2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata Review: The Best Gets Better (ND3)
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- Опубликовано: 26 июн 2024
- The 2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata is in its new era: the ND3. Let’s test drive and review it!
For the 35th anniversary since the Miata debuted, Mazda flew us out to San Francisco, California to drive the new Miata and attend the Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance. There, we got to see a huge display of Miatas throughout the years: the original Chicago Auto Show cars from 1989, special editions like the M-Speedster and M-Coupe, the 30th Anniversary Edition, and more.
But back to the 2024 car! Let’s start with the specs. It’s got 181 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque from a 2.0-liter Skyactiv engine, and our car had a six-speed manual transmission. (An automatic is available.) The car is rear-wheel drive.
The Miata has been around since 1989. Since then, it’s had four generations: the NA, NB, NC, and ND (the current car). My family has owned all four generations, and I currently own two NB Mazdaspeed Miatas - the only turbocharged Miatas ever made from the factory!
One of the first cars I ever drove was a manual Miata, and I’ll probably always have ownership of one. The price is great, the maintenance is straightforward, and we don’t really have reliability problems. It’s a long-term car for us.
The Miata roadster is in the ND3 generation, which is the third version of the ND. It’s a facelift that includes upgrades to the steering, differential, infotainment system, and more, and it’s really just a refined version of the already refined Miata.
The 2024 Miata’s base model starts at $29,000, and it has a few trim levels.
We drove a $40,000 Club RF. “Club” means it’s the boy racer Miata (as opposed to the more laid back Grand Touring model), and “RF” stands for “retractable fastback.” That means it’s a hardtop convertible that goes down with the push of a button.
If you’re wondering “Which MX-5 should I buy?” just remind yourself: Club is boy racer, Grand Touring is posh aunt.
In this video, we’ll talk about the Miata’s performance, Recaro sport seats, sound, tech, feel, and more. I’ve done many comparisons between specific Miatas, and I’ll mention some of those in here, too.
Thanks for watching my RUclips channel. Enjoy the drive!
#cars #automotive #mazda #mazdamx5 #mazdamiata #miata #mx5 #nd3 #nd2 #nd #nc #nb #na #mazdaspeed #sportscars #sportscar #carreview #carreviews #alanisking
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Авто/Мото
Did y'all see the new rolling shots in the video? Do you like them as much as I do? This was our first time using our new little roller camera, and I LOVE how it looks
I did notice that - fancy!
Loved it … be curious how that works!
Yeah agreed they’re not only cool but appear unique 👍🏼
Definitely Mr King's idea. He' a huge camera nerd.
U got a very good blend between a adult and a excited child❤❤
the combined 30 MPG is such an undercount. mine is showing an average of 32 mpg after countless autocross, track days and just redlining it whenever i can. it's hilarious.
We drove the Miata forever and barely made a dent in the gas gauge. It was so nuts
Mazda seems to do that. I get a good amount above the estimates on my 3 with just casual driving.
Yeah, it's not uncommon to go above 40s, if you dont treat the gas padel as an on/off switch (which admittedly, is pretty difficult).
@@AlanisKing Yeah. Too bad the gas tank is really tiny. But goes with high mpgs though :D
"The all new for 2024 Mazda Miata. The Costco hotdog of cars!"
Hahahaha
Don't you ever put Ketchup on it either ! 😎
Damn, you just vindicated every Miata owner with a single video. Thank ye!
Of course 🤠
This was your best video yet, an absolute love letter to the Miata. Well done Alanis, what a masterpiece!
Thank you so much. I really appreciate it 🤠
Not gonna lie….I was like, there’s no way Alanis was going to do the trunk test, you’d have to be a child to fit inside that trunk! Lol! But you stay tried and true to those who were curious! I love it! Funny thing is I remember one of my teachers in middle school had a Miata and I know she was at least 6 feet tall…and she fit inside that Miata with NO problem! I think she had one similar to yours…it’s crazy!! Excellent job Alanis!!
Hahahahahaha had to try! I love that your teacher had one. Thanks for watching and telling me about it!
One of savagegeese's miata reviews talks about the dearth of cars designed to be fun and performant at the price point the miata is at. Usually you have to pay close to twice as much to get something this pure.
Yes! Affordable fun cars are great!
I guess we got fancy Alanis today.
