2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata Review

After last year's full redesign, the 2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata doesn't receive many changes, but it didn't really need any. The latest MX-5 boasts a modernized equipment roster, including an available infotainment system with a 7-inch touchscreen and an interior trimmed out with high-quality materials. But while other cars tend to get heavier as they're given more equipment, extensive weight-saving efforts mean this generation of Miata is the lightest since 1997. Mazda appears to have achieved the impossible, having built a new Miata that's at once more elemental and more advanced than the previous-generation car.

It's not just hype, either — the Miata is as good as advertised. Like every MX-5 before it, the 2017 model is best when the road turns twisty. It zips around turns with an enthusiasm few other cars can match, and the efficient four-cylinder engine makes enough power and sound to keep the good times rolling. The new Miata is still at its best with the manual transmission, but an automatic is available, of course, as is an unprecedented selection of creature comforts and safety technologies. Put it all together and you're looking at a unique two-seater that should appeal to sports car purists and digital-age denizens alike.

Naturally, certain compromises are required when you drive a Miata. Trunk capacity is minimal, and there's not much space to spare in the intimate cabin either, whether for passengers or personal items. There's also ample road and wind noise at speed with the top up. And if you wind the engine up past 6,000 rpm, you might notice that it gets a little rough.

Few cars are more focused than the Miata. Mazda set out to make a small, fun-to-drive roadster, and it compromised very little in achieving its vision. This generation of Miata is not just great fun; it's more premium-feeling — and easier to live with day to day — than it's ever been before, but it is still unapologetically a small roadster.

What's it like to live with?

Interested in learning about what it's like to live with this little roadster? Check out our long-term reviews for the fourth-generation 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata and the updated 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata. We spent a year and more than 20,000 miles with each of these charming convertibles. In our long-term coverage, you can read in-depth reporting from our editors on everything from the way the Miata drives to its reliability.

2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club Convertible (2.0L inline-4 | 6-speed manual | RWD)

NOTE: Since this test was conducted, the current Miata is essentially unchanged. Our findings remain fully applicable to this year.