Coming from 3 Corvettes, it is really, really hard to not like that 400+ HP and find a legal place to use it. That is why I am seriously considering aMiata RF, especially with the price of gas now. 40+ VS. 18+- mpg! No brainer.
I own the RF in polymetal grey since last summer. One of the best decisions I ever made. For me as a single person it‘s perfect. I also prefere the look and the feeling while driving the RF to the soft top version. Lots of love from Germany.
You're right! Perfect for me and my dog. I did a 24hr test drive the other day. I put down a sheet over the seats and my Chihuahua could easily jump in! We took it through the Chick-fil-A drive-thru because I was curious how it would be since it's so low to the ground. No problem, such a fun little car.
Miata is the most reliable car, with a classic approach (3 pedals, NA ICE), very light, playful, gorgeous (especially with the Red Soul Crystal paint), with a low TCO (Total Cost of Ownership), extremely economic (especially vs. other sport cars), safe, very maneuverable and convertible! The best car for people that are max. two on the roads, that know how to travel light for weeks. Its setup is perfect for a daily driver (I see comments that is not good for track-days - it is and if you want it to be excellent for racing you are free to modify it). That's why so many fine auto reviewers bought it, even though its practicality is not enough for a family larger than two. Go ahead, Kirk! 👌
What a great car. Love Mazda's generally and I have 2 here in Europe. One thing watching you drive around is the amount of junctions you have to pull up at, instead of roundabouts. I'm from the UK and roundabouts have been used since before the 1960's plus many suburban junctions have mini roundabouts, traffic flows so much better. Even here in Spain where I live now roundabouts have become the norm for road junctions over the past 25/30 years. Less crashes as well!
For whoever is looking to get an ND, This is coming from someone who owns 3 Rx8's, had a 2.5T 2021 mazda3 and got a 2022 club RF SCR miata. Honestly the kinematic posture control doesn't negate the body roll enough. If you are someone who truly drives the car hard, you will wish the car was stiffer. Even with the full club package I would have ended up going to stiffer coils and swaybars. This was the biggest gripe I had with the car. There were a few times where the car was put into oversteer purely from the weight transfer under hard braking. Of course it had great turn in, but it felt uncontrollable. When I brought it to AutoX, the exaggerated body roll forces you to learn to control the car's weight transfer, or else your times will suffer. Another big negative was that the Recaro seats had the shoulder bolsters angled in to far. For someone who has a taller torso I found my arms going numb because my shoulder blades were crushing the nerves in my spine. I thought about making a bracket to raise up the seat belt holder, never got around to it though. BTW I found if you want to lean the seat back more, you can move the seat forward a notch and then tilt it back an additional notch. Smaller things: -infotainment is outdated, but my 2022 had android auto which is all you really need. -the blindspots are not great, but you get used to it. not to mention the rear of the car is not even an arms length from where you sit, so I never had issues changing lanes. -the automatic miatas feel terrible. I don't know what it was, but the car felt really unresponsive and sluggish. My previous mazda3 2.5Turbo had an amazing automatic transmission, not sure why the miata's felt so bad. -the rear caliper brackets are for some reason not powdercoated red........I cannot stress this enough how painful this is to see on every club edition. +The manual is amazing and super easy to learn on, the clutch feels really light, and downshifting feels great.
Installed performance springs and sway bars for under $1k got a performance alignment and the handling now is amazing with very limited impact on the ride quality
I am on my fourth Miata and can't wait for the next gen. Hope Mazda bring back the NC design language with more modern entertainment system. but at $40k, it is now in a next category where there are other choices. Hope Mazda don't make the same business decision as they did with RX-8 by pricing the vehicle "out of reach".
I would go ragtop. The rf looks amazing but the blind spots kill me. I also really like the simplicity and speed of the manual soft top. It’s nice to not have to worry if you have enough time to fold the top at a stoplight.
I would go ragtop too if my future Miata is able to be garaged at home (private detached house or townhouse garage, not shared condo garage). Otherwise, I'll be getting an RF for peace of mind.
