The RF looks kinda cool... it's a refreshing change in my opinion. Thanks for another awesome review... my only complaint is you need to make more reviews, and more often!!
I like the casual and informative review. Its more natural a delivery than the usual journalistic default position of false lingo and affected manners. I really wanted the 1.5 soft top. I've wanted that forever but always wimped out. Here in Manchester, UK, its chucking it down half the year, bloody freezing the rest of the time. If we get two straight days of clear blue skies and some elevated mercury action, folks start stripping off, phoning their employers and claiming they're sick. The parks are full and the pebble beaches are crammed with absentees. Seeing as Ive no off road parking and the area I live in resembles Gaza (but more dodgy), I have decided to order a 2litre RF in soul red crystal!! Still, If I had a garage or off road facility, it would have housed the afore mentioned 1.5. After driving all things mark 4 mx5, the RF, I found, is not a compromise. It's brilliantly worked out to offer flexibility and real world opportunities to get a real sporting car utilising modern concerns for safety, efficiency and amenities. The drive is as good as I imagined it would be and has been a thrilling experiment. Still, given a quiet moment and the romantic illusion of the perfect country road in Devon and me barreling down it in the height of a balmy summer, I always see myself grappling with that open topped 1.5 lotus élan inspired Mazda. Thanks for the review.
If they wanted to sell me one, it would be a removable roof section which I would rarely remove. However, I really like the RF where I did not like the soft top at all.
I really think i miata would be the perfect car for me. I plan to use it to work and home almost full year around. I hope the soft top miata can handle a swedish fall winter and spring?!
Nice video! The new Mazda MX-5 RF seems to diminish that preexisting connotation of a soft top Miata! I personally really love the idea of adding a retractable hard top with a tiger design! I makes the vehicle look more mature in my eyes! I cannot wait until I can get my hands on one of these MX-5 RF's to do a full review of! I really wonder how it will fare in my tests! Also, will the Fiat 124 Spider be getting this hard top retractable roof design in the coming years, too? Or will they just be reserving it for the Mazda MX-5 varient? 🤔 Keep up the great work, man! 👍😉 -DriveAndBeDriven "The Quest To Record The Best!"
CarNut .kiwi , Thanks so much! I truly try my best with my car reviews! Also, it is no problem! I was just curious if Fiat would want to take a stab at that hard-top market, too! After all, they are based off of each other! Thanks for replying, and keep up the great work! 😃 👍 -DriveAndBeDriven 🚘 "The Quest To Record The Best!"
Never understood the desire for the 1.5 when the only reason I can think of, insurance costs, usually dont spike before about 175-200 hp, where it starts getting really expensive.
The 1.5L engine is lighter and makes the already nimble car, even more agile. It also likes to be revved. If you go looking for comparison videos between the 1.5 & 2L cars, you'll see that most reviewers prefer the 1.5. I've got nothing bad to say about the 2L - heck, it's still a great engine - but given the choice, I'd much rather take the 1.5.
How much more weight could those 0.5l of displacement add? If you really cared that much about weight you'd not go the compromise of the RF with its added 45kg anway and go for the soft top. And well the soft top has the 1.5 :)
ive driven both and the 1.5 is, if anything, even more fun than the 2.0....yeeeees the 2.0 is faster, makes more torque, drifts easier bablabla...but the way the 1.5 screams up to almost 8000rpm and the old-school way that little engine delivers its power is just so poisoning! The 2.0 feels like "just another 4cyl engine"...the 1.5 though, it feels special...
Dear CarNut can you please inform me what is the "feeling" of the rf? I mean you "feel" same as at the regular mx5? Or is it more like an open window at the roof? For common people (as you also said) rf has advantages. More quiet. "more" car! But do you sacrifise things such as " open feeling" ? Fresh air from all directions? This is the most important for a "regular" open car, according to my opinion. If the feeling you have in the rf is the same with the soft top mx5 then there are a lot of advantages for someone to buy RF. BUT i am "afraid" in case it feels more like a sunroof. I want to buy one of these and unfortunately in Greece there is no Mazda so I must import one from Germany. That's the reason I would like to "help" me as you can. For daily use I have other cars, this will be a wekkend car. But I fell in love with the miata it may becoma also daily car! Who knows?? You are the only one who can make this clear!
