Ah, 2015…doesn’t feel like ancient history, until memories like this MX-5 Miata pop up on your social media feed.
Look, I don’t think I’m breaking any new ground here by saying social media is, by and large, a complete hellscape. It’s all too easy to fall down the nostalgia rabbit hole to, say, 2015. That’s when I graduated college, the ND-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata landed on American shores…and social media still wasn’t all that great (but at least it was better, right?). Hey, if it wasn’t for a certain platform and its certain memories feature, it’d be all too easy to miss that Mazda brought its current-generation roadster to America a decade ago.
In a lot of ways, Mazda’s plucky little halo continues to defy the odds. As manual cars and convertibles across the board roll off into the sunset, the Japanese automaker has kept its icon going to where the sentiment it’s “always the answer” still holds true. That’s especially true after 2019, when Mazda upgraded the car’s 2.0-liter SkyActiv inline-four engine to put out 181 horsepower. I know, that really doesn’t sound like a lot, but considering it’s a featherweight (by modern standards) at 2,400 pounds with the option of a manual transmission and rear-wheel drive, it’s an absolute blast for any driver.
It’s still great…just not exactly “cheap”.
Mazda gave the so-called ND3 Miata a host of other small, but meaningful upgrades for another mid-cycle refresh in 2024. Arguably, that makes the newer MX-5 Miatas the best ones to get thanks to a revised steering rack, different type of limited-slip differential and a new dynamic stability control mode for even more tail-out fun.
Of course, as with everything, the MX-5 Miata has gotten more expensive over the years, so it’s not quite as accessible to enthusiasts wanting an affordable entry-level sports car anymore. The soft-top Sport is $30,715 these days, and building out a loaded Grand Touring will set you back $36,715, assuming you stick with the three-pedal layout (and you should). Go for the 35th Anniversary Edition or the RF, and you’re running near the $40,000 mark.
On the whole, Mazda has mainly just tweaked the ND Miata because it hasn’t needed to do a full redesign. It’s still a fantastic roadster, and I’m not just saying that as TFL’s resident Mazda fanboy. And now may be the best time to enjoy the current generation, as a next-gen sports car is in the pipeline, based around the company’s Iconic SP concept.
We’ll have to wait and see on that one, but still, social media offered a nice reminder of how long the current ND’s been with us, and stirred up a ton of fun memories about all my times behind the wheel. So thanks for that, Facebook…even if I do feel a bit old now (yes, never mind the fact that I still browse Facebook).
