Comparison Review: Mazda MX-5 GS vs Mazda MX-5 RF - Soft-top or Hardtop? 

hardtop, for better design and a little bit more safety

Soft top is a convertible. Hardtop is a Mazda. Have the 2016 and LOVE it

Soft top because design still looks excellent and the top is easy to take off. hardtop is cool but the electric button will break or get stuck and it will be hell to repair.

@@vahidrezvanizadeh2611 the car is a risk to drive period, hardtop isn’t safe because ur head is close to the roof, that’s why the seats have those bars, they aren’t for show, it’s to keep ur head from getting crushed.

i always find soft top looks more 'roadster' sportier, if safety wise aside, soft top is my choice

Me tooooo. Love it. What color do you like? I love the soul red but for everyday use i think the grey color would be the best.

@@lucianolucidi8624 Machine Gray Metallic for me. Red gets too much attention and color matching could be a big concern if you ever needed paint repair.

@@t.k.morris i wanted it in machine Grey but I found a usedone almost new in crystal red and i loved it. I thought same as you before buying it. But then, at least where i live, red is not so standing out and I dont feel eyes on all the time. You're right about the fragile paint. I heard also the Machine grey is very delicate. Isn't it? Anyway great Mx5

They look better in person

I have the RF and have the room down all the time. I prefer the RF because it is quieter, will never need replaced, and cannot get torn. I have an 05 MSM but really like the RF. You are correct options are great!

@@mikekern6577 Yes, we both got what we preferred. One size does not fit all.

I'd prefer a solid fastback. Dealing with the drains in the rf seems kind of like a pain

What about cold weather? How is that?

Yea I'm curious to hear from owners of the RF how the mechanics of the hard top lasted over their ownership of the car. Whether it had any breakdowns or not. Thanks for watching!

until you can only park outside

Thank you! Really appreciate the feedback!

Nice! Congratulations & thanks for watching!

Hey Tang, how is the experience with the car going? Looking fwd to have this car in the future.

how about when it rains, any leaks ? i never own a soft top car.

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thanks! My newer videos have more elaborate intros and I'm always trying to come up with something new

Nice, Congratulations on your purchase! I think people up to 6-feet are perfectly fine in the MX5. It's people that are taller like me at 6'4" that have problems haha. Thanks for watching!

@@MGReviewsBlog so there’s no chance if I’m 6’5”?)

@@jornhigh1632 probability not 😕

I am only 1,73 cm so its the perfect car for me. I love the grey color!!! I am looking for a usedone in grey color with Tobaco leather interior.

Thank you! I appreciate it!

Thanks for watching!

Very nice choice in colour! That red pops in direct sunlight like no other red. Congratulations btw! I hope you subscribed because I'm actually doing a comparison of the MX-5 soft top against a JCW Mini convertible.

Congratulations!! 👏 👏

@jeffhyde3128 did you end up getting the car you wanted? Rear drive is fine in winter if you get proper tires, I'd be more concerned with salty roads causing rust.

@@toddsmith8608 I did! With the aforementioned options in Blood of My Enemies Red color. (AKA Soul Red) I store it in the winter to avoid snow and salt.

Yep, definitely sit in them and see if you fit in those seats.

...as the video states, there's more to the decision it than looks alone.

@@scootcha hardtop looks awesome!

Haha, that's a great way to describe the MX-5 in a nutshell. Thanks for watching!

Haha, that's one of the better analogies I've heard. Thanks for watching!

Yea that soft top has very little insulation even compared to other soft top convertibles. Are you thinking of upgrading your NC to the ND RF?

@@MGReviewsBlog Yes I’ve found that to be the case in my NC. Very thin roof indeed. It’s very chilly out of season and there’s a good chance road noise is still an issue if the material hasn’t been thickened properly like on other cars where owners have no complaints about road noise, wind/air circulating around the cabin. I’m think about upgrading to the ND but it’s really difficult to pick what’s best now that the entire cabin isn’t opened up with the roof down with the hard top.

