2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata: Still the Answer

“Miata Is Always The Answer.” It’s the most repeated cliché in the automotive world, an acronym (MIATA) that enthusiasts have sworn by for over 30 years. But in 2024, is it still true? We live in a world of 700-horsepower electric sedans, autonomous driving aids, and SUVs that can out-accelerate Ferraris. In this landscape of excess, does a 181-horsepower convertible with a manual roof still have a place?

After spending a week with the updated 2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata (ND3 generation), the answer is a resounding, emphatic YES. In fact, the Miata is more relevant now than it has ever been. It serves as a palate cleanser, a reminder of what driving is actually about: connection, joy, and engagement.

What’s New for 2024?

The current ND generation has been around since 2016, which is an eternity in car years. However, Mazda has continuously refined it. For 2024, the changes are subtle but significant, focusing on the details that matter to drivers.

• New Steering Rack: Mazda has installed a new steering rack with reduced friction and revised software calibration. The goal was to make the steering feel more natural and precise on center.
• Asymmetric Limited-Slip Differential (LSD): Standard on Club and Grand Touring trims, this new diff features different cam angles for acceleration and deceleration. It aims to stabilize the car’s behavior during turn-in while improving traction on corner exit.
• DSC-Track Mode: A new stability control setting that allows for more slip angle before intervening, giving drivers a safety net that doesn’t kill the fun.
• Infotainment Update: A new, larger 8.8-inch screen finally brings wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with Alexa integration.

The Driving Experience

To understand the Miata, you have to throw out the spec sheet. 0-60 mph takes about 5.7 seconds. That’s fast enough to be fun, but a Toyota RAV4 Prime will smoke you at a stoplight. But specs don’t measure smiles, and the Miata generates more smiles per mile than anything else on the road.

The 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G engine is a gem. It revs freely to 7,500 rpm, making a raspy, enthusiastic noise. Because the car only weighs 2,341 lbs, the 181 horsepower feels ample. You can use 100% of the engine’s performance on the street without going to jail. In a world where a tap of the throttle in a modern supercar puts you at triple-digit speeds, the ability to actually drive the car hard is refreshing.

The 6-speed manual transmission is, quite simply, the best in the world. Better than Porsche. Better than Honda. The shifter has a short, mechanical throw that clicks into gear with a satisfying “snick.” The clutch is light and communicative. It’s so easy to drive that you could teach a teenager to drive stick in this car in 15 minutes.

The handling is characterized by body roll. Yes, roll. Unlike modern sports cars that try to stay flat at all costs, the Miata leans into corners. This is intentional. The roll communicates weight transfer to the driver. You feel the car settle on its outside tires. You feel the limits of grip approaching. It makes you a better driver because it talks to you constantly.

The new Asymmetric LSD is a noticeable improvement. On tight canyon roads, the rear end feels more planted during aggressive turn-in, reducing the nervous twitchiness that previous models sometimes exhibited. It inspires confidence, allowing you to get on the power earlier.

Living with the Tiny Roadster

Okay, let’s talk about the compromises. The Miata is small. Really small. If you are over 6’2”, you might not fit. The cabin is intimate (read: tight). There is almost no storage space—the glovebox is a cubby between the seats, and the cupholders are flimsy removable stalks that encroach on passenger legroom.

The trunk offers 4.6 cubic feet of space. That’s enough for two soft weekend bags or a modest grocery run, but not much else. If you’re picking up someone from the airport, tell them to pack light.

Highway driving can be exhausting. The soft top lets in a fair amount of wind and road noise. At 80 mph, you have to raise your voice to talk to your passenger. The RF (Retractable Fastback) model offers a hardtop, but with the roof down, it actually creates more wind buffeting than the soft top.

But then you drop the top—a one-handed operation that takes literally 3 seconds—and none of that matters. The sun hits your face, the wind rushes through your hair, and you remember why you bought a convertible.

The Competition

The Miata exists in a class of one.

• Toyota GR86 / Subaru BRZ: These are the closest rivals. They are fixed-roof coupes with usable back seats (for small children or bags) and a stiffer chassis. They are better track cars out of the box, but they lack the open-air experience and the playful character of the Mazda.
• Used Porsche Boxster: You can buy a used Boxster for the price of a new Miata. The Porsche is a “better” car dynamically, mid-engined and more powerful. But the running costs will be significantly higher, and it lacks the carefree, tossable nature of the Miata.

Verdict

The 2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata is a masterpiece of minimalism. It adheres strictly to the philosophy of Jinba Ittai—horse and rider as one. It doesn’t try to be everything to everyone. It doesn’t care about Nürburgring lap times or 0-60 stats. It cares about how it makes you feel.

It is a car that celebrates the act of driving. It turns a mundane commute into an event. It makes a trip to the grocery store an adventure. In an automotive landscape that is becoming increasingly digital, insulated, and automated, the Miata is a glorious, analog holdout.

Buy one while you still can. We will miss cars like this when they are gone.

Pros:

• Unrivaled driving engagement
• Best manual transmission in the business
• Affordable to buy and run
• Infinite headroom (with the top down)

Cons:

• Impractical for almost everything
• Noisy on the highway
• Interior tech is improved but still dated
• Not friendly for tall drivers

Rating: 9.0/10