DRIVING FOR THE SAKE OF DRIVING
For driving purists, the Mazda MX-5 (Miata) has long been an icon – a vehicle that celebrates the simple joys of throwing a lightweight, rev-happy roadster down a twisting country road with the wind in your hair. And with the all-new 2024 model, Mazda has doubled down on that pure driving experience, making this iteration of the beloved Miata the most focused, most driver-centric, and flat-out most fun mainstream sports car you can buy today.
From the moment you slide behind the wheel and into the sueded Recaro seats, the MX-5 envelops you in its sporting intent. The low-slung seating position hugs the road, while the compact dimensions and precise controls make the car feel like an extension of your body. Turn the key (or push the start/stop “fun” button) and the 2.0-liter SkyActiv four-cylinder engine barks to life with a raspy, racy note that immediately gets your pulse skipping a beat.
WHAT’S NEW
While others chase complexity, Mazda’s iconic MX-5 roadster gets even more pure and elemental for 2024. Subtle yet critical enhancements elevate the connectedness between driver and machine to new heights.
A new dual pinion electric steering rack and revised tuning sharpen the MX-5’s already razor-sharp steering feel. New suspension tuning and an available Asymmetric Limited Slip Differential enhance cornering grip and neutralize the chassis under power. Mazda also added a DSC-Trak mode integrating the LSD with stability control for seamless drift ability.
The updates don’t radically alter the MX-5’s driving essence, but amplify and refine it. Sharper turn-in, higher limits, more progressive breakaway – all with supreme transparency. This is sports car driving distilled to its most pure, tactile form.
Visual updates are light, comprising new LED lights, an available tan Nappa leather interior, and a larger 9.0-inch infotainment screen. The chassis and rev-happy 2.0-liter engine carry over, retaining the MX-5’s agile dynamics and stirring audible thrills.
As the world grows digital and disconnected, Mazda’s MX-5 celebrates ingenious mechanical simplicity. Each update brings the lightweight roadster into tighter harmony with its human driver through exquisite control calibration. In defiance of artificial aids, the iconic Miata remains laser-focused on delivering an utterly pure, intimate driving experience.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
But it’s once underway that the MX-5 really reveals the genius of its design. With a curb weight of just 2,341 lbs and a near-perfect 50/50 weight distribution, the roadster darts into corners with a nimbleness that seems to defy physics. I’ve never yearned to be on an English B-road, the Twisted Sisters of the Texas Hill Country, or the main road of Palo Duro Canyon more than when piloting this car! The precise, communicative steering delivers granular feedback from the front tires, while the clever suspension tuning allows the MX-5 to flow over undulating pavement with the grace of a gymnast.
And then there’s the powertrain, a masterclass in how to wring maximum thrills from minimum displacement. With 181 horsepower on tap, the Club trimmed Miata has just enough muscle to be genuinely fast, yet not so much power that it becomes intimidating or unruly. The slick-shifting 6-speed manual transmission is an absolute delight, with short, crisp throws and sweet rev-matching on downshifts. For those of you who prefer an automatic, Mazda offers a snickety 6-speed unit, though the manual remains the enthusiast’s choice.
But raw numbers can only tell so much of the MX-5’s story. The real joy comes from experiences that can’t truly be quantified – like how the rear wheels will ever so gently step out of line if you lift off the throttle mid-corner, the confidence the Brembo brakes bring. The precise weight and feedback through the pedals, or the way the intake howls with an intoxicating vintage rasp when you storm past 6,500 rpm.
Mazda’s designers and engineers clearly understood that true driving engagement doesn’t come from blistering straight-line speed or clinical electronic management systems. It’s a broiling mix of balanced poise, tactile controls, and benchmark steering precision – areas where the MX-5 continues to set the standard, even against more powerful and expensive options.
To be perfectly clear, the MX-5 is no lap record hunter. It was never intended to be. With modest power and a lack of complex electronics intervention, high-speed heroics were never part of the equation. But as an antidote to the anodyne, digital driving experience that prevails in many modern sports cars, the 2024 MX-5 is currently in a class by itself.
Other automakers chase lap times and spec sheet figures at great expense. But Mazda chased the fundamentals of driving pleasure in the MX-5 – and won. For the money, there is simply no mainstream production car that can rival the MX-5’s unique blend of sportiness, connectedness, and pure joie de vivre behind the wheel. In an age of forced induction, electrification, and drive-by-wire disconnect, Mazda’s spritely roadster remains a thrilling reminder that the simple pleasures of driving are still very much alive.
FINAL THOUGHTS
So who is this car perfect for? The new to driving getting their first true sports car. It’s an excellent vehicle with which to learn and master a vehicle, without getting into trouble. The driving purist seeking an uncompromising second vehicle dedicated primarily to enjoyment behind the wheel, or the motorcycle rider craving similar back-road thrills without the hassle of heavy and stifling hot protective gear in the summertime. The MX-5’s appealing combination of affordable pricing, ultra-low running costs, and minimal complexity make it an enticing and approachable option for a wide range of driving fans. Yet despite its accessibility, the 2024 model’s relentless pursuit of connectedness and driving purity ensure it remains a benchmark sports car from behind the wheel.
The 2024 Mazda MX-5 embodies the automaker’s philosophy of “Jinba Ittai” – the idea of horse and rider acting as one. It’s poetry in motion. By continually honing the roadster’s steering, suspension, and dynamics to peak responsiveness, Mazda brings its sports car icon into even tighter harmony with you at its core. For the driving purists among us, that makes this year’s updated Miata an even more compelling and seductive dance partner on the roads ahead. Of all the cars currently on the market none want to make you get out and drive just for the sake of the drive more!
The Unofficial Ambassador for the State of Texas
