2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Club "ND3" Track Review - The Perfect Miata?

Let's see if the hype around the facelifted ND3 Miata is justified, or if the new steering and LSD changes are insignificant over the outgoing ND2.
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#MAMA2024SR #ND3 #miata

[@Accost2u]

Recently added a Momo wheel to mine. Went from the factory 367mm to 320mm diameter and made the steering the perfect weight. Also quickened up the steering a good bit.

[@VictorPitstop]

ND3?

[@darksunrise8777]

Seems like Mazda did a good job of adding steering feel on the ND3! Completely agree on the need for a more sporty suspension package. Also wouldn't say no to another 20-30 hp.

[@johnsolimine1164]

Smooth, clean driving... among the best of the KZbin reviewers

[@dannyphamous]

Perfect review as always!

[@glennhavinoviski8128]

A real handbrake!!! Gotta love that.

[@Themazcorner]

Tnx for the vid as always. Did get enough time to comment on the new track TC mode?

[@evanhunterblbier]

Great video. Would you recommend a ND over a 987 or 981 for track for a beginner

[@spookazz]

soft top would definitely be my pick too. kinda bummed about no nappa tan interior option for soft tops here in maple syrup land though :/

[@Jacadac]

Same in Australia :/ not even Recaro seats at least

[@dlg5485]

Picking up my ND3 GT soft top manual next week...can't wait! Personally, I think the Club is overrated. In my opinion, there is no reason to give up the many extra features you get in the GT since you still get the Bilstein dampers and LSD. You can't get the performance package on the GT, but I'd skip that anyway because it's way overpriced. You're far better off getting the better equipped GT and upgrading the brakes and suspension, which is exactly what I intend to do.

[@lensoprezole5322]

What you don't understand as a novice is that all the comfort equipment on the GT add weight to the car ! That's why on the club trim those comfort equipments are deleted because the purist driver is oriented to performance and prefer to have forged wheels and brembos as standard !

[@tealruby582]

@@lensoprezole5322 it adds like 15lbs. The difference between a well driven GT and Club at the national levels of autocross is tenths of a second. 99% of people couldn't tell the difference between the two. The weight of the RF is noticable because it's in the absolute worst place though. GT soft top >>>>>>>> RF club Also the Brembos and BBS wheels are swapped out immediately for track users. The Brembos have overly expensive pads and the BBS wheels aren't wide enough.

[@dlg5485]

@@lensoprezole5322 Please! Get over yourself. It's not that serious.

[@samuelf4777]

I am getting one now

[@blueshark3098]

Great review and video. Strange how you can almost see how light the car is,when you change direction with it on the track. As far as less body roll and a stiffer suspension goes. I think that would make it less enjoyable as a daily driver and canyon/mountain road car. I had the 2001 special edition, which had a suspension that was stiffer than the base suspension. It was my daily driver, and it was pretty much an unmitigated bitch on even moderately bad pavement. It really made me regret having gotten rid of my Mazda 323. But yeah, I guess I can see how you would want less body roll for tracking this car.

[@BlackNAVYAmericanVET]

Beautiful car 🚗 with perks ❤

[@BMWWolf]

Would kill to run that track in a Miata

[@EmmettLBrown2015]

I have a 2020 RF GT and I absolutely love it, It's the only car I ever want to drive.

[@donstaramos]

How do you feel about this car vs a lotus Elise?

[@TornadoOfSouls777]

What a sharp looking miata! I'm 6'3", wish I could fit in that sweet ride!

[@CarsMeetsBikes]

height reduction surgery

[@TornadoOfSouls777]

​@@CarsMeetsBikeslol

[@FATmenDRIVEtrucks]

You can make it work. Paco motorsports makes a seat lowering bracket drop it like 1.5 inches. Then can get a 330 mm steering wheel if need more leg space still. Even stock I'm 6'2 and fit barely not recommended lol

[@magicwaffl3z]

I have friends that are 6 feet plus that own NDs, just need an aftermarket seat or some lower seat brackets

[@dlg5485]

I know a couple guys taller than 6'3" that own Miatas. It's not just about overall height, but rather where the height is. If your height is evenly distributed between legs and torso, you will likely fit in a Miata just fine. You can also lower the seat if you have a long torso.

