2025 Mazda MX-5 review

If your internal motoring clock is telling you it’s about time for an all-new version of the Mazda MX-5, then well done, you’re absolutely right.

Mazda tends to give us a new generation of its iconic roadster every 10 years or so (the original debuted back in 1989) but now, in an age where sports cars are harder to justify and Mazda has admitted it’s considering going pure EV for the next instalment, it seems the current ND MX-5 will solider on for a few years yet.

The good news is that despite it now qualifying for a Seniors Card, MX-5 sales continue to be unwaveringly strong and, even better, is that rather than sit on its hands, Mazda has given the MX-5 a facelift for 2024.

92

The promise there is greater freedom to let the lithe chassis move about

Outside there are new headlights and fresh taillights (notice how the DRLs and reversing light are now integrated into the light itself rather than the bumper?) and inside the seats are now trimmed in grippier material and there’s a fresh, and much larger, 8.8-inch touchscreen in the centre of the dash.

Of greater importance is a new asymmetric limited-slip differential that Mazda says should help quell some of the pre-update car’s tendency to oversteer on the way into corners and there’s also a new DSC-Track setting for the stability control in top-spec RS versions.

The promise there is greater freedom to let the lithe chassis move about while retaining enough of a safety net to save your ego (and your insurance premium) if you get it horribly wrong.

92

You probably won’t, though, because unlike most modern performance cars, which are increasingly heavy and complex, the dynamic fundamentals of the ND MX-5 are close to perfection.

The steering is ideally weighted, the manual gearshift is a tactile delight, and because there is so little weight (kerb weights still hover at just over 1000kg), the handling is wonderfully agile and responsive.

The suspension is still improbably soft by modern standards, though, so there’s plenty of body roll to contend with but needing to manage dramatic weight transfer only enhances the sense that this is driving at its most basic and rewarding.

92

Plus, the benefit of a softly sprung chassis is tremendous ride comfort, especially in lower-grade models.

RS versions gain stiffer Bilstein dampers and 17-inch BBS alloys for a more steely eyed feel but even so, this remains a brilliantly supple sports car on Aussie back roads.

You’ll need a circuit to really notice the benefits of the new asymmetric diff. Mazda had an MY23 car for us to compare during hot laps around The Bend’s tricky, corner-heavy Eastern circuit, and the differences were noticeable. Where the old car falls readily into oversteer on the way into fast corners, the updated model is far more composed and confidence inspiring.

As ever, driving an MX-5 on track is about momentum and flow rather than shock and awe power.

92

It can be an ugly feeling if you’re sloppy with your inputs, though.

The sole engine on offer continues to be the 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four pot (the revvy 1.5L was ditched due to low demand) and while its unchanged outputs of 132kW/205Nm are powerful enough to feel spirited, this isn’t a car that will perform huge, smoky drifts under throttle alone. At least in the dry…

Instead, you’ll need to use momentum and weight transfer to liberate slides which, thanks to the new DSC-Track setting, are now more readily accessible. It can be an ugly feeling if you’re sloppy with your inputs, though. Because the suspension is so soft and body roll is so pronounced, it pays to be patient and precise with the steering through fast changes of direction.

Give it a sloppy input and you’ll wobble offline or trigger the stability control. The same logic applies to the brake pedal. Hit it too hard initially and it’s easy to send the weight balance too far forward too quickly.

92

In that way, the MX-5 feels most rewarding just below its limits.

It’s fun on track and a rewarding challenge to pedal hard but it’s clear that unlike the more tied-down Toyota 86 and Hyundai i30 N, the MX-5’s happy place is on your favourite stretch of public road, the cabin flooded with sunshine, the wind in your hair.

Speaking of, dropping the roof continues to be satisfyingly easy. The roadster’s cloth top is so light you can practically raise and lower it with one hand in a matter of seconds, without the need to wait for an electric mechanism.

92

Of course, if such manual labour is unappealing, or your prefer a different silhouette with buttresses on the rear deck, Mazda continues to sell the Retractable Fastback (RF) version. Its metal hardtop folds away automatically, although it does add 45kg to the kerb weight.

Like the rest of its recipe, the MX-5’s cabin is refreshingly simple. The layout is logical, there are easy to reach buttons and dials for key controls and the new touchscreen, which supports wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and uses updated Mazda Connect software, is a welcome addition. It is a touchscreen, too, although it’s just as easy to navigate the menu structure by using the BMW-like rotary dial on the console and its accompanying hot keys.

It’s not exactly roomy inside, though. With an overall length of 3915mm and a width of 1735mm, this is a small car and cabin space is at a premium. Anyone over 6ft will need to push the driver’s seat all the way back to liberate just enough leg room.

92

And even then, they might struggle to find an ideal driving position because there’s no reach adjustment for the steering wheel. Being able to bring the wheel forward by 50mm would be welcome.

There are no door pockets, either, no integrated cupholders and no glovebox. Instead, cabin storage is limited to a lockable cubby at your left elbow and a smaller lidded compartment on the centre console.

But while the MX-5 will force you to pack light — the boot is 130L in the soft top, 127L in the RF — the fundamentals of the cabin are spot on. The seats are wonderfully comfortable, the gearshift is ideally placed and the dial cluster, which has been redesigned for 2024, is wonderfully clear and elegant. A digital speedo would be nice, though.

92

Of course, affordability has long been a core MX-5 attraction and for 2024 that equation isn’t quite as sweet as it once was.

Prices have crept up by between $2310 and $3220 with the range now starting at $41,520 for the manual Roadster and topping out at $56,140 for the RF GT RS.

That’s still cheaper than the Toyota 86, mind you, and even with the price bump, the MX-5 continues to feel like tremendous value. It’s a joyous car to drive and a reminder that sometimes, the best results are achieved by a simple recipe executed perfectly.

92

Cheap running costs and low-ish insurance premiums only underscore the MX-5’s appeal. So has Mazda changed enough to keep its iconic roadster relevant until its potentially radically different successor arrives? In short, yes.

The updates might sound small on paper but the core recipe was already so good that big changes weren’t required. This remains one of the best driver’s cars on sale.