Yea the next generation MX-5 should be announced within the next year or so. Mazda has been making some patent filings under the MX-5 name recently so hopefully not much longer to wait for the next one.

The MX-5 is a very good little sports car. The GR86 will have tough competition and hopefully I'll be able to do an RF vs GR86 comparison sometime in the summer.

@@MGReviewsBlog Thanks a lot. I'll be waiting for this comparison... Congrats for the Channel.

Again one is not better . If you buy a hard top or soft top or the new 86 you will love it . No mistakes here I believe.

I didn't really feel claustrophobic in the RF but the soft top is definitely the more "open air experience" of the two.

Mk3 hard top is much better 👍

@@rongrant6341 yes at least it converts to a roadster rather than a targa .

Was looking for you to mention this in the video but you lose the feel of an open convertible in the RF. It feels more like a bigger sunroof than a convertible.

Still feels like a convertible for me and the RF looks much cooler. Nicer styling RF plus still a basic open air feel. I own this model and love it. I have it in the Soul Red and I get tons of compliments. Manual RF GT with the Red exterior is the best. For an even cooler look get the Recaro/ BBS package, but that will cost another $5k and doesn’t make much difference in ride. The Recaro seats look good but they are not as comfortable as the standard leather ones

Thank you so much 😀

Yeah I completely agree, that was excellent. Subscribed!

Make sure you subscribe 😉 Thanks for watching!

A family of Miata owners. Nice!

So the RF has a stiffer suspension but more body roll due to having a higher center of gravity? Weird

@@0xdawg754, Yeah, it also has a slightly shorter wheelbase. I noticed it sits higher than the NC, NB, NA. The ND seems to body roll more. It still handles great, but in comparison, the NC handles better at high speeds. I have had the NC to the limit, it felt stable. The others still feel good, but are light and easily affected by the wind. Well more so than the NC GT.

This is an NC vs ND issue, not a hardtop vs soft top one. Jason Camisa has a long episode on Carmudgeon about the Miatas and frequently points out this difference.

Thank you 😊 Did you end up making a decision? Or are closer to making one?

@@MGReviewsBlogBecause this vehicle will be my primary source of transportation- I’m taking your advice and I chose the hard top. Right now waiting on car salesman to get back to me with approval of deal.

@@MGReviewsBlog I spoke to salesman and because of my (low) budget- it looks like it’s going to be soft top.

And it has blind spot sensors too so no excuses, haha

Haha, thank you?! Funny you mention Mr. Bean because in elementary school, my friends gave me that nickname Lol. Thanks for Subscribing!!

@@MGReviewsBlog I love canadians

But the soft top version is what the NA was born with.

It could be something I could try in the future. I have a friend who owns an RF so I'll just have to find an NC generation now...

In my opinion the blind spot sensors are more of a secondary blanket of security. The mirrors should be properly positioned so that as soon as a vehicle disappears from the mirror, its front bumper should be visible to you when turning your head left to check the blind zone. You shouldn't need to lift your shoulders off the seatback to check your blind zone.

wow good to know. any link???

I'd rather spend my $$$ on other modifications than a short shifter. The OEM is pretty nice right from the start. Now a axle back exhaust like the active Flying Miata Hush O Matic is what to spend your $$$ on instead. Well worth it !

@@ag4allgood I switched to the race pipe muffler delete and it woke the car up by the perfect amount. All other exhaust was stock, and it was very cheap and easy to mount. Highly-higly recommend. You'll just have to trust my when I say the short shift kit transcends the cars shifting feel. It was heavenly. Like, back to NA-tier 'clicking' in to each gear.

@@UpToSpeedOnJaguar Any video or info on the muffler delete?

I'm just showing how slow 10 km/h actually is. I'd probably do it at a stop light too.

That's the only choice you have with the soft top.

@@OOICU812 you can raise or lower the soft top while driving at city speeds no problem.

