2022 Mazda MX-5 Miata Reviews, Pricing & Specs

The 2022 Mazda MX-5 comes in standard convertible soft top (roadster) and available retractable fastback (RF) hardtop body styles. On the soft top, GS, GS-P, and GT trims are available, while the latter two are offered on the hardtop. The base Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) is $33,300, not including the $1,850 destination charge. The RF GT with the Grand Sport Package is the most expensive version of the car, checking in with an MSRP of $47,300 before destination fees. To get the Sport Package, buyers must opt for the GS-P grade with the manual transmission, priced at $42,150 for the convertible and $45,000 for the RF.

The Soul Red paint positively glows in the sunlight, highlighting the fourth-generation MX-5's lines, curves, and swells. Now seven years old, the design still looks great, and the dark gunmetal, forged aluminum, 17-inch BBS aluminum wheels included in the Sport and Grand Sport Packages give this version a purposeful presence.

We like the looks of the RF but still think the standard convertible is the way to go unless you're planning to use the MX-5 as a four-season car or simply prefer to drive a coupe. When you power down the RF's retractable fastback roof panel, the buttresses aft of the doors remain in place, creating more top-down noise and wind buffeting in the cabin than you'll get in the convertible. Plus, the convertible is $3,000 less than the power retractable hardtop on most trims.

Inside, Mazda dresses the Sport Package’s Recaro performance seats in simulated suede with fake leather bolsters, and they feature light gray contrast stitching and piping. The stitching also appears on the steering wheel, dashboard, door panels, shifter, and parking brake, and it complements the MX-5's metallic interior detailing. Materials are high in quality, but there are numerous seams, crevices, and surface changes within the cabin, all places where dust and grit from top-down driving can collect to detract from the interior ambience.

Drivers face three large, round, clearly marked, and highly legible gauges. The steering wheel perfectly frames the partially digital instrumentation, which puts an oversized tachometer in the middle for quick and easy reference. Three round knobs control the manual climate system, and the test car had heated seats for top-down driving on chilly days.

Among our favourite things about the MX-5’s interior are the upper door panels. They're shaped and painted to mimic a continuation of the front fender sheet metal into the cabin, a neat design trick that underscores Mazda's jinba ittai (horse and rider as one) engineering philosophy.

Four years ago, Mazda made a significant change to the MX-5 that made an already great car nearly perfect. The company modified the car's 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder Skyactiv-G engine to increase output by 26 horsepower and three pound-feet of torque, for power specs of 181 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 151 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. Furthermore, the engine's redline rose from 6,800 rpm to 7,500 rpm.

While these changes may have appeared minor, they significantly impacted how the 1,066 to 1,134-kilogram (2,350 to 2,500-pound) sports car drove. The added oomph made the MX-5 quicker, and the increased redline meant you could hold revs longer. During testing on mountain roads, you could run the car with the six-speed manual transmission in second or third gear at all times, minimizing shifts and conserving momentum. The powertrain upgrade was a transformational change for the fourth-gen MX-5.

Now, for the 2022 model year, Mazda adds KPC to every MX-5. KPC is beneficial when driving the car hard and fast. It uses software to apply varying degrees of braking to the inside rear wheel during high-g cornering and when accelerating past an apex into a straight section of road. This subtle braking action effectively pulls the inner back corner of the car down to reduce body roll, improve steering response, and create a limited-slip differential effect.

How does KPC work in the real world? We headed back into the mountains to find out, but first, a caveat: this was our first rodeo in an MX-5 equipped with the Brembo brakes, BBS wheels, Recaro seats, and P205/45R17 Bridgestone Potenza summer rubber.

With that said, the MX-5 benefits from yet another transformation, making the 2022 model-year car the one to own. Unquestionably, it is the best MX-5 yet.

By the seats of our pants, KPC reduces some of the rotation induced by hard dives into corners, plants the rear end better when getting back onto the accelerator pedal, and is especially beneficial on imperfect pavement, off-camber curves, and decreasing-radius corners. In turn, this makes the 2022 Mazda MX-5 more predictable, easier to trust, and more enjoyable to drive in various situations.

We turned on our Out of Office e-mail notification and spent a glorious afternoon burning through a tank of gas on canyon roads. Only personal responsibility to family and a need to generate income got the MX-5's nose turned back toward home.

