Mazda MX-5 Club: The Pure Roadster Experience You Crave
More power, paired with a couple enthusiast options, make this one great Miata.
After thirty years of banging out the best little roadster you can buy, Mazda's fourth generation MX-5 got an update with more power in 2019. While many buyers are opting for the Retractable Fastback model introduced with the ND generation, I'm still a purist that loves the soft top.
Adding the Club trim level back to the lineup gave the enthusiast a model with a focus on lightweight fun, with a hint more features than the base model. To see if the updated Miata was still worthy of all the praise it has enjoyed for three decades, I needed to toss it around.
Going Over The Stats
Figures in the MX-5 don't leap off the page, but with Mazda's new SKYACTIV-G 2.0-liter inline-four delivering 181 horsepower and 151 lb-ft (205 Nm) of torque, you've got a great power-to-weight ratio in a 2,341 pound (1,061 kg) package. Early ND MX-5 models had 155 horsepower, so this increase is meaningful. Given a great 52/48 weight distribution on its own, adding a driver gives the MX-5 Club a perfect weight balance. A tidy 154 inches long, 68 wide, and 49 tall, while sporting a 91-inch wheelbase with a 59-inch wide track front and rear, the dimensions amount to a great setup for nimble handling. The Club package adds a front air dam, rear lip spoiler, rear bumper skirt, and side still extensions, and I think the overall look is fantastic.
EPA fuel economy estimates are 26/34/29 city/highway/combined, and while I achieved 28 MPGs throughout my test, I gave away a little economy while often keeping the revs up and playing on fun roads. Wouldn't you? Prices have bumped up a bit over the generations. The MX-5 Club soft top starts at $30,290, and my Soul Red test model and its must-have $4,470 Brembo BBS Recaro package tops out at $36,300. Mazda has a few other parts available as options to tighten the handling and chassis, and while the base setup is more than competent, I wish this car got them. Inching close to $40,000 with options, you're getting into territory against the Honda Civic Type-R I recently reviewed.
Can You Have A Miata In A One-Car Garage?
Having an MX-5 as your daily driver is possible, but only if you don't have stuff to tote around, don't have kids, and don't do long haul driving. It's a two-seat roadster with a small trunk space, few cabin accommodations, and a tiny (11.9 gallon) fuel tank. If you don't care about packing much stuff, aren't commuting long distances to the office, and aren't concerned about cabin noise, you'll be fine knowing that the weekend driving will be a blast. You'll also get the nod from plenty of motorists you encounter, as the ND MX-5 looks great, and everyone knows you got this car to have fun.
At 5'11" and 190 pounds, I'm not a huge guy, but I'm above average. If you're any taller or wider than me, you aren't going to be totally confortable in the Miata's optional Recaro seats. They're going to keep you firmly in place when you're tossing the Club around twisty roads, but they are quite firm, and the thigh bolsters are tall and far too close together. Good bolsters are cool to have in a sporty car, but I had a tough time opening my legs enough to keep my left foot in a good position to use the clutch and also put my foot on the dead pedal when I was cruising along. It was bothersome to have my legs slammed shut.
Better For Weekend Playtime
Buying an MX-5 is done with fun driving in mind, and very little else. With the quick release of the handle at the top of the windscreen, and a quick shove, you manually lower and snap the soft top into its compartment, and get on with sunshine on your face and wind in your hair. I love that Mazda kept top operation simple and lightweight. You'll hope for good weather more often than not, as the cabin noise is absurdly high with the top up. I wish Mazda added a few pounds back to the car for HVH considerations.
The steering wheel is just right with size and thickness, the larger diameter shift knob fit my hand nicely, and the pedal spacing was fantastic for heel-and-toe work. As you'd expect, steering inputs and feedback are bang-on in the Miata. A little on the light side, the steering lets you know right where the front wheels are pointed, and the upgraded 17-inch BBS wheels wrapped with stickier Bridgestone Potenza 5001 rubber keep you stuck to the pavement while completing a sportier look. On one evening I was out for a fun drive when it started raining, and I didn't lose any confidence in the Bridgestones. The Club's standard limited-slip differential is wonderful at managing rear-end slip, and makes it easy to shove the MX-5 out of any bend with a hint of opposite lock. With just enough--but not too much--rubber installed, I loved sliding the Miata around corners.
