2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata

The regular version is a soft-top, but Mazda also added the RF trim which adds a hard-top roof for those who might be looking for it. Being affordable at $26,830, it is hands-down one of the most affordable cars in this segment. Furthermore, it goes up against the likes of the Chevrolet Camaro Convertible, Mini Cooper Convertible, and Ford Mustang Convertible.

The 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata Convertible comes in three major trims – Sport, Club, and Grand Touring. The Sport trim starts at $26,830. The Club starts at $30,290 and the Grand Touring trim kicks off at $31,770. Even the base trim comes with adequate safety features and as a roadster, this does not have much to offer on the luxury end. The higher-end tries to kick things up a notch. 

All three trims are available as either an automatic or manual transmission. When it comes to packages, you do not have a lot of options to choose from. There is the Weather Package, Interior Package, and Appearance Package. The Brembo/BBS Recaro Package adds a blacked-out roof, 17” BBS alloy wheels, Brembo front brakes, heated Recaro sports seats, and some other additions. 

Which Trim should you buy?

We would recommend going with the highest-end trim, the Grand Touring. The base trim is very basic and barebones, and the Club and Touring are very near in pricing. So, you should just spend the extra cash and get the highest-end variant. It has leather upholstery, wireless Apple CarPlay, automatic climate control, and more. It is the best experience you can get with a Miata, given that you couple it with the manual for the full-blown driving experience. 

The 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata Convertible uses a 2.0L naturally-aspirated inline-4 engine that delivers 181 horses and 151 lb-ft of torque. The Miata comes with either a 6-speed automatic or 6-speed manual transmission. The power is sent to the rear wheels only. The engine can rev high with ease. Despite the lack of a turbocharger, this tiny engine is still lauded by many journalists and reviewers as being quite awesome. Even though the engine does not deliver a huge amount of power, the car itself is too tiny to make use of more horses. The engine redlines at over 7,500 rpm. 

The manual transmission is also very smooth and you can shift gears with speed. The automatic transmission also performs its job well enough, but for the enthusiast’s car that the MX-5 is, we doubt anyone would prefer the automatic over the superb manual. The MX-5 is also swift, zipping to 60 MPH from standstill at 5.7 seconds. Quarter mile timings are also decent at 14.4 seconds. It can go as high as 140 MPH. It’s not the speed that this tiny car is known for, rather the handling and fun-to-drive factor.

The Mazda and Mini are smaller than the other two cars. The MX-5 still offers more power than the underpowered inline-3 of the Mini. As a result, the Mini is the slowest. The American muscle cars flex their muscle with bigger engines, with the Mustang offering the most power of 310 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque. However, they are not a huge deal faster than the tiny Miata. 

How does the 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata Convertiblehandle?

The handling and driving characteristics of the Miata are a huge reason for its popularity. If you are an enthusiast, you would absolutely love driving this tiny car. The Miata’s steering is very direct, precise and responds quite quickly to your input. The whole body of the car is pretty communicative. When you go around corners, there will be a slight bit of lean, but it's actually quite fun. The weight distribution is done excellently in this very well-balanced small chassis. 

The Club and Grand Touring come with Bilstein dampers and sport-tuned suspension. While the car is not the most comfortable over bumps, it still won’t be too intolerable. These trims also have a limited-slip differential which can control the torque output to each wheel precisely. Driving the manual MX-5 will definitely bring a big grin to your face, especially if you love driving cars.

2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata Convertible Braking Performance

The MX-5 comes equipped with 11” front and rear brake rotors. A tiny car with just 2,341 lbs of weight does not require hefty brakes. But still, you can upgrade to Brembo performance brakes on the Club model. Braking, as you would expect, is also pretty smooth. The pedal is linear and comes to a halt with ease. It stops from 60 MPH in just 110 ft, which is thanks to its excellent weight distribution and compact design. The regular brakes perform just fine, and the Brembo brakes will probably be overkill unless you are into some serious track days.

The Miata is easily the lightest vehicle. The Mini is also pretty light weighing north of 2850 lbs but doesn't even come close to the Miata. The muscle cars are the ones with heft, and so, they also require more distance to come to a halt. The Mazda, on the other hand, stops at 110 feet from 60 mph. However, the braking figures of the Mini and Ford Mustang remain unspecified.

Perhaps it is only the section of fuel economy where the automatic transmission overtakes the manual transmission; albeit not by much. The automatic delivers a mileage of 26 MPG for the city, 35 MPG for the highway, and 30 MPG for combined driving. The manual is also not far behind, offering 26 MPG for the city, 34 MPG for the highway, and 29 for combined driving. The figures are pretty good, even though they are not among the best. The fuel-efficient Mazda comes with a tiny gas tank of 11.9-gallons, which allows the manual to have a range of 309/404/345 miles for city/highway/combined driving respectively. The automatic fares are a little better with a range of 309/416/357 miles for the same.

The Mazda and the Mini offer the best fuel economy figures, while the muscle cars sip way more fuel. However, due to their restricted body size, they cannot incorporate a larger fuel tank, but the muscle cars can. As a result, the Camaro offers the best range of 380 miles in the city and 570 miles while cruising down the highway, whereas the Mustang comes in second. 

The Mazda is a 2-seater convertible, with no backseats at all, obviously. Since the body is not very wide or big, the seats are just about enough to fit two people. Also, you have that soft roof-top that you can easily remove for the open-air freshness. The interior is entirely driver-focused and all the controls are within easy reach of the driver. The quality of the materials used is also commendable.

The Grand Touring model comes with leather upholstery, but as an added option, it can be equipped with Nappa leather. All the trims offer a leather sport steering wheel and leather shifter. The base trim experiences basic cloth upholstery and so does the Club for the most part. The Grand Touring trim comes with automatic climate control.

