2022 Mazda MX-5 Miata Reviews, Pricing & Specs

The 2022 Mazda MX-5 Miata comes in standard convertible soft top (roadster) and available retractable fastback (RF) hardtop body styles and Sport, Club, and Grand Touring trim. The base Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) is $28,665, including the $1,015 destination charge. The RF Club is the most expensive version of the car, checking in with an MSRP of $39,565, including destination. Since our RF Club test car had extra-cost Soul Red paint, the price tag came to $40,160.

That Soul Red paint positively glows in the sunlight, highlighting the fourth-generation Miata's lines, curves, and swells. Now seven years old, the design still looks great, and the RF Club model's newly standard, dark gunmetal, forged aluminum, 17-inch BBS aluminum wheels give this version a purposeful presence.

We like the looks of the RF but still think the standard convertible is the way to go unless you're planning to use the Miata as a four-season car or simply prefer to drive a coupe. When you power down the RF's retractable fastback roof panel, the buttresses aft of the doors remain in place, creating more top-down noise and wind buffeting in the cabin than you'll get in the convertible. Plus, a Club convertible with Soul Red paint and the Brembo BBS Recaro package runs $37,260, saving you nearly three grand.

Inside, Mazda dresses the RF Club's Recaro performance seats in simulated suede with fake leather bolsters, and they feature light gray contrast stitching and piping. The stitching also appears on the steering wheel, dashboard, door panels, shifter, and parking brake, and it complements the Miata's metallic interior detailing. Materials are high in quality, but there are numerous seams, crevices, and surface changes within the cabin, all places where dust and grit from top-down driving can collect to detract from the interior ambience.

Drivers face three large, round, clearly marked, and highly legible gauges. The steering wheel perfectly frames the partially digital instrumentation, which puts an oversized tachometer in the middle for quick and easy reference. Three round knobs control the manual climate system, and the test car had heated seats for top-down driving on chilly days.

Among our favorite things about the Miata's interior are the upper door panels. They're shaped and painted to mimic a continuation of the front fender sheet metal into the cabin, a neat design trick that underscores Mazda's jinba ittai (horse and rider as one) engineering philosophy.

Four years ago, Mazda made a significant change to the MX-5 Miata that made an already great car nearly perfect. The company modified the car's 2.0-liter four-cylinder Skyactiv-G engine to increase output by 26 horsepower and three pound-feet of torque, for 181 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 151 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm. Furthermore, the engine's redline rose from 6,800 rpm to 7,500 rpm.

While these changes may have appeared minor, they significantly impacted how the 2,339-pound sports car drove. The added oomph made the Miata quicker, and the increased redline meant you could hold revs longer. During testing in Southern California's Santa Monica Mountains, you could run the car with the six-speed manual transmission in second or third gear at all times, minimizing shifts and conserving momentum. The powertrain upgrade was a transformational change for the fourth-gen Miata.

Now, for the 2022 model year, Mazda adds KPC to every MX-5 Miata. KPC is beneficial when driving the car hard and fast. It uses software to apply varying degrees of braking to the inside rear wheel during high-g cornering and when accelerating past an apex into a straight section of road. This subtle braking action effectively pulls the inner back corner of the car down to reduce body roll, improve steering response, and create a limited-slip effect.

How does KPC work in the real world? We headed back into the Santa Monica Mountains to find out, but first, a caveat. Most of our previous testing of the fourth-generation Miata has involved the Grand Touring trim. We haven't sampled a Club since 2016, and this was our first rodeo in a Miata equipped with the Brembo BBS Recaro package and P205/45R17 Bridgestone Potenza summer rubber.

With that said, the Miata benefits from yet another transformation, making the 2022 model-year car the one to own. Unquestionably, it is the best Miata yet.

By the seats of our pants, KPC reduces some of the rotation induced by hard dives into corners, plants the rear end better when getting back onto the accelerator pedal, and is especially beneficial on imperfect pavement, off-camber curves, and decreasing-radius corners. In turn, this makes the 2022 Mazda Miata more predictable, easier to trust, and more enjoyable to drive in various situations.