Swapped my GS order to a '23 GS-P with Sport Pack yesterday. ETA is Jan and, for the first time in my life, I want to skip past Christmas this year! Love how you drive with the screen off. I do that as well.
If you adjust your mirrors so that the lane lines are in the inside lower corner of the side mirrors, and angled up to about perpendicular to the road, there is no blind spot.. That's how mine are adjusted and i can see other cars either in the rearview mirror, the side mirror, or the window. There's nowhere that even a motorcycle can hide. I don't look over my shoulder anymore. I have to move my body up and over to the right to see the back tire when backing into a parking spot. Can't see rear left tire in the side mirror unless you roll the window down to get your head out. You're only using the mirrors for parking like one percent of the time. Try it. It's a little weird at first, but I've been doing it for a decade. The top does make it hard to see on intersections that are not right angles. Like when traffic coming from the right is at your 4:00.
I changed my mercedes A class to this very same car, but in crystal blue. I can't explain how happy Iam. I constantly looking for oportunities to drive it every day. As Im single, for me this is absolutely enough. I'm 6.3 (192cm) btw, and I can drive it comfortably, I noticed that if your torso are bigger, than even at 185cm you will be very uncomfortable, but if you lucky and your leggs are longer, than even at 192cm you will have more than enough space. The fun in this car, that even if you drive relatively slow, you still have so much fun. Regarding the multimedia, for me personally this is the most high tech I want in a car! Apple carplay = all we need. And that joystic for the navigation just feels comfortable and its easy to use! Only down side, if you ever own one of this cars, you will never want to cange it to anything else.
After years of Porsches and a Ferrari, bought a new Miata ragtop last month. Fun to drive without risking accidents, speeding tickets or parking issues.
If yall want to complain about suspension is to soft for track racing. Obviously it's set up as everyday driver for comfort. Take any modern car to track and you need suspension mods. Some people cry about the dumbest stuff...
This is an excellent review! Thank you my friend. I ordered the 2023 Club. They said it takes 3 months to come from Japan to NJ. Damn. Worth the wait!!
Miata always lacked sporty looks until this latest gen with the hardtop. People bought it mostly for it's driving dynamic. But now it's got the looks too. Nice review.
I was willing to lose the visibility for the new design. I really love the look and feel of my RF. Lots of weird little designs issues the last version did not have, like frozen windows making the doors difficult to open in the winter, and crushing the rubber flap when closing after that. No grab handles in the doors, just odd things that didn't need to be reinvented. (Poorly)
I honestly did not understand why people like the miata until I test drove one this weekend. As a performance enthusiast, "it's more fun to drive a slow car fast" and "it handles like a go kart" always sounded like copium to me. But when I got in, put the top down and took it for a test drive, I think I finally realized what it is. It feels like you're a kid and driving one of those miniature fisher price battery powered toy cars, except that your dad swapped in a gas engine from the broken lawnmower in the shed and you drove it into the streets in real traffic. Is it fast? No. Refined? No. But it's this TINY little thing shaking and rumbling and making growling noises like an angry yorkie going after a mastiff, and it's hilarious juvenile fun.
The MX-5 RF will surely have to go down as the high point of the MX-5 series. They somehow improved the overall design and somehow made it a goddamn Targa like an old Porsche with Flying Buttresses like an old Ferrari. It's a miracle of a car.
That comment comes from people that do not own a Miata or that are heavy racers - for its low price, MX-5 may be modified for racing, but for car enthusiasts that have few track-days annually mods are not necessary, as 99% of the time you are driving on normal roads, so its suspension is excellent for that.
I own a 2020 RF and it’s too soft. I just bought Koni Yellows and lowering springs along with a front sway bar, just have to get them installed. I’m looking forward to the flatter handling along with the improved ride quality over the stock setup.
I actually agree with Mazda on the emergency brake placement. You don't need to have it right on top of you to be able to use it. So people like me who aren't as dainty :-) have room in the driver seat.