[@kimchun5467]

It sucks in Australia recaros were only available in the limited edition 2018 model

[@lensoprezole5322]

Just buy real bucket seats Sparco EVO, they are good and affordable.

[@shkarlin]

How much more expensive are the Brembo pads to replace?

[@jmazzacane]

Zygrene! You didn't really get into why you'd go soft top - would appreciate your thoughts. I'm having the debate with myself currently, ST vs RF.

[@robotrobot12345]

I picked up this exact car 1800 miles ago. I absolutely love it as well. Who needs a Supra?😛😊

[@DillonShelburn]

Been waiting for this one! Owned 8 Miata’s and 5 86s, and would take an nd3 club over my 2022 GR86.

[@AngryManSki]

Damn. Eight Miata’s in one lifetime. Tell me you put a rotary in at least on of them. You must do this.

[@DillonShelburn]

@@AngryManSki I’m a man, but not a man of good taste. No rotary (yet)

[@z32luvr]

@@DillonShelburnyou should try a S2000.

[@DillonShelburn]

@@z32luvr I have. Not a big fan of the steering. Incredible car, but doesn’t strike a chord for me personally

[@Toxofox]

So many 86s... What happened to them? You got a new one every year?

[@dre32pitt]

"It feels more nimble than a BRZ or GR86." I concur, sir. My buddy thought I was crazy when I said the new GR86 I test drove felt 'disconnected', LOL. Compared to my ND1 Club with Eibach swaybars (eliminates body roll), it really does feel disconnected. I'll stick with my ND n FiST garage (would need to sell/trade both)

[@bullwing]

Weight and dual A-arms up front. Wish it came in a full coupe - non-convertible.

[@dre32pitt]

@@bullwing Double Wishbone (no relation to Johnny) and weight are for sure the keys. Coupe argument is nullified, imo, with 2 cars. If you can only have 1 car and aren't hardcore, go with one of the twins.. If you can swing 2 cars, make one of them a Miata (of your choosing). I lasted about 4 months with the ND soft top as my only car (hardcore mode) before picking up my Fiesta ST, lol.

[@876yuugt]

​coupe please. Because torsional rigidity. Body flex sucks and more precision would be awesome.

[@dre32pitt]

@@876yuugt Not all drop tops are created equal. A car turned into a convertible is going to have more flex and weight compared to a car that was created/developed to be a convertible. Rigidity has never really been an issue with the mx5 platform ever really.. mainly because of the centerline bracing structure they've used since the 1st gen to essentially turn the driveline into part of the chassis, thus raising rigidity tremendously while keeping weight down.

[@876yuugt]

@dre32pitt I've owned a 997, Evora, Elise, Evo X and more. Including a limp noodle chassis S2000. I prefer tin tops for rigidity. They feel better and even the ND suffers from cowl shake on a Vancouver Island back road. My '22 BRZ does not. Neither did my coupes. Every ND I've driven suffers from it and I couldn't stand it in my S2000. I'd kill for a proper 30K Nm/degree rigidity chassis, 2400 lbs MX5 ND3 Coupe.

[@acanuck1679]

Thank you for this; I agree with those who have praised your driving skills (the video doesn't lie). WRT how Mazda has designed this vehicle's suspension, I respectfully disagree with @Zygrene. I believe that the engineers were being true to the long-established MX-5 design philosophy based on the notion that compliance and weight-shift management are more important than "flat cornering". I acknowledge, however, that this reiteration of the ND generation is closer to ideal (the previous two iterations fell short, by all accounts, because of less communicative steering and way too much "snap oversteer". I wholeheartedly agree, however, with @Zygrene's take on the brakes... but there are solutions already out there (both Goodwin and Flyin' Miata, for example).