That’s because the ND1 makes the same (a little bit more by 1-2 ft lbs) torque until 6000 rpm than the ND2. The extra power is only above 6000 rpm, but mostly they are the same (source: flyin miata dyno tests). People get so hung up on the weight and power of these cars, but in a blind test below 6000rpm you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. It is smoother though because of the new dual mass low inertia flywheel in the ND2, and the new throttle mapping.

Very true. I'm not sure how that hard top will still perform say 10 or 15 years from now. Thanks for watching!

How’s your rotary phone?

@@grisa12345 ha ha - it’s still working and tons of cash in the bank are music to my ears. lol

@bobcat baldfat drunkbeater And so what if it fails. Get it fixed and move on. Avoiding technology and in this case the significant benefits of the folding hard top, because “one day it will fail” is no way to live your life. I raise and lower my top like it’s a power window, and I have 5 years of warranty to enjoy it before I give it a moment of thought.

@@grisa12345 Five years? Extended or factory warranty?

Nice! Any issues with the RF in the winter? I briefly had one a few years ago and it the top would always squeak in sub-zero (celcius) temperatures until the cabin warmed up a bit.

How is the noise top down in the RF?

If you're in a consistently hot climate, then save the extra bit of money and take the softtop over the RF hardtop. You won't be disappointed. Thanks for watching!

Yep, definitely more secure with the hard top and it's not that big of a sacrifice in terms of "open top driving" compared to the soft top. Thanks for watching!

You are spot on and the security is the best and really only advantage of the hard top. its much noisier when the top is down then the soft top but if your not planning on driving top down alot then security for sure wins out. The mech is very similar to what they used in the NC PRHT. I had one for 8 years and had the top up and down every day, As complicated as the whole thing is I never had a issue with it. A friend bought my 08 NC PRHT and now 13 years old top still functions like new! I follow the Miata forum religiously and the 5 year old RFs arent reporting any top issues either.

@@rbroberts61 What is or were the top issues of concern? Button? Switch? ???

Tony, I think you misunderstood my comment. I was saying there have been really NO reported issues with the Retractable Hard top.

It has the storage space between the seats (and two smaller ones behind the seats) which is big enough to hold the two "cupholders" along with the owner's manual.But yes, it is a very fun car to drive!

Good eye! Yes, I am based in Vancouver, Canada 🇨🇦

Nice! Any issues with the top during winter during sub-zero (celcius) temperatures?

Nice! Enjoying it?

@@MGReviewsBlog rf is more practical yk? like u will enjoy it w/roof and w/o but the soft top, u will just enjoy it w/o roof

That's a good question. I never drove the MX5 soft-top in the winter. Hopefully a fellow owner might be able to comment on this? I've only driven the RF during the winter but it didn't snow. It was just sub-zero temperatures. The roof creaked from the seals as the ice built up on it while driving but once the cabin warmed up and melted some of the ice around the rubber seals, it was back to normal noises. ie, tire and a bit of wind noise.

@@MGReviewsBlog well, I hope someone will answer my question before I decide to buy a Miata. Sorry I do not own a Miata just yet but was asking. Right now I am going through the process of having my drivers license reinstated and when I get my drivers license, i'll surely be ready to purchase a Miata.

yea, the Camaro is a totally different car to this MX-5. How has the reliability been with that 1.4L turbo multiair engine?

@@MGReviewsBlog I had no touble at all with the Fiat. I've been sorry I traded it off from day one.

With the tops down and side windows rolled up, the soft top felt as though it had a little bit more buffeting. But it's the other way around with the side windows rolled down.