Really thanks for your 20 minutes to read and answer to me! "That's why the MX-5 is so great...the thrills happen at much lower, safer and more responsible speeds." I am 35 and I know that I have nothing to do with "Lewis Hamilton". The point according to my opinion for such a car and in my age (I am not 18 and I will change tires every 2-3 years, not every 2-3 months) is to be able to drive safe and have the "idea" that you are one with the nature. Like a motorcycle with 4 roads. I live in Greece and here is almost 6 months summer. I will follow your advice and as I travel often in Bucharest I will try to drive them both. As I can understand - the one is 100% roadster for someone who may have it as seconf cars for weekened and free time - and the rf is eg for someone who may use it as first car and one sunny day with 18 degrees may open it for 10 minutes. He has no problem not to get he 100% but he is ok with the 65% of "open car". Maybe the rf is mostly for someone that may need lets say a "maserati" but with much less money he can have this open feeling with a nice coupe. If I was 22-23 years old I may chose rf to have it as first car every day all the year. But as things changes for regular use the last 4 years I have a toyota auris! As I drive motorcycles from my 16, I want to have it like the classical movies. A boheme type ( I am an architect) that has a roadster and for the 120 minutes of the movie you see it only open! I think I will follow your advice (first trip and 70%soft top, 30% rf) !!! Really appreciate for your time and of course I will inform you for my choice!!!!
After test driving manual transmissions in Mazda mx-5 club and touring, Fiat 124 Abarth and Lusso, Porsche Cayman, Nissan 370Z, Toyota 86, Mustang V8, Camaro 4 turbo, Camaro V6, Camaro V8, Corvette, I purchased a 2017 Corvette. The Mazda mx-5 manual transmission is unreliable (go to Mazda website for TSB on mazda mx-5). I bought a red 2017 Corvette 1LT manual transmission with performance exhaust, black wheels, red calipers, red seats, carbon badge package.
The RF looks kinda cool... it's a refreshing change in my opinion. Thanks for another awesome review... my only complaint is you need to make more reviews, and more often!!
I like the casual and informative review. Its more natural a delivery than the usual journalistic default position of false lingo and affected manners. I really wanted the 1.5 soft top. I've wanted that forever but always wimped out. Here in Manchester, UK, its chucking it down half the year, bloody freezing the rest of the time. If we get two straight days of clear blue skies and some elevated mercury action, folks start stripping off, phoning their employers and claiming they're sick. The parks are full and the pebble beaches are crammed with absentees. Seeing as Ive no off road parking and the area I live in resembles Gaza (but more dodgy), I have decided to order a 2litre RF in soul red crystal!! Still, If I had a garage or off road facility, it would have housed the afore mentioned 1.5. After driving all things mark 4 mx5, the RF, I found, is not a compromise. It's brilliantly worked out to offer flexibility and real world opportunities to get a real sporting car utilising modern concerns for safety, efficiency and amenities. The drive is as good as I imagined it would be and has been a thrilling experiment. Still, given a quiet moment and the romantic illusion of the perfect country road in Devon and me barreling down it in the height of a balmy summer, I always see myself grappling with that open topped 1.5 lotus élan inspired Mazda. Thanks for the review.
awesome love the RF . would be a fun weekend car to drive. great review
If they wanted to sell me one, it would be a removable roof section which I would rarely remove. However, I really like the RF where I did not like the soft top at all.
Wow it has a wonderful sound, exactly what I was looking for.
Thanks for watching Ajayi. The MX5 is a great car in whatever form you choose. One of my all time favourites. Cheers.
I really think i miata would be the perfect car for me. I plan to use it to work and home almost full year around. I hope the soft top miata can handle a swedish fall winter and spring?!
Nice video! The new Mazda MX-5 RF seems to diminish that preexisting connotation of a soft top Miata! I personally really love the idea of adding a retractable hard top with a tiger design! I makes the vehicle look more mature in my eyes! I cannot wait until I can get my hands on one of these MX-5 RF's to do a full review of! I really wonder how it will fare in my tests!
Also, will the Fiat 124 Spider be getting this hard top retractable roof design in the coming years, too? Or will they just be reserving it for the Mazda MX-5 varient? 🤔 Keep up the great work, man! 👍😉
-DriveAndBeDriven
"The Quest To Record The Best!"
CarNut .kiwi , Thanks so much! I truly try my best with my car reviews!
Also, it is no problem! I was just curious if Fiat would want to take a stab at that hard-top market, too! After all, they are based off of each other! Thanks for replying, and keep up the great work! 😃 👍
-DriveAndBeDriven 🚘
"The Quest To Record The Best!"
The RF, in my opinion, is a far better looking vehicle. Just disappointed that you can't option the RF with the peppy 1.5L engine.