Hell yeah
This is a benchmark of excellence all journalist should seek
Wow! Thank you so much 🤠
Being 6'4" and 69' with a bad back, the Miata and the Honda S2000 would sadly never work for me )-; Another good job granddaughter (-:
Thank you 🤠🤠🤠
How you feel about this car is exactly how I feel about my 2019 Golf GTI. It's amazing looking, good value for money. The current generation is a big improvement from the last. For me it's the perfect combination of sporty and practical. Still king of the hot hatches imo.
Love that. Good choice
27:50 After "say it with me now" I was expecting "Miata is always the answer" 😆
I almost did that 🤠
I was never into the Miata back in the day because the RX7 was top dog and when the 94 FD came out I had to have one. The 2024 ND3 looks amazing.
It’s soooo good
You were very brave to do your trunk review. 😂
I live near the mountains and driving a Miata with the top down is one of the greatest driving experiences you can have.
Totally agree. And thank you 🤠
Hi Alanis! I would happily listen to your history of the Miata for four hours! 😄
You truly always say the kindest things and make me smile, Francisco. Thank you!
Of course Alanis! Always my pleasure! 😊
Signing up for the 4-part Miata history series 😂
A surprising amount of comments are like: "Okay but what about the four-hour history" lmaoooo
Another banger video. The music, the video quality, the presentation. No notes.
Thank you SO much 🤠
@@AlanisKing Agree on the whole production of this video & who would have thought Vivaldi's 4 Seasons ?
It worked really well !
The Miata is the epitome of "it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than it is to drive a fast car slow"
Edit: ahaa you said it! 17:15
I SAID IT
Your videos are awesome!
Thank you so much : ) I loved this one
Great review. I have owned a 2022 Mazda CX-5 for two years now. After 35,000 miles I love it. For the previous 57 years of my life I owned nothing but GM products being born into a GM family. Did a ton of research and decided on the Mazda. Glad I did. Still have a Camaro and Corvette though, can’t leave the family.😊 The MX-5 Cup races that usually run with IMSA are a hoot to watch. They sound like angry bees.
Thank you so much. I LOVE the MX-5 Cup races! They rock!
Been looking forward to your ND3 review, and it's even greater than I hoped for! The video and audio enhancements you've been incorporating make an already-good thing that much better.
It's fun to see you ripping around in a car that's a near doppelgänger of mine ('23 RF Grand Touring manual in the "controversial" Zircon Sand).
About the specs: For me, the manual GT was a better deal than the Club--it shares the most important mechanical performance bits (front shock tower brace, limited-slip diff, and Bilstein shocks) and adds some convenience features for several thousands less.
I test drove a soft-top Club, which was outstanding, but I didn't find the GT RF any less thrilling behind the wheel. And the Recaros didn't feel as comfortable to me as the stock seats (no adjustable lumbar on either, my main "missing feature" complaint about the MX-5), I preferred the look of the GT's alloys to the Club's black BBS wheels, and I don't plan to track/autocross the car, so the Brembo brakes weren't a must-have.
Re your defense of the car's power: You're right, it's far from slow in the real world, even though its on-paper numbers look tame in '24. With the short gearing and high redline, you can wind it out so often in regular driving that you feel like you're getting away with something without egregiously breaking speed limits (although you definitely can do that too). The pull to redline in second gear is especially engaging, perfect for freeway entrance ramps or coming out of tight corners.
Also, no matter how I drive it, it almost always gets way better than the EPA mileage rating. I've seen as much as 40 mpg on longer, mostly highway trips, and always get low 30s in regular around-town and mixed driving.
Great video, a legendary car--thanks, Alanis!
Ahhhhh thank you so much for watching. We really appreciate it. I also love all of these insights and think other viewers will find them really helpful, so thank you
Yeah, power is pretty good for the light car this is. And nobody buys a miata to win straight line races, it just isn't that sort of car.
As for the powertrain; personally, i miss some low down grunt, that's typical of higher displacement or turbo engines. To me, below ~3,5k, the car feels almost gutless. Certanly needs to be in the right gear to go fast. But that's usually par for the course for a highstrung NA engine.
As for fuel economy; the most i got was ~48MPG on B roads with the top down, no less. Amazing fuel efficiency, considering this car isn't designed with fuel efficiency in mind (at least not as a first priority).