The MX-5's brilliance shines brighter than simply its smooth, high-revving engine, perfect manual gearbox, and new KPC technology. One of the things we love about this car is that it feels like it's going fast, even at lower speeds. Its tiny size, open top, and flingable nature contribute to this sensation, and you can have a blast driving this car without getting in over your head.

It's also a better tool for canyon carving than most other performance-oriented vehicles—especially with the Brembo-BBS-Recaro combination. Our local canyon roads are laced with narrow, often lumpy two-lane roads with blind corners, damp shadows, rockfall, and gorges just off the edge of the pavement. As a result, you simply cannot go very fast in a larger, heavier vehicle—especially if you don’t know the road well.

In contrast, in the modestly powerful but exceedingly capable MX-5, the diminutive footprint allows you to use more of the lane to conserve speed, the laser-guided steering welcomes fine inputs and adjustments, and the brakes can bring the car to a near-immediate stop if necessary.

Specific to our test car, we'll note a couple of additional behavioural traits. First, the lightweight, forged aluminum BBS wheels reduce the amount of unsprung weight bolted to each corner of the car, and the effect on the ride and handling is palpable. With these wheels, the MX-5 has a smoother ride and feels even more agile and athletic.

Second, the Brembo brakes utterly resist fade. We performed testing on a warm, sunny summer day (the best kind of weather for MX-5 driving), and no matter how hard or consistently we used the brakes, they performed to an exceptionally high standard.

Mazda designs the MX-5 to serve as a tool of delight. That is the car’s sole goal. And it is masterful at its purpose.

Sports cars are all about form and function, but not in the traditional sense. And with the MX-5's mission of achieving jinba ittai, the car is as reductionist as possible, with each gram of mass scrutinized to determine its necessity.

Therefore, you get two seats mounted within a snug interior. But you need not assume that only smaller people can drive this car. Even if you're six feet tall and carrying extra weight around your middle, you'll fit behind the steering wheel just fine. However, the front passenger's seat is another story. Seat track travel appears less generous, and the dashboard encroaches on legroom, making it less comfortable for larger occupants.

Worse, getting into and out of an MX-5 is anything but graceful except for the young, limber, and athletic. Tight parking situations make it even more difficult because the wider you can open the doors, the easier a time you'll have of it.

The test car's Recaro performance seats supply substantial side bolsters, grippy simulated suede upholstery inserts, and a cushion angle adjustment, helping a driver find a perfect position. They hold you in place without feeling overly restrictive and are comfortable for hours at a time, though we found that a break to stretch and walk around at the four-hour mark was necessary.

During our drive, the weather changed from toasty and sunny to chilly and misty. The climate system handled the variable temperatures in stride, and the seat heaters helped toward the end of the day. Driving home after dark on the highway, we buttoned the car up, cutting wind, noise, and exposure to dropping nighttime temperatures.

Two people can take a road trip in this two-seater, but they'll need to pack light. The trunk measures 130 litres with the convertible and 127 litres with the RF, enough space for a rollaboard suitcase and a couple of backpacks.

There isn't much interior storage space, either. A small tray forward of the shifter is useful for your smartphone and is located next to the car's USB ports. In addition, there is a tiny compartment under the centre armrest, small bins in the door panels, and a decent-sized glove compartment built into the back wall of the cabin between the seats.

Two cupholders snap into place just in front of the glove compartment, unreachable by anyone who hasn't had a close encounter with Vecna from "Stranger Things 4." They also get in the way when you're contorting your arm to use the infotainment controls on the car's centre console.

By design, the 2022 Mazda MX-5 limits technology in favour of weight savings and a pure driving experience. However, like all modern vehicles, it relies on an infotainment system to provide access to vehicle settings, communication and entertainment features, the available navigation system, and more.

The MX-5 is the last Mazda to use the original Mazda Connect technology. It comes with a 7-inch display, and when the car isn't moving, it works as a touchscreen, a feature other Mazdas no longer have (though the 2023 CX-50 SUV now provides touch operation of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto). When the car is moving, you need to use the awkwardly placed controls on the centre console or the ones on the steering wheel.

