In 1989, Mazda released the first-ever MX-5 Miata., A Japanese sports automobile with the spirit of an Italian or British vehicle. How is it possible? That happened a few generations ago, however. Because the Miata offers everything most budget sports car enthusiasts desire and has never drifted too far from its original objective, Mazda has never given up, and every club racer and their brother and sister have had one, still does, or is planning to purchase another one.
The MX-5 Miata weighs 2,346 pounds, more than 400 pounds less than the Toyota GR86 or Subaru BRZ. By today’s automobile manufacturing standards, Toyota would be seen as dangerously close to anorexia. Even the 2.0-liter, 181-horsepower four-cylinder that drives all Miatas (avoids any turbocharging gadgets) seems quite powerful when you start at under 2,500 pounds. Although it won’t eat Porsche 911s for breakfast, the MX-5 Miata can reach 60 mph in under 5.5 seconds, so it’s hardly sluggish. Again, Colin Chapman, the creator of Lotus, famously remarked,
before a turn, downshift the superbly accurate six-speed manual transmission, and as you switch from trail braking to a mild throttle on the exit, feel the rear end come around. Remember that this is a rear-wheel-drive vehicle with the most instinctive, intuitive, and accurate steering on this side of a Porsche 911. Of course, you can get three Miatas for a basic 911, but other than the BRZ and GR86 twins, there aren’t many other contemporary vehicles that compare.
Because they are more stable at faster speeds, front-wheel drive competitors like the Honda Civic Si, Hyundai Veloster N, and Volkswagen GTI would undoubtedly defeat the Miata on a 30-lap track day. However, the road is the key to the low-weight, rear-drive equation. I’m talking about the winding highway 30 minutes from your home. There are more powerful vehicles that can handle it. Still, finding one as entertaining as the Miata would be difficult, particularly at relatively low and, consequently, safer speeds.
Changes for 2022 are minimal. Except for the top-tier Grand Touring, all trims no longer have the seldom-purchased six-speed automatic gearbox. Instead, it costs $500 for the roadster and $550 for the retractable hardtop RF. New option packages and colors are also available. The car’s reflexes are additionally sharpened with Kinematic Posture Control (KPC), which brakes the inside rear wheel during challenging corners. KPC can control body roll when required without resulting in a harsh ride when regularly driving instead of just strengthening the suspension, which could provide a rough ride.
The Miata is impractical, with a small trunk and capacity only for two persons (preferably under six feet two), and the optional retractable roof consumes much of the little baggage space it does offer. Due to its small size and delicate handling, driving on the highway is also not enjoyable. Yes, in an age of climate change and limited resources, it isn’t brilliant and is just an entertaining toy rather than a rational ecological buy. But I assume you already knew that.
Performance:Mazda MX-5 Miata
The 2.0-liter, 181-horsepower four-cylinder engine and six-speed manual gearbox are identical across all Miata performance models, which come in various performance flavors. You may upgrade to Brembo brakes, BBS wheels, and heated Recaro sports seats. However, we’re not entirely clear why you’d go that route, given that the Sport begins at $27,300 and that version costs $35,300 unless you feel the need for increased performance. The Miata Club, with its Bilstein dampers, front shock tower brace, somewhat firmer handling, and improved takeoff due to a limited-slip differential, may represent the ideal situation.
However, the more you spend, the more you’ll bump up against prices like the $32,000 GR86 Premium and the standard $30,000 Volkswagen GTI (which, as you may have noted, has four seats instead of two and a lot more storage). The standard three-cylinder engine of the Mini Cooper Convertible costs less than $30,000, but upgrading to one of its more powerful engines will cost you a lot more. If even one or two option boxes are selected, a John Cooper Works version may cost more than $40,000.
All of this is to say that the standard Miata is excellent at being sporty, and if you feel the need later, you can add extra shocks, brakes, and wheels. (The racing industry and the fact that Mazda hasn’t made significant changes to this vehicle in years has assured that any component you could desire for your Miata is readily attainable.)
But focusing on the details that stand out the most, the six-speed gearbox feels excellent and is always a right-hand snap from a swift downshift or upshift, and the essential brakes are already quite good. Although we’ll admit that rearward vision with the roof up isn’t great (as has always been the case with this and other cloth-top vehicles), sight lines are also excellent. As has always been the case with Mazda, the suspension calibration is based on compliance, but even so, potholes and freeway expansion joints will shake the car’s teeny wheelbase.
Fuel efficiency: Mazda MX-5 Miata
The day electric sports cars cost under $30,000 is still years away. And maybe we never will since today’s small, agile automobiles don’t have enough space for large battery packs, resulting in short range. In light of this, 26 cities and 34 highway mpg are pretty respectable, surpassing the GR86’s 20 cities and 27 highways, the Veloster N’s 22 cities and 28 routes, and the VW GTI’s 24 cities and 34 highway mpg—but falling just short of the Civic Si’s 27 cities and 37 highway mpg.
And once again, save for the GR86, it’s crucial to be realistic about all those other models. Simply put, they are more valuable automobiles. The Mazda’s closest competitor, the Toyota, also features tiny rear jump seats. Therefore, even if the Miata is quite economical, its nature isn’t to haul much cargo. We all know what that means: It’s not ideal for use as a primary mode of transportation, so its fuel efficiency is less of a yardstick than the thriftiness of the other vehicle you must also buy to be able to own a Miata.