"It's more fun to drive a slower car fast than a faster car slow" truer words were never spoken. The Miata has never been about raw speed. It's a twisty back road car and the enjoyment comes from taking corners at or near near the car's limit without breaking 10 different laws. I picked up my ND3 GT manual 3 weeks ago and it's even better than I hoped it would be. I previously owned an original ND and this car is definitely a noticeable step up in performance and refinement. It's such a joy to drive that I make excuses to go for an open top drive anytime it's a nice day out. The ND3 isn't quite perfect, though, no vehicle is. I was hoping Mazda would add some lumbar support and better bolstering to the GT seats, but they are still the same unsupportive seats from 2016. I guess it's their way of pushing enthusiasts into the more expensive Club w/BBR package to get the Recaros, but that configuration is overpriced in my opinion and I wanted the extra features of the GT anyway. It should also come with 215 width performance tires from the factory, not 205 all-seasons. In any case, my ND3 GT soft top is an amazing sports car that was well worth the $35k I spent on it. I expect to get decades of driving enjoyment out of this car and possibly modify it to make it even more capable in the future.
That’s awesome. The ND3 is such a big step up from the ND1, which is WILD because the ND1 is already so good
I love and enjoy your video!!! This feels like a love letter to the miata, especially the first part of the video. Made me subscribe❤
Awwwww wow thank you so much
Your videos keep getting better!! Love the Miata and its evolution over the decades. Its a shame that cars like this aren't available in my country.
Thank you 🤠
Amazing Video!!!!
FRIENDS, THANK YOU ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Was not expecting to see my workplace (Meta reality labs @ airport Blvd) in the opening shots. Loved the cinematography! Couldn’t agree more as a happy ND2 owner.
Hahaha we were there over the weekend! Glad you love the car : )
@@AlanisKing the seat lowering kit is a lifesaver. It’s the most fun track car I’ve owned.
Hold up, are you in Avants??
REMEMBER THE OLD & New VW Bugs had color door panels ❤beautifully done by Mazda ❤
I hope this channel grows so we will see exceedingly more absurd and exotic trunk tests, as well as affordable practical trunk tests that fit multiple Alanises... Alanii?
Also Alanis hot.
Hahahaha thank you
Nice job Alanis and thank you!
Thank you so much 🤠
Wow! Great job Alanis…….well done! 🎉
Thank you so much 🤠
Your choices for background music go with the cinematography so well. Your channel is now my favorite car related channel on RUclips.
Ahhhh thank you so much
Excellent video. Thank you 😊
Omg thank you
As someone with a Carbon Edition 3 hatchback, you got the best color for the review
It’s so cool!
Great video, beautiful car and color, would have liked a quick clip of the top stowing though.
We should’ve done that! Just ran out of time
Alanis. Fun video..well done
Thank you : )
So much more insightful and informative than Doug!
We all bring our own talents, but thank you ❤️
No way! I missed seeing you at the Hillsborough concourse de elegance. How cool you were in my area!
I’m sorry I missed you!
Very nice camera work!!
I would have loved to see the top going up and down once.
We should’ve done that! Sorry! We were so pressed for time to get these different locations in
3:44 - That '30s BMW 328 in the background 👀😍
That’s the car that won Best of Show at the Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance (where a lot of this video was filmed). It was rather pretty and had a very interesting back story, (discovered by the Red Army during the war, taken to the Soviet Union before moving west again and being restored (in the 00’s if I remember correctly)).
Accurate and very entertaining review... great hips
Thank you for watching 🤠
Great music selection
Thank you 🤠
Miata: One of the few benefits of being short!
🤝🤝🤝
that’s a cool skyline background at the beginning
It was soooo pretty
@@AlanisKing where was this? NY?
@@BBQ_T_BoneSan Francisco. This whole video was filmed in the Bay Area. I recognized the San Jose mountains, Google campus, and 101 freeway.
@@LamborghiniReven1000 you’re right! 😊 it’s beautiful
No more cars and bids?
Good to see you out on your own.
No more Cars & Bids! All my reviews will be here : ) Thanks for supporting!
Oooh! Someone got a camera car for rolling shots! The channel is getting fancy!
The camera car was another Miata 🤠
Another great review Alanis! I have a 2023 RF GT 6-spd (Soul Red Crystal, best paint color of all time). I've had dozens of highly acclaimed sports cars over the years, and while most of them did certain things better than the Miata, it's by far the best and most engaging sports car of them all. I have to shrug when I admit that, since it's such a modest little sports car. It's just so damn good!
