Joe, I actually traded my 2018 Mustang GT 6 speed for the 2019 MX5 Miata Grand Touring 6 Speed with the GTS Package (Bilstein's, limited slip diff, engine brace, etc.). I daily drive this little beauty and smile from the time I leave my driveway until the time I return and turn off the engine. It is a "Smiles Per Mile Car" that rolls through the gears seamlessly and hugs corners like glue! It is plenty fast and I do not miss having 460 horsepower rolling under my butt!
Michael Felt thanks for sharing. I bought my 2019 rf a month ago, still waiting for it to be built and shipped from JPN to CDN and I was close to signing papers for the GT
So good to hear! I’m currently strongly considering trading my 2017 Mustang GT for a 2019 club. Obviously my biggest concern is the significant loss of power but I was hopeful that the fun factor would be different but just as high. Cheers!
The new engine kind of transforms the MX5 compared to the “old” 160PS version. The extended redline and happier revving just makes it such a more rewarding blast!👍 The sportscar recipe is always the same: n/a engine, stick shift and rwd with a lsd..... price worthy magic!👏👏👏
Taught my sisters to drive manual in my Miata...they didn't stall once! It's a super easy car to learn on. Only thing i did was before we started I held our hands together in a High five style manner. With our hands together i gave pressure and told them to let off pressure slowly...after a few times i was able to settle what the definition of slow was. They were driving immediately afterwards with a big smile!
Joe I went from a Focus RS to an ND Miata Club with the exact same specs as your press car (Brembo+BBS+Recaro). Mine has coilovers and an exhaust and let me tell you I love the car so much. And I’m getting 30mpg! Make the switch too 👍
Thanks brother. Excellent review. I owned the original in 1990. This is the most fun to drive car ever made. God bless you.......Another thing enthusiasts need to consider. You can daily drive this car with excellent reliability. It's cheap to maintain as well. You can get 300,000 miles, or more with no problems. Try that with any exotic.
I just bought a 2019 ND that is IDENTICAL to this one a couple of weeks ago, Club soft top, Ceramic Metallic, BBS/Brembo/Recaro and appearance packages, the only thing mine doesn't have that this one does is the red aluminum oil cap. It is by far the best Miata I have driven. I love it. This is the perfect spec in my opinion. The paint is stunning in person, it looks grey in the shade but bright metallic white in the sun. I completely agree with you about the fit and finish, it really feels like a car worth much more than it actually is. Anyone that is looking at buying a ND, I couldn't recommend it enough.
I own a 2018 model equipped like this - Ceramic metallic with a Dark Cherry top; the car is a blast to drive! The Club edition with the Brembo/BBS/Recaro package is the only way to go! 😎
I daily drive an ‘18 in GT trim. It’s a joy to drive, and is my favorite car I’ve owned. About 28,000 miles on it so far and it’s been perfectly reliable, plus I’m averaging over 33 mpg in mixed driving. As they say, Miata is always the answer. 😁
I have not met or talked to a single person that actually drove a Miata and did not like it. Even people with $200k+ cars still really love how the Miata drives. It's tough to describe to someone how it feels, they just have to drive it to find out.
All I can say Joe is we think alike. The more I look around for a sports car, the more I come back to this MX-5. It truly is the definition of an open roadster. Porsche makes a couple of roadsters as do other companies, but they are very pricey. Like you said, bottom line is how enjoyable this car is to own and drive. My only problem is trying to decide between this model or the RF version, which gives us both, a hard top and convertible. Here in central america, where I've retired to its always summer time. However, it has its rainy seasons as well. Thats where the RF would be more practical, in my mind. Outstanding presentation Joe, keep em' comin', thanks!
I've owned an RF for two years now, in a rainy city - if you're concerned about rain I'd definitely recommend it. The lines also look incredible, it's got a very Jaguar/Porsche sort of look, with very aggressive and meaty haunches. It's a very different style compared to the soft top, I absolutely love it!
