2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata Reviews, Pricing & Specs

The fourth-generation Mazda MX-5, classically known as the MX-5 Miata and known by the faithful as the ND, remains just as appealing today as it did when the automaker last redesigned the car for the 2016 model year. Remarkably, 2024 marks the most significant styling update since the arrival of the hardtop MX-5 RF (retractable fastback) body style in 2017.

New headlights incorporate the running lights, formerly housed in the lower corners of the front fascia. New LED taillights debut, and 17-inch wheels are standard on all trims with a new multi-spoke design available in black or machined face with a black finish. The fresh paint colour for 2024 is Aero Grey, a warm tone with a subtle metallic glow.

The 2024 MX-5 roadster continues in GS, GS-P, and GT trim levels on the soft top. The GS-P and GT trims are available for the RF hard top. Our test car arrived in GT specification with the new Aero Grey paint. (Note that our test car is in U.S. specification. The tan interior shown is not available in Canada.)

The MX-5’s interior benefits from improved padding on the centre console and subtle instrumentation revisions for better legibility. In addition, the new 8.8-inch infotainment display modernizes the car with enhanced graphics and a more intuitive user experience.

The 2024 Mazda MX-5’s performance could not be better. We didn’t think the ND’s dynamics could improve any further, but we were wrong.

Previously, the ND exhibited relatively light steering feel both on- and just off-centre. It didn’t ruin the fun, but depending on the situation, it could make the car feel a little less precise and stable than might be desirable. But the 2024 MX-5 gets a new steering rack and revised electric steering assist software that eliminate this light sensation. This makes the car feel more secure at higher highway speeds and better glued to the road when accelerating hard out of corners and curves. The added confidence in what was already a superlative sports car makes the 2024 model the best MX-5 yet.

There is another contributor to this newfound sense of stability. The GS-P and GT trims have a new asymmetric limited-slip rear differential that Mazda says improves the MX-5’s stability when cornering. It, combined with the Kinematic Posture Control technology Mazda introduced in 2022, effectively controls the car’s slightly squirrely rear end.

The only other mechanical change for 2024 is a new DSC-Track mode for the GS-P and GT trims. This mode adjusts the dynamic stability control to intrude less often without eliminating the technological safety net when driving the car hard and fast on a closed course. Naturally, you should not use it on public roads.

Every chance we get, we take a new MX-5 into the mountains. Here, we validated the effectiveness of the new steering and limited-slip rear differential while spending a sunny afternoon driving every ribbon of blacktop in the region, reveling in what makes a Mazda MX-5 so dang special to true driving enthusiasts.

The car’s smooth and refined 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine continues with 181 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 151 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm. Before you dismiss those numbers, remember that an MX-5’s base curb weight is 1,077 kilograms (2,374 pounds).

A six-speed manual transmission is standard; Mazda offers a six-speed automatic only with GS-P and GT trims. The power flows to the car’s rear wheels, and because Mazda mounts the engine behind the front axle, the weight distribution is 52/48 front-to-rear (51/49 for the RF).

Our GT test car had the manual gearbox, and it remains one of the best we’ve ever used. Short positive throws that snick decisively between gears, a light clutch, and pedals perfectly placed for heel-and-toe rev-matching engage the driver in ways the optional automatic simply can’t. However, past experience with the ND’s six-speed automatic demonstrates that it doesn’t sap all of the fun out of driving an MX-5. Just some of it.

The engine loves to rev, and unless you come to a stop or need to exceed 130 km/h, you can run the MX-5 solely in second and third gears. We did that for more than 150 kilometres, occasionally employing other cogs, and that resulted in a dismal observed fuel economy number of 9.8 litres per 100 kilometres, well above the official Natural Resources Canada rating of 8.1 L/100 km in combined driving (or 8.0 L/100 km with the automatic).

Unfortunately, a screw in the left rear tire brought the fun to an early end, and we never got a chance to run the test car on our usual evaluation loop. Past experience suggests that in typical driving situations, an MX-5 comes close to matching the NRCan rating in combined driving.

Though we couldn’t pile as many klicks on the 2024 MX-5 as we wanted to, we confirmed Mazda’s assertions about the new steering and limited-slip differential. The latest version of the MX-5 is the most rewarding to drive ever, especially if you get a GS-P equipped with the optional Brembo performance brakes, lightweight forged aluminum BBS wheels, and Recaro sport seats.

MX-5s are about driving fun, not practicality. They have two seats, scant in-cabin storage space, and a small 130-litre trunk (127 litres for the RF). Sitting low to the ground, they’re hard to enter and exit. Once you’re in, there isn’t any room to stretch out. And if the roadster’s soft fabric roof is raised, the car feels claustrophobic.

Despite all of this, unless you’re over six feet tall and 275 pounds, you can make your peace with driving this car. For example, the standard seats are exceptionally comfortable and include a height adjuster for the front portion of the cushion. That adds leg support, which makes longer drives more comfortable. With the GS-P and GT trims, they’re also heated, extending the top-down driving season before winter arrives.