You're so right. Great choice. Soul Crystal is soooooo good
Col Wilkerson SO SORRY for your wife. May she rest in peace. I think Judge just didn’t hear you. We all appreciate you here so much!
Best car ever made.
🤠🤠🤠
MX5 ND123 is BEAUTIFUL ……….
Really makes me want to upgrade my ND1-RF! But I still love it, and I 'd also like to own a G Body 911 Targa someday, so I guess I'll love what I've got for now.
ND1 is so good too
Big fan of this car.
One day I will buy one.
It’s so good
Was part of the Miata mafia when I lived in California. Nothing better than driving the twisty canyon roads with the top down. I’ll be in the market for a car again in a few months and am so tempted to buy another, although it’s much less practical for northern states with real winters.
Time to get a cheap one : )
Winters can be a bitch, especially if the roads are salted. Miatas ain't know for good rust proofing. If the rust isn't visible, it's either hidden or it's about to be rusty. Especially older models.
Love the look of the RF, but that PRHT was so functional but I bet that would have difficult to engineer for the ND and expensive.
I've got a 2021 WRX, definitely thinking of adding one of these to the stable....
Great idea tbh
I live on the other side of the world and here an ND Miata costs the equivalent of 51k USD.
For comparison, 'regular people' car costs like 18k USD, cheap city car is like 12k and a Honda CRV which people generally perceive as a upper-end of family car costs 45k USD equivalent here..
So enjoy your Miatas!
Wow! I'm so sorry it's that much
I love my 2020 RF Club but if I could get a 2nd Miata it would be an NC that I would mod the heck out of. I agree, modded NCs are siiiick
Yessssssss good idea
We all knew this review would be a great one! Are you still going to do the 4 hours Miata history lesson? 😜
I should 🤠🤠🤠
Miata gang here. Let’s goooo!
LET'S GOOOOO
Finally some good seats!!
Hahahaha good seats!
Had a 2016 ND1 Club. Dollar for dollar, it doesn't get any better than the Miata.
Love that car
All beautiful in this video. The world isn't so bad after all.
🤠
Of all the cars I've ever driven, the ND Miata was my favorite; unfortunately, I'm just too tall to live with it on a daily basis.
Very fair point
Man, i really love my ND2. Such a fun car. And with leasurly driving, it's not uncommon for me to hit high 40s in terms of MPGs, which is extremly frugal for the sorts car this is.
Unfortunally, i see that ND3 in europe appears to only be shipping in the 1.5 G132 engine, which is really sad (although i hear some 2.0s happend to sneak by). Must be something to do with fleet co2 emissions and miata being a small car, it just doesn't fit the bill.
ND2 is such a good car. Great choice
I've found the softtop to have a a tiny bit more headroom for the taller folk!
Yes!
My favorite color on Harley-Davidson is called Deadwood Green. I can't tell from watching on my smartphone, but does the color on this one you're reviewing have a green tint to it?
It does have a greenish tint in some lights!
This was great!!
Worth the wait for sure.
I have only one question (for now):
With the “top down” how does the RF’s convertible experience feel when sitting in the driver’s seat driving around on this scale…
0 - Hard top car windows up
3 - Sunroof car (open) with windows down
6 - Targa car (removed) with windows down (think corvette) but still the back closed off
10 - Convertible car with top down all the way and windows down (Miata Soft Top)
Does the RF having the exposed back where the window was boost it beyond the typical targa experience
Thanks so much!!
Thank you for watching! I’d call it a 7 🤠
@@AlanisKing thanks!
BAY AREA REVIEW HELL YEAH
HELL YEAH
Hey, I'm curious if it's possible to take the ND3 steering rack and the new LSD and put them in my ND1. What do you think?
Would definitely be a lot of work!
Mazda is smart , * like the iPhone , very, very small upgrades, software , tec , just enough ❤
Yes! Agree!
That is a really nice color. Are you ever worried you might money shift into reverse? I'm not use to it being there.
I’m not! The lockout on the ND is pressing the shifter down to get into reverse, so it’s all good 🤠
They need the bright gloss red, blue, and yellow colors back. That special edition orange too.
Totally agree. I love this color, but wish there was a brighter option other than red!