Yeah just about every other Mazda has moved on to the new larger screens and infotainment system. Luckily there's a website , Mazda tweaks, I've used for my wife's old 2016 cx-5 that provides a USB hack to enable the touch screen at all times.
@@jimlee3725 it isn’t, the miata will feel so sluggish compared to the gr86. The only reason why you’d pick a miata is because of the top down which is really well done
@@shinn43Sluggish?? The 2.0-liter engine of Miata provides relatively high EPA fuel-economy numbers of 26 mpg city and 35 mpg highway. The car can run 0 to 60 MPH in 5.7 seconds with a top speed of 140 MPH. The BRZ is expected to get up to 21 miles per gallon in the city and 30 miles per gallon on the interstate. The car has a top speed of 140 mph and can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds. Those numbers refer to earlier versions of the twins. The new twins are marginally faster.
As a single guy, I'd buy one tomorrow if I could get my mountain bike inside or outside it! Anyone else got around this problem? This fact is pushing me towards a BRZ / GT86, which is tough knowing that the MX5 is a better drivers car and in all other respects.
Funnily enough, just a few weeks ago, I saw a Miata with a bike rack attached to the back when I was driving back from around Mt.Rainier. Not sure how they did it, but all I know now is that’s it’s possible haha. Maybe you should consider that, and take off the rack whenever you don’t need it
@@DD-dj4jr The MX5 is not homologated for a hitch (towbar) in the EU. So nobody makes them and its not legal. I've looked into this. Same for BRZ / GT86 / Scirocco etc and various sports cars.
@@HisMajesty99 Was it ND model Miata? Thanks, yea I have seen it done on older models. Its a lot of faff but maybe the only option. And might damage the bodywork too.
I would love to get behind the wheel on this kind of cool learner RWD MT cars! Wish I can find similar with a backseats, which I could only find those in 2nd hand I guess... 😟
Hi Kirk! I don’t like this video… I love this video… When I get to Florida I’m definitely going to test drive the 2023 or 2024 Mazda Miata the convertible top one I want to drive one that has every single option it comes with I like metallic white with all black inside … You are a heck of a sales person…
I like Manuals But I don't like doing "heel to toe" all the time, especially when I just want to relax, and listen to some music Maybe you mentioned it, but does this have auto-rev matching or something similar?
To hell with a mild hybrid version. Mazda could slay the competition if it produced a small, affordable battery electric convertible similar to this MX-5! Instant torque with the top down and too much fun! That's the second car I want, not an ugly crossover or SUV or heaven forfend, overpriced EV pick-up!
I think it's stupid Mazda didn't include BBS wheels and Brembo brakes in the GT version, only the Club. I mean the Club is more priced, but it doesn't come with Nav, adjustable lights and rain sensing wipers. I mean all of that is higher trim stuff, yet the Club is more? Mazda, you need to do better with options.
I’ve got 2 kids in rear facing car seats and I am 6’1” 240lbs which I hear may be a problem with this car. I’d love to have one but it may not be feasible right now.
Not true at all, I live in N.Y. & the top is no problem in the winter at all, Your top keeps you very warm all winter with the heat on very low & you have heated seats if you need them.
Is there some kind of kit can remove the convertible mechanism but keep the hard top to save some wright? Feels like there is no fixed hard top version is a shame.
To add, BRZ is a more serious car over the Miata. Basically the choice is, do you want the most fun and bad practicality or want 85-90% of the fun with good practicality. I own a GR86 and plan on swapping it to a ND2 because of how fun a ND2 is to drive. I am also single and don’t have any kids and stuff so I can get away with the ND2 being my only car
I had a love-hate relationship with my RX8. I drove so well, supple suspension, great soundtrack. I drove it sparingly though, so it gave mechanical problems.
Makes me so sad the ND Miata has electric steering instead of a real steering rack.... converting it would cost the cost of the whole car.... if you could find someone to do it.....at least that is what I have been told, IDK if someone else could do it much cheaper. I want an ND with a manual steering rack and thinner front tires.
