The Mazda MX-5 Miata Is About to Change. But How Much?

Let’s talk about the Mazda MX-5 Miata! Thanks ‪@MagnaInternationalTV‬ for sponsoring this video.

We’ve already done a test drive and review of the 2024 Miata, which is the ND3. You can find it on our channel. So when Mazda loaned us another one to drive (the only difference was that the last one was a hardtop RF convertible, and this one is a soft top), we figured we’d use it as a chance to talk about the car’s past, present, and future, because for the first time ever, the Miata will have to change. But the question is: How much?

The Miata is the perfect car (that’s why I own two of them, both Mazdaspeeds). The roadster has achieved that status by never truly changing: It’s always been small and rear-wheel-drive, with a 50-50 weight distribution, an affordable price, and the option to buy with a manual transmission. (There’s an automatic if you want it.) Other than the turbocharged Mazdaspeed, which was only built for a couple of years during the second NB generation of the car, the Miata’s always had a naturally aspirated 4-cylinder engine. The Miata’s also extremely rewarding to drive and do maintenance on, and you shouldn’t have to do a ton of maintenance, because reliability is generally good.

But as the car market trends toward electrification, the Mazda MX-5 has to as well.

The Miata’s been around since right before 1990, and tre are currently four generations of the car: NA, NB, NC, and ND, which is what we’re on. The ND debuted in 2016, making it almost 10 years old now, and it’s seen multiple special editions of the car: the orange 30th anniversary Miata of a few years ago, and the dark red 35th anniversary car that just debuted.

Each MX-5 generation has its merits, and you’ll see tons of review comparisons between them because of that. The new car will probably be the NE if we follow that pattern, and Mazda’s already confirmed it will have some sort of electrification.

That’s probably scary for a lot of car people. But to me, someone whose family has owned every generation of Miata (including the ND1, ND2, and ND3), it’s exciting. Mazda know’s the Miata isn’t a record seller, and the company wouldn’t introduce a new Miata that doesn’t build on the Miata’s existing legacy. They’d retire the nameplate before they betrayed it. Every Miata generation I’ve driven has been just slightly better than the last, inching toward perfection each time. I think the NE will do that as well.

Thanks for watching my YouTube channel. Enjoy the drive (and the video)! If you want to see my more standard car reviews, you can check out the other videos on the channel.

#cars #miata #mx5 #mazdamiata #mazda #mx5nd #mx5roadster #mx5miata #automotive #carreview #carreviews #alanisking

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