2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata Review

Name: 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata Review
Brand: Mazda

Price Range: $23,998 - $28,990

Mazda MX-5 Miata Club Convertible Exterior Shown

Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring Convertible Exterior

+145

Mazda has made the 2021 MX-5 Miata virtually unassailable in the realm of fun-to-drive sports cars. In a world of ever more complex performance cars, the refreshingly pure and elemental Miata shows everyone how it's done.

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Price & Payment

13 cars

$26,181 avg. price

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2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata Review

by the Edmunds Experts

What's new

New wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay smartphone integration
White leather upholstery available
Part of the fourth MX-5 Miata generation introduced for 2016

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata Sport 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 6M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.52 per gallon for premium unleaded in Texas.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in Texas

$149/mo

$141/mo

Avg. Compact Car

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Reliability Ratings by RepairPal

4/5Excellent

#9 out of 27 among Subcompact Cars

RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2008-2022 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features.

Cost

^{The average total annual cost for unscheduled repairs and maintenance across all model years of the Mazda MX-5 Miata from 2008-2022.}

$349/yr

vs. $416/yr
for Average Subcompact Car

Frequency

^{The average number of times this model is brought into the shop for unscheduled repairs and maintenance in a single year. RepairPal calculates this metric by tracking millions of unique vehicles over multiple years to determine an average number of visits per year (omitting small routine visits, e.g., oil changes).}

0.81x/yr

vs. 1.22x/yr
for Average Subcompact Car

Severity

^{The probability that a repair will be a major issue, meaning the repair costs 3x the average annual repair cost for all models. This threshold will be higher for vehicles that have higher labor rates and parts costs (such as a premium brand).}

12.4%

vs. 10.1%
for Average Subcompact Car

powered by RepairPal ^{Based on RepairPal reliability data as of 8/23/2023. Ratings are provided by RepairPal and Edmunds is not responsible for their accuracy.}

Mazda MX-5 Miata Reviews

Owner Reviews

4.6

26 reviews

5(69%)

4(27%)

3(0%)

2(0%)

1(4%)

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Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Most fun of any car ive ever been in.

Mark hoyle, 05/18/2021

2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 6M)

Ive had a 2000 vette, two mini coopers (which I loved), multiple Chevy ford Lexus Nissan Mitsubishi land rover Honda Toyota cars and trucks (I'm old!) and this is the most fun of any car ive ever had. Its my daily driver. The handling is phenomenal. Its sweet spot is 90-100mph but even at slower speeds its a blast. The cornering is fantastic. Its like driving a comfortable go cart daily! …

an enjoyable ride

Chris N., 02/17/2019

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Sport 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 6M)

This is the first car that I look forward to driving every day. The small size makes it very agile and the car feels like an extension of the driver, and it's easy to ignore the compromises made. With the top down, visibility is great and the wind creates of a feeling of speed, even when driving moderately fast. With the top up the car feels cozy, but rear and side visibility are …

2006 MX-5 updated to 2020

Charles, 10/21/2020

2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 6A)

What an update! Hated to trade my 2006 after 14 years but glad I did. My new 2020 GT is fantastic. Love all the tech , the increased HP, the exhaust SOUND, the ride, the look, and the drive. One feature that I was not aware of is the picture of the latest speed limit sign displayed on instrument panel. Can’t believe the MPG of 37+ combined with jackrabbit starts (0 to 60 5 seconds) and …

Best Miata Yet!

Dr. Roger Tilton, 05/17/2021

2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 6M)

