2017 Mazda MX-5 RF Hard Top Review and Road Test | DETAILED in 4K UHD! 

I would never drive a hard top MX-5. The convertible is the only way to go.

We're both half right. The automatic is the same, the manual is from the old one.

Alex on Autos Ah yes! That's why you're the reviewer and I'm the critic 😀

Alex on Autos IIRC, the 6 speed auto in the current MX5 is a carry over from the old MX5.

While we're being critical, the price difference between the soft top & RF is closer to $3000 than $2000. For the Club, it's an additional $2,755. For the GT, it's an additional $2,555. This is the case for automatic or manual transmissions. I assume the difference is smaller on the GT because the thicker soft top is already higher cost. Another thing worth noting, the seat adjustment rails are actually installed on a slope, so when you move the seat forward, it also moves up. It won't work for everyone, but in most cases, those that need to be closer to the wheel & pedals will also need to be higher up. It works pretty well for my wife at 4'-10" & myself at 5'-8". Your assumption that 6'-1" to 6'-2" is approaching the upper limit does seem to generally be accurate. Overall, good review. I don't agree with some of your subjective points, but I feel like you covered things well.

DimachkaS 😂😂😂

I had an 07 PRHT, & it was notably quieter top up than my 16 ST. I am also surprised that the RF isn't quieter as well. Of course, my 07 was quieter top down than my 16 is also, so it may be more of a difference in the full design of the car. I never drove an NC soft top to compare.

They're not perfect, but the PRHT on the NC was very reliable. We never had an issue with ours in 96,000 miles. We did have the window regulator go out (which prevents the top from working as well), but that can happen with the soft top as well. Even if you do have issues, it's no more expensive than a replacement soft top, & those wear out as well. A manual targa isn't bad, but I suspect most would prefer the convenience of the power targa over the additional reliability of a manual one.

None.

don't stab it with a knife and you should be good

I think he was comparing it to other mainstream convertibles. Surely compared to other cars in general it would be an A+..

Darn it!

"svelte soft top" = svoft top

Alex on Autos. Are you going to do a review of the Volkswagen Atlas ?

EMERSON GALFO why did you type "um" after the word "more"?....any logical reason?

The shark fin antenna is for SiriusXM radio. And don't call me "Alex."

And higher maintenance and lower reliability and is not a convertible and ...

Valter Vilar maintenance is negligible for newer cars, and so is reliability. Convertible? I hate convertibles...

I'm not sure what your idea of better is. The Camaro should be faster in a straight line, & is more practical, sure. The Miata has much better visibility, is much lighter, & much smaller. It'll be easier to park & easier to fit though cone gates at an autocross (allowing for better racing line overall). If you want to drag race, if you're too tall, or if you need space for more than 2 people & 6 reusable grocery bags, get the Camaro. If none of these concerns describe you, I suspect you'd be happier in the Miata.

Daniel Isbell thanks for the reply. Maybe because I hate anything from Japan but I'm trying to be objective here. Camaro is already a pretty small car that is poor in terms of practicality, while the Miata simply even worse. From the footage of this review I found that Miata is even more cramped inside, plus a even smaller trunk. More importantly Camaro has a much better power train, and of course, a much better look.

David Wu, just out of curiosity, what makes you tend to dislike Japanese cars? Is it styling, the fact that historically (if not still always true) they were smaller cars with smaller engines, or something else? I understand that styling is part of your concern here, but I'm wondering if that's always the case, or if there's something else. As far as practicality goes, it really depends on the situation. If you're single & rent an apartment, a Miata is fine. You won't be carrying a lot of people & once you have furniture, generally won't need larger home items. On the other end, if you're married & your spouse drives something larger daily, you can rely on the larger vehicle when you need to carry things, though kids can complicate it. It gets good enough gas mileage to be a reasonable option for people with longer commutes as well. In addition, they're typically cheap to insure. Specifically, our previous Miata cost less to insure than the Mazda3 it replaced. How you feel inside of one will largely depend on your size. I feel more comfortable in my ND than almost every other car I've been in. It feels like it was custom fit to me. Everything is easily within reach (except the 12V outlet), & I never feel crowded. If I had to ride in the passenger seat, it might be a different story. Fortunately for me, I always drive it, & my wife is short. Whether one car or the other has a better powertrain is a complicated question. The 2017 or newer Miata should be extremely reliable. The 2016 had an issue with the manual transmission that has since been fixed. My experience with GM is that the powertrain is the one reliable thing they made, so I wouldn't expect to have too many issue there either. Sure, the Camaro makes more power regardless of engine (Note, V8 is in a different price bracket), but it's also a much heaver car. Neither car is underpowered. We're only talking ~.5s difference in 0-60 times when compared to the 2.0T Camaro. Have you ever driven a Miata (any generation)? If not, you should. I thought they were ugly when the 1st generation came out. I was driving a 98 Trans Am when my mom got a 90 Miata (1.6L 5-Speed). I found I had more fun driving the Miata than my Trans Am, despite the Trans Am being considerably faster. In the end, specs on paper aren't everything, & if you enjoy driving a car enough, the looks can grow on you.

EyBiKeY I believe it's RF specific