2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata First Drive Review: Sports Car Perfection Even Further Refined

Mazda doesn’t sell a huge number of MX-5 models, but that hasn’t stopped the brand’s relentless search of sports car perfection at a relatively affordable price. The fourth-generation ND version delivers an incredibly well-balanced chassis, precise steering, a remarkable power-to-weight ratio, sharp looks, and the requisite MX-5 fold-away roof. However, Mazda’s MX-5 engineers have continued to refine the now 35-year-old formula even further to deliver the ND3.

The ND MX-5’s 2024 update is not earth-shattering, but it is impactful. It includes a new steering rack, a new available Asymmetric limited-slip differential, a new DSC-Track Mode, and a revised interior with an updated infotainment system.

Mazda invited us to the California Bay Area to spend the weekend with the updated MX-5 in Club trim and take in some gems from the R&D department going on display at the Hillsborough Concourse event (keep an eye out for our report on that).

First Drive events provide our initial impressions of a vehicle in a restricted environment under certain time constraints. Keep an eye on DrivingOnRoad for our comprehensive Test Drive review which will follow soon.

Exterior: Minor Aesthetic Touches

When Mazda brought the ND generation to market, there was some outcry that it wasn’t as friendly looking, anthropomorphically speaking, as the previous generation. MX-5 Miata’s are known for their smiling faces, and the latest models have a little more of an aggressive look. It’s still tiny, though, and is almost two inches shorter than original NA Miatas from 30 years ago.

Through some creative engineering, it weighs just 2,341 pounds with the manual transmission and a soft top. That’s insane when you consider that the NA generation from 1996 weighed just 2,160 lbs and the new model has a whole slew of federally mandated safety and emissions equipment attached – as well as extra performance equipment and a few luxury items.

The die-hard Miata fans will have noticed that the 2024 Mazda MX-5 has new headlights and rear light clusters, which aren’t vastly different. Our loaner came with Zircon Sand Metallic paint, which is a $450 upgrade, and it’s only available on the top two trims, as is the new Aero Gray. Mazda’s signature Soul Red Crystal Metallic is a $595 upgrade for the two lower trims. We find all the premium colors boring, apart from the gorgeous Soul Red Crystal Metallic and the Deep Crystal Blue Mica. Mazda needs to up its color game for the MX-5 rather than conforming it to the current trend of muted blues, grays, and beiges.

Standard on all MX-5 Miata models are LED head- and taillights, DRLs, an aluminum hood and trunk lid, a black cloth soft top, and 16-inch wheels on the base model. Opting for the mid-range model sees these additions:

Interior: A Solid Update

It looks much the same inside the 2024 MX-5 Miata at first glance, with not much changing over the 2023 model – but there are quality-of-life upgrades. The center console has extra padding added, which this tall drive appreciated, and the revised gauge cluster is simplified with high-contrast graphics to improve readability (a boon for long-sighted drivers such as this one). The 8.8-inch infotainment display is bigger than before and touch-sensitive when using Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (both come wireless). A dial on the center console is used for all the other selections.

Mazda’s belief is that touchscreens aren’t ideal in cars, so the automaker places the screen further back on the dashboard so the driver’s eyes don’t have to travel far to glance at it, and we think this works extremely well in most cases. However, it’s not ideal when adding touch for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as you have to reach out to touch icons that are rather tiny. The two systems are kind of mashed together here, but the dial works fine for CarPlay – although it can require a lot of scrolling around.

Under The Hood: Mazda Being Mazda

Powering the MX-5 is exactly the amount of horsepower and torque Mazda believes is right for the little car – 181 hp and 151 pound-feet from the 2.0-liter SkyActivG four-cylinder engine. And Mazda is correct. The car is small and light and runs on either P195/50 R16 or P205/45 R17 high-performance summer tires, which aren’t particularly wide. The MX-5 is designed to be fun on back roads or at the track, not to race in a straight line at traffic lights or be challenging to drive hard. So while 181 hp isn’t a lot on paper, the MX-5 doesn’t need more.

It’s also not supposed to chew into your budget. With a mixture of freeways and some city driving, we returned home with an indicated 30 miles per gallon. Which still makes us chuckle considering the fun we had – “fun on a budget’ is the perfect expression to quote here.

On The Road: Speaking Of Having Fun…

We adore the MX-5 in any generation, but the ND and ND3 are the current peak of the series, in our opinion. It’s brisk off the line, the manual transmission is joyous to work the three-pedal-dance with, and the chassis is perfectly balanced to invite any driving style to have fun with. It’s a classic sports car with modern design and engineering implemented damn near perfectly.

You can read our previous test drive feedback to pick up on the pattern of how joyful this car is to drive, and you should know that with the 2024 updates, the new steering is even better, and most noticeably so at higher speeds on the freeway. It’s easier to keep it in a straight line and dial in steering for sweeping bends, which no doubt translates in track use. The new DSC-Track Mode on the MX-5 Miata Club models will likely be a hoot, too.

Our MX-5 Miata Club tester included the Brembo/BBS RECARO Package, which includes Mazda’s new Asymmetric LSD. The immediate difference we noticed was how much more confident we were with how aggressively the new LSD locks up under engine braking and keeps things more stable. That translates into the ND3 being more confidence-inspiring on a back road where unwanted understeer can become dangerous quickly for the unwary. It also has a marked effect on acceleration out of a corner, feeling more progressive and controllable as throttle is added.

At this point, the MX-5 is now giving the middle finger to the physics of its short wheelbase by eliminating the inherent twitchiness and unwanted oversteer. Of course, when you want some oversteer, or, indeed, understeer, it’s right there and controllable.

Conclusion: The Best MX-5 Yet

We say the best MX-5 yet, but every MX-5 was the best yet at the time. You can argue that the third generation (NC) was a bit of a miss, but you would be wrong. So, it’s no surprise that ND3 has built upon the existing ND platform and brought even more fun driving dynamics to the table. Should you immediately trade in your ND for an ND3, though? Probably not. The improvements are enough to warrant the fuss Mazda has made, but it’s far from making the previous version obsolete. Hell, it doesn’t even make the first or second generation obsolete. However, if you have been waiting for the update, it’s a no-brainer. Go buy one.

Our only issues with the 2024 Mazda MX-5 are the colors and the infotainment. Smarter people than us have been working on bridging Mazda’s approach to touchscreens and adding touch for Apple and Google integration, so we’re going to just say that it is what it is. However, those dull premium colors are a swing and a miss to us. It’s a fun car, Mazda, give it more special fun colors than red and blue.

The icing on the cake that is the 2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata is its price: a base Sport model costs just $28,985 before options and a $1,185 destination fee, while the excellent Club trim we tested has an MSRP of $32,485. Even the top-of-the-range Grand Touring model comes in under $35k ($34,285). There aren’t many cars this reasonably priced that offer so much in terms of fun, driving pleasure, fuss-free commuting, and a load of features. There’s a reason the Miata has a cult-like following across all its generations, and the latest models are likely to gain just as many fans.