First Drive Review: Mazda MX-5 RF

Man I love the look of targa vehicles, and the MX-5 looks so much better in this form. I wish there were more sports cars these days that had the targa option (or at least t tops) - it makes for a very versatile driving experience.
 
@Famine Did you fit in the car easily? I'm about 6'1" and had a chance to sit in the previous generation MX-5 "Club" edition at an auto show. That was a snug fit for me, but it was still comfortable despite not being able to adjust the seat. Would you say the new MX-5 is better now for taller drivers?
 
Dan
@Famine Did you fit in the car easily? I'm about 6'1" and had a chance to sit in the previous generation MX-5 "Club" edition at an auto show. That was a snug fit for me, but it was still comfortable despite not being able to adjust the seat. Would you say the new MX-5 is better now for taller drivers?
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I'm 5'10 and a bit... more of me than there ought to be, but I fit in just fine. I'm probably pushing the limits of a Mk1 - my weird proportions mean that I don't quite have the seat all the way back, but there's not much headroom left - but there was decent space in the Mk4. I'd say that the RF is a little less friendly for roof-closed headroom than the convertible, but I haven't measured it and neither were noticeable for me.
 
Famine
I'm 5'10 and a bit... more of me than there ought to be, but I fit in just fine. I'm probably pushing the limits of a Mk1 - my weird proportions mean that I don't quite have the seat all the way back, but there's not much headroom left - but there was decent space in the Mk4. I'd say that the RF is a little less friendly for roof-closed headroom than the convertible, but I haven't measured it and neither were noticeable for me.
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Ok. Thank you for responding. Nice article, by the way. Looking forward to more. 👍
 
Like the handling on this one a bit better than the soft top. Firmer suspension damping and all.

Also, yes, ye gods is it noisy... worse with the roof down. Those sexy rear buttresses channel a tornado into the back of your head when the roof is stowed away.
 
I always wondered how does the MX5 compares to the Toyota 86 in terms of performance, practicality and price?
Considering how massively popular the GT86 over here while the MX5 is barely even talked about, I want to hear from an outside perspective.

Oh and I enjoyed reading that article, I would like to see more.
 
ToyGTone
I always wondered how does the MX5 compares to the Toyota 86 in terms of performance, practicality and price?
Considering how massively popular the GT86 over here while the MX5 is barely even talked about, I want to hear from an outside perspective.

Oh and I enjoyed reading that article, I would like to see more.
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I've driven both, and they offer very similar thrills, and price - GT86 is much more practical with the bigger cabin/trunk/back seat, but there is nothing like riding with the top down!

It's a very popular comparison - there are tons on YT, but below are three different comparisons just from MotorTrend.

Comparison before ND:


After ND release:


After the GT-86 refresh vs. the RF:
 
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I've got an NC soft top and, while I really like the looks of the ND, my jaw hit the floor when I saw the RF. Unless something dramatic happens, I'm pretty much convinced that'll be my next car. It's just stunning.
 
marcvic
I've driven both, and they offer very similar thrills, and price
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Price is very much region/country dependent I've found:



Mazda Canada summary for an MX5 RF with the "Grand Sport" package that adds the 17" BBS wheels and Brembo brakes:
2mi2owk.png


or 46,269$ USD for an 84 month financing deal

Toyota Canada summary for an 86 with every TRD option available just to make it a bit more fair:
2iktb3r.png


34,882$ USD for the same terms, but with a lower interest rate. Even with every option and the kitchen sink thrown at it, the 86 is a good 13k cheaper... And while I have no doubt the RF is a very good car, I can't put my head around that price difference, at least in this part of the world.

And, again in this part of the world, if we go by the actual demographic that targets this car, ie midlife crisis folks who want to cruise with the wind in their hair on long weekend trips around the countryside and that are more concerned with comfort than track manners and spirited driving, the RF is starting to play in a very different ballpark, straight up competing price wise with the much bigger and practical/comfortable Mustangs and Camaros of this world.

Like I've said in the past, Mazda Canada is absolutely batcrap insane with that MSRP, and I have no doubt the sales will reflect that.
 
-Fred-
Price is very much region/country dependent I've found:



Mazda Canada summary for an MX5 RF with the "Grand Sport" package that adds the 17" BBS wheels and Brembo brakes:
2mi2owk.png


or 46,269$ USD for an 84 month financing deal

Toyota Canada summary for an 86 with every TRD option available just to make it a bit more fair:
2iktb3r.png


34,882$ USD for the same terms, but with a lower interest rate. Even with every option and the kitchen sink thrown at it, the 86 is a good 13k cheaper... And while I have no doubt the RF is a very good car, I can't put my head around that price difference, at least in this part of the world.

And, again in this part of the world, if we go by the actual demographic that targets this car, ie midlife crisis folks who want to cruise with the wind in their hair on long weekend trips around the countryside and that are more concerned with comfort than track manners and spirited driving, the RF is starting to play in a very different ballpark, straight up competing price wise with the much bigger and practical/comfortable Mustangs and Camaros of this world.

Like I've said in the past, Mazda Canada is absolutely batcrap insane with that MSRP, and I have no doubt the sales will reflect that.
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How much is the base soft top MX-5 your way?

U.S.

86 ranges $26-30,000

MX-5 soft top ranges $25-30,000

MX-5 RF is $31.5-35,000

So our base RF is about 21% more than the base 86. But the base 86 is 4% more than the base MX-5 soft top.
 
The base soft top is just shy of 34k (33800$ to be precise), so 4k more than a base 86. It's no coincidence I rarely ever see ND's on the road with that kind of pricing...
 

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