I just recently bought a new Miata grand touring manual shift. I should mention that I have driven only Miatas since they first came out in 1989, and this will be my sixth. My first very pleasant surprise was the appearance. I wanted the Soul Red Crystal but based on the pictures on the dealer's website it didn't look too good with the gray top which is all that any of the dealers had in … the grand touring. I went to test drive one, and when I saw the red with the gray top in person I almost fainted. The color combination looked just fantastic in person and nothing like the picture. My car until then was a 2016 soul red special edition with the tan interior which looked great, but this looked even better. The red is deeper and more beautiful than before which I didn't think was possible. In fact I think this is the most beautiful red I have ever seen in a car including Ferraris and Corvettes, and other people tell me that when they see my car. (I got the first compliment on the color on the test drive from another driver at a stoplight who said he loved the color.) I tell people it looks like a $100,000 car, but I honestly can't think of a $100,000 car that looks this beautiful. With the gray top it adds a sense of elegance. I had been a little concerned, because this car has a sports suspension which now comes with the grand touring manual, since I have always had the regular suspension desiring a smoother ride. However with the sports suspension it is just fine and in fact better overall. It felt a little bit rougher on a not so smooth road during my test drive, but then I decided I had better check the tire pressure. Mazda recommends 29 psi which is inside the driver's side door. Sure enough the dealer had 50 psi in all four tires which I then corrected. I have had the car for a week now and have driven 500 miles. All I can say is that as much as I loved my 2016 Miata this one is better in every way. The added horsepower added in 2019 is very noticeable and just puts the driving experience on a higher level. And on a decent road the ride quality is better than ever. It is even smoother than my 2016, and there's something about the overall feel of the car on the road that is just sensational. You feel this on the freeway at high speeds but even at just about any speed unless it's a really rough road. It's 0-60 time of 5.7 and it's quarter mile time of 14.4 is comparable to the former Honda S2000 and to the 2013 Porsche Boxster which were formidable cars. I used to love the Boxster, but I test drove one a couple of years ago and in the manual shift I was really disappointed. You almost couldn't drive it normally in the city, because you would be going 70 mph in second gear. I like the Miata better which is more like the Boxster use to be. When I say everything is better with this Miata than my 2016 that includes the clutch which is even easier than before and something, about the integration of the manual shifter and the clutch which seems even more seamless. With all of my Miatas I always thought they couldn't be improved upon, but each one is noticeably better than the one before. However this ND2 is really something else. The subjective enjoyment factor in driving this car is really off the charts. If you watch some of the current YouTube reviews with young guys who say they had never driven a Miata and had some negative preconceived ideas about it, they are noticeably blown away when they are test driving it. It's also nice to have the Apple Car Play which can be connected wirelessly on the grand touring, and the black leather with white stitching looks really nice. This Miata is the best ever and is truly a remarkable car. Given the looks, performance, and overall driving enjoyment there really is no car I would rather have.

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

See all 26 reviews of the Mazda MX-5 Miata

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2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata video

Fun Cars Under $40K | Dodge Challenger, Mazda Miata, Chevy Camaro, Ford Mustang & More

What are the most affordable fun cars under $40K? In this video, Mark Takahashi from Edmunds presents eight cars that will leave a smile on your face, be it at the track or on the way to the grocery store, plus a couple of honorable mentions, for under $40,000 MSRP. Mark’s got American icons, like the Ford Mustang GT and Chevy Camaro SS, plus a few overseas offerings such…

2021 MX-5 Miata Highlights

Trim:

Sport

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$26,830
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	29 MPG
Cost to Drive	$149/month
Seating	2 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	4.6 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	rear wheel drive
Warranty	3 years / 36,000 miles

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Safety

Our experts like the MX-5 Miata models:

Blind-Spot Monitoring: Alerts you of a vehicle in the Miata's blind spot with indicators mounted on the driver's side mirrors.
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert: Alerts you of cars approaching from either side of the Miata's rear bumper when you're in reverse.
Lane Departure Warning System: Warns you when you unintentionally drift out of your lane without activating a turn signal.

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2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata Review

Price & Payment

2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata Review

What's new

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata Sport 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 6M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.52 per gallon for premium unleaded in Texas.}

Reliability Ratings by RepairPal

Cost

Frequency

Severity

Mazda MX-5 Miata Reviews

Owner Reviews

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Trending topics

Most fun of any car ive ever been in.

an enjoyable ride

2006 MX-5 updated to 2020

Best Miata Yet!

2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata video

Fun Cars Under $40K | Dodge Challenger, Mazda Miata, Chevy Camaro, Ford Mustang & More

2021 MX-5 Miata Highlights

Safety

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2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata Review

Price & Payment

2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata Review

What's new

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata Sport 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 6M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.52 per gallon for premium unleaded in Texas.

Reliability Ratings by RepairPal

Cost

Frequency

Severity

Mazda MX-5 Miata Reviews

Owner Reviews

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Most fun of any car ive ever been in.

an enjoyable ride

2006 MX-5 updated to 2020

Best Miata Yet!

2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata video

Fun Cars Under $40K | Dodge Challenger, Mazda Miata, Chevy Camaro, Ford Mustang & More

2021 MX-5 Miata Highlights

Safety

People who viewed this also viewed

Related Used 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata info

Vehicle reviews of used models

Shop similar models

Shop used vehicles in your area

Popular new car reviews and ratings

Research other models of Mazda

Other models

Join Edmunds

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata Sport 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 6M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.52 per gallon for premium unleaded in Texas.}