[@Sayu2x]

Hope to own one of these one day since s2ks aren’t readily available

[@doubledown8229]

Same here. The S2K would still be my first choice though.

[@876yuugt]

These are so much better to drive. 30% stiffer chassis, 400 lbs + lighter, good vs poor steering feel, less body flex and way more linear oversteer breakaway characteristics.

[@cptndave1]

I think if they’re making the s2000 again it’s electric.

[@z32luvr]

There are plenty of S2K’s for sale.

[@cptndave1]

@@z32luvr yeah old ones. They don’t make them anymore for a while now, and if they make a new one it’s electric. So no competition for the mx5

[@Existentialcrisis_1488]

Should do a 370z review like a nismo or something, as always great video !

[@intrepid_wandering]

I learned that the the excessive body roll upon first glance is concerning and not confidence-inspiring, but can be acceptable on a track once the limits of the car are explored. It's not ideal, but it does not drastically hinder performance IMO. I suppose it's a trade-off. It can hit a speed bump at pretty heavy speeds on the road without worry. As well as still managing to be relatively capable in a corner. If nothing else, it certainly adds to the car dynamics in a prolonged turn by allowing throttle response to heavily influence pitch through a corner. I guess what I'm saying is, it's not perfect, but I get why they did it.

[@lpvgs-817]

man I a 16 ND1 club and this is making me sad.... I need a new miata...

[@gnosism]

I want to add a Red ND3 ST Club BBR next to my GT350R and mk6 GTi DSG... should complement them nicely.

[@Beyond_Repair]

Drive the freaking thing! It meant to be driven! After September there's nothing to review besides Corollas and AWD SUV. That's why I moved to CA and working with brands here is so much easier. You have access to way better fleet without "Midwest attitude" from fleet companies. If you know, you know 😅

[@larrylampshade1734]

What gains can one get with a header and flex fuel on one of these?

[@Chilicharger665]

No one knows because the ND3 has a new electric infrastructure and no one knows if the ECU is different or can be modified yet.

[@lucianolucidi8624]

The nd2 Gets 195hp.

[@Accost2u]

I’d imagine the same as the other gen NDs so around 190-200hp. But ND3 won’t have tuning support for a while. It took a couple years for ND2s to be cracked and that wasn’t much different than ND1s. Wouldn’t be surprised if it stays locked forever due to increased encryption

[@maxmeier532]

The only problem I see with the RF is that afaik the roof construction doesnt provide any structural protection in a roll over and because of the way it works, you cant install roll bars really. So you better never ever flip this car.

[@ragweedmakesmesneeze]

(or never want to take it to a track day)

[@lensoprezole5322]

Just learn how to drive/pilot propely, maxmeier.

[@876yuugt]

A Miata coupe with real rigidity & no body flex would be a perfect MX5.

[@matsudakodo]

Imagine a carbon fiber monocoque MX-5

[@lensoprezole5322]

Seems like you didn't understand that the miata is a open top ROADSTER for open road use. It is not intended to be a stiff track weapon out of factory.

[@876yuugt]

@lensoprezole5322 great. I still want a properly rigid MX5 coupe. I totally understand what I want. And it doesn't exist.

[@topsecretmx5142]

I’ll never understand why Mazda can’t get 100hp per liter out of an engine in this day and age.

[@matsudakodo]

They can from their 2.5T but it's tuned conservatively from the factory to play nice with 87 octane.

[@chipattack912]

Emissions

[@lensoprezole5322]

Maximum Reliability is the goal of Mazda.

[@topsecretmx5142]

@@lensoprezole5322 is it though how many recalls have they issued on the cx90? I’m not saying Mazda isn’t reliable but lots of manufacturers can get 100hp per liter n/an out of an engine and be reliable.

[@BattleRaT_CL]

ND lovers, help please!: 17x7 or 17.8.5 Wheels? 215/40R17 or 225/45R17? Will it rubb on front?

