2025 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Consumer Reviews
Pricing
Grand Touring (Editors' Pick) - $38,535 MSRP
Edmunds suggests you pay
$37,0386 for sale near you
Prices based on sales in CO thru 4/21/25
We have a limited number of reviews for the 2025 MX-5 Miata RF, so we've included reviews for other years of the MX-5 Miata RF since its last redesign.
Mmm, Mmm, Mmm
New Miata Owner, 09/10/2023
2023 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Grand Touring 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
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Picked up our new 2023 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF 2 weeks ago. Very first impression on the way home from the dealership - feels like driving an MG or Austin-Healey but with modern creature comforts and Japanese reliability and quality. That was of course the original mission for Mazda some 24 years ago, and it still applies today. I was concerned on that first drive (175 miles) that I got a lemon when the temp and fuel gauges didn't appear to be working, only to find out that the instrument cluster lighting control hidden in the driver's instrument binnacle also serves as an on/of switch for the temp gauge (9/13/23 update: I just discovered that the temp gauge button actually switches the digital gauge range between full scale and operating temperature only, presumably to get a better handle on potential overheating when at a track day) and that since I was getting better than 40 mpg, it took about 75 miles before the needle moved below full. Some of the most comfortable seats I've sat in, even though they only have basic manual adjustments - we got the GT trim with the leather seats. I'm 5'-10" so no problem with fitting in, but it is tight with very limited storage - not really a problem given the mission. I did find that unless I kept my left foot on the dead pedal, it leaned against a crease in the hard plastic of the door panel, and in general I was expecting less hard plastic and more soft-touch surfaces. It's probably a convertible thing, but the sun visors can't be moved to the side windows - I've learned to always bring a ball cap to deal with sun glare. The easiest clutch I've ever used - you've got to try to stall it, which my wife found very surprising and forgiving. The shifter is the closest I've experienced to a gaming simulation setup but still exhibits mechanical feedback - super short throws and close ratios. You'll want to shift often to get it into the right ratio for spirited driving, but it's also happy to stay in a high gear and has a surprising amount of torque if you want to be lazy. I'm still in the break-in period (although Mazda doesn't have a specific break-in period, just says to vary the revs and avoid full throttle and harsh braking for the first 600 miles - sounds like a typical break-in period to me), but this thing likes to be wrung out and is very satisfying doing so. I haven't gone beyond 4-5K rpm, but it pulls stronger and stronger the higher you take it - wonderfully linear response as you would expect from an NA engine that has been massaged for sporty driving. It feels very similar to my long gone bugeye WRX once the turbo boost kicked in, thanks to its light weight and eagerness to rev. I cross-shopped a BRZ/GR86 after driving my son's 2017 BRZ - very similar driving feel, however we really wanted the option to go topless, and found the MX-5 to be a more dedicated sports car with classic flair. Wind buffeting with the hard top retracted is minimal, especially with the windows up. The body panel surfacing is considerably better looking in person than in photos - looks like a mini Ferrari and just feels special. Very neutral handling at the somewhat lower cornering limits that I've driven it so far - looking forward to exploring its limits and chassis dynamics under more spirited driving conditions. I did notice that on poor pavement it can get quite choppy - probably due to the short wheelbase and suspension tuning. The steering weight is just right to my liking, and extremely accurate with a nicely tuned center - not overly darty. Steering feel and communication is numbingly de rigueur as with most modern cars with electric steering - definitely not like the old MGs, but you can position it exactly where you want to and it's fairly telepathic. I found the lane keep assist very bothersome until I learned that it can be turned off - surprisingly once off it stays off even after turning the car off and back on again. Overall a delightfully modern and sporty driving experience that I plan on enjoying to the fullest.
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Gotta Buy Miata
Jorge F, 04/09/2024
updated 01/02/2025
2023 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Club 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
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I drove two manual-transmission VW GTI's from 2005 to 2022. At that point, I decided to get a "grown-up car," a 2022 Genesis G70 3.3T. I loved that Genesis--the interior was posh, the rearview camera had crystal clear resolution, it had blind-spot monitors that I never had in my GTI, and it had 360-degree overhead camera. And that thing flew--it did 0-60 MPH in 4.5 seconds. I also loved pulling up to places and having a respectable-looking car. But then I watched a show about the top ten greatest sports cars of all time, featuring the Miata at slot #9. I loved the looks of the new RF model, but I thought "it's a Miata--how good can it be?" My intrigue got the best of me and I decided to rent a 2019 MX-5 RF Club for five days. I dropped off my daughter at school and soccer, drove to work, took it for joyrides with the top down...and I slowly fell in love. I didn't realize how much I missed driving a manual transmission until I started powering through the gears in the Miata. I didn't know that I was a convertible guy until I started powering the top down. This thing is so fun to rev to 7500 RPM and hear the engine growl. And if you want to take it easy, it'll give you 35-40 MPG on the highway in sixth gear—whereas my Genesis gave me a paltry 15 MPG. The Miata is so fun to rip around the corners; if you go hard enough, you will feel the rear wheels losing traction, but the car is so well balanced that it rights itself almost instantaneously as you let off the gas, giving you a feeling of control but with a big goofy smile on your face. The MX-5 doesn't fly like a 400 HP car, but its 5.8 sec 0-60 is respectably quick (quicker than my old GTI's), and 40 MPH feels like 60 MPH because you are so low to the ground—just like a go-cart. Within five days of returning my rental, I missed driving the Miata so much that I bought a 2023 MX-5 RF Club—and I enjoy it every single day. I thought I'd save more money on gas since the fuel efficiency is so much better than my Genesis, except that I find myself driving 30% more because this car is so fun! I sold my Genesis and I haven't looked back (although I do miss the extra two seats and the rearview camera sometimes). I never thought that driving could be so enjoyable.
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2025 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF for sale near you
3 of 6 listings
- Grand Touring ConvertibleMSRP: $40,54531 mi away
- Grand Touring ConvertibleMSRP: $39,71516 mi away
- Grand Touring ConvertibleMSRP: $41,20516 mi away
See all 6 listings
Take Me to 7500 RPM
Jorge F, 04/11/2024
2023 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Club 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I just bought a 2023 MX-5 RF Club in Deep Crystal Blue, and I turn heads everywhere I go-- especially when I switch the car from a hardtop coupe to a convertible at a stop light. For a body style that was released in 2016, this car still looks gorgeous. The interior is very well finished for a $40,000 car that prioritizes the driving experience. The Recaro seats are sharp looking and also comfortable. The blind spot monitors are overly sensitive, but the left-side blind spot is pretty bad so I guess I prefer that they work rather than not work. Rear view camera resolution hasn't improved since 2019, but this car is about the driving experience. Hearing that engine roar as you approach 7,500 RPMs, and taking a tight corner in second gear as you push the rear tire grip to its limits is what this car is all about. Yes there's only 181 horsepower, but there's something erotically efficient about getting to use every single one of those horses as you push your 2,450 lb car to 7,500 RPM, shift to second gear and repeat. I look forward to every outing and every errand, and just looking at it, and especially driving it, puts a smile on my face and lifts my mood.
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CLASSI-ATA
NeNe, 09/20/2022
2022 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Grand Touring 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
LOVE IT ALL!!!—- A little tight, but it performs!! Smooth, easy speed…Classy!!
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Great ride
Charlotte , 10/09/2022
2022 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Grand Touring 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Such a fun ride. Handles beautifully.