Damn, I thought this car looked really bad while looking at videos/pictures, but once you see it in person though. It's probably one of best looking "new" cars in it's price range
wife wanted a automatic 2016 miata, i find it handy alot Calif rush hour or mostly anywhere where stop and go in town drives you crazy with a clutch If you use the sport mode in Auto or switch to manual mode with shifter paddles, its actually quite fun and highly effective like a manual shifter version Where the car performs is in the canyons in tight turns 40-60 mph Stay in manual mode in 3rd or 4 th gear where you get more feel and performance playing with higher or lower rpm as a breaking control rather than using the brakes There are times in Automatic mode the car uses too high a gear for gas savings which feels like lugging the engine, so i quickly pullover stick shift and select a lower gear to raise RPM for better pickup when i want the boost. Once you learn all these convenient tricks I wouldnt go back to the manual transmission,were arent out racing through the mountains 90 % of the time, its in town traffic and fwy traffic
Thanks, John. The introductory shots were filmed around Sea Cliff Bridge south of Sydney, the static shots are on a private property near Lithgow in country New South Wales, and the driving commentary is on metropolitan roads in eastern Sydney.
Could you expand at all on the whistling noise? Is there any buffeting, is it speed dependant and does it disappear with the windows up/top still down? Does the wind deflector behind and between the seats make a difference?
I'm having the hardest time deciding between this or the GT86. I can pick up a 3 year old GT86 for $22k, half the brand new price. I really really like the RF, but because they're so new there's no used market yet and I'm stuck with a purchase price of AU$48k. I'm not interested in the soft top at all. I've always like the targa top thing the 80's/90's Japanese cars had. What do I do??
Jeremy Get the Miata as a second car. Get the new face lifted GT86 if it's your only car for the cargo space and a better cruiser overall. Miata is more fun and possibly faster too (idk if the hard top brought down the 0-60 time given it's quite a bit of a weight).
I would consider trading in my ND Sport (base model in the U.S.) if they offered the RF in a base trim. The MX-5 is supposed to be simple, which is what I love about my Sport. I don't need all those gizmos and gadgets. Until they offer the RF across all trim levels, I'll stick with my soft top.
They're certainly offering the RF in a base specification here in Australia, but our base model is no longer the global base model - ours gets MZD Connect.
After test driving manual transmissions in Mazda mx-5 club and touring, Porsche Cayman, Nissan 370Z, Toyota F86, Mustang V8, Camaro 4 turbo, Camaro V6, Camaro V8, Corvette, I purchased a 2017 Corvette. The Mazda mx-5 manual transmission is unreliable (go to Mazda website for TSB on mazda mx-5). I bought a red 2017 Corvette 1LT manual transmission with performance exhaust, black wheels, red calipers, red seats, carbon badge package.
I can't afford this as a second car, need a hatchback for the family. Been thinking of getting a Mark 2.5 with a hard top, but I from London and majority are rusty due to our weather. Don't know what to do :(
idk I'm still a fan of my little soft top. do I wish I had waited a year for this? maybe, I'm not sure. I've put about 24000 miles into it and still love popping the top down every time I get in, which is often because I deliver pizzas! lol
Well done but about time Mazda, you finally saw and followed the gound breaking Honda Delsol that preceded the Targa Miata (which is what it really is and not the Fast Back BS you are dishing out) by at least a quarter of a century ago!
+Rolly De Guzman I've found figures ranging from between 145 and 150 mm. That's unloaded, so keep in mind the clearance could sag with two adults and cargo aboard.
Thanks. I sat in one for about 30 seconds one day when I was picking up my wife's CX-5 so I can't recall how well I fit. I own an S2000 and it's a little bit of a squeeze, mostly because the steering wheel doesn't move at all!
Such a gangster car. All black with roof gone your in tokyo drift then. If they made a tricked out version with 300 hp and huge performance like a race version goodby everything else japanese except gtr and maybe supra
its super hot but for that price 155hp???? really? it looks so sporty but I think it needs more power for the money.. plus 100 lbs for the targa top???? I had a del sol and the top was only about 20 lbs (wasnt power retractable though). idk mazda.. keep working on it. get the weight down and the power up and you'll really have something here.
1) Fast Back = marketing gimmick as it is not a fast back design 2) Targa top aesthetic design 3) Not a real Targa = hoop is not weight bearing with no contribution to safety in a roll over or rigidity for side impact 4) Mechanical design is like any convertible. Targa hoop aesthetics merely added to the lid that usually lifts on a regular convertible.
Great.. So now there are TWO convertible MX5 models... They should have made a frigging hardtop hatchback!!!! Would have made for a more usable, dare I say practical, MX5.. Oh well, gimmicky convertible hardtop model it is then... I'll admit, it will probably sell better than a hatchback MX5 would have..