Bracing your legs against the door panel and centre console isn’t painful, though doing so repeatedly in a short time results in some discomfort. The steering wheel rim is somewhat thin, but thanks to the improved steering, it no longer feels delicate in your hands.

The MX-5 is loud inside, but wind buffeting with the top down isn’t as bad as you might expect, especially if you raise the side windows. In our experience, an open MX-5 RF suffers more intrusive wind in the cabin. But opening the RF to the elements is easier, thanks to its power-operated targa-style roof panel. The roadster’s manual soft-top takes more effort but remains a model of simplicity.

Mazda locates the glove compartment on the back wall of the cabin between the front seats. The car has a tiny tray under the centre armrest, a small shelf forward of the gear shifter, and fun-size storage in the door armrests. The cup holders are mounted below the glove compartment, right where your elbow bangs into them. You can relocate one of them to a slot on the right side of the console, but it can interfere with front passenger comfort.

The trunk liftover height is high, and the cargo space is deep. It holds two airport roll-aboard suitcases and a backpack or two. Depending on the model and transmission, the maximum payload capacity is around 180 kilograms (400 pounds), including the passengers and cargo. So, if you take a road trip in an MX-5, pack light or go solo.

Mazda has finally replaced the MX-5’s old infotainment system with the latest Mazda Connect technology. It has an 8.8-inch display with touchscreen operation for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. With GT trim, CarPlay and Android Auto are wireless.

In addition, the 2024 MX-5 is the first Mazda to get Alexa, followed by the all-new CX-70 SUV. We’ve used this feature in the CX-70, and it worked great, representing a significant step up from Mazda Connect’s simple, non-conversational native voice recognition technology. Unfortunately, in the MX-5 test vehicle, Alexa wasn’t functional because it required an active Wi-Fi hotspot. That feature wasn’t set up, so we couldn’t test its effectiveness in the louder MX-5.

Overall, the new Mazda Connect system improves the MX-5’s technological vibe thanks to modern graphics and touchscreen capability when using smartphone integration platforms. The GS-P and GT models have a decent nine-speaker Bose premium sound system with speakers mounted within the head restraints, and it remains audible with the top down at highway speeds.

We had no trouble pairing an iPhone 15 to Mazda Connect, streaming tunes from Apple Music and Pandora, or launching Apple CarPlay. However, since the car doesn’t have a wireless phone charger, you’ll still want to have a cable handy to plug into one of the two USB-C ports.

Mazda equips every 2024 MX-5 with low-speed forward-collision warning with automatic braking, lane-departure warning, an automatic high-beam headlight system, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert.

Upgrade to GT trim, and the car adds more safety features. They include an adaptive front lighting system that can help you to see around corners and curves after dark, and a traffic sign recognition system.

During our evaluation of a GT with the manual transmission, we experienced the lane-departure warning system’s subtle steering-wheel vibration numerous times, occasionally in error. When it activates, a graphic appears on the left gauge’s digital panel. We also received a forward-collision warning urgently requesting that we brake, but this alert was due to a pickup truck parked on the shoulder of a curve in the road.

There aren’t any crash-test ratings for the Mazda MX-5. However, the laws of physics apply. The heavier the vehicle that hits this lightweight sports car, the more damage the MX-5 will sustain. Bigger, heavier vehicles offer better crash protection than smaller lighter vehicles, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) notes.

When the original MX-5 went on sale in 1989, Mazda revived the classic roadster and rejuvenated interest in two-seat sports cars with convertible tops. In the decade that followed, competitors arrived, some more successful (BMW Z3, Porsche Boxster) than others (Honda Civic del Sol, Mercury Capri).

Now, 35 years later, the MX-5 is one of the last remaining models in the segment. The BMW Z4 and Porsche 718 Boxster are still for sale, but the Jaguar F-Type convertible exits stage right at the end of 2024, and the Audi TT Roadster took its final bow at the end of 2023.

Prices for the 2024 Mazda MX-5 in Canada range from $37,490 to $47,590, including the $1,995 destination charge and other fees. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) for the Canadian equivalent of our test vehicle, an MX-5 soft top in GT trim with the manual transmission and extra-cost Aero Grey paint, comes to $42,022, fees in. Mazda restricts the RF variant to GS-P and GT trims. The RF Club has an available Sport Package, which adds $4,400 to the price and equips Brembo brakes, BBS wheels, and Recaro seats.

You’ll notice the two remaining alternatives to the MX-5 carry higher price tags. The BMW will set you back at least $67,000, while the Porsche is nearly $90,000 to start. Essentially, the Z4 and 718 Boxster are in a different class even though they’re classic roadsters.

That leaves the 2024 Mazda MX-5 in a class of its own. It is the most affordable way to have open-top driving fun on public roads or a racetrack, and we highly recommend it. Only the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR 86 coupes offer similar performance and driving dynamics at a competitive price. However, neither the Subaru nor the Toyota is as refined or outright fun to drive as the MX-5. And neither is a roadster with a drop-top opening the car to its surroundings. That’s half the enjoyment of driving an MX-5 all by itself.

Note: Images show a US model.