[@Chilicharger665]

17x8.5 with 225/45 is what I am running and I don't have rubbing at stock height.

[@dre32pitt]

lol.. im trying to have less grip in my ND so i can slide it more under power.. still rocking factory BBS's

[@BattleRaT_CL]

@@Chilicharger665 Oh! Any chance to share some pics somewhere? Want to see how "strech" the tire looks from the side. Also, some folks says on full lock there is rub. Not your case, right? Any special camber on front?

[@BattleRaT_CL]

@@dre32pitt what tire side? 205 ?

[@Chilicharger665]

@@BattleRaT_CL no, I don’t have pics anywhere. Stretch is just right. Offset is +45, so it is nowhere close to rubbing. The car is unaligned, so no idea on camber. I will be moving to some 17x8.5 +35 in the future and that will be pushing it.

[@tealruby582]

@zygrene do some journalists not know how to drive stick in a reasonable manor? I have taught 10+ people how to drive manual on my 50k+ mile ND2 Miata and the clutch shows zero signs of weakness.

[@kdavid123186]

They don’t just drive it, I am sure they clutch dump miss heel-toe or something stupid.

[@lensoprezole5322]

Maybe the guy who said the clutch was fatigued doesn't know what he is talking about. Otherwise there are maybe few "journalists" that are shithead and do crap with the clutch pedal.

[@whatever3749]

Does it still have the terrible body roll? After watching the entire video apparently it does. I wonder if I bought a new one and put in better sway bars would mazda void the warranty? I have an NC and Mazda refused to swap out my sway bars for modified ones. They will only use OEM parts.

[@Zygrene]

Still lots of body roll but that's always been part of the Miata's charm for some people. I highly doubt Mazda can deny warranty based on aftermarket sway bars, unless they can prove those parts caused the failure at hand.

[@tealruby582]

Why are you going for a dealer for aftermarket mods? You need to find a local performance shop.

[@whatever3749]

@@tealruby582 I did, I just asked the dealer if they do that type of thing.

[@whatever3749]

@@Zygrene Agreed but we all know dealers and car makers don't like paying money out. If they can find a loophole they will.

[@dre32pitt]

I installed Eibach swaybars on my ND1 club (soft top) and it was night and day. LOT more confidence going into corners. Ive still got the stock springs/dampers though as my roads suck, so having some suspension travel is still welcome.But, I can definitely chuck the car into corners a lot more confidently and make quick transitions a lot more confidently as well.

[@TT92348]

ND3 vs S2000?

[@Zygrene]

Planning to film this video soon!

[@tealruby582]

I own ND2 and AP1. I prefer the ND honestly.

[@TT92348]

@@tealruby582 what are the big reasons?

[@doubledown8229]

​@@TT92348 Engineering Explained traded his S2K for an ND a few years ago. So I'm curious to know as well.

[@FATmenDRIVEtrucks]

ND is more fun on street 100%. Then on track it's a brand new car so just get ohlins and wheels/tires you'll be killing it. Meanwhile s2000 will require lot more work unless you get lucky/picky pay more for the right one

[@gigi9467]

I have a 2021 nd2 sport, i got my car for 30,500 Out the door here in cali no markup. With that being said i would Not lay anymore than that specially with these interest rates, i called about getting another sport and the white color Is not available And they want 34k out the door… sorry but not worth it shame on mazda these stupid prices are gonna get it discontinued!

[@Kraize92]

No it's not. Inflation causes a rise in prices. The Miata still costs less than the average new car that people buy. Miatas still sell well and will continue to do so. A $4k bump is pretty good for a 3 year difference as well as improvments made.

[@gigi9467]

@@Kraize92 ppl Like to say that dont factor that wages are low and its not just cars that have risen in proces its everything! Its like saying that the miata cost the dame as 20 years a go lol when mortgage have trippled And not to mention rent I mean, if you want to justify how much you spend that’s cool man, but you don’t have to lie to kick it

[@thegosudriver]

40k starting for a Miata, is not what I expected in my lifetime lol

[@danielescobedo8460]

I never LIKED the looks. That's why I bought the Abrath 124 Spider manual transmission

[@ragweedmakesmesneeze]

To me those Fiats look like the 2nd gen, "NB" Miatas. I've always liked their looks.

