Perfecting Perfection: 2017 Mazda MX-5 RF

2017 Mazda MX-5 RF
The answer is always Miata (MX-5). At least that’s the stock answer when you ask an automotive enthusiast what car you should buy.

  • You have St Bernard you need to haul around? The answer is Miata and pull out the passenger seat.
  • You need to go to Home Depot or Lowes for lumber? The answer is Miata. Drop the top and bring some tie-downs.
  • Want a good winter beater? A Miata with winter tires and you’ll be fine.
  • Do you have a black tie formal event to attend with your special someone? Get them an Uber and take yourself in the Miata.

Having spent a week recently with the Olive Garden MX-5, otherwise known as the Fiat 124 Spider Abarth, I was swayed a bit in thinking the different styling and turbo motor may have had some advantage over the standard MX-5. A week in the MX-5 RF, however, had reminded me why you should stick with the original. Even if I’m still not the biggest fan of the styling with the RF, I concede that it may be the version to get over the standard soft top

When you get an MX-5 scheduled in Michigan at the back end of November, it’s a real crapshoot when it comes to weather. Fortunately, the weather cooperated a bit and I was able to get in some top-down driving. The temp gauge registered in the 40s to low 50s and the sun was shining. That means top down, windows up, and the seat heaters on medium. 
2017 Mazda MX-5 RF Drop Top
While the fall colors had passed and most of the leaves were off the trees, a bright sun and blue sky paired with a nip in the air were enough to put the top down and explore the back roads. In this zone, as you might expect, the MX-5 does not disappoint.
Does it have a little too much body roll? Yes. While you don’t necessarily notice it that much while driving on normal roads, if you follow one around a race track like I did at the MAMA Fall Rally at the Autobahn Country Club, you can’t unsee just how much roll exists. Do you notice the extra 110 pounds of weight of the retractable hardtop and the extra sheet metal? If you a licensed Pro level driver on a racetrack, maybe. If you are driving on a winding road or hammering through a mountain road? No.
2017 Mazda MX-5 RF Engine
155 horsepower and 2,445 pounds of weight will never feel fast, but it’s enough power to keep you entertained. At least it was for the week I spent with the Mazda. Is this enough for the longer term? I just don’t know. It will depend greatly on where you live, the type of driving you do, and what else you are used to driving. Here in South East Michigan where the roads are long and straight and the best curves are found on the on and off ramps to the highways the answer is a big maybe.

 

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The naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder is a joy. The only fault with the Mazda motor is that it takes a good boot on the throttle to spin up the motor when you are blipping the throttle and changing down gears. Or, it does so if you are below five thousand revs. The gearbox is is not as slick as I’d expected, but it’s good enough if you’re not completely ham-fisted.
2017 Mazda MX-5 RF Interior
Where the RF really shines over the soft top version is when the weather is subpar. Due to how the soft top is fitted, the ingress and egress out of the hard top are much easier due to more headroom. Once inside, the cabin is much more quiet. If you’re using the Bluetooth hands-free, people can actually understand you. 
While I’m almost always disappointed by a Bose sound system in a car, the one in the MX-5 RF was actually quite good. Forget about the speakers in the headrests, however, as those we just godawful. Once you changed the audio balance to bypass those, the sound improves dramatically. With the top down and the speedo at 80+ on the highway, you could crank up the jams and get on with enjoying the drive.
As equipped the Grand Touring model you see here stickers for $33,925 (including delivery). That’s certainly no bargain yet in today’s automotive world it’s pretty fair value for money. An entertaining car that is dead reliable and pulls 34 mpg on several highway runs, there’s little to compete with it. Sure you can get yourself a 2009-2010 non-S Porsche Boxster for that money, but when something goes wrong, be prepared to pay the Porsche tax. The other closest analog to the MX-5 RF in driving dynamics and price, if you don’t want to drive an MX-5, would be a ten-year-old Lotus Elise. The Elise has a very good community around it, the Toyota engine in it is dead reliable, but if you need any other parts, be prepared to wait weeks for them.
2017 Mazda MX-5 RF Front 3/4
So does the RF truly perfect the perfection that is the MX-5? From where I stand yes. I’d have no problem “sacrificing” the 110 pounds of weight for all around four-seasons practicality that the retractable hardtop offers. You may not get 100% of the full top-down experience that the soft top offers, but 90% of that is just fine. If I want 100% then I’ll pull the helmet off the shelf and take my motorcycle out for a ride.
2017 Mazda MX-5 RF front close up

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6 responses to “Perfecting Perfection: 2017 Mazda MX-5 RF”

  1. Andrew_theS2kBore Avatar
    Andrew_theS2kBore

    Pardon my pedantry, but while you are correct that OE Lotus parts are difficult to source promptly, there is a healthy aftermarket which covers just about every possible point of failure on Federalized Lotus models, often with re-engineered and more durable replacements. I just replaced the toe links on mine, and the uprated ones from Inokinetic (formerly Sector111) were cheaper than stock and arrived in two days.
    That said, if you’re looking at a new Miata, you’re probably not cross-shopping a 10-year-old Elise… even though you should.

  2. John Goreham Avatar
    John Goreham

    Well done. Fall is the best season for any convertible. The folks who claim the RF roof “ruins” the Miata are just looking for attention. The RF is fantastic.

  3. kogashiwa Avatar
    kogashiwa

    “The only fault with the Mazda motor is that it takes a good boot on the throttle to spin up the motor when you are blipping the throttle and changing down gears.”
    Interesting, I noticed the exact same thing on the Mazda 3 hatch with the same engine that I test drove.

    1. Ross Ballot Avatar
      Ross Ballot

      Same here; noticed the exact same thing on a quick ND soft-top test-drive. A tune would hopefully remedy this.

  4. Ross Ballot Avatar
    Ross Ballot

    Spoiler alert: It’s more likely than not that an ND Miata will be my next car.
    I waver back and forth on whether that will be the softtop or the RF, but articles like this remind me that the more enclosed cabin of the RF is probably the way to go. Now just to wait for prices to drop…

  5. Zentropy Avatar
    Zentropy

    I’d like to see a Hooniverse comparison of the MX-5 RF with the Toyota 86. Up until now I gave the nod to the 86– despite its homely looks– only because I don’t like convertibles, and I think the prior NC hardtop convertible and NA/NB removable hardtops look like children’s skate helmets.