In the golden days of the Internet, before dysfunctional social media, when forums ruled the roost and people formed communities, someone looking for car advice would invariably be told, more than once, "Just get a Miata." For 35 years, the Miata, or MX-5 as it's better known globally, has stuck to the same simple recipe: two seats and a four-cylinder engine in front that drives the rear wheels behind, wrapped in about as small of a body as is possible while still meeting international crash regulations.
Mazda cribbed the recipe from British sports cars of the 1960s but crucially added something those cars lacked—bulletproof reliability and economy-car running costs. Factor in that MX-5s are a joy to drive, and you can see why people online were so quick to recommend what must be the most accessible sports car of all time.
Today, I am going to buck that trend. Well, sort of. Because the take-home from this review is: Buy the 2025 MX-5 Miata, just not the RF.
The Soul Red paint is a $595 option that looks amazing in natural light. Credit: Jonathan Gitlin
Wait, what?
For the first couple of decades of the MX-5, the car was available as a single body style—a soft-top roadster. The third-generation MX-5 (known as the NC) was available with a retractable hardtop as an alternative, but in 2017 for the fourth-gen (ND) car, Mazda created a whole new model for the hardtop, called the RF.
RF stands for retractable fastback, and the car got some distinct rear styling to live up to the name. Large buttresses extend back from the cockpit and over the rear wheels and maintain the fastback shape even when the roof is stowed. Raising and lowering the roof is motorized, takes about 12 seconds, and can be operated while the car is traveling at up to 6 mph (10 km/h). Any faster and you're driving around with a partially open roof until you find somewhere to stop.