Interesting comments. The reason they went with this arrangement was it was the only way (apparently) to produce a hardtop model without changing the dimensions and retaining the driving characteristics.
+Chasing Cars I just wish they would have made a version like the BMW Z4 Coupe, or Pontiac Solstice coupe, y'know? (Thought the Solstice coupe was not quite so versatile..) Sleek fastback lines with a usable hatch, and they could still have the option for a moonroof or something even with that! Thanks for the response though : )
I actually don't understand having the automatic retraction of the roof. It adds unnecessary weight and reduces cargo capacity. Considering the only thing that retracts is the part over the drivers head, manually removing that piece while buttresses fixed in place makes more sense. For a vehicle like the MX-5 that is suppose to be about simplicity, having a complex mechanical part detracts from the simplicity and adds to cost. I really love the shape of this vehicle and would get it over a soft-top MX-5 if it was like this. Since it is not an Alfa 4C makes more sense.
I know, but it could have more cargo capacity than the soft top if they removed the opening mechanism. It's a cool feature, but completely superfluous in function.
Kevin Smith that's true but then again people who are looking to buy these kinds of cars wouldn't buy them for proper practicality though. There are plenty of different segments for cars with practicality. If I had the money this would be a second car and my first car would be for practical purposes.
+Pistol Pete I said buyers, not owners. Learn to listen and read the sales figures - the quieter and more refined hard top dominated the NC MX-5 and they're expecting the same here for the ND.
+Pistol Pete Why do you think Mazda would have poured massive investment into developing a quieter, more refined version if there wasn't feedback from *potential buyers* (not owners - there is a difference, and quite a clear one)? Not a business decision taken lightly, especially considering the NC hardtop outsold the softtop. You're the one who seems a bit clueless here…
![KSI - Dirty [Official Visualiser]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/VoDh1h1dPUE/mqdefault.jpg)
the production value of this video is amazing
Thanks a lot for the feedback! Glad you enjoyed it.
Damn, I thought this car looked really bad while looking at videos/pictures, but once you see it in person though. It's probably one of best looking "new" cars in it's price range
really I think it looks better in pics then in person- its still looks good but in reality its fat and stubby compared to the older miatas
Definitely a car best viewed in the flesh.
Definitely looks better than the soft top. Gorgeous looking car!! First Miata I'd actually want to buy.
agree
That's a cracking shot you got with the kangaroos in the background! Great review as always! :)
+th415263 thanks very much! Yeah, very lucky to have some visitors in the back of the shot!
I was convinced I was going to get the Soul Red RF but after seeing that Machine Grey one in this vid m head has been turned, it looks classy.
Mark Boleyn yeah it does look particularly good on this and the gray offers Nappa leather which I really want..
Car looks great and makes
It a viable option for someone like me. Great production / videography too
+Strunz0 Cars thanks a lot for the feedback!
wife wanted a automatic 2016 miata, i find it handy alot
Calif rush hour or mostly anywhere where stop and go in town drives you crazy with a clutch
If you use the sport mode in Auto or switch to manual mode with shifter paddles, its actually quite fun and highly effective like a manual shifter version
Where the car performs is in the canyons in tight turns 40-60 mph
Stay in manual mode in 3rd or 4 th gear where you get more feel and performance
playing with higher or lower rpm as a breaking control rather than using the brakes
There are times in Automatic mode the car uses too high a gear for gas savings which feels like lugging the engine, so i quickly pullover stick shift and select a lower gear to raise RPM
for better pickup when i want the boost. Once you learn all these convenient tricks
I wouldnt go back to the manual transmission,were arent out racing through the mountains
90 % of the time, its in town traffic and fwy traffic
I'm going to own one of these one day
Gorgeous
This one looks better than bmw z5 with half of the price.
I'm sure Mazda would appreciate that sort of feedback!
Totally agree.......
Awesome looking little sportcar! I hope i would buy one of them for my 40's...
Beautiful car though I still prefer the soft top
nobody asked you....only kidding....
It does come in two enginge choises tho, prices are even listet for both options on their webpage
+mikkel olsen No, it doesn't in Australia. 2.0L only.
This video makes people drive the ND RF AND visit Australia 🙂👍
great review! may I know please what road where you filming on? it looks fantastic?
Thanks, John. The introductory shots were filmed around Sea Cliff Bridge south of Sydney, the static shots are on a private property near Lithgow in country New South Wales, and the driving commentary is on metropolitan roads in eastern Sydney.
i changed the tires on mine to a set of sticky prellies and completly changed the sound of car still a little noise but most was from tires
+James Wright Awesome feedback. Thanks for the tip - we'll see if we can try this in future. What Pirellis are they?