We turned on our Out of Office e-mail notification and spent a glorious afternoon burning through a tank of gas, driving all of this region's best roads: Stunt, Piuma, Latigo Canyon, Mulholland, Decker Canyon, and Deer Creek Canyon. Then, for good measure, we headed out toward Santa Barbara on California 154 and 192. Only personal responsibility to family and a need to generate income got the Miata's nose turned back south toward L.A. California Route 1 was definitely calling.

The Miata's brilliance shines brighter than simply its smooth, high-revving engine, perfect manual gearbox, and new KPC technology. One of the things we love about this car is that it feels like it's going fast, even at lower speeds. Its tiny size, open top, and flingable nature contribute to this sensation, and you can have a blast driving this car without getting in over your head.

It's also a better tool for canyon carving than most other performance-oriented vehicles – especially with the Brembo BBS Recaro package. The Santa Monicas are laced with narrow, often lumpy two-lane roads with blind corners, damp shadows, rockfall, and gorges just off the edge of the pavement. As a result, you simply cannot go very fast in a larger, heavier vehicle – especially if you don’t know the road well.

In contrast, in the modestly powerful but exceedingly capable Miata, the diminutive footprint allows you to use more of the lane to conserve speed, the laser-guided steering welcomes fine inputs and adjustments, and the brakes can bring the car to a near-immediate stop if necessary.

Specific to our test car, we'll note a couple of additional behavioral traits. First, the lightweight, forged aluminum BBS wheels reduce the amount of unsprung weight bolted to each corner of the car, and the effect on the ride and handling is palpable. With these wheels, the Miata has a smoother ride and feels even more agile and athletic.

Second, the Brembo brakes utterly resist fade. We performed testing on a warm, sunny summer day (the best kind of weather for Miata driving), and no matter how hard or consistently we used the brakes, they performed to an exceptionally high standard.

Mazda designs the MX-5 Miata to serve as a tool of delight. That is the car’s sole goal. And it is masterful at its purpose.

Sports cars are all about form and function, but not in the traditional sense. And with the Miata's mission of achieving jinba ittai, the car is as reductionist as possible, with each gram of mass scrutinized to determine its necessity.

Therefore, you get two seats mounted within a snug interior. But you need not assume that only smaller people can drive this car. Even if you're six feet tall and carrying extra weight around your middle, you'll fit behind the steering wheel just fine. However, the front passenger's seat is another story. Seat track travel appears less generous, and the dashboard encroaches on legroom, making it less comfortable for larger occupants.

Worse, getting into and out of a Miata is anything but graceful except for the young, limber, and athletic. Tight parking situations make it even more difficult because the wider you can open the doors, the easier a time you'll have of it.

The test car's Recaro performance seats supply substantial side bolsters, grippy simulated suede upholstery inserts, and a cushion angle adjustment, helping a driver find a perfect position. They hold you in place without feeling overly restrictive and are comfortable for hours at a time, though we found that a break to stretch and walk around at the four-hour mark was necessary.

During our drive, the weather changed from toasty and sunny in the inland areas to chilly and misty on the coast at sunset. The climate system handled the variable temperatures in stride, and the seat heaters helped toward the end of the day. Driving home after dark on the freeway, we buttoned the car up, cutting wind, noise, and exposure to dropping nighttime temperatures.

Two people can take a road trip in this two-seater, but they'll need to pack light. The trunk measures 4.6 cubic feet with the convertible and 4.5 cubic feet with the RF, enough space for a rollaboard suitcase and a couple of backpacks.

There isn't much interior storage space, either. A small tray forward of the shifter is useful for your smartphone and is located next to the car's USB ports. In addition, there is a tiny compartment under the center armrest, small bins in the door panels, and a decent-sized glove compartment built into the back wall of the cabin between the seats.

Two cupholders snap into place just in front of the glove compartment, unreachable by anyone who hasn't had a close encounter with Vecna from "Stranger Things 4." They also get in the way when you're contorting your arm to use the infotainment controls on the car's center console.

By design, the 2022 Mazda MX-5 Miata limits technology in favor of weight savings and a pure driving experience. However, like all modern vehicles, it relies on an infotainment system to provide access to vehicle settings, communication and entertainment features, the available navigation system, and more.