Test drove a new ‘17 Grand Touring when my wife was getting her Cx5 at the time. Wasn’t too impressed. Thought the car was too soft and engine left me wanting more. Fast-forward to a couple weeks ago, I test drove a new ‘19 Club right before also test driving a new ‘19 Civic Type R. What a difference from the ‘17. Suspension felt just right. Not too firm, not too soft. I would definately throw some sway bars to eliminate some of the body roll. Engine felt more like a Honda than the Type R did. It was reminiscent of an AP1 S2000, just lighter on it’s feet. The newer 181hp engine made it so much more fun to drive. Just the right amount of power/weight. I am currently waiting for 2020 orders to open up so I can go place one for a new Soft Top Club w/BBS-Brembo & Recaro packages & manual transmission. It truly is the perfect sports car. A street-legal gokart and bargain for under $40k US. Great review. Agree with everything you said.
Is this your third Review of an MX-5 in all Formats? Another BRILLIANT review. I have the MX-5RF 2019 Model and I LOVE it!! The smile is on my face everytime I get in.. :)
I sold my MX-5 NA SV/black and bought the new 2019 soft top with Recaro seats and Bildstein and 184 hp. I was immediately thrilled after the test drive. The new ND came back to the roots of NA. Also in the area of weight. He is a lot of fun and I can highly recommend the new MX-5 ND. He conjures a smile on your face while crusing
perfect, beautiful sportscar! i work by an mazda dealership when the 1st generation came out. it was love at first sight... perfect review! greetings from austria🏎💨
I own a 2017 gt convertible and love it , unfortunately living in Alberta Canada the car stays in the garage for 5 months of the year year but the 7 months on the road are a blast . I recommend this car for anyone that has a few extra dollars and wants to enjoying the driving experience all over again 😃
All these years passed by Miata has really step with there game. I like to see Miata drifting soon on the drifting competition. Once people see what this car of capability it will change from Nissan 240 to Mazda Miata.
Took me awhile.. But I found the driving spot.. Boy scout rd, and patterson rd man.. those are some nice rds..I haven't tried Crawley yet...But when My car gets out of the shop.. I'm driving there next. Zoom Zoom.
My wife has a 2017 Miata its a fun car. My only complaint is the passenger seat has less leg room than the driver seat. This car handles the corners like a dream.
I get mine straight from the factory in 3 days, been waiting for almost 2 years :D IM PUMPED black RF 2019 184 horsepower recaroseats, strutbar, I really wanna get aftermarket coilovers and a new exhaust, but its a shame to touch such a nice car so new and fresh thoughts are welcome
Glad to see your enthusiasm for this awesome car. Thanks! However, I get way better mileage thant 26 in the city. Mine is almost 35 in the city and 40 on the highway.
Your review of the Miata is great. Your excitement is our excitement. Makes me want one too. I like when you talk about the vent in the middle and you said they found an extra bit of real estate lol.
Sounds better than I would have imagined. I mean, obviously it’s not going to have a rumble but it’s got an all business sort of old time hum to it, like an old MG or Triumph, but more refined.
Frank and I love this car! You put the bug back in him. We need to win the lotto so we can have one of everything with a nice big garage 😂! The color is beautiful! The Recaros look so nice and I love the wheels!
Very nice video ! Small point of order, you said the weight difference between the ND and the original NA is 300lbs when in fact the ND is only about 150lbs heavier.
Yep, as I've been saying that this is the best car to get. The reliability, performance and the MPG are excellent. With the exception of the seats I would get the sport and put in the option myself. I would get one of those 13 inch Brembo brake kit and wider 17 inch wheels. It's a great commuter too.
Pretty cool to get a week with a press car MX-5 Joe. Those little beasties are such fun to drive, I'm not at all surprised you don't want to hand it back :)
@@keiserious Sadly over the pond we can't just tune a vehicle with a downloaded tune and be done with it. Sometimes jumping through the loops is just crazy.
@@Enforcer_WJDE you are in the U.K? The engine in this ND2 has a very high compression, 13:1 compared to the previous 12:1 so it's not ideal for force induction.
@@keiserious I live in Germany. A few companies have managed to super and turbocharge the ND to 250ps but they claim supercharging is better. That would be enough for my taste. But then you can expect a high 30 to low 40k € price tag.