Those who joke about a Miata being a "momentum car" are fools, as the bump to 181 horsepower and a more flexible power band are matched up to perfectly short gear ratios and a short throw shifter that will make buzzing from corner to corner a breeze. It's easy to zip the Miata's 2.0-liter four to its redline, and the sensation of changing gears while barely dropping revs is wonderful. You don't need 300 horsepower to have fun in a compact car. Especially when it weighs so little. As part of the Brembo BBS Recaro package, the upgraded brakes are great, and never did I worry that I was heating them up too much during a fun thrashing session.
The ride quality is a little on the firm side, but I appreciate the ease of the MX-5's response and comfort on bumpier roads. You'll feel everything, and there's going to be some chassis feedback, but you won't be rattling the fillings out of your teeth. It's a worthy compromise to have great handling and limited body roll in the bends. As is the case with any generation of MX-5, you've got a car straight off the showroom floor that will be enjoyable in any environment from the canyons, track, or autocross course with minimal running costs for maintenance and consumables.
The Pros And Cons
There are a couple things I don't love about the ND MX-5. Mazda made efforts to give you two usable cupholders, but stashed them behind your elbows, against the little rear storage bin door between the seats. Take advantage of Apple CarPlay or Android Auto as your default infotainment system, as the bland UI in the MX-5 leaves much to be desired. The gauge cluster is a bit spartan too, offering very little other than a basic info display with fuel and trip data. Interior controls are intuitive, and Mazda designed a good spot in front of the shifter to store your phone while driving. More manufacturers need to sort this detail out. The MX-5 makes it easy to enjoy the road while worrying about little else.
At over $36,000, the interior is a bit on the cheap side, and while there are a few corners cut to save weight, I want better quality inside. I don't think it would have added much weight or cost to use some better dash materials and switches throughout the cabin. There's also only a basic air conditioning system, so don't expect to be spoiled with a dual-zone climate control setup, but I do appreciate that the MX-5 has heated seats for chilly morning and evening top-down cruises.
It's Still A Miata, And That's A Good Thing.
Even with a few little gripes, which honestly aren't significant, there's a reason you see Miatas everywhere. They're fun cars, that deliver to expectations, in a good looking package, and aren't bloated with a bunch of tech for the sake of tech that makes sticker prices and curb weights skyrocket.
Thirty years of success doesn't come easy, and Mazda knows it has a good segment covered that has zero good competition. Why screw with the formula? Buyers happily sign up generation after generation, and plenty of people keep their MX-5 for decades. When you drive one, you'll understand why.
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Comments (37)
I grew up loving sports cars but couldn’t afford one until my late 20s. The first sports car I bought was an NA Miata. Then I got an NB Miata and then an NC Miata. In other words, I really liked Miatas, particularly when I was paying back a mountain of student loan debt.
I’ve now driven and owned lots of different sports cars, including some of the best sports cars ever produced. If you value lightweight fun, reliability, and value, Miatas are in an elite group of sports cars. Yes, they’re not as straight line fast as a Mustang GT (which I also owned) or a Camaro, which are similarly priced, but neither is a Lotus Elise. Quick acceleration is important, but there are many factors that define a great sports car beyond just acceleration. I suspect people who dismiss them as “chick cars” or not real sports cars have never driven one on a windy mountain road or a race track. I look forward to getting some time in the ND Miata to see how it drives and don’t think I’ll be disappointed.
Well said
It will always be true that on the road at least, you will always have more fun driving a slow car fast than fast car fast. And the Miata is the best 'slow' car hands-down.
I mean, I rather enjoy driving a fast car fast, and fortunately also get to do that often.
It’s the perfect recipe for a sports car and the embodiment of less is more.
Of course everyone likes more power but too much power is not usable on the road and you’ve got to be able to have fun within the limits. The perfect sports car.
I’m over 6’4” and have no problem with the MX5 Sport Recaro (same seats). Brilliant little car
A proper, affordable sports car, it’s a shame it has no rivals.