2023 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF

Sports Car · 2.0L NA I4 · RWD

83/100

AutoVault's overall score, weighted for what a sports car is actually for — performance, technology, comfort, reliability, safety and value.

Specifications

Engine	2.0L NA I4
Horsepower	181 hp
Torque	151 lb-ft
0–60 mph	6.5 sec
Top speed	135 mph
Drivetrain	RWD
Seats	2
Combined MPG	29 mpg (26 city / 34 hwy)
Range	484 miles
MSRP	$37,200
Body style	Sports Car

The verdict

What's good

Folding hard top, coupe looks
Quieter cabin than soft-top Miata
Pure, connected driving feel
Flying-buttress roof design

What's not

Roof eats into the small trunk
Heavier than the soft-top
Cabin tight for taller drivers
Noticeably pricier than the cloth top

The engine

Skyactiv-G

2.0L Naturally Aspirated I4

A free-revving, naturally aspirated four that does its best work near the 7,500-rpm redline, rewarding wringing it out in a way modern turbo engines rarely do.

Part of Mazda's Skyactiv-G family, this all-aluminium unit powers the lightweight ND-generation MX-5 Miata, keeping the roadster pure, light and analogue.

It runs an unusually high compression ratio (about 13:1) for a mass-market gasoline engine, a hallmark of Mazda's Skyactiv philosophy.
Mazda deliberately offers the MX-5 with this single naturally aspirated engine rather than a turbo option, preserving the car's low weight and throttle feel.

See the rest in AutoVault

The six sub-scores behind the 83 — performance, tech, comfort, reliability, safety and value
Market value today and year-by-year value history
All 5 trims with pricing
Studio photography — exterior, rear and interior
Side-by-side comparison with up to four cars

Open in AutoVault