2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Review and Test Drive
Changes to the 2024 Miata make Mazda's legendary sports car better than ever.
Christian Wardlaw
Joy was all I felt when first behind the wheel of the 2024
In addition to a fabric convertible top, the 2024 MX-5 Miata is available with a power-retractable hard top. Mazda calls it the Miata RF for its retractable fastback roof.
The RF offers a traditional coupe look, but as I saw during my test-drive, the roof panel stows with the touch of a switch, providing targa-style open-top driving in about 13 seconds. Due to its hard roof, this version of the Miata supplies more comfort in variable driving and weather conditions.
Christian Wardlaw
Mazda made several changes to the 2024 MX-5 Miata, further perfecting the fourth-generation recipe of its legendary sports car. Having sampled the updates on my favorite Southern California roads, I think the latest Miata is better than ever.
The 2024 Miata is available in Sport, Club, and Grand Touring trim levels. Prices range from the low $30,000s to the low $40,000s, including the destination charge to ship the car from the Hiroshima, Japan, assembly plant to your local dealership.
My Miata RF test car arrived in Club trim with extra-cost Zircon Sand paint, in addition to the Appearance package and the Brembo/BBS Recaro equipment package, which adds performance brakes, forged aluminum wheels, and sport seats. The test car had a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $41,825, including the $1,165 destination charge.
Christian Wardlaw
What's New for the 2024 Miata?
Mazda's last major redesign of the MX-5 Miata was in 2016. The car received a power infusion in 2019, and in 2022, Mazda added Kinematic Posture Control (KPC), a brake-based technology to limit body roll and improve the car's overall handling stability. Otherwise, enhancements since 2016 have generally revolved around paint, interior, and convertible top colors, and Mazda has offered a couple of special-edition variants.
This year, the 2024 Miata gets several modifications that affect the styling, interior, driving dynamics, and technology. All 2024 Miatas have new headlights and taillights, while the Club and Grand Touring get new 17-inch multispoke wheel designs. Aero Gray is the new paint color for 2024, a cool-toned, somewhat chalky light gray color with an underlying warmth evident in sunlight.
Mazda updates the Miata's interior with additional center console padding and revised gauge designs for enhanced legibility. Tan premium nappa leather seats are available on Grand Touring models.
Christian Wardlaw
For 2024, Miatas also get a new Mazda Connect infotainment system. It has an 8.8-inch touchscreen display, features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and offers Amazon Alexa integration.
Driving enthusiasts will appreciate the engineering changes. The 2024 Miata has a reworked steering rack and recalibrated electric steering assist to improve precision and on-center feel.
In addition, the Club and Grand Touring trim levels include a new asymmetric limited-slip rear differential to further tame the car's rear end when diving into and accelerating out of corners. Miata Clubs also have a new track setting for the dynamic stability-control system, allowing more slip and slide when running hard on a closed course.
Christian Wardlaw
A Miata Is Often the Answer for Sheer Driving Enjoyment
If you're familiar with the various iterations of the fourth-generation MX-5 Miata, you likely share my opinion that the car has improved over the years and aged with remarkable grace.
The powertrain modifications in 2019 were a game changer, making it possible for me to drive every worthwhile road in the Santa Monica Mountains using nothing but second and third gear. Then, in 2022, KPC added an extra measure of stability when flinging the car around corners. Still, when driving the car as Mazda has always intended, I felt it was a little light in the steering department and a little loose at the rear axle.
Not anymore.
Though I didn't detect Mazda's claimed improvement in precision, the 2024 Miata's steering feels heavier off center and more resolute on center. Where the former setup might occasionally draw negative attention due to its light feel, especially when cresting a mid-curve hill, I found the updated hardware and software replace that sensation with a perfectly weighted heft that makes the Miata feel better connected to the road.
Christian Wardlaw
I drove the Miata RF Club on nearly every one of the great roads in the Santa Monica Mountains, and it performed flawlessly. However, I know those ribbons of blacktop as well as the deepening creases on my face. The true test of the 2024 Miata's updates was Santa Barbara County's Foxen Canyon Road, a narrow and often rumpled two-lane route with miles of higher-speed kinks and curves.
I hadn't driven Foxen Canyon in years, meaning every twist, turn, bump, and lump held a potential surprise. Despite occasional sudden steering and braking inputs as I navigated the unfamiliar territory, the Miata RF Club remained a steadfast and unflappable partner with a supple yet communicative ride, effortless grip, faithful brakes, and a delightful powertrain that effortlessly delivered 26.5 mpg during a full day of fun driving.
Did the new limited-slip differential contribute to that fun? Undoubtedly, but without driving a 2024 Miata back to back with a 2023, it's hard to tell. What I can state without any doubt is that the 2024 Miata's rear end remains glued to the pavement under all circumstances.
Since I drove on public roads, I did not activate the new Track mode for the stability-control system. However, I'm sure it adds nothing but a wider grin when you're hammering this car around a racetrack. And this car feels ready for competition right off the factory floor.
Christian Wardlaw
Improved Infotainment, but a USB Cable Is Still Needed for Charging
While Mazda has updated the 2024 Miata's interior, the changes are minor. The gauges remain a benchmark of clarity, and I'm glad to see the return of the classic tan interior to the Grand Touring models.
Functionally, the new 8.8-inch Mazda Connect infotainment system display is an improvement. However, I ended up plugging a USB cord into the dashboard because although the car will wirelessly connect to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, I spied no ability to charge wirelessly.
In my experience, the native voice recognition system works better if you use the suggested commands shown on the display, so you'll want to activate Alexa or rely on Siri or Google Assistant for a conversational experience. During my evaluation drives with the top and windows down, the voice recognition was surprisingly adept at understanding commands but ultimately turned in a hit-and-miss performance. With the top and windows up, it performs better.
Christian Wardlaw
Miatas are snug inside, but from what I observed, if you're shorter than 6 feet and weigh less than 250 pounds, you should fit without any trouble. That said, the Recaro seats in the Brembo/BBS Recaro package are unfriendly to larger people after a few hours in the saddle. That's not likely to be a problem in Miatas equipped with the standard seat design.
Compared with the Miata convertible, driving the RF with the top up is more comfortable in cold, hot, or inclement weather, as it better isolates you from the elements. Additionally, thieves can't cut the RF's roof open like they can the convertible's fabric top.
With the RF's roof panel stowed, the remaining supports behind the seats add wind noise and interfere with air flow, so the fabric-capped convertible's cabin is actually calmer and quieter when its top is dropped. In either version of the Miata, the Bose audio system that's standard with Club and Grand Touring trim remains audible with decent sound quality at highway speeds.
Christian Wardlaw
Competing in a Class of One
One of my favorite things about driving the Mazda MX-5 Miata is that it always feels like you're going faster than you actually are, proving that outright speed is unnecessary to experience the sheer joy of driving.
Better yet, there's nothing else like it for the price, though enthusiasts might argue the more affordable Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86 are credible alternatives to the Miata RF. I agree to a point, but choosing one of those means you forfeit the top-down, open-air driving experience that only the Mazda provides.
Mazda provided the vehicle for this 2024 MX-5 Miata RF review.
Written by humans.
Edited by humans.
Christian WardlawMy first word was “car.” That’s what I’m told, anyway. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with them. The design. The engineering. The performance. And the purpose. I’m a car enthusiast who loves to drive, but I’m also most interested in the cars, trucks, and SUVs that people actually buy. Anybody can tell you that a sports car is fast. What you need to know is whether or not you should buy that new SUV, and why. My life purpose is to help you make that decision.
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