Driven: 2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata – Listen to Your Heart!

Coincidence or not, Mazda is also celebrating the MX-5's 35th anniversary this year. The internationally acclaimed roadster debuted at the Chicago Auto Show several months before I was born in 1989. The Hiroshima-based car manufacturer built over 45,000 units that year, but that was just the beginning of an epic adventure.

Spanning across four generations, the one-millionth MX-5 left the factory when I visited Japan for the first time (2016). By the end of 2023, Mazda had built 1,256,745 units, which is about 445,000 more than all three generations of the RX-7. As with every other car, you'll hear many opinions about it. These range from "It's brilliant fun" to "It's a hairdresser's car," depending on the person talking about it. And I've discovered that most people with bad things to say about it have never even driven one.

You wouldn't leave a review for a restaurant you've never eaten in, right? I came close to buying an NB MX-5 several years ago but could only test drive it in an underground parking lot for 10 minutes. I'm slightly over six feet tall, and there wasn't much space inside. Plus, I thought to myself: I need more than 140 horsepower! And I had been dreaming about an RX-7 forever, so I went with that. After six years of ownership, I don't regret choosing Mazda's rotary-powered platform.

However, I often think the MX-5 would have been the more sensible option. I sat inside the fourth-gen model at a car show back in 2019, and I knew I needed to drive one someday. I could be sad that it took me almost six years to achieve that goal, but I choose to be happy that I lived to see it happen. Interestingly enough, I remember driving one of the final editions of the RX-8 back in 2012. And it almost feels like destiny that I got to drive one of the last iterations of the MX-5 as we know it: a small, agile, and exciting roadster bound to put a smile on your face regardless of your driving experience.

Design Evaluation

As I walked into the front yard of the Mazda dealer where the press car was, I started looking for the MX-5 hiding in a sea of other vehicles. It certainly stands out of the crowd due to its size. It is 154 inches (3,915 mm) long and 15 inches (400 mm) shorter than my FC RX-7. Height-wise, it matches the FD RX-7, and it was amazing to park it next to one and an RX-8 on the first day of my test drive.

The ND has been around for a decade, yet it doesn't look outdated. You can instantly tell it's an MX-5 but with a modern look. It now has new LED headlights, and you won't be able to unsee the happy face it makes once you get a good look at it. Mazda has fiddled with the rear lights, too, and that's my least favorite angle of the MX-5.

If you're unfamiliar with the model, perhaps the newly designed 17-inch BBS wheels and the red Brembo calipers will hint at its sporty character (these brakes are phenomenally good!). Initially, the new Aero Gray finish didn't feel too convincing, but I'd prefer it over the "classic" Soul Red Mica. Overall, the MX-5 isn't as flashy as an RX-7 or an RX-8, but it still turns a few heads in traffic. And it's quite exciting to fly under the radar like that, knowing its hidden potential.

Interior Assessment

Sure, looks are important, but are you still interested in beauty that runs only skin deep? You will spend much more time inside your car than looking at it from the outside (unless it's a project car that has been on jackstands for years). I enjoyed looking at the 2024 Mazda MX-5 after parking it for the photoshoot or just driving it for fun.

But I loved being in the driver's seat, even at a standstill. The new 8.8-inch center display is just what you'd expect in a modern vehicle, providing all the connectivity you need for a comfortable trip. But it's only a minor part of the story, and despite the relatively snug fit, you'll feel right at home in the cockpit. Jinba-Ittai (oneness between car and driver) strikes before you push the start button. I couldn't have asked for a better-looking and feeling steering wheel, although I was mixed opinions on the shift knob at first.

I'm used to using an elongated one in my RX-7, but I quickly grew into it after a few hours of driving. As you would expect from a sports car, the rev gauge sits in the middle of the dashboard, and you can enjoy it up to 7,000 rpm. The Recaro seats are as beautifully crafted as everything inside the car and now feature a new Suede-like material called Leganu that reduces slippage during spirited driving.

I have gained some weight recently (sitting at 207 lbs/94 kg), but these seats were still a good fit for me even after hours and hours of driving. The way Mazda designed the cockpit is my second favorite thing about the car!

Driving Take

If you have read my previous stories, you know how much I love driving. I prefer sportier cars but still enjoy slower vehicles of all shapes and sizes. And if you ask me for one single reason why you should buy an MX-5, it's how it makes you feel when driving it. The front fascia grin is contagious, and you'll be smiling in no time. Over three days, I drove the 2024 MX-5 for almost 600 miles (965 km).

On day one, I had already been on the road for five hours before I reached the pickup point. It was a hot sunny day (110 degrees Fahrenheit/43 degrees Celsius), and the traffic was insane. Like with my RX-7, the MX-5 isn't particularly happy about bumper-to-bumper situations, and it's certainly not where it shines.

The Skyactiv-G 2.0-liter engine is no slouch, and I could already feel it coming to life at 2,500 rpm. Max torque of 151 lb-ft (205 NM) is available starting at 4,000 rpm, while max power (184 PS) is available at 7,000 rpm. Those numbers may not sound impressive if you're used to driving muscle cars but remember, this car has a curb weight of 2,295 lbs (1,041 kg).