[@lensoprezole5322]

Abarth 124 is ugly.

[@strmshadow8411]

I like the idea of the Miata but could never buy one because of size and power (not that it needs it). Also the new engine doesnt take well to mods, I also don't care for soft tops lol.

[@gigi9467]

Why would u want to mod the engine? It can do 1.4g continuously all u would be doing jt messing the car up. I dont think ppl get it, if u want more power buy a different car this is all About the experience not too speed, if ur a good driver u will Lap most corvettes and mustang so its fast enough.

[@strmshadow8411]

@@gigi9467 Regardless of the car, people are always gonna want more. It's the nature of the beast. As I said, I didn't buy one. I have other cars that can scratch both those itches. Also, unless it's on a very short track, corvettes and mustangs will always be lapping you.

[@jakedougherty6000]

Honestly on the soft top thing, I was the exact same way until I owned one. Still not a fan of the looks, but I'm telling you bro the functionality is worth it

[@opmike343]

@@strmshadow8411 I think you have the wrong mentality when it comes to all of this. Are you racing for money? Who cares if a Mustang passes you on a track day? There's always faster car.

[@strmshadow8411]

@@opmike343 Where did I say I needed to be the faster car? I agree that there's always someone faster. "I" just find that the car being hard to mod as something I can't overlook. I don't mind having a low powered car, I had a BRZ until recently. That and the combinations of it being too small (in my view), and a convertible is what held me back from purchasing it. Great car, but I just haven't been able to bring myself to purchase one.

[@greghill6117]

Suspension, tyres and brakes still require mods which indicates it’s still too compliant. It’s a shame most enthusiasts have to folk out extra dosh to make it how it should be from the factory.

[@lensoprezole5322]

Miata club isn't intended to be track ready from factory. It's a road car.

[@greghill6117]

@@lensoprezole5322 It’s a sports car. It’s too compliant!

[@gabrielflores1149]

RF is the lesser version for track.

[@Zygrene]

Agreed. I'd go for a soft top Club for track. RF for street.

[@gabrielflores1149]

@@Zygrene That’s what I just got. I heard Xida coilovers are even better than Ohlins for Miata ND. Wonder if Karcepts swaybars on top of that is overkill or not. Thoughts?

[@lucianolucidi8624]

​@@Zygrenewhy? Any logic reasons or just taste?

[@dre32pitt]

@@lucianolucidi8624 weight and center of gravity are 'worse' in the RF.

[@lucianolucidi8624]

@@dre32pitt ok. Slightly i think but of course. Yes

[@philliprumans753]

Overall I think it does have a little too much body roll in comparison to other cars I've had, but stickier would prolly help.

[@opmike343]

No, stickier tires only makes it worse. The stock suspension is fine for 6-7/10ths spirited driver around normal roads. It literally floats over imperfections beautifully. But start putting sticky rubber on it and really pushing it, and the suspension shortcomings are made manifest. These cars, more than most other sports cars on the market right now, truly come into their own with a set of quality coilovers if you plan on running them aggressively. It literally feels like a different class of car.

[@ThreePhaseHigh]

Awful fun to drive but the riders seat is so uncomfortable. You can’t even use it.

[@jamesmccaul2945]

How can you assess a car on track when you are nowhere near the limit?

[@Zygrene]

It's true I wasn't driving to the car's capabilities given the extremely limited seat time and requirements from the organizer, but the changes to steering and LSD were still easily noticeable when driving at 70-75%.

[@donstaramos]

Those recaros are so narrow lol idk what ya talking about

[@ragweedmakesmesneeze]

The thing about track reviews of Miatas...is that every single one of them, including the hard-top RF editions require the installation of a roll bar for HPDE track day use. Can you imagine spending $41,000 on this car, wanting to take it to the track and realize you need to spend thousands more on having some shop rip up your brand new interior to install a roll bar?

