2025 Mazda MX-5 Miata

Pros 

• It’s fun and interesting to drive, even at low speeds. 
• It is one of the speed cars that use the least amount of gas. 
• A soft top that you raise and lower by hand is easy to do. 
• It was a mostly smooth ride.

Cons 

• Inside, there’s little room to stretch. 
• There is little room in the trunk. 
• When going fast, the inside gets noisy even with the top-up.

How do you drive a Miata MX-5? Mazda just added Kinematic Posture Control to the Miata. The brake-based torque vectoring system is supposed to help the car turn on rougher roads, but we didn’t find it very amazing when we drove the legendary roadster with it. No matter that, we could smell the brakes and feel the system working after a hard run on our test track. 

Even when pushed to its limits, the Miata remains a simple, light, quick, and easy-to-drive racing car. On our test track, it took our Miata with a manual transmission of 6.4 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph. While that’s not bad, it’s a bit slower than a fast hatchback like the Subaru BRZ or VW Golf GTI (6.1 seconds). We stopped from 60 mph in 113 feet, which shows that the brakes work.

What level of comfort does the Mazda MX-5 Miata offer? It’s not often that you hear of little two-seater roadsters being comfortable, but the Miata is surprisingly comfortable for daily use. You will notice big lumps and bumps in the road because the Miata often hits badly maintained pavement. However, small problems are much harder to see. A lot of our employees think that the Miata seats are one of the best parts of the inside because they are supportive and comfy, and the heaters in the seats are great for keeping you warm on cooler days. However, many editors thought the seats were supported and padded in strange ways in some places. 

The bad thing about the Miata is that it makes a lot of wind noise. This is going to shock you; we know it. Driving with the top-up might make the car very uncomfortable. At times, you have to yell to talk to other people. You could also drive with the top down and the windows up to take advantage of the Miata’s unlimited space. Whatever happens, there will be noise.

What’s the inside like? The clean layout of the cabin makes the most of the room it has while putting the enjoyment of driving first. The small size of the cabin makes most of the functions easy to reach. The knob for controlling the entertainment system is placed in an odd spot, but the fact that there are two touchscreens makes up for it. The cup holders are also placed in an awkward way, which makes it hard to get drinks. 

Taller drivers will notice that there isn’t much room for their legs and heads. The footwell for passengers is shorter than the footwell for the driver, so taller co-pilots won’t be able to fully stretch their legs no matter how far back the seats are pushed. The only big problem with this setting is that there is little room. 

One of the best things about a soft-top Miata is how quickly the top can be opened and closed. It is a manual top, so it doesn’t have power, but it is very easy to use.

What about the tech? A Miata needs to balance the need for current safety and connectivity technology with the fun of driving. There are two USB ports and a way to connect your phone with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, as usual. It’s amazing how many driving assistance technologies there are. For example, the blind-spot warning system is very helpful if you decide to leave the top-up. 

The nine-speaker Bose audio system does a great job of filling the room with music and blocking out background noise. Voice commands can only be used with a choice of on-screen instructions, but the system is very good at recognizing what you say. The menu is basic in terms of how it looks and how wide it is, but it works well.

What is the state of the storage? It shouldn’t be a wonder that the Miata can’t carry much; after all, no one expects a two-seat convertible to be useful. With only 4.6 cubic feet of trunk room, the Miata won’t be able to handle longer trips where each passenger needs to bring more than one piece of luggage. Two big shopping or carry-on bags can fit without any problems. The back seat of this convertible can’t be used as a shelf for things like bigger convertibles can. There needs to be a glovebox. There is a small bin between the seats in the Miata that is the best place to keep wallets, smartphones, and small purses. 

A seat or booster that faces forward may be big enough for one child or baby. There are no car seat anchors or top-tether connection points.

How much gas does it use? According to the EPA, the Miata with the six-speed manual drive gets 29 mpg overall, 26 mpg in the city, and 34 mpg on the highway. We may have been too quick on the gas, but the Miata got an average of 27 mpg in both city and highway driving during the two weeks we had it. In past tests, Miatas have regularly gotten better gas mileage than expected.

Is it smart to buy the Mazda Miata MX-5? The Mazda Miata is very heavy. The gear lever on our test car constantly banged around inside the gate, but it felt solid and well-made. Modern Mazdas have many soft plastics and fake leather covers inside, which gives the car a high-end feel. Overall, the Miata is a good deal, but the price can go up with more options and better trim levels. 

The bumper-to-bumper warranty from Mazda lasts for three years and 36,000 miles, and the powertrain guarantee lasts for five years and 60,000 miles. These numbers show the average for this section. You get roadside help for three years and 36,000 miles.

The Mazda Miata is a truly unique car. For the price, no other rear-wheel-drive roadster is as exciting. To do this, it has a purity that more modern, highly complicated cars don’t have, and it’s both fun and safe. After all these years, the Miata is still the best choice for many others. Additionally, it’s the correct choice.

At the time this was written, Mazda had not officially announced the 2025 Miata. The Club trim, based on last year’s Miata, is our favorite. If anything changes, we’ll let you know. The limited-slip differential, Bilstein shocks, and high-end Bose sound system make it stand out.