All trim levels include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Additionally, Mazda Connect provides Bluetooth connectivity with text message delivery and reply, E911 automatic emergency notification, HD Radio, and access to internet radio platforms including Pandora, Aha, and Stitcher. GT trim adds wireless Apple CarPlay, SiriusXM satellite radio, and a nine-speaker Bose audio system with front head restraint speakers is standard from the GS-P trim. An integrated navigation system and SiriusXM Traffic and Travel Link services are standard with the GT trim.

Since the test car lacked navigation and the satellite radio subscription was inactive, we wirelessly paired an iPhone and relied on Apple CarPlay to provide internet radio and navigation access. Using the talk button on the steering wheel, Siri was more responsive and intelligent than any version of Mazda Connect, anyway.

If driving the MX-5 isn't entertaining enough and you need some tunes to go along with the curves and corners, the Bose sound system works well up to a certain point. However, in the RF, with the roof open, at speed on the highway, the wind noise and racket from surrounding vehicles overwhelm it unless you crank the volume high enough to potentially need to file a warranty claim.

By going through all the menus and setting the car up the way we wanted it, and then using Apple CarPlay and the steering wheel buttons during our week behind the wheel, we resolved the bulk of our user interface complaints with Mazda Connect. However, there must be a better way. For a car laser-focused on minimalism and driving enjoyment, Mazda Connect frequently causes confusion, irritation, frustration, and aggravation.

Blissfully, Mazda equips the 2022 MX-5 with only the most helpful driving assistance features. Standard equipment includes forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking that works at lower speeds, a lane-departure warning system that can either beep or emit a rumble through the stereo speakers, a blind-spot monitoring system, a rear cross-traffic alert system, automatic high beams, and a reversing camera.

Considering the short, basic menu of safety features, we can only report three observations. First, we would prefer the lane-departure warning system provide a steering wheel vibration instead of the weird rumble emitted through the stereo speakers. Second, the blind-spot monitoring system signals danger for longer than necessary, though we suppose the extra margin for error can't hurt. Third, Mazda adds a traffic sign recognition system to the GT model. Unfortunately, recent experience in a rented MX-5 RF GT demonstrated that it is often inaccurate at any given time of reference, making it impossible to trust.

As for crash protection, you get two front and two side airbags. That's it. And since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) haven't performed crash tests on the MX-5, we have no idea how it would perform in a collision.

If you've ever taken a physics course, then you can probably guess that an MX-5 isn't going to win in a collision while SUVs and pickup trucks dominate the roads. Good thing it has the reflexes to help you avoid them in the first place. Hint: don’t hide in their blind spots.

While our 2022 Mazda MX-5 RF test car costs well over $40,000, that still represents a bargain if your primary goal in choosing a new sports car is maximum smileage.

Yes, we know the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86 exist and that improvements for 2022 make them compelling alternatives. If you want a fixed-roof coupe with the added practicality of a couple of rear jump seats, you should cross-shop those RWD twins with the MX-5.

You could also consider the Hyundai Veloster N. That car is a laugh-riot, well-equipped, loaded with value, and has a habitable back seat and a hatchback design to add genuine utility. But, it's a front-wheel drive (FWD) hot hatchback, not a sports car. It’s also quite loud and obnoxious, lacking the Mazda’s inherent refinement. And it’s being discontinued in favour of the Elantra N and Kona N, which veer further from the MX-5’s intent.

Lastly, with higher-priced MX-5s wearing a window sticker over 45 grand, you might decide to upgrade to something like a BMW Z4, Nissan Z, or Toyota GR Supra. You'll spend more, but the added power that comes with these alternatives might be appealing to you.

As you might guess, we're partial to the MX-5. None of its competitors can match its combination of elemental design, pure driving enjoyment, top-down motoring, and legendary reliability. Plus, it's effortless in achieving good fuel economy, returning 8.6 litres per 100 kilometres during a half-day drive spent primarily ripping around on mountain roads. Not bad, considering the official Natural Resources Canada fuel consumption rating is 8.1 L/100 km in combined driving with the 6-speed manual transmission (7.9 with the automatic transmission).

Some say the original name of Mazda's iconic sports car, Miata, stands for Miata Is Always The Answer. For us, that's absolutely true.

Note: Images show a US model.