@@AlanisKing At least Toyota embraced banana yellow on the Supra.
I would, if given the option get the HiVis yellow that the Chevy Bolt had on basically anything fun 🤣
Fun video. To bad I’m to tall for MX5. Is it New York behind you?
How much talll?
@@francesco9457 6´2´´ The last time tried I had the top of the windscreen at my eyes level. Maybe it’s better with this one.
San Francisco 🤠
I want to love the Miata but as a tall person I need them to love me back first :p
It's one of the reasons I went with the Saturn Sky instead. While my visibility is still looking into a sun visor a bit, my head clearance is a lot nicer. Maybe I'll be a Miata owner some day, but in the meantime I've got the GM Miata lol.
Hahahahaha foamectomy time!
@@AlanisKing lol for real. I just have a hard time wanting to buy a car to cut its seat up so I can fit better :p
Hey I saw you at the 500 in may you were walking under the tower as cars were going to the grid I tried to say hi but you didn’t hear me :(
Oh no! I’m so sorry I didn’t hear you. I always try to turn around and say hi when I hear my name!
@@AlanisKing maybe next time I will keep my out at the race tracks. Nashville this weekend! Great job with the videos!
How many Alanis' can fit in the 2024 MX-5?
To be seen!
Anyone know if that rear spoiler is OEM, aftermarket, or with just the bbs package??
Would really love to add one to my 24GT
This car is all OEM! I didn’t have the window sticker so I can’t tell you exactly what the option set is, but spec a Club and see if you can replicate it, then see if it’s available on the GT (may not be)
@@AlanisKing That small rear spoiler is part of that Club with the BBR package. Along with the Piano Black side skirts & rear bottom spoiler too. Can also be ordered separately too though.
Hell yeah
Hell yeah
I think the Mazda Mx5 Miata is an institution for driving, no matter which model NA, NB, NC, ND - you won't be an educated driver unless you have experienced one of these cars for a reasonable amount of time as it brings another dimension to driving on public roads as well as on track. You learn new things driving it, and you can use those skills for driving other cars. I had a NB3 for a few years before it was written off for me in a crash - because in the world of SUVs and trucks the MX5 can be difficult to be seen.
We get a shot of you getting into the trunk, but not getting into the drivers seat and I wondered if you had trouble managing due to the height of the seat, in fact did you even open the roof??
Totally agree. I had no issues getting into the seat! It’s decently ergonomic for me 🤠
@@AlanisKing You'll need to do another video showing the roof retrracting and open top driving!!😃
kinda wish I'd gotten a Miata instead of my current lil guy
It’s such a good car
Do I try to get one of these in the future or an Abarth 124 Spider to go with my Abarth 500…? 🤔
Both are good! I lean Miata : )
@@AlanisKingYeah. I love the looks of the RF in that Zircon Sand Metallic. But I would prefer the soft top. I wish they still offered the red soft top to go with the Machine Gray Metallic. That was such a nice combo.
Nice dress very flattering
Is 1989 the year Doug demuro was born
Why is the mpg so bad in America?! Is 45 in the UK, and it sounds like plenty of people get higher than that.
Fair question
Doesn't the EU use Kilometers per liter instead of miles per gallon ? 🤔
I have a huge crush on you
12:40 I don’t think you tried hard enough… 😐 LOL
Oh I did!
Sadly it's just a little too tight at over 6 feet and over 200 pounds
Fair!
I have a soft top 2024 club ZS and I am 6’1, 215lbs and fit fine, no problem.
@@edwinot 🤔🤔🤔
no lsd on the base is weak
Not for $30,000 though. There are some that prefer the open differential.
That plumber’s putty color is awful.
I think it’s very elegant!
@@AlanisKing , maybe it looks better in person.
@@AlanisKing I'm not a fan of it either as when I open the refrigerator there is a jar of Grey Poupon which is very close to that without the metallic bits. Bright Lime Green would be so much better.
this brown/dirt is so ugly, especially compared to the soul red
I liked it in person!
It's so sad that from now on we only have 1.5 litre model with like 130 hp in Europe
Why did these regulations had to target miata 🥲
Dream cars don’t have to be extremely expensive, they should provide you extreme happiness❤ Such a dream car, I will reply to this comment once I buy one of these some day 🥹
I can’t wait for that day!