Could you expand at all on the whistling noise? Is there any buffeting, is it speed dependant and does it disappear with the windows up/top still down? Does the wind deflector behind and between the seats make a difference?
I get less wind buffeting with the deflector removed. It seems to allow more airflow.
So it does not include spare tire?
I'm having the hardest time deciding between this or the GT86. I can pick up a 3 year old GT86 for $22k, half the brand new price. I really really like the RF, but because they're so new there's no used market yet and I'm stuck with a purchase price of AU$48k. I'm not interested in the soft top at all. I've always like the targa top thing the 80's/90's Japanese cars had. What do I do??
Jeremy Get the Miata as a second car. Get the new face lifted GT86 if it's your only car for the cargo space and a better cruiser overall. Miata is more fun and possibly faster too (idk if the hard top brought down the 0-60 time given it's quite a bit of a weight).
I would consider trading in my ND Sport (base model in the U.S.) if they offered the RF in a base trim. The MX-5 is supposed to be simple, which is what I love about my Sport. I don't need all those gizmos and gadgets. Until they offer the RF across all trim levels, I'll stick with my soft top.
They're certainly offering the RF in a base specification here in Australia, but our base model is no longer the global base model - ours gets MZD Connect.
Why does it handle better? Because of less bodyroll?
+ᕙ༼ຈل͜ຈ༽ᕗ DoYouEvenDong Yep. The roll feels a little overpronounced in the soft top to me, but the extra rigidity here has tidied it up a degree.
After test driving manual transmissions in Mazda mx-5 club and touring, Porsche Cayman, Nissan 370Z, Toyota F86, Mustang V8, Camaro 4 turbo, Camaro V6, Camaro V8, Corvette, I purchased a 2017 Corvette. The Mazda mx-5 manual transmission is unreliable (go to Mazda website for TSB on mazda mx-5).
I bought a red 2017 Corvette 1LT manual transmission with performance exhaust, black wheels, red calipers, red seats, carbon badge package.
I can't afford this as a second car, need a hatchback for the family. Been thinking of getting a Mark 2.5 with a hard top, but I from London and majority are rusty due to our weather. Don't know what to do :(
Shame the boot wasn't a bit bigger for your needs. Perhaps a nicely specified Mazda 3 for some of that MX-5 spirit?
Chasing Cars - just checked out the Mazda 3 and it's not my cup of tea, it doesn't give me the Fizz but thanks for the advice 👍
+Jimbers Wimbers No problem. Best of luck in the search.
Do you have to keep the button down until the roof is down or do you just press it?
You have to hold it the whole time.
is it possible to order the the basic car with this rf feature ?
Yes, the RF is available in base MX-5 trim as well.
Sounds like "christmas present" to my ears. Hope it will be available soon in our country too. :/
idk I'm still a fan of my little soft top. do I wish I had waited a year for this? maybe, I'm not sure. I've put about 24000 miles into it and still love popping the top down every time I get in, which is often because I deliver pizzas! lol
I guess that's why they have gone for offering the best of both worlds - soft top and RF! Good to hear you're enjoying the car.
I drove it for a day and never smiled so much
+max Great to hear! It's such a fun car.
you have steering wheel on wrong site. something went wrong during production probably.
Yeah you won't believe how much effort we went to
Well done but about time Mazda, you finally saw and followed the gound breaking Honda Delsol that preceded the Targa Miata (which is what it really is and not the Fast Back BS you are dishing out) by at least a quarter of a century ago!
Well, I'm not really dishing it out - it's the name of the car. Quite right that there is a lot of history with the Delsol, however.
weird question, how much ground clearance does this car have?
+Rolly De Guzman I've found figures ranging from between 145 and 150 mm. That's unloaded, so keep in mind the clearance could sag with two adults and cargo aboard.
Great review Tom. The scenery is wonderful (and that's not your legs :).
The legs on your jeans look a bit tight.
+padistedor I'll take that as a compliment!
How tall are you mate? Im 6'1" I have an S2000 and my knee hits the wheel (its nonadjustable).
+Gregory G I'm 6'0 and had no space problems mate
Thanks. I sat in one for about 30 seconds one day when I was picking up my wife's CX-5 so I can't recall how well I fit. I own an S2000 and it's a little bit of a squeeze, mostly because the steering wheel doesn't move at all!
Such a gangster car. All black with roof gone your in tokyo drift then. If they made a tricked out version with 300 hp and huge performance like a race version goodby everything else japanese except gtr and maybe supra
Straight to RF but no mazda 3 yet? ;)
+alteclan2007 I'll get there! Was lucky to be invited along to get this early drive in the RF.