The Miata is the last Mazda to use the original Mazda Connect technology. It comes with a 7-inch display, and when the car isn't moving, it works as a touchscreen, a feature other Mazdas no longer have (though the 2023 CX-50 SUV now provides touch operation of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto). When the car is moving, you need to use the awkwardly placed controls on the center console or the ones on the steering wheel.

All three trim levels include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Additionally, Mazda Connect provides Bluetooth connectivity with text message delivery and reply, E911 automatic emergency notification, HD Radio, and access to internet radio platforms including Pandora, Aha, and Stitcher. Club trim adds wireless Apple CarPlay, SiriusXM satellite radio, and a nine-speaker Bose audio system with front head restraint speakers. An integrated navigation system and SiriusXM Traffic and Travel Link services are standard with Grand Touring trim.

Since the test car lacked navigation and the satellite radio subscription was inactive, we wirelessly paired an iPhone and relied on Apple CarPlay to provide internet radio and navigation access. Using the talk button on the steering wheel, Siri was more responsive and intelligent than any version of Mazda Connect, anyway.

If driving the Miata isn't entertaining enough and you need some tunes to go along with the curves and corners, the Bose sound system works well up to a certain point. However, in the RF, with the roof open, at speed on California's 101 freeway, the wind noise and racket from surrounding vehicles overwhelm it unless you crank the volume high enough to potentially need to file a warranty claim.

By going through all the menus and setting the car up the way we wanted it, and then using Apple CarPlay and the steering wheel buttons during our week behind the wheel, we resolved the bulk of our user interface complaints with Mazda Connect. However, there must be a better way. For a car laser-focused on minimalism and driving enjoyment, Mazda Connect frequently causes confusion, irritation, frustration, and aggravation.

Blissfully, Mazda equips the 2022 MX-5 Miata with only the most helpful driving assistance features. Standard equipment includes forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking that works at lower speeds, a lane-departure warning system that can either beep or emit a rumble through the stereo speakers, a blind-spot monitoring system, a rear cross-traffic alert system, and a reversing camera.

Considering the short, basic menu of safety features, we can only report three observations. First, we would prefer the lane-departure warning system provide a steering wheel vibration instead of the weird rumble emitted through the stereo speakers. Second, the blind-spot monitoring system signals danger for longer than necessary, though we suppose the extra margin for error can't hurt. Third, Mazda adds a traffic sign recognition system to the Grand Touring model. Unfortunately, recent experience in a rented MX-5 RF GT demonstrated that it is often inaccurate at any given time of reference, making it impossible to trust.

As for crash protection, you get two front and two side airbags. That's it. And since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) haven't performed crash tests on the Miata, we have no idea how it would perform in a collision.

If you've ever taken a physics course, then you can probably guess that a Miata isn't going to win in a collision in a country where SUVs and pickup trucks dominate the roads. Good thing it has the reflexes to help you avoid them in the first place. Hint: don’t hide in their blind spots.

While our 2022 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Club test car cost more than $40,000, that still represents a bargain if your primary goal in choosing a new sports car is maximum smileage.

Yes, we know the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86 exist and that improvements for 2022 make them compelling alternatives. If you want a fixed-roof coupe with the added practicality of a couple of rear jump seats, you should cross-shop those RWD twins with the Miata.

You could also consider the Hyundai Veloster N. That car is a laugh-riot, well-equipped, loaded with value, and has a habitable back seat and a hatchback design to add genuine utility. But, it's a front-wheel drive (FWD) hot hatchback, not a sports car. It’s also quite loud and obnoxious, lacking the Mazda’s inherent refinement.

Lastly, with the RF Club wearing a window sticker over 40 grand, you might decide to upgrade to something like a BMW Z4, Nissan Z, or Toyota GR Supra. You'll spend more, but the added power that comes with these alternatives might be appealing to you.

As you might guess, we're partial to the Miata. None of its competitors can match its combination of elemental design, pure driving enjoyment, top-down motoring, and legendary reliability. Plus, it's effortlessly efficient, returning 27.5 mpg during a half-day drive spent primarily ripping around on mountain roads. Not bad, considering the official EPA fuel economy rating is 29 mpg in combined driving.

Some say the name of Mazda's iconic sports car stands for Miata Is Always The Answer. For us, that's absolutely true.