2025 Mazda Miata RF Review
MSRP: $40,210
2.0 Liter 4 Cylinder
181 HP / 151 TQ
Weight: 2451 lbs
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Words: Yousef Alvi / Photography: Manufacturer
The legend, the icon, the downright obsession – that, my friends, is the Mazda Miata. It’s less a car and more a four-wheeled chameleon, morphing to satisfy the desires of anyone who slides behind the wheel. This isn't some sterile appliance you can judge by a spec sheet; oh no, the Miata is a full-body immersion, a tactile symphony that demands to be conducted, not just driven. You can binge-watch every review, devour every article, but until your own hands are gripping that wheel and your seat is telegraphing the tarmac's secrets, its fundamental essence, its vibrant soul, will remain tantalizingly out of reach.
Now, for the "crittens," those keyboard-warrior, horsepower-obsessed internet trolls, they'll undoubtedly flood the comments sections and forums to sneer at the modest 181 horsepower figure or the 0-60 times that don't threaten to rearrange your internal organs. Let them chuckle behind their anonymous profiles. For the true believers, the dyed-in-the-wool enthusiasts, those numbers are just meaningless pixels on a screen. They don't capture the spirit, the feel, the sheer, unadulterated joy that is a Miata uncorked on a winding road. They don’t mean a damn thing when the wind is in your hair and the car feels like an extension of your own nerve endings.
And then there’s the RF, the Retractable Fastback. Like the Miata itself, this is another masterpiece that scoffs at armchair analysis. You might read about the roughly 100 to 111 additional pounds it carries compared to its soft-top sibling and immediately think, "Aha! They've ruined it! Bloated!" Banish the thought. In the real world, where sensations trump statistics, that extra weight is imperceptible in terms of agility. If anything, what you do feel is a heightened sense of rigidity, a robust solidity that the already delightful soft top can't quite match. The hardtop also blesses you with a more serene cabin, quieting the rush of wind and the hum of tires, making it a more comfortable companion for longer hauls. And the aesthetics? Chef's kiss! The RF doesn't just look good; it looks like a shrunken-down Italian exotic, as if a classic Ferrari accidentally got left in the dryer on high heat. Those flying buttresses, the sleek coupe-like profile when the top is up – this is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most visually stunning iteration of the Miata ever conceived. It’s a three-quarter scale dream car.
When it comes to the sheer act of driving, well, buckle up, because this current generation ND Miata might just be the best-riding example to ever grace the asphalt. A few years back, Mazda’s engineers went to work, meticulously revamping the entire suspension and refining the steering. The goal? A touch more civility, a dash more everyday usability, without diluting the core Miata magic. On the highway, the steering is less darty, more composed. In the corners, the suspension exhibits a newfound compliance, soaking up imperfections while still communicating every nuance of the road. Overall, these changes nudged the Miata further up the refinement scale, making it an even more polished gem.
But lest you think it’s gone soft, fear not. This is still, unequivocally, a Miata. That means one of the most intimate, raw, and gloriously direct driving experiences this side of a go-kart remains perfectly, wonderfully intact. The gearbox? It’s a mechanical marvel, a shifter that belongs in the hallowed halls of the all-time greats. Every throw is a delightful "snick-snick," a precise, clickity engagement that makes changing gears an event in itself. And the clutch – oh, the clutch! It's so intuitively weighted, so perfectly sprung, so telepathic in its engagement, that universities should develop entire doctoral programs around its design. Future automotive engineers need to study it, to understand what a clutch should feel and act like. Together, this divine pairing of shifter and clutch weaves a driving tapestry unlike anything else. People might fantasize about the clinical precision of a Porsche, but no 911, for all its Teutonic might, dances with the driver quite like a Miata.
We are, it seems, approaching the final act for this spectacular ND generation Miata. What does the horizon hold for its successor, the anticipated NE? Well, take a deep breath, Miata faithful, because the CEO of Mazda himself has confirmed that the Miata will continue to grace our roads for the foreseeable future. The core tenets of being small, lightweight, and manually shifted are expected to remain. There's talk of a potentially larger 2.5-liter SkyActiv-Z engine, though the emphasis remains on the power-to-weight ratio rather than outright grunt, and it might be a strategy to navigate emissions regulations. We may see some form of electrification, perhaps a mild hybrid system to enhance efficiency and response, though a full battery-electric Miata seems unlikely unless mandated by regulations. Advances in internal combustion engine technology might yet keep a purely gasoline-powered heart beating. One thing, however, is virtually certain: don't expect the Miata to ever lose its soul. That joyous, connected, fundamentally exhilarating character is its birthright, and Mazda knows better than to tamper with perfection.
Yousef Alvi