[@seethingsclearlyawaken3424]

Because you were on a race-track, why didn't you push it around the turns? I noticed on the speedometer you didn't go over 75 mpg. That's pretty much like driving on the highway. Oh well. I guess not everyone is meant to or able to drive a sportscar to its limits. Good luck anyhow.

[@blazefreak.]

I recently got a miata nd2 as a rental. After a week i can say it is not for me. I found myself constantly having my foot flat on the floor for seconds at a time. The car felt nimble but the engine was sluggish and if you have 2 people in the car you really feel the weight.

[@ouch9326]

driving efficiently(low emissions, high miles per gallon , car longveity and low maintenance sort of mixed into it, ) is like endurance racing , avoiding need for pitstops etc, needing to get places on time but doing so efficiently (or whatever speed you want , if you dont care as much about efficiency). this type of driving fun is most safe because its nto as fast as possible but does make you rather aware of driving environment instead of being focused mostly on music/radio/daydreaming/texting, etc driving efficiently is speeding up especially on more downhill-ish roads at optimal fuel level and engine RPM(RotationPerSecond), steering and braking minimally but smoothly. optimal efficiency for toyota 2.4 inline 4 is 2/3 pedal down in 2k-3k rpm, cvt hybrid maintain constant rpm. not sure whats best to do this in: sport mode, fuel level is more, in eco mode its less. use EV mode if optimal combustion level would speed car too much (often, if car isnt letting you do that without the EV mode, it wont let you us EV mode.) use it a bit from a stop for smooth acceleration then when car is rolling use combustion then maybe use it a bit more. smooth acceleration is part of putting less weight on tires at a moment because: according to emissions analytics' .com , consider tire wear dust emissions and how much it cost to replace tires (most people are becoming increasingly even poorer than they already are and you can invest money into bigger money)like those "xenoestrogen endocrine disputing forever chemicals micro plastics" etc. apply less weight on tires and you'll allow more of that weight handling ability to be used for having more grip for endurance-race-pitstop-avoiding momentum preservation driving fun in the name of efficiency. being able to feel how close car is to its grip limit is good for this goal, similar to the lotus-car-enjoyers ideal. for hybruds, battery should only be used in low speed situation because thats where it helps most. putting down power is more efficient at high speed so combustion is good. hybrids lower emissions with electric where it helps most for the least use of these non fully recyclable usually never recycled battery and electric motor stuff (the normally used stuff). yes, mile sper gallon per trip maybe less, by this trick, but longveity of battery is longer ,lower more emissions in part of the mass scale operation of producing hybrids. so accelerate slow in electric from a stop, then make power at most effceint rpm and fuel level for your engine. you can put it in neutral to prevent regenerative braking from eating up your momentum of rolling with no power after acceleration, then put it in drive for regen brake when wanting to brake down at slow pace at around half the regen braking level , so you can brake more fully just in case you underestimated how much you need to brake max regenerative braking. brake beyond the regenerative braking level once in awhile to shave off the rust layer on brake pad before while brake pad rusts off sooner. youtube think flight, julian edgar,etc have videos on improving aerodynamic efficiency of his car.can add anti sway bar , better suspension etc "handling mods" for more momentum around turns, but some of it can make the ride bumpier, louder, etc.

[@adamsteele6148]

Nd2 was perfect as it was. Nobody tracks these cars they are cruising cars.

[@pushslice]

What? I guess the track days I go to must be complete outliers then ? They are definitely out there. And then add’ly, a number of people I know (like me ) have older Mazdas that are their current track cars… until eventually , their/my ND will inevitably become the track car .

[@opmike343]

LOL, completely clueless.

[@chipattack912]

Lol there’s a whole championship racing series for these cars. “More Mazdas are raced on any given weekend than any other car” is one of Mazda’s marketing slogans. Did you just get into cars?