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Used 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata Consumer Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
26 reviews

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We have a limited number of reviews for the 2021 MX-5 Miata, so we've included reviews for other years of the MX-5 Miata since its last redesign.

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Pros
Cons
5 out of 5 stars

Provides maximum driving engagement

Johntechwriter, 03/28/2020
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Sport 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
9 of 11 people found this review helpful

The Miata has two very different buyer types: hard-bitten sports car junkies like me, or people who want their car's cuteness to reflect back on them. I'm in the first group, and so my base Sport model has no fancy options like automatic wipers or a folding steel roof. No, my Sport, the base model with 6-speed manual transmission and bargain priced at under $25,000 in 2019, provides me with the most intense engagement between man and machine that modern driving can deliver. It's a given that any Miata is a blast to drive on the back roads. What it lacks in horsepower it makes up for in feather-lightness and brilliant handling thanks to an all-alloy independent suspension. But what sold me on my Sport was the involvement it requires of me in day-to-day driving. Most people probably won't relate, but even a trip to the local grocery store is immensely rewarding in this car. I think the kindred spirits of sports car guys are pilots -- they are just so intimate with their flying machines, from biplane to 747. First, you get into it -- I'm 5'10" and 168 lb. and it fits me like a glove. I get settled in the cockpit and yes, it feels much like an airplane cockpit. The Start button brings the highly tuned 2.0 L engine to life with a burst of revs. A few moments to get the oil circulating and then I ease the gorgeously tactile stick shift into first and feather the clutch to get me out of the parking garage. While cold I nurse the engine, easing into the slow lane of a nearby freeway. One exit down and I'm on a feeder road, the close-ratio 6-speed always providing me with the perfect gear., This car is so light (2340 lb.), I can lug along at idle in first gear at a walking pace in stop-and-go traffic. I get to the store and park away from the door-dingers in their SUVs. Fifteen minutes later I'm back, and that surprisingly deep trunk accommodates a week's worth of groceries for two. The weather is warming under a California sun so on a whim as I exit the supermarket I put down the top, an one-handed, two-second operation. Ah, yes, to be in a roadster with the sky as your ceiling. I can hear the cadenzas of its sporty exhaust as they rise and fall through the gears., Pulling back onto the freeway, engine fully warmed, I wind it out to 7,000 rpm in third and fourth gears, with another two upshifts and 500 rpm in reserve. The twin-cam, 16-valve engine is naturally aspirated, so there is no turbo lag or supercharged sudden rush of power. All is smoothness and light. I get home, nurse it into its underground parking spot, put up the top, and retrieve my groceries, The car has been programmed by me to lock itself once I'm away from it. At the garage door, as always, I can't resist a backward glance at what is not only the best traditional sports car on the planet, but also the most beautiful.

Safety
2 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Interior
4 out of 5 stars
Comfort
2 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars

Mazda Miata 2017

James Couch, 05/26/2018
2018 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Fun fun fun till daddy takes the Mazda away! The Miata is greatly enhanced over the pre-2016 in fuel economy and sporty feel and appearance! My first sports car! Love it but it is a pain to get in/out of the car. That’s my only real gripe. Otherwise, the Miata is fabulous.

Safety
3 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
3 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
3 out of 5 stars
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1 out of 5 stars

Mazda Epic Fail

Mazda Epic Fail, 04/24/2020
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
44 of 61 people found this review helpful

Hello Mazda world! I wanted to let you know of an issue that I am currently dealing with. I need to preface this that I am 51 years old and have been driving a manual since I was 16. Furthermore, I am a 20 year veteran of the automotive industry having worked on the retail side and as a client retention management consultant, having traveled around the US consulting with various dealerships from BMW, Mercedes, Subaru, Honda, Toyota etc.... In September of 2019, I purchased a new 2019 Mazda Miata Club edition with a manual transmission from my local dealership. It had 56 miles on it when I purchased the vehicle and was so excited because it was my 2nd Miata after a number of years. I bought a Miata because the last one was my favorite car and I had the opportunity to buy a new one. Almost two weeks ago, the clutch went. I had the vehicle towed to the local dealership. I received a call that the warranty company declined the claim. After a long discussion with the service department they went to bat for me again. I subsequently called the Mazda Customer Experience department. I have now spoken to 3 different people. The second person I spoke to was great at handling my concerns and listened. He stated that the claim was still open. Within 5 minutes of hanging up, I received am email stating that the claim is denied. I called the Customer Experience Department again to speak with Oscar who sent the email to me. I received someone else who was not at all empathetic and sounded more like a robot than anyone I had spoken to. It was awful. I hung up the phone more frustrated. I have asked to speak with someone in the warranty department but I have been told, twice, that they do not speak with customers. I am now being expected to pay $2,200 to have a new clutch put in the car. The arguments I have heard are baseless. They stated that this is not a recall issue or a common issue. What makes this baseless is that it does not mean that one car can not have defect. Having worked for various manufacturers, I know that the fact that this car has such low miles on it, would be a red flag that maybe there is a defect. Instead, Mazda Warranty is not budging, no good will or anything. Especially in this time of need. The sad thing is that this is my 2nd Miata and I LOVE this car. I am just disgusted at Mazda's lack of customer service. This is the 3rd Mazda that my family has owned and unless they step up to the plate, will be our last. I also have many friends who come to me to assist them when it's time to purchase a vehicle. Although I love how the car drives, I can not, in good faith, recommend Mazda at this point. Corporate Mazda does not care about their customers.

Technology
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
4 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
1 out of 5 stars
Value
1 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars

Wow

Floyd Taylor Golden III, 07/05/2020
updated 01/07/2021
2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata Sport 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
6 of 7 people found this review helpful

I just purchased 2020, club auto convertible in sol red this little rocket has plenty of power for city driving, the handling is incredible, it’s a sung fit I’m looking for years of fun.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars

Miata Is Always The Answer

Rick Morrill, 03/13/2020
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful

My 2019 MX-5 is my third Miata. Obviously, I love the Miata, and the the 2019 MX-5 is the best of them all. Get a Club version with a manual transmission, and you will have the time of your life. They are SO much fun.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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