The 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata is Still the Best Driver's Car

It's hard to beat the 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF. The ND Miata Roadster and RF coupe offer arguably the best driving experience, period.
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And on Twitter: / chrisoneill__

[@aznsumthing]

I already have an ND2, but I still watch Miata review videos so I can be told how awesome is my car. 😅

[@danh.5825]

Same here, quite shameless, really. 😀

[@extraterrestrial6614]

Same 😂

[@jonathanclark324]

Me too.

[@schellingrs]

OMG me too LOL!

[@alexh4534]

Me too!

[@FungusUSMC]

Out of every single review of the ND Miata I notice every reviewer doing the same exact thing: They run a few numbers off the paper that doesn't sound too impressive, but once they get behind the wheel and start driving, they're just grinning ear-to-ear. THAT same reaction every time was what convinced me to buy my own ND2 last year, and it is so worth it.

[@ChrisONeillUSA]

Well said!

[@druegillis1744]

Congratulations! I have watched 25 or 30 Mazda Miata reviews and you are the 1st one to show me that the trunk has a light inside! Another reviewer actually showed the small storage cubby behind the seats. For one that is planning to use the car for trips, these small details are important.

[@BN99239]

If you look it up, you can find out how to access the hidden menu to enable the touchscreen while the car is moving. I am in the market for an MX5 Miata right now, 2019 or newer for that that 2.0 engine. I really love the looks of the RF too, but they are definitely harder to find than the soft top. The RF looks like a tiny exotic car. Mazda did a great job with the design on the RF!

[@gerrygoulet1675]

The white leather looks great with this gray. Good choice!

[@schellingrs]

Excellent review. I love my ND!

[@emanmark]

I have a 2018 RF GT AT and love the car. Mine is blue with black seats, but I like the white seats on this one

[@zooq1139]

5 uploads this week! Awesome!

[@robertboone8607]

I have a 2020 nd2 and a mint 1997 m version na they are both great cars 👍. The fun factor is huge and the maintenance and repair costs are reasonable. The nd2 4 cylinder is one of the best engines ever made and will go down in history as such. Its hard to believe no one buys these cars (low volume) prolly due to image and packaging issues, but its a hidden gem in the sports car pantheon. As a miata owner this review is spot on !

[@gilly2026]

Planning to get a 2019-2022. do these cars have crazy maintenance issues when pushing 100k? Never owned a Mazda but do know Japanese cars are all known for reliability and cheaper maintenance whenever needed

[@kgm5330]

@@gilly2026 I’ve owned 1990 NA (1990 - 2006, daily, 165,000 miles, never kept in a garage), 2000 NB (relatively briefly), 2006 NC1 (2006 - present, 170,000 miles, daily until 2020, now track, kept in garage in later years), 2013 NC2 (few years), and now 2020 GT RF (8800 miles, daily, kept in garage.) All were very vigorously driven, but well maintained. I don’t know where the NA is now, but all the others are still on the road. Routine maintenance ONLY except replaced tops at about 10 years ($800.00), NC1 needed ignition wires at about 140,000 miles, replaced bent rims, replaced dampers at 150,000 for NA, earlier for NC1 to improve handling, and cosmetic maintenance. That’s it. Most reliable and hard driven cars I’ve owned. No clutch replacements, no gaskets replaced, no bearings, no fuel pumps, nothing. Great cars - if well maintained and not in too much salt. Mazdas, in general, don’t like salt.

[@stormchaser]

You also have a compartment behind each seat. At least it's a few more spots. Great review!

[@Saboda53]

In the RF, there’s a compartment behind the passenger seat only. (Soft top has one behind the driver seat, too.)

[@philliprumans753]

I have the same year with the white interior except mine as polymetal Gray and I love it so far. I work for from home so to make sure that I get out to drive I usually go for coffee in the morning even though I have it at home and I put the top down almost every time. Indeed the backup camera is terrible it really is washed out by any type of light source and I have the settings all the way all the way to the negative as low as they will go and still it's horrible

[@cheesefries7436]

I rented one of these for a businesses trip and I think about trading my Corvette for an RF almost weekly.

