10 Important Things About the 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata

Mazda says its MX-5 Miata is the world’s best-selling two-seat roadster. This sports car became a sensation when it debuted back in 1990, and the automaker has sold more than a million worldwide over the last three decades. Today, the fourth-generation Miata, which was introduced in 2016, remains faithful to the original, offering enthusiast drivers a lightweight rear-wheel drive chassis and a four-cylinder engine mounted up front. It’s the same recipe that has made the Miata so fun to drive for so long, and it’s the key to the car's global success.

The latest Miata has won countless awards and has been praised as the best performing and the most comfortable Miata ever. But Mazda’s engineers haven’t been sitting on their protractors. The 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata gets a long list of improvements, including a significantly more powerful engine and additional driver aids. The changes improve the sports car’s performance, comfort, and safety.

All 2019 MX-5 Miatas come standard with new, more powerful version of the roadster’s SKYACTIV-G 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Power has jumped to 181 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 151 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm, which is an increase of 26 hp and 3 lb-ft of torque over the 2018 model.

Unlike automakers that have turned to turbochargers to increase horsepower, Mazda did it by tweaking the engine's internal components. The changes include reduced friction and lighter pistons and connecting rods. Peak power is up, but so is torque throughout the rev range, and the redline has been raised from 6,800 rpm to 7,500 rpm. A six-speed manual transmission remains standard, and Mazda continues to offer an optional six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters and a Sport mode.

That additional horsepower and torque have improved the Miata’s acceleration. With the manual transmission, this is a genuinely quick little car. Miatas have always been spry and fun to drive, but now it’s fast enough to get you in trouble. Run this Mazda hard through a few gears, and you’ve hit 60 mph in about 5.7 seconds. That’s a few tenths of second quicker than the 2018 Miata. The quarter-mile run is just as impressive at around 14.5 seconds. Once again, that’s a few blinks quicker than the previous model.

So this is the most powerful Miata ever and the quickest. Right now someone is yelling, “Poppycock, what about the turbocharged Mazdaspeed Miata from 2004?” Sorry pal, that one can’t keep up either. It packed 178 hp and hit 60 mph in about 6.7 seconds.

It may be the most powerful and quickest Miata ever, but its numbers don’t even come close to the RX-7 that Mazda sold in the mid-1990s. The third-generation of the RX-7, referred to enthusiasts as the FD, is still the most powerful and quickest Mazda sports car ever. And that’s one of the reasons these cars have remained popular and are increasing in value rapidly as well-cared for examples have become hot commodities with collectors. 

The FD was packing a twin-turbo 1.3-liter two-rotor Wankel engine that pumped out 255 hp. At around 2,900 lbs, the RX-7 was about 700 lbs heavier than today’s Miata, but it was still significantly quicker. With the right driver, these two-seaters can hit 60 mph in just 5 seconds flat.

Mazda offers the 2019 Miata in two body styles: a roadster with a manually folding soft top and the RF, which features a power-retracting targa roof that stows itself away with the press of a button. Following many years of rumors promising a Miata Coupe for more hardcore enthusiasts, Mazda introduced the Miata RF back in 2017 after only offering the Miata as a full convertible since 1990.

Since Mazda no longer offers a fully retractable hardtop model or an optional hardtop on the Miata roadster, the RF does give customers in cold climates better weather protection during the winter. Still, the vast majority of 2019 Miatas sold will have the folding soft top.

No, we’re not kidding. You really can drop the top on a Miata Roadster in about three seconds. You don’t even have to get out of the driver’s seat. It is manually operated, but it’s so simple to put the top up or down that the additional complexity, cost, and weight of a power top is just not necessary.

The mechanism consists of a single latch just above the rearview mirror, which secures the top to the windshield header. Open the latch and push the top up and away. Gravity takes over and the roof essentially lowers itself. Putting it back up is just as easy. It’s so light that it takes almost no arm strength to reach back and pull it up and back into position. Then you just relock the header latch.

When the new, more powerful 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Roadster goes on sale this fall, it will remain one of America’s most affordable convertibles. Prices start around $25,730 before the destination fee for the Sport Roadster. Mazda also offers this soft-top model in Club and Grand Touring trims, with base prices maxing out about $30,500.

The 2019 Miata RF is more expensive and goes on sale in August. This model starts at $32,345 for the Club model. Step up to the Grand Touring and the price climbs just $840. These prices significantly undercut the base price of other open two-seaters like the Nissan 350Z and Audi TT.

Beyond its more powerful engine, improvements have also been made to the comfort and safety of the 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata. For the first time, the sports car has a tilting and telescoping steering column, which will make it much more comfortable to drive for taller drivers. Mazda has also switched the Miata the steering column from steel to aluminum to save weight, and there’s a new standard rearview camera.

New available tech features include traffic sign recognition and a low-speed automatic emergency braking system. Mazda has also created the optional GT-S Package for MX-5 Grand Touring models equipped with the six-speed manual transmission. It adds the front shock tower brace, limited-slip rear differential, and Bilstein dampers found in the higher-performance Club model.

No one is ever going to confuse a Miata for a pickup, and if you’re looking to haul your surfboard or your mountain bike, look elsewhere. Even so, the Miata’s trunk is surprisingly useful. It offers about 4.5 cubic feet of space, which is more than enough for a load of groceries or a few duffel bags for a long weekend road trip for two.

Cargo space inside is limited, however. The Miata’s center console bin is tiny and there are no door pockets. The glove box is sizable, but it’s behind the driver between the seats, which makes it awkward to access.

If you want to maximize the handling of your 2019 Miata, order the Brembo/BBS/Recaro Package. It’s available only on the Club models and it costs $4,670.

That may sound expensive, but the package adds front Brembo rotors and calipers, red-painted brake calipers on all four corners, 17-inch dark gunmetal BBS forged alloy wheels, functional side sill extensions, a rear bumper skirt, and heated Recaro bucket seats that are firm but comfortable.

Although they don’t look very similar, the FIAT 124 Spider is essentially a Mazda Miata underneath its Italian bodywork. In fact, the Fiat is even built in Japan on the same assembly line as the Miata. The two cars use the same chassis, suspensions, steering, brakes, transmissions, differentials, and interiors.

The Fiat does use a different engine than the Mazda. Unlike the Miata’s 2.0-liter engine, the Fiat’s 1.4-liter four-cylinder is turbocharged and makes up to 164 hp in Abarth model. For the last couple of years, that has made the 124 Spider more powerful than the Mazda; however, that’s no longer the case.