Safety and driver support technology:
Mazda, one of the most diminutive new automobiles offered for sale in the United States, has gradually increased its safety technology. The 2022 Miata offers lane departure warning, brilliant city brake assist, blind spot recognition, and rear cross-traffic alert, but not much more. Additionally, the little Mazda loses some points in our analysis due to the absence of IIHS or NHTSA ratings. The previous-generation MX-5 did get four out of five stars in EuroNCAP testing, so the new model is probably an upgrade, although there isn’t much information available. Additionally, smaller cars are more prevalent on European roadways.
The Miata is as secure as Mazda can make it, but like any other light, agile vehicle, it’s safest when it keeps its distance from other cars.
Comfort and Space:Mazda MX-5 Miata
Nobody will ever describe the Miata as spacious. Even if you’re a little person, the cramped interior, not the excellent seat rake, will determine who fits. If they are above six feet tall, the automobile must provide the buyer, not vice versa. Even though this isn’t the cramped locker space of the Alfas, as mentioned earlier, and MG Midgets, plenty of club racers cram themselves inside. However, the larger you are, the more your knees will protest. Although a six-foot-four person can fit inside the hardtop RF, doing so may not be the most enjoyable way to live.
All of Miata’s competitors, including the GR86, have larger interiors. Want figures? Your MX-5 Miata’s internal space measures a total of 49 cubic feet. That Toyota GR86 can reach 78 cubic feet. By contrast, it’s abundant enough to rival the Ritz-Carlton (which it isn’t). One of Mazda’s most significant flaws is that when you’re stuck in traffic for 45 minutes straight and not on a laughing run to get a pint of ice cream, your mind will start to believe that you’re always willingly traveling by coach on Frontier.
Additionally, the Miata is a noisy place to reside while traveling at Interstate speeds. Although the RF hardtop will be quieter, if you want to hear every nuance of a Beethoven piano concerto or listen to that podcast, this isn’t the vehicle for you.
Infotainment: Mazda MX-5 Miata
Here is the other worm in the soup. Mazda does not employ touchscreen controls but rather a dated dial function. For the fancy wireless CarPlay, pair a phone. Sweet. However, you can’t just touch the screen to start Apple Music. You must use a rotary wheel between the two front seats to access your applications and menus. Mazda refers to this device as a “commander knob.” Mazda would be in a better position than they are now if they returned to radio tuning and volume switchgear alone.
Fortunately, the steering wheel has separate volume and tuning toggles. Fortunately, Mazda’s menu structure for selecting audio sources isn’t unduly complicated. Still, many other automakers abandoned proprietary methods for their displays a long time ago, acknowledging that we hairless primates are slow to pick up new information and prefer the most direct path. In this situation, touching a screen or a dial requires reaching out and doing so.
It would be safer if all vehicles had no displays at all and we could only communicate with them verbally. Still, since that isn’t ideal either, all we can infer is that the little Mazda is just cash-strapped and unable to advance with a new generation of infotainment.
Storage and cargo space:
The Miata’s trunk seems ridiculously small—a pitiful five cubic feet? With this vehicle, relocating a flat-screen TV is never an option. However, it’s not all that horrible. With a Miata, you can spend the weekend away and return safely. Have the old bedside table they located sent home. In any case, it is simpler than being the mover yourself.
Mazda, meanwhile, might benefit from modernizing its furniture. A phone can be charged in this automobile, but it will move about in the confined space in front of the shifter. Additionally, the add-on cupholders were created to fit a peculiarly shaped cup that wasn’t available in America. They’re not entirely appropriate for a Starbucks paper takeout, but they’re far too small for water bottles.
The cabin is very cramped, mainly if you go with a friend. To get the sunglasses you stashed in before the sun came out, you must reach up into a little nook between the two seats. This would be very inconvenient and difficult. You’d better stop so you can get to them. Ahem. But practicality isn’t Miata’s primary purpose. We laud the simplicity before condemning it. Poor critics!
Design:
The MX-5 Miata has aged better than many other vehicles. When comparing the current model to the 1991 one, you can see that they seem different, but the genius is that they both still resemble Miatas. The new vehicle doesn’t look as futuristic as several recently resurrected names from other manufacturers do.
All of it depends on proportions. The long hood, low, flowing body, and subtle sportiness veer away from intimidating and toward enjoyable. And everything works out well for Mazda. For burnouts and ear-bleeding exhaustion, go elsewhere. The Miata claims to be amiable, lighthearted, and hilarious. It’s intended for all the days you want to enjoy yourself while driving, and the design conveys that delight in a manner that very few modern cars can.
Is the Mazda MX-5 Miata 2022 worth the price?
Get the $27,300 Miata Sport, the least expensive model, or the $30,800 Miata Club, which has a limited-slip differential and a little more robust suspension. Spending extra money should prompt you to directly contrast the Miata with sportier, more practical rivals that provide more luxuries. Even though this is the best convertible choice, you should still do it since there aren’t any better options available at this price.
Suppose the folding RF hardtop or cloth top (which costs $38,200) weren’t essential extras. In that case, you should start comparing the Miata to the GR86, consider the VW Golf GTI, test-drive the Hyundai Veloster N, and drive around the neighborhood in a Honda Civic Si. Even though none can quite match the Mazda for frivolous pleasures, all are more practical.
How much does insurance for the Mazda MX-5 Miata?
The Mazda MX-5 Miata’s insurance premiums are surprisingly cheap, given its athletic focus. Our statistics show that the average yearly Premium for a typical 30-year-old female driver with a clean driving record is roughly $2,041; all other variations are much less expensive, but this aggregates all 50 states. That contrasts with $2,227 for the Volkswagen Golf GTI, $2,445 for the Hyundai Veloster N, and $2,446 for the Subaru BRZ Limited.