I bounce back and forth often between driving my ND Soft top and renting The RF for weeks on end at least a few times a year from Enterprise when Im visiting my Folks in Florida. If you do back to back comparisons its plain to see that the RF, under any conditions is far worse then the soft top when it comes to wind/road noise and buffeting with top down. The RF was not designed to be a Targa and the wind funnels over the windshield and is directed through the Buttress where it makes a lot of noise. None in the Soft Top (ST). At 80mph, top down you can talk on the Speaker phone and no one knows your in a convertable. In the RF you cant hold a conversation with the person in the car with you at 80 nor hear the radio with the top down and dont even bother to try and use hands free calling. So just compairing those couple of things is a nice indication of noise. The buffeting in the RF is horrendous! If your new to convertables then you might think its OK but all Ive driven for 50 years are convertables and the RF stands out as the worst Top down experiance of anything Ive ever driven including my 1969 convertable VW Bug. The buffeting and turbulance like the sound can be witnessed easily as well. Try driving the RF and The ST in the rain with the top down! I know it sounds goofy but heres what ya get. In the ST and all of the previous NA, NB, NC if your driving top down at anything over 50 and get caught in a shower as long as you keep moving you will stay dry The airflow is smooth, no buffetting and the rain passes over the car in the airstream....Bone Dry! Try it in the RF, windows up, top down and then youll see just how bad the airflow is in the car. Not only will you be soaked but every inch including the instrument panel and even the inside of the windshield is drenched within seconds. The rain gets forced into the cabin where it spins around like a cyclone in the RF. Youll be forced to pull over and youd be better off just standing there in the rain, you'll be dryer! Everyone thinks that it should be quieter inside when all closed up considering its a hard top but thats not true either. The RF, Like the NC PRHT has a fiberlglass top. Neither the ST nor the RF have any sound deading materials....."Gram Stradagy" cant afford the extra weight. All of the road noise resinates into both the RF and ST. But just like in the NC, The RF top doesnt absorb and disapate any of the noise, in fact in aplifies it and its louder than the Soft top. I drive nearly exclusively top down. I live in AZ and my top has almost never been up except for washing. I do drive a couple of times a year 9 hours on the freeway From Phoenix to San Clemente Ca and will go the entire ride with the top down in the ST and love it. I have a limit of about an hour in the RF before I just cant take it anymore. The wind, the noise the buffeting is all exhausting and you cant even hear the radio to help make the time go by. Im very involved with the Miata Forum and it always makes me laugh when the RF owners say that the RF isnt so bad then they follow it up by sharing the info about the brand of ear plugs they wear when they take the car over 50mph. NO JOKE! Chck out the forum, pretty funny to hear them defend the cars crappy top down experiance and follow it up by saying they wear Ear Plugs. PS. If you drive an RF its a great car and Im not trying to slam it, just stating what I observe but I can give you a tip. REMOVE THE WIND BLOCKER, it actually makes a difference. It works great in the ST but in the RF its makes the buffeting much worse and does nothing benificial. It basically does the opposite of what its intended for. Stick it in the trunk and forget you have it!

On the RF, yes you can. But you can also opt for the Brembos with the Recaro seats as well but it's a package only on the lower GS-P trim.

@@MGReviewsBlog woah i had no clue, that spec is absolutely beautiful!

wow any link?

Unfortunately I've never driven the FC hardtop. But I can understand your comment about the RF not being a true convertible because of those buttresses still being there.

I have a NC, drove a ND RF, the cabin is too small, and the targa is too closed for me, also I hate the screen on top of the dash. I prefer the NC.

The red Nappa leather seats are part of the Exclusive Package (that's what it's called here in Canada) and is only available on the GT trim with a few select exterior colours. It may be different for other markets or just not available at all in other markets around the world :/ Thanks for watching!

The same the soft top ahahah, it could be break by vandals, the sun ruins it ecc ecc

@Deni Fil it's the opposite... A soft top made by a piece of canvas couldn't be less noisy

@Deni Fil ahh okok

Nice, congratulations on your purchase!

Yes, I've had a few people commenting on here (and some of my other MX-5 videos) saying the same thing about the previous generation hard-top. I don't know why Mazda didn't make the RF like that instead.

Unfortunately the IIHS and NHTSA have not yet tested the MX-5 (either soft top or RF).

You can get roll bars for the softop version