19:50 to add: most roads actually slope downwards from either side. So in most cases if you left off the wheel it will eventually pull your right I guess as a safety precaution so people don’t run into people on the other side head on when they’re impaired
Given the car shortage This is the car I can still find around that I can't wait to buy. Two seats...Manual Transmission....Brembo's .....Great seats. Who need 500 H.P. to have fun !
Remarkable review my friend! I have a 2016 GT in Ceramic Metallic, just like the one you test.Your feedback, and impressions of the driving experience are perfect! I can even sense the added revs you access in your ND2, but also the greater sense of low end torque I get in my ND1. You drive the car just as it demands, and requires to show its capacity, and it's rewards. I live in San Diego Co. CA. and get to drive this a mile high via S6/S7 to Palomar Mountain.......wait until you get this baby in curvy elevation!
Great review....your enthusiasm is contagious! I got a 2019 Club (w/o Brembo/BBS/Recaro) in Soul Red Crystal and it is fantastic. Can't wait to get past the 600 mile recommended break-in. The perfect car.
I get made fun of driving and owning my nd but it is worth it, so worth it. JOE you raced cars, so you know what this car is. I daily it year round in Calgary alberta Canada. That means lots of snow. It becomes even more fun in the winter with good winter tires. My wife has a Golf R mk7 which was mine and i don't miss it at all. You should get a miata!!!
Man this was such a great review! Im in a WRX currently and Im so tempted to trade for this exact spec Miata. I would miss having back seats though and overall practicality of having a four door vehicle. The change would be radical lol. Cheers Raiti!
Had our ND for 4 years in the UK spec still love it and no desires to upgrade from the Icon model we chose . Smaller 1.5 lump which IMHO by keeping the weight down makes it perfect for our narrow twisty lanes . That said it still has the same 7500 rpm lighter flywheel higher compression and reworked header that the new 2.0 has copied in the later models. Splitter and skirts the same but standard brakes ( it’s a momentum car so don’t touch them much) What ever model you have the MX5 is low on price super high on the fun factor no other roadster comes close . No telescopic wheel which would be nice on ours but I’m 6’1” and it still feels fine the wife is 5’6” and she is ok .also. Happy motoring all you guys
Holy crap what a salesman. Miata has evolved into a world class car but the fact is it is Small. Look at all the trucks with gigantic tires they would run right over this car. I bought a '06 BMW Z4 3.0SI with 255hp for 9 grand. Big trunk, power top I'm lazy great stereo. Although high mileage it runs great. Bigger outside so to me it feels safer with all the monster trucks. Can't wait for the nasty comments
Hey Joey, thanks for the scenic drive finally!!! Isn't this Mazda's 30th anniversary model yr? Anyway, I enjoyed this vid enormously! WOW, Mazda Miata has come a long way since it's debut in 1989? I remember the original one because my boss (female) purchased one in 1989.
Greg Holman the 30th anniversary should be hitting dealers soon but they all sold out. I’m so blessed to finally be getting some press fleet vehicles. It allows me to get to the twisty roads! Thanks for letting me share this ride with you!
I had an NC Roadster coupe. I now have a 981 boxster s and jag f type v6 s, both convertibles but i still want an ND in my line up....says a lot about this car!
Damn i want one now to park next to my Red Veloster N! Front wheel boost and rear wheel NA. That would be a nice garage no? So thankful these car brands make these sweet cars that are actually attainable for regular people!
Instant rewarding fun available at both under and over the speed limit 😁. I miss my 95's quick soft top. My lexus's hardtop takes up/down 20 seconds to operate and I need to pull over or have a long light to operate it.
Another great video, thanks! This reminds me so much of 13 years ago when I went to test drive a Mazda 3, and went home with the (then brand new NC, 3rd gen) MX-5. If the new one was a tad bigger and still had the folding hardtop I would likely have bought one. Very happy with my Z4, but I love the simplicity of the MX-5. I think the current power is just about right; makes it more often fun to drive. Hard to have fun when you’re speeding as soon as you shift into 2nd gear. 😎
