Used 2020 MAZDA MX-5 Miata

Though its styling is radically different from the original, the 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata retains the same tiny footprint and go-kart-like handling that made us fall in love with this car in the first place. The 2-seat roadster offers a choice of hard or soft-top protection, a nice perk for those who live in northern states and have the MX-5 as their only car.

In this space, competition is sparse, mostly coming from the MX-5’s nearly identical twin, the Fiat 124, and the rear-drive coupes from the joint Subaru and Toyota venture, the BRZ and Toyota 86. But nothing feels quite like the Miata. Its turning radius is ridiculously small, its suspension taut and its steering joyously precise. With prices starting just over $27,500, the MX-5 is certainly affordable. Even the retractable hardtop RF starts under $34,000.

Convertibles such as the latest Miata are best experienced on warm summer evenings when traffic is light and there’s no need for sunscreen. With the car’s top down, the Miata driver becomes an integral part of the environment, not somebody just watching the world go by from the isolating confines of an air-conditioned room. What’s true of the Miata historically is true again: The MX-5, with 50:50 weight balance, is at its best when the road twists and turns, which reveals just how good the chassis is.

Although in everyday driving there’s really no need to rev the 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine to its 7,500-rpm redline, it does so willingly, at which point it’s time to grab the next gear. The short-throw 6-speed, incidentally, remains one of the best manuals on the market, and it’s complemented in the 2020 Miata by quick, natural-effort steering and suspension tuning that artfully blends top-notch cornering prowess with good everyday comfort.

“Clean” and “simple” are two of the best adjectives to describe the 2020 Mazda MX-5 cockpit. A set of snug seats holds driver and passenger firmly in place, and the adjustable tilt-wheel helps tall drivers get their legs in the proper place. The dash could come from any modern Mazda vehicle with simple yet elegant switchgear for the ventilation and audio controls backlit in white light.

At the center top of the dash is a tablet-style infotainment screen that is controlled via a rotary controller just aft of the shift lever. The push-button start is a nice nod to the modern, while the pull-up parking brake adds a bit of nostalgia and mischief.

Not all is perfect inside the Miata, however. The big infotainment screen lacks proper touch-screen controls when in motion, and it is easily washed out in bright sunlight. The passenger-side foot well is oddly shaped with a large bulge in the floor making it difficult for the passenger to stretch out, and at 4.5 cubic feet, the tiny trunk isn’t all that useful.

After three generations of much of the same, Mazda’s designers had a little more fun with the styling of this latest 2020 MX-5 Miata. While the car retains the long-hood/short-deck proportions of a classic roadster, some surface detailing of the aluminum body panels adds a modern touch. All the while, its small LED headlights, flared wheelwells and wide-mouth grille give it some welcome attitude.

At only 154 inches, the Miata is a short car, which makes it easy to park around town, but the overall smallness of the vehicle does make you feel a bit vulnerable when, say, you’re driving next to a semi on the freeway. As for the MX-5 RF coupe, we think it looks fantastic, top open or closed. We wish the windows in the B-pillars were real.

SPORT SUSPENSION AND BRAKE UPGRADE
Standard on the Club and Grand Touring with the 6-speed manual transmission, this package adds a limited-slip rear differential, sport-tuned suspension with Bilstein shocks and a strut-tower brace.

I-ACTIVSENSE
Now standard on every MX-5 Miata, the i-Activsense suite of driver assists includes blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, forward-collision warning with low-speed automatic emergency braking and lane-departure warning.

The 2020 Mazda Miata roadster is available as a Sport, Club or Grand Touring model, while the MX-5 RF retractable fastback can be ordered only as a Club or Grand Touring.

All 2020 Miatas have the i-Activsense driver-assist suite (see Favorite Features), a rearview camera, a fabric top, LED headlights, a tilt/telescope steering wheel and two USB ports as standard equipment, along with black 16-inch metallic wheels (Sport and Club only). Cruise control also is standard, as are Bluetooth and a steering wheel featuring audio and cruise-control buttons.

The Club adds the sport-tuned suspension and Bilstein shocks, a limited-slip rear differential, strut-tower brace, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 17-inch alloy wheels, Bose 9-speaker audio and heated seats.

Club models fitted with the 6-speed manual transmission are also available with the $4,470 Brembo/BBS/Recaro package. The package includes Brembo front rotors, red-painted Brembo brake calipers at each wheel, 17-inch gun-metal-gray BBS forged alloy wheels and heated, leather-and-suede-upholstered Recaro bucket seats. This package is also offered on the RF model.

The Grand Touring offers all the features of the Club plus rain-sensing wipers, automatic climate control, leather-trimmed seats, adaptive front lighting, auto high-beam control and navigation. Opting for the automatic transmission, however, deletes the Brembo brakes, limited-slip differential and Bilstein shocks.

Mazda recently made a number of improvements to its diminutive 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine, all aimed at improving performance and fuel economy. As a result, the MX-5 Miata now pumps out 181 horsepower and 151 lb-ft of torque, and has a 7,500-rpm redline.

When combined with the superb 6-speed manual, you’ll find mid-range torque is there in abundance, making it easy to get this little roadster to zip along without much effort. The 6-speed automatic isn’t as engaging, but it too can be manually shifted via a set of steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

2.0-liter inline-4
181 horsepower @ 7,500 rpm
151 lb-ft of torque @ 4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 26/34 mpg (manual), 26/35 mpg (automatic)