2024 Mazda MX-5 review
Cars are becoming bigger, greener, heavier and more complex to operate - but this machine holds out against the march of progress.
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Running changes for the Mazda MX-5 keep it on top of the shortlist for folks who enjoy driving.
It’s cheerful, but not cheap
The RF GT RS is the most you can spend on a Mazda MX-5, at about $61,000 drive-away. For that you get leather trim, smart key entry, heated seats and a decent Bose sound system with two of its nine speakers in the headrests.
The RS model also gets bigger Brembo brakes up front and firmer Bilstein suspension, along with a front strut brace. It’s all part of its sportier positioning that builds on the driving enjoyment that’s been at the heart of the MX-5 for decades.
There’s not much grunt … which is fine!
The MX-5 is all about simplicity, something that extends to its 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine. There’s no electronic wizardry and no turbos and it makes a modest 135kW and 205Nm. But that power peak kicks in way up at 7000rpm, something the engine spins to enthusiastically. And in a car that weighs just 1.1 tonnes it makes for zippy progress. It works beautifully for what is a pocket-sized two-door that delivers on personality at any speed.
The MX-5 leans in bends but is sassy and lively. And it provides a brilliant excuse to choose gears yourself. The manual gearbox may by dying but it’s alive and kicking in the MX-5. The six-speed unit is a sweet shifter and works beautifully with the raspy engine to make it the transmission of choice for a car that’s all about driving fun.
It’s a drop-top with a hard roof
The MX-5 is still available as a soft-top but it’s the RF with its folding hardtop that proves popular with many owners. The clever folding roof only shaves three litres off the compact boot capacity but brings benefits with noise and security by having a hard panel above your head.
The RF’s folding hardtop retracts in 13 seconds. However, it can only be operated up to 10km/h, so you’re mostly doing it when the car is stationary.
There’s more tech
The MX-5 is the first Mazda with connected services, which uses on-board mobile connectivity to keep in touch is a smartphone app. It’s basic in its operation, allowing you to locate the car and lock or unlock it.
The touchscreen has also grown to 8.8 inches. While that seems undernourished compared with some of the latest displays in new vehicles it’s fine in the compact cabin of the MX-5. And it also goes against the long-running Mazda grain by finally allowing people to operate the screen as a touchscreen while the car is moving. It makes it so much easier to delve into the various menus.
It’s small
The MX-5 is a tiny car and feels it. Whether you’re trying to coax something into the 127-litre boot – pack lightly, even for an overnight bag! – or humans into the cabin you’ll notice everything is nearby.
The low-slung seats certainly deliver on the sports car feeling and position the driver nicely with the main controls, although a smaller steering wheel seems appropriate given the diminutive dimensions. Two clip-in cupholders in the centre console can occasionally argue with elbows and the lack of a glovebox means you’ll be reaching back to the storage bin between the two seats.
MAZDA MX-5
PRICE From about $46,000 drive-away
ENGINE 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 135kW and 205Nm
WARRANTY/SERVICE 5-yr/u’ld km, $2721 for 5 yrs
SAFETY Four airbags, front and rear auto emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert
THIRST 6.8L/100km
CARGO 130 litres
SPARE Repair kit
Originally published as 2024 Mazda MX-5 review
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