The 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata Convertible comes with a 6-way driver’s seat with a reclining and forward/back slide feature. The passenger’s seat is 4-way adjustable. As mentioned, the seats are cloth upholstered. The Club comes with heated seats with light gray stitching. The top-spec trim also features the same seats, albeit with leather seat upholstery. If you keep the top up, headroom will be a bit compromised, and so will be the visibility. But no one should have a problem fitting inside the Miata.

The trunk space is extremely tiny and you can guess that this car was not made to be practical. A tiny 4.6 cubic feet, means that you can only fit a couple of small bags. Inside the cabin, you have two cupholders and small storage space in the center console. If you have the roof up, you will have more space to store items in the back.

The MX-5 does not come with any rear seats, so it can only seat two people. However, the back seats in the other cars are so inaccessible that they are practically unusable. The front seating is best in the Mustang; while it also leads when it comes to overall cargo spacing which measures 11.4 cubic feet which is quite surprising.Some of the standout interior features of the Miata include:

• 6-way adjustable driver’s seat
• Leather upholstery
• Automatic air conditioning
• Sport leather steering wheel
• Remote keyless entry
• Leatherette instrument panel insert

What’s there to keep you entertained?

All the trims come with the same 7” infotainment touchscreen which is sticking out from the center of the dashboard. However, it can also be controlled via a rotary dial which is located at the center console. The system is fairly responsive and is quite intuitive for the average user.

The MX-5 now comes standard with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You also get Bluetooth, voice-activated commands, HD radio, SiriusXM Radio, Traffic, Travel Link, Aha, Pandora, and Stitcher internet radio. You also get navigation in the highest trim. The base model comes with a six-speaker sound system, while the other trims offer a BOSE 9-speaker premium audio system. Highlights of the infotainment system include:

• Bluetooth
• HD Radio
• SiriusXM Radio
• SiriusXM Traffic 
• Navigation 
• BOSE 9-speaker audio system
• MAZDA CONNECT 7” infotainment screen

The 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata Convertible is quite different from the rest of the cars you see on the road. It is inherently Mazda, but also very unique in its own way. As we have been mentioning throughout the article, you cannot go along with this section without talking about that tiny body. The wheelbase is pretty short, and the seats are very close to the rear wheels.

The overall design is pretty curvy and smoothly flowing. The front fascia reminds us that it is indeed a Mazda, with the teardrop-shaped LED headlights with sharp ends. The hood has two muscular lines coming forward and the bumper is pretty stylish too.

The car looks pretty gorgeous from the sides too. With the top down, it looks like a ride you just want to drive right away. Even with the roof on, the aesthetics are not downgraded. The tiny convertible’s rear end features two round LED taillights. A dual exhaust setup with the two pipes being clubbed together on the right side is also included. The spunky automotive icon appears every bit stylish as it inspires you to drive it. The base trim rides on 16” wheels, whereas the other trims ride on 17” wheels.

As it is very clear from the dimensions, the Mustang and Camaro are way bigger cars than the Miata. The Mini falls somewhere in between. It is astonishing to see how short the wheelbase of the Mazda is, compared to the other cars. Moreover, it weighs the lightest at 2341 lbs which takes fun-filled driving pleasure to a whole new level. Some of the standout exterior features include:

• Dual stainless-steel exhaust
• 17” dark silver aluminum alloy
• Manual convertible soft-cloth top
• LED DRLs
• LED taillights

Unfortunately, neither NHTSA nor IIHS have officially tested and rated the Mazda Miata MX-5. As far as we are concerned, the MX-5 should be a pretty safe vehicle. Especially because of the low center of gravity, the chances of rollover are very low. Also, Mazda has a reputation for manufacturing pretty safe cars. When it comes to standard features, all the trims get the i-Activsense safety suite as standard. This includes a lot of modern safety and driver assistance features, as Mazda doesn’t skimp on any single trim:

• Blind Spot Monitoring
• Smart City Brake Support 
• Rear Cross-Traffic Alert
• Lane Departure Warning
• Back-up camera
• Dual-stage airbags

2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata Convertible vs 2021 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible

The Camaro is not a “direct” competitor to the MX-5, per se; since the Chevrolet Camaro is a muscle car and the MX-5 is not. Despite that, both of them trade blows. The Camaro is more powerful and slightly faster, but the MX-5’s handling is more revered. The Camaro is also more practical and offers a better range, but lesser miles per gallon. If you want a compact, fun-to-drive car for yourself, the MX-5 is the ideal choice and for a heavy muscle car, the Camaro.

2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata Convertible vs 2021 Mini Cooper Convertible

The Mini is closer in dimensions to the MX-5. However, the MX-5 completely has its beat in most fields. It is faster, cheaper, looks better, and handles way, way better. If you want something more practical, yet still compact and zippy, then the Cooper might be a good choice. However, if you can truly disregard practicality, then you most definitely should choose the MX-5.

2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata Convertible vs 2021 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Convertible

Similar to the Camaro, the Ford Mustang is also a muscle car that is not exactly directly comparable to the Miata. The Mustang is also an icon, just like the MX-5. Both cars might have completely separate fanbases. For a more practical, more powerful, faster, and brawnier muscle car, the Mustang is the best choice among any. But for a splendid, zippier, and extremely fun driving experience, the MX-5 takes the cake.

Some enthusiasts might say that you must drive a Miata at least once in your life. It is very true, and the best part about it is that it's not some super expensive sports car that none of us can afford. The 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata Convertible is priced well, has an iconic handling and responsive engine, and transmission on board. It is also stylish and comes with good safety features. The only negative is that you are giving up on practicality. Not meant for a family, but definitely for someone who enjoys the art of driving.