[@hypnotechno]

wow high praise

[@druegillis1744]

I am with you , brother on trading the ‘Vette.

[@Saboda53]

No, the top button is not “up to put the top down, and down to put the top up”! The button perfectly matches what you do to open the soft top: to raise that, you push the handle at the windshield header UP; same in the RF. To close the soft top, you pull it DOWN to secure it to the header; same here. Makes perfect sense.

[@BlackNAVYAmericanVET]

The shifter is like BUTTER 🧈……

[@jameswentz9460]

At 6ft.3in. What are the chances of getting in and be comfortable...

[@layzer6421]

Since you touched the headlights, can you remember if they're made of plastic or of glass?

[@emissarygw2264]

Hah, agreed on being hard to get a speeding ticket in a miata. I find myself driving a lot slower because it feels like I'm driving way faster than I am.

[@write2nick]

Hey Chris. Is your roof piano black or metallic grey matching the body? I want to get one that matches the body of the car but I have to give up the package that has bbs and red brake caliper and metallic black rim. Am I losing out by not getting these package? Does bbs and red brake caliper enhance car's performance or is it for just for looks?

[@ChrisONeillUSA]

It's not my car! I'm not aware of any RF models with contrasting roofs. Pretty sure they're all body-colored. I'm also not aware of any instance where a different color, anywhere on the vehicle, has enhanced performance.

[@danielnieto2701]

SWEET LITTLE TIP… there’s a cigarette lighter under the passenger side dash on the lower left-side :)

[@gilly2026]

Does anyone know if the RF has cheaper insurance rates? It’s damn near not even a convertible when the hard top is up. Some people probably will never put it down anyway lol

[@kgm5330]

I’ve owned Miata STs and currently an RF. Insurance rates for all Miatas are low (for a sports car.) I don’t see a difference between STs and RFs. Insurance rates seem to be proportional to cost of repair and replacement. Convertibles are generally not more expensive to insure, but (most) sports cars and performance cars are more expensive because they are more expensive to repair and more likely to be wrecked and totaled. Compare your rates for insuring comparably priced Mustang GT and MX-5 GT. Convertible or not. Probably quite a bit different. My insurance agent: “A higher percentage of people who buy Mustangs tend to crash their cars.” It’s probably a not so hidden blessing that girls, hairdressers, and retired guys also buy these cars. It probably helps to keep them in production and insurance rates down!

[@jasondixon9095]

🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@teekay_1]

White leather looks great, but it seems like too much work to keep it clean.

[@kalmmonke5037]

lotus elise is the car but larger pple dont fit in this or the elise so they go for alpine a110 and if they cant afford its toyota 86

[@emissarygw2264]

I'm so jealous! They stopped offering the white interior :(

[@faautobahna9416]

Nice

[@kiwiasian]

All I can do is watch KZbin MX5 videos and hope my MX5 gets built this year :-(

[@Violianom]

I was gonna order mine yesterday but I'm ordering mine tomorrow now. I think I have to wait around 6 months. Is yours coming soon?

[@kiwiasian]

@@Violianom yes, I got lucky and snagged a cancelled order. Great car!

[@TheBishop12]

RF stands for ‘Retractable Fastback’...just making sure you know now. You had some trouble at 0:20 lol. Waiting for 2022 ND3

[@vhockada]

I couldn’t disagree with this guys opinions more. He keeps calling this car simple in every way. The dual top exhaust is simple? No, a single tip exhaust it simple. The headlights are simple? No, a large square headlight is simple. The 17 inch rims are simple and average? No, 16’s are simple and average. The lines and curves on this Miata what makes it so beautiful is the fact that it isn’t actually “simple”. It’s shape is amazing at any angle. The only thing I agree is simple is the taillights.

[@Aikynbreusov]

Targa top

[@denysyevtukh7009]

who has miata in seattle?

[@SeanFlaherty]

$36k seems like a lot.

