2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata Review

The 2017 Miata is a great value at any trim level. But if you're having a hard time choosing, go with the Club trim. It's the purest distillation of the car and still offers a good mix of modern conveniences. The Club offers upgraded suspension dampers and more aggressive styling than the Sport, plu...

Even though the Miata is capable of entertaining performance, it is still easy to drive in everyday commuting situations (yes, even with a manual). The small footprint is well-suited to tight city confines and parking spaces.

In our testing, a Miata with the manual transmission reached 60 mph in 6.3 seconds. You won't be blowing doors off V8 Camaros, but it's nonetheless appropriate acceleration for the car's zippy character. There's plenty of midrange torque. Accelerating quickly is as pleasurable as it is easy.

Our test car stopped from 60 mph in 111 feet, which is slightly longer than we'd expect given that it had the optional Brembo brake package installed. The distances and pedal firmness remained consistent, though, and it remained composed in full-panic braking.

Steering effort is lighter than we're used to from a Miata, and feedback is a little muted, too. Even still, it remains one of the best steering examples available today. It reacts with immediacy and is very accurate. The steering wheel feels perfectly shaped in your hands.

Few cars feel more light and nimble than the Miata. Precise and predictable are the operative words here. There's more body roll than expected when cornering aggressively, but overall driving a Miata along a curvy road is an absolute blast.

Even though the Miata is capable of entertaining performance, it is still easy to drive in everyday commuting situations (yes, even with a manual). The small footprint is well-suited to tight city confines and parking spaces.

Two-seat roadsters aren't known for being comfortable, but the Miata bucks that trend with compliant suspension tuning and seating for the long haul. There's a noticeable amount of noise, but for some, that's part of the allure.

The seats cradle occupants with just the right amount of support. Side bolsters provide ample lateral support without being intrusive. After hours of driving, you should still be pretty comfortable.

Despite its small dimensions and sporty intentions, the Miata isn't punishing. There's plenty of compliance to smooth over bumps, but bigger potholes will send a good thud through the chassis. Long road trips won't be a problem.

Road and wind noise is prevalent at highway speeds with the top up, but not to the point that it's intrusive. The pleasant exhaust tenor is loud enough to make it sound special, but not so loud that it's obnoxious.

The Miata's simple climate control interface, with its three large and knurled knobs, is easy to use. However, the system has trouble regulating temperature with the top up, especially on very hot or very cold days.

The Miata's interior is well-crafted with a pleasing design. But the driving position isn't the best, and there's the typical drawbacks inherent with a small car like this.

The primary controls are well-placed around the driver, and the gauges are easy to read. But the infotainment system's controller knob is located in a spot where the driver may place his/her right forearm and doesn't fall readily to hand.

The average-size adult will have no problem slipping in and out. Taller drivers will have to curl themselves through the opening if the top is up. Short doors aid access in tight parking spots.

Six-foot-tall drivers will reach the size limitations of head- and legroom. Even for the typical adult, the cockpit is snug enough to feel as though you're wearing the car. It doesn't feel claustrophobic, though.

Forward visibility is as good as it gets nowadays, thanks to favorable windshield positioning and narrow roof pillars. As small as the car is, there's very little guesswork with rear visibility, too.

The interior materials have improved significantly from the last Miata and now meet the standards for this price point.

A tiny trunk, no backseat and limited cabin space mean that this isn't the best if you need to haul larger items. Small items are more easily accommodated.

The tidy bin between the seats serves as a less convenient glovebox (because there isn't one). It's your primary place to store your items, and it holds an average amount of stuff. That's helpful because the removable cupholders are good for holding cups only.

A significant drawback. The Miata's 4.6-cubic-foot trunk is comically small, and there's no glovebox. There are small bins behind the seats and other pockets are tiny. The removable cupholders can obstruct shifting.

In Club and Grand Touring trims, the Miata comes with an easy-to-use infotainment interface. There's also a respectable amount of advanced driver safety aids. The sound system's quality, however, is unimpressive.

Mazda's infotainment system is easy to navigate and use, but even with the nine-speaker Bose stereo upgrade, the sound quality is only middling and is easily overwhelmed by wind and road noise.

The Miata does have two USB ports but no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. The 12-volt outlet is inconveniently hidden deep in the passenger footwell.

Blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and lane departure warning now come standard on most Miatas. Frontal collision warning isn't available, though.

As long as the cabin isn't too noisy, voice recognition is accurate, and on-screen prompts simplify use. Using voice commands to enter an address is as easy as with any other system.

To learn more about the 2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata of this generation, read our updates from a full year of living with a 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata. We cover everything from seat comfort to real-world fuel economy. There are only minimal changes since 2016, and our observations still apply.