How much is 118 kw in bhp?
Arthur Pede 158hp
beautiful car
its super hot but for that price 155hp???? really? it looks so sporty but I think it needs more power for the money.. plus 100 lbs for the targa top???? I had a del sol and the top was only about 20 lbs (wasnt power retractable though). idk mazda.. keep working on it. get the weight down and the power up and you'll really have something here.
1) Fast Back = marketing gimmick as it is not a fast back design
2) Targa top aesthetic design
3) Not a real Targa = hoop is not weight bearing with no contribution to safety in a roll over or rigidity for side impact
4) Mechanical design is like any convertible. Targa hoop aesthetics merely added to the lid that usually lifts on a regular convertible.
The boot space hasn't changed but my boots have.
118 Kw and only 200 Nm torque? Just as an example, Volkswagen Scirocco 1.4 has 118 Kw and 240 Nm.
+leonardo da vinci this car doesn't have a turbo.
The interior feel much bigger than the other guy did.
Great.. So now there are TWO convertible MX5 models... They should have made a frigging hardtop hatchback!!!! Would have made for a more usable, dare I say practical, MX5..
Oh well, gimmicky convertible hardtop model it is then... I'll admit, it will probably sell better than a hatchback MX5 would have..
Interesting comments. The reason they went with this arrangement was it was the only way (apparently) to produce a hardtop model without changing the dimensions and retaining the driving characteristics.
+Chasing Cars I just wish they would have made a version like the BMW Z4 Coupe, or Pontiac Solstice coupe, y'know? (Thought the Solstice coupe was not quite so versatile..) Sleek fastback lines with a usable hatch, and they could still have the option for a moonroof or something even with that!
Thanks for the response though : )
I actually don't understand having the automatic retraction of the roof. It adds unnecessary weight and reduces cargo capacity. Considering the only thing that retracts is the part over the drivers head, manually removing that piece while buttresses fixed in place makes more sense. For a vehicle like the MX-5 that is suppose to be about simplicity, having a complex mechanical part detracts from the simplicity and adds to cost.
I really love the shape of this vehicle and would get it over a soft-top MX-5 if it was like this. Since it is not an Alfa 4C makes more sense.
Kevin Smith cargo capacity doesn't change compared to the soft top. its exactly the same space.
I know, but it could have more cargo capacity than the soft top if they removed the opening mechanism.
It's a cool feature, but completely superfluous in function.
Kevin Smith that's true but then again people who are looking to buy these kinds of cars wouldn't buy them for proper practicality though. There are plenty of different segments for cars with practicality. If I had the money this would be a second car and my first car would be for practical purposes.
Want!
I know what car i will get for 10 000$ in a few years when i can actually drive lol
its like a baby porsche targa... nice.
I see it as a baby Jaguar F-type. You can kind of see the resemblance with the taillights a bit.
the front looks like an aston martin.. maybe a mini db11 or vanquish
Colonal Lingus except you can leave the Mazda in a shopping carpark and not worry about it being keyed?
Still a little overpriced
Then the Fiat 124 Spider is the car for you. Same care cheaper price tag
Wut, they cost about the same at each trim level.
A little overpriced? 36,000 dollars for 150 hp? It's got to be the worst value for your money.
+essel23fly The MX-5 is far more about handling than outright power!
It's still not worth what they're asking for, by a lot.
the normal miata for me
+lucas m.w the beauty of choice!
Way to expensive, Mazda won't sell many there meant to be a convertible not a copy MR2.
C'mon Mazda, I'll buy if less than $30k.
mx5 owners want a raucous zippy little roadster, not a quiet saloon. You don't know what you're talking about.
+Pistol Pete I said buyers, not owners. Learn to listen and read the sales figures - the quieter and more refined hard top dominated the NC MX-5 and they're expecting the same here for the ND.
lol, buyers are owners, QED. In your review, you come across somewhat clueless, buddy.
+Pistol Pete Why do you think Mazda would have poured massive investment into developing a quieter, more refined version if there wasn't feedback from *potential buyers* (not owners - there is a difference, and quite a clear one)? Not a business decision taken lightly, especially considering the NC hardtop outsold the softtop. You're the one who seems a bit clueless here…
Ouch 43,000
Australian dollars, remember!
skinny jeans....perfect car for you
Probably right!
Haben wollen xd!!!
38,000 Canadian dollars for a 155hp joke...lol
tha fuck? kilowatt? newtonmeters? lol English please! lol
This review is for Australia, in Australia we use kW and Nm. Not every country uses horsepower mate.