[@Z06C5]

Beautiful car, but it’s so slow and built for Asian guys and women Sold my 2020 club bbs Brembo Recaro. Seats were so tight, made my left leg go to sleep after an hour of driving. And it needs more power, no low end torque. A 20 year old S2000 and Solstice GT had 240 hp. 187 hp in 2020. Come on Mazda. I had a 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata. It was great. Put a turbo on it and give it 50 more hp and some seats for Americans. I’m 220 lbs and 5’10”. My seat was all the way back, and could not recline because up against rear bulkhead.

[@bigmacdaddy1234]

I agree with you 100%. Too cramped and not fun to sit in.

[@JKDJack]

Being tall is great till is sucks..

[@robertroccii7117]

No it isn´t.It´s a Car for Hobbits and very Expensive in Europe. We have better Drivercars like Yaris GR und GR86 but not this Roadster for Hobbits.

[@romachoz]

We have bmw e36 for 500 euros, 192 hp and 250 torque for 1300 kg, it’s better in every way than 25k Miata

[@TheFK8Life]

Ultimate drivers car? No Entry level drivers car to be sure - not enough power, too much body roll, sloppy bushings, so so shifter, lazy low rev engine Its an entry level weekend sports car which is why its price point aims to be the cheapest sports car in the US year after year. If you had the money you would buy something like an Ariel Atom for a weekend/track toy, not a miata. Much closer to the "ultimate" drivers car

[@Scifo321]

Ariel Atom, r u kidding me? xD Jeezes man, just buy a sports bike than.

[@TheFK8Life]

@@Scifo321 Than it wouldnt be a car now would it - nor would the bike be capable of 1000+whp eiither while having 4x the contact patch to put it down Run along now

[@Scifo321]

@@TheFK8Life An Ariel Atom is not a car, just to be clear. xD

[@TheFK8Life]

@@Scifo321 Its a car and is registered as such - if the first mercedes benz is a car - so is an atom Stop crying and move along kid

[@samarkand_nights]

Lol

[@bigmacdaddy1234]

The Miata is an ergonomic mess and is most certainly NOT the best driving experience. It is way too cramped inside, the seats do not recline back enough and the leg room is way to little. Why is it the Mini Cooper Convertible is the same length, yet it seats four comfortably, has plenty of room for both the driver and passenger and the seats not only recline back but also have plenty of leg room? The Miata also has a stupid hump on the floor on the passenger side which makes it even more uncomfortable than it already is and the windshield is way too close to your head. The Mini has two cupholders in the right place (front and center) and a comfortable armrest in the middle with storage as well as a glovebox. The Miata's cupholders are a plastic joke and it doesn't even have a glovebox. In terms of interior quality fit and finish, the Mini Cooper is lightyears ahead and puts the Miata to shame. For the asking price, the Miata should be made and designed much better. Go take the Mini for a ride and you will see that the Miata is way overhyped and not a great driver's car.

[@ronniefranks4351]

Come now. What do you really think? I get it. You don’t like the Miata. Seems strange that you seem to have made it your mission in life to dis the Miata. Whatever. I will point out that the Mini is a rather unattractive, boxy car and the speedometer in the center of the dash is the stupidest idea ever. There are more smiles per mile in the Miata than any other car. The Miata is much more dependable than the Mini by a huge margin. The best part is not having to go to BMW for parts or service! You’re obviously misguided if you don’t think the Miata is a drivers car and likely the only person to have ever said that.

[@bigmacdaddy1234]

@@ronniefranks4351 The speedometer is not in the center of the dash. It right behind the steering wheel.

[@JKDJack]

The Miata is a small Rear wheel drive car. The mini is a Front wheel drive. That basically explains your every issue with the Miata. RWD takes up a lot of space and it's like that in any rwd car.

[@bigmacdaddy1234]

@@JKDJack No, it's not. My NC Miata had more room, my Z3 & Z4 had plenty of room, so did my old MGB and Alfa Romeo spider. Even the S2000 was comfortable. Only the ND Miata is miserable to sit in. You have no idea what you are talking about.

[@bigmacdaddy1234]

@@benkerley1014 Which means that Mazda made the ND wrong. Thank you for proving my point.

[@arobjavan9481]

Waste of money. The thing feels like a toy. Way too expensive for what you get.