of us buy a car for the love of motion. For those people, this is precisely what a car is meant to be.
A 181-horsepower 4-cylinder engine is nothing special. It’s enough to get the lightweight car from zero to 60 mph in about 5.5 seconds, Mazda says. But a Miata isn’t about speed. The power is enough to pass on the highway, and that’s all you need.
The 6-speed manual transmission is delightful, with a light clutch and short throws. This would be an easy stick to learn on.
The chassis and suspension are the reason this car exists. Handling is so well-balanced that the car feels like an extension of your body. Best of all, it feels that good at 30 mph. There’s no need to speed to have fun in this car.
The Brembo brakes of the sport package are track-worthy but not overly grippy on your commute.
If you haven’t driven one before, you should be warned that driving a Miata in highway traffic feels like being a mouse among elephants. I don’t mind – an agile mouse is fine darting amongst pachyderm footfalls. But know your nerves before you try that.
Interior Comfort and Technology
A Miata is a pure driving thrill. That means there’s little room for niceties.
There’s no glove box. A tiny phone slot does not feature wireless charging. Mazda provides two removable cup holders – yes, removable. If you don’t have a passenger, you can click one onto the passenger’s side of the transmission tunnel and reach your coffee easily. If you do have a passenger, they install so far back you’ll have to reach behind you to get your drink.
A tidy 8.8-inch infotainment screen gives you the basics, but nothing else. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto pump music through a serviceable 9-speaker audio system. None of these features is particularly luxurious. But that’s not why you’re here.
In an MX-5, your entertainment comes from the drive.
The MX-5’s confines are small. We have editors over 6 feet tall who own one. But the car likely wouldn’t suit those much over.
Recaro sport seats can be rigid in some cars, but Mazda has ordered a set both supportive and comfy. I can see the appeal of the Grand Touring model’s more cushioned seats, but I’d choose the way these hug and trust them for all-day comfort.
Limitations
My shoulder mobility issues don’t keep me from enjoying a Miata. If I had hip mobility problems, however, this wouldn’t be suitable. Getting in is like climbing down into a hole in the road. That might cause accessibility problems for some drivers. If your heart is set on the small convertible experience but the years have taken a toll on your hips, the Mini Cooper Convertible might be your best call.
Key Considerations
Some Americans could live with an MX-5 as their only car. But not many. Its light weight and rear-wheel-drive (RWD) dynamics aren’t suitable for snow driving. Two seats and little storage limit what you can accomplish with one.
But if you want a second car, or your lifestyle means you might not need a car at all, why wouldn’t you buy the most fun vehicle available? It’s a miracle this thing still exists, and you could own a miracle. I’ve done it before, and I recommend it to anyone who can.
