Sunday Drive: New Car Reviews

By BJ Killeen

2017 Mazda MX-5 RF: Just for the Young, or Young at Heart?

As we age, our vehicle tastes go one of two ways: either we choose comfort over sportiness, or slide completely to the other side and go whole-hog midlife crisis with a sports car. For those who choose the plush life, there’s a lot to be said for soft leather seats, automatic transmission, cargo room, and easy entry and exit. Trying to cram your luggage and your butt into a vehicle no bigger than an ice chest has lost its appeal. And don’t forget about the insurance, the punks who want to race you at every stoplight, and the po-po who keep their eyes on you at all times. At this stage in my life, give me luxury before sport every time—with one exception: the 2018 Mazda Miata MX-5 RF. I’ll sacrifice whatever is necessary to spend time behind the wheel of this sport bike disguised as a car.

Hard to believe it’s been almost three decades since the first Mazda Miata MX-5 was introduced to the public. It was the right car at the right time. Mazda’s little red sports car paid homage to revered British sports car, albeit with the added bonus of quality and reliability. One of my favorite stories is about when I drove the Miata around Venice Beach (where I lived) on Memorial Day weekend before it went on sale. I was working at Motor Trend at the time, and was single, so no one with a family wanted to drive it for the holiday. I recall dropping the top (easily), getting in, and then cruising up and down Ocean Blvd. After about an hour, I drove it home as fast as I could, parked it in the garage, and refused to take it out the rest of the weekend. Why? Because I was exhausted from answering so many questions about it. Who made it? What is it? How much? Etc., etc., etc. I knew then that this little roadster was destined to be a classic. Although it’s many years later, and the Miata has slowly morphed into a more mature look, it still embodies the same quality, spirit, and fun-to drive attributes it always has held.

First, the Miata name is still there, but put on a back burner so the MX-5 aligns with the other Mazda nomenclature. Second, some concessions have been made to appease the masses and the government, like cupholders and safety systems. Third, the classic, rounded-edge shape has gotten beefier around the wheelwells to update its appearance. Now with the introduction of the RF model, the roof isn’t severed off completely, giving it more of an athletic stance.  The RF (which stands for Retractable Fastback) is a touch more civilized due to its power roof operation. It’s easy to open and close with a switch on the center dash, and doesn’t require extra-long arms as the manual roof does. In 13 seconds you can go from topless to covered, and vice versa, which makes it easy to enjoy the early-morning Vegas valley sun, but quickly put up the top and blast the air conditioning when the outside temperature reaches 115 degrees (as it did on the morning we drove it to Mount Charleston).

What’s always been pleasant about the MX-5 Miata, no matter which model or trim you buy, is that Mazda understands the balance between car and driver. Mazda calls it Jinba Ittai, which roughly translated means horse and rider as one.  The steering, suspension, transmission and engine all work together to create a near-perfect driving machine; one that allows you to toss it around a racetrack in a controlled fashion because you can predict exactly what it’s going to do. Nearly impossible to say that about most sports cars on the road today. It’s lightweight, with a low polar moment of inertia, delivering  50:50 weight distribution to make it an absolute joy to drive on the track or any paved road.

The details on this rear-drive fun machine include a double-wishbone front suspension, multi-link rear setup, double-pinion electronic power-assisted steering, and a six-speed manual transmission mated to Mazda’s SKYACTIV-G 2.0-liter DOHC inline four-cylinder engine.  No vehicle I’ve ever driven makes the steering feel so directly connected to the transmission as the MX-5. And the 6-speed shifts are smooth, precise, and direct, with probably the shortest throws of any car for sale today except Formula One racers. It’s so satisfying to snick through the gears quickly, either up or down.

My only niggly pick on the MX-5 performance is that the engine could use more power, which is the automotive journalists’ cry from day one. Only a few cars don’t warrant that wish, such as the Dodge Demon or Ford GT. But almost everything else could benefit from a little more horsepower and torque, no matter what the body style. With 155 horses and 148 lb-ft of torque that comes in at a relatively high 4,600 rpm, it’s necessary to drop down a gear to put a bit more oomph in its step. It would be nice if at least the RF could get 20 more hp/torque to give those of us who truly love this machine a little more go juice. It doesn’t need a bigger engine, just a bit more power. Surely the engineering wizards at Mazda can do that for us, right? (Yes, I know that the original Miata only made 116 horsepower, so this is a big improvement since the beginning of MX-5 time, but we can always ask.)

While the roof definitely creates the fastback look, the front and rear also are beefier than the regular convertible Miatas. The front end is more aggressive, yet still nicely streamlined. You know it’s an MX-5, but it’s been spending time at the gym and is in the best shape it’s ever been in its life. The back is probably the most identifiable as a Miata; so much so that we’re wondering where they’re gonna put the rearview camera that’s mandatory on all vehicles for 2018. (Mazda probably is also!)

We can talk about the interior, but there’s not much to talk about. I’m not saying it’s not nice, just that there’s not much there, there. The press kit lists the passenger and total volume as NA, but the cargo capacity is a scant 4.5 cubic feet; barely enough for a few bags of groceries. However, keep in mind that’s not why you buy this car. Let your significant other do the mundane household tasks with the minivan. The MX-5 is for when the sky is blue and the roads are clear.

The Grand Touring model we tested was the top of the line. For the RF, there’s only a Club and GT model available; the regular MX-5 has an entry-level sport version as well. The GT gets standard heated leather seats, which were comfortable and supportive, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, auto AC, pushbutton ignition with keyless remote, and Bose audio with Navigation and Mazda Connect. Yeah, there are cupholders, but they are awkwardly placed at the rear of the center console. I’m not nimble enough to reach them, especially when driving. Besides, when you’re piloting the MX-5 RF, you shouldn’t be messing with coffee or soda anyway. There is one that’s more cupholder accessible on the passenger side, but ain’t no Big Gulp gonna be sitting in there anytime soon.

While the top operation is fast and easy, we did have a problem with the glass wind cheater in between the seats behind the driver’s head. Visibility wasn’t an issue, and it did an admirable job of keeping the wind from whipping our hair in our eyes, but with Polarized sunglasses, there was a prism effect in the glass, which was distracting with the top down when we looked in the rearview mirror. And we’ve said it before, but the fact that the touchscreen on the nav system locks out completely when you’re moving is just dumb. We’ve heard from Mazda connectivity people who say it’s for safety, but to me it’s more distracting to have to fumble with knobs and buttons and look down to see what you’re doing as opposed to just reaching over and touching a few points on a screen that’s close. And whoever designed the multiple steps for setting a favorite radio station needs to be placed in a room with 14 angry raccoons and smothered with peanut butter. Apparently, there is a quick way to save favorites, but doesn’t it make more sense to do the first one well instead of have to do it a few different ways?

I’m not going to spend any time on the safety features. Outside of a bouncer to keep the gawkers away, the safety features list is longer than the RF’s overall length.

So what does all this fun cost? The MX-5 soft top starts at $24,915. The RF in Club dress starts at $31,555. And our test GT model started at $32,620, added keyless entry for $130 (ridiculously reasonable), and destination, which totaled $33,885. While Mustangs and Porsche may have a lot more power, they also cost a lot more money, plus, you skip the douche factor altogether by avoiding those obvious midlife crisis cars. If you’re just starting out in life, try out the affordable MX-5 soft top; if you’re on the downhill side, spend your money wisely on an RF. It’s the best way to stay young at heart.