Never understood the desire for the 1.5 when the only reason I can think of, insurance costs, usually dont spike before about 175-200 hp, where it starts getting really expensive.
The 1.5L engine is lighter and makes the already nimble car, even more agile. It also likes to be revved. If you go looking for comparison videos between the 1.5 & 2L cars, you'll see that most reviewers prefer the 1.5. I've got nothing bad to say about the 2L - heck, it's still a great engine - but given the choice, I'd much rather take the 1.5.
How much more weight could those 0.5l of displacement add? If you really cared that much about weight you'd not go the compromise of the RF with its added 45kg anway and go for the soft top. And well the soft top has the 1.5 :)
ive driven both and the 1.5 is, if anything, even more fun than the 2.0....yeeeees the 2.0 is faster, makes more torque, drifts easier bablabla...but the way the 1.5 screams up to almost 8000rpm and the old-school way that little engine delivers its power is just so poisoning! The 2.0 feels like "just another 4cyl engine"...the 1.5 though, it feels special...
The RF's balance favors the heavier engine, so it should handle just as well as the ragtop with the 1.5
What's with the RF badging and seat upholstery? Must be NZ-specific.
Will they offer the FIAT 124 in RF version, have they said?
Dear CarNut can you please inform me what is the "feeling" of the rf?
I mean you "feel" same as at the regular mx5? Or is it more like an open window at the roof?
For common people (as you also said) rf has advantages. More quiet. "more" car!
But do you sacrifise things such as " open feeling" ? Fresh air from all directions?
This is the most important for a "regular" open car, according to my opinion.
If the feeling you have in the rf is the same with the soft top mx5 then there are a lot of advantages for someone to buy RF.
BUT i am "afraid" in case it feels more like a sunroof.
I want to buy one of these and unfortunately in Greece there is no Mazda so I must import one from Germany. That's the reason I would like to "help" me as you can. For daily use I have other cars, this will be a wekkend car. But I fell in love with the miata it may becoma also daily car! Who knows??
You are the only one who can make this clear!
Really thanks for your 20 minutes to read and answer to me!
"That's why the MX-5 is so great...the thrills happen at much lower, safer and more responsible speeds."
I am 35 and I know that I have nothing to do with "Lewis Hamilton". The point according to my opinion for such a car and in my age (I am not 18 and I will change tires every 2-3 years, not every 2-3 months) is to be able to drive safe and have the "idea" that you are one with the nature. Like a motorcycle with 4 roads.
I live in Greece and here is almost 6 months summer.
I will follow your advice and as I travel often in Bucharest I will try to drive them both.
As I can understand
- the one is 100% roadster for someone who may have it as seconf cars for weekened and free time
- and the rf is eg for someone who may use it as first car and one sunny day with 18 degrees may open it for 10 minutes. He has no problem not to get he 100% but he is ok with the 65% of "open car". Maybe the rf is mostly for someone that may need lets say a "maserati" but with much less money he can have this open feeling with a nice coupe. If I was 22-23 years old I may chose rf to have it as first car every day all the year. But as things changes for regular use the last 4 years I have a toyota auris!
As I drive motorcycles from my 16, I want to have it like the classical movies. A boheme type ( I am an architect) that has a roadster and for the 120 minutes of the movie you see it only open!
I think I will follow your advice (first trip and 70%soft top, 30% rf) !!!
Really appreciate for your time and of course I will inform you for my choice!!!!
Mehzda!!!!!!!!!! #MazdaAllDamnDay
hard top is brilliant
Sorry, did he just say that the majority of RF buyers will go for the automatic transmission????? Is he a car journalist or a kangaroo??
Este auto me gusta mucho, pero no estoy seguro de entrar de manera cómoda, mido 1.85 mts.
Alguien sabe si quepo?
Tony Toutouni no, eres un pinche estorbo para un carro tan bello
What if I live in a desert climate? I kind of think the soft top would be the way to go.
Drop the top, it's Bieber time.
👍👍😎🇺🇸
oldman driving miata midlife crisis
U r obviously not a driving enthusiast.
After test driving manual transmissions in Mazda mx-5 club and touring, Fiat 124 Abarth
and Lusso, Porsche Cayman, Nissan 370Z, Toyota 86, Mustang V8, Camaro 4 turbo, Camaro V6, Camaro V8, Corvette, I purchased a 2017 Corvette. The Mazda mx-5 manual transmission is unreliable (go to Mazda website for TSB on mazda mx-5).
I bought a red 2017 Corvette 1LT manual transmission with performance exhaust, black
wheels, red calipers, red seats, carbon badge package.