If you play it right, you will hit 62 mph (100 kph) in 6.5 seconds, but you shouldn't judge it based on these numbers alone. The little roadster feels ready to go at any moment, and it reminded me of the sporty character of a Renault Clio RS197 I spent a lot of time driving years ago.

With the adoption of the Induction Sound Enhancer, the engine and exhaust note will further widen the smile on your face. As mentioned, I took the MX-5 to a rotary-owner's meet and parked it next to the RX-7 and RX-8. Once the traffic loosened up, driving it with the top-down music blasting from the Bose speakers was a real pleasure.

But it was only on the second day that the true test began. I tested the MX-30 on the Transalpina mountain road and chose the Transbucegi touge for the MX-5. It's narrower, slower, and slightly more dangerous, but driving there is almost as amazing as you feel you've gone to heaven. Knowing how my RX-7 behaves, I was somewhat fearful of turning the DSC off, so I opted to go up the road with it on.

It's important to know that the 2024 MX-5 now has a Track Mode setting for the Dynamic Stability Control system, and Mazda has also brought in an Asymmetric Limited Slip Differential. It didn't take long for me to understand what the manufacturer meant by "Surefooted in corners," as the car promptly responded to any of my inputs, hairpin after hairpin.

At one point, I felt the car was somewhat unstable going around the corners, but I later realized what that was. There was so much feedback coming through the steering wheel that I mistook all the bumps in the road, thinking the car wasn't unstable when it wasn't. Of course, you'll never be able to push it to its limit on public roads, as the racetrack is the only safe place to do that.

The 2024 Mazda MX-5 almost feels like a road-going racecar. And with the top down, it was as if I was riding a motorcycle on four wheels. Once we arrived at the top of the mountain, I tried to see how it handles with the DSC off, and it was in no way intimidating as an RX-7 tends to be most of the time. Using the handbrake for tight maneuvers came in handy and made me laugh with excitement several times. If I summarize day one of driving in a single word, I'd use "feisty" and go for "playful" for the second one.

On the third day, I took it on a trip to the seaside via the highway and was once again surprised to see how planted it felt. If you live next to the Autobahn, you'll be happy to know that it still feels potent enough when you put the pedal to the metal, even if it goes beyond 100 mph (161 kph). That's one way to explain why Mazda's i-Eloop condenser-based brake energy recovery system isn't just fancy marketing talk.

Everyday Living

Most people cannot agree to live with a modified RX-7: It smells of gas and oil, gets extremely hot inside, is noisy, can be scary to drive in certain conditions, and is a real gas guzzler. That's one way to explain why Mazda stopped production for these cars over 20 years ago and why the MX-5 is still a hit. It can be just as thrilling but with multiple advantages:

• It's easy to drive.
• It's more comfortable.
• It has better gas mileage.
• It's less likely to get you into trouble with the police.

On day two, I spent almost 15 hours driving and still felt sad when I reached my hotel and had to park it for the night. I realized I didn't need coffee on any morning, as taking the top down and hitting the road was enough to make me appreciate life to its fullest. If you're taller than me or weigh more than I do, you may not enjoy sitting in it for that long. Fuel consumption rose from 32 mpg (7.2 liters/100 km) when I got the car to 30 mpg (7.8 liters/100 km) by the time I took it back.

But I wasn't easy on it in any way. Lightweight is the way to go if you need a sports car in your life, but there was just one thing I was concerned with going into this test drive: the trunk. Official numbers reveal a volume of 4.6 cubic feet (130 liters), but I still managed to fit two backpacks, one hard shell carry-on luggage, and an additional bag.

Think in advance, and you'll be ok! The MX-5 has no conventional glovebox, but the storage space between the two occupants is decent enough for most small belongings. And it was good to have two cup-holders nestled at the back of the cabin where they won't get in the way of your shifting. Oh, and I almost forgot about the most important thing. I never thought taking the top down or putting it back up would be as simple as it is in the MX-5. You can do it in less than five seconds, so it doesn't matter that only the RF version has the automatic power hardtop.

Test Drive Roundup

The 2024 Mazda MX-5 starts at $28,895 in the US (before tax), but the car I drove was a bit more expensive at €39,980 (almost $43,000). Life's too short to drive boring cars, and the MX-5 is just what you need to get a different perspective. I was sad to let it go, and I've already added it to my Must-have list for the future.

Conveying how it feels through words alone is no easy task, and I suggest you take one out for a test drive to experience it for yourself. I'm amazed that Mazda managed to keep things exciting for 35 years, and I'm eager to see what the future holds for this car. My gut tells me it will follow the same path as the MX-30, using a rotary-engine generator. I just hope that doesn't mean waiting for an RX-7 successor will be futile.

Pros

• Fun to drive/Jinba-Ittai
• Cockpit
• Brakes
• Sound system

Cons

• Rear lights
• Limited trunk space
• It doesn't have a rotary engine in it :)