MAZDA MX-5 RF 2017

Body, cabin and cargo space

Even after nearly thirty years, the Mazda MX-5 closely adheres to its original concept—a simple, light and, above all, extremely nimble two-seater convertible. Needless to say, the car owes its agility partly to its very small size, which has changed very little over the years.

The new 2017 Mazda MX-5 RF (for retractable fastback) version reprises the dimensions of the “normal” MX-5 with the exception of an extra five millimetres of height. It takes just 12 seconds to raise or lower the hardtop with a simple push of a button, with nothing to unlatch.

And despite the roof, its mechanism and the extra insulation, the RF weight only 56 kg more than the soft-top. Better yet, none of this hardware affects trunk volume, enough for a couple of carry-ons and some small necessities for a long weekend.

Kudos to the engineers, both for their technological prowess and for making the hardtop MX-5 even sexier than the soft-top. It always boils down to a question of taste, but many passers-by gave us the thumbs up during our test, evoking the styling of other renowned—and much more expensive—sports coupes, like the Chevrolet Corvette... not bad in terms of reference!

It’s when you climb—or more aptly, plop down—into the MX-5 than you realize just how small it is. Legroom is sufficient for people up to about 1.85 m (6 ft. 1 in.) tall, which wasn’t the case in the first generations of the car. However, a person that tall will find their head touches the ceiling with the roof in place.

Width is at a premium, too, with two adults sitting elbow-to-elbow. Some may also feel hemmed in by the big side bolsters, and the thin, firm seat padding is not the most inviting.

The sports car-like driving position will meet with the approval of purists: low cushion, stretched legs, vertical seatback. The only small weakness is the non-telescoping steering wheel, which requires adjusting closer to the pedals if you want your arms to be well flexed. It wouldn’t take much for this proximity to interfere with heel-toe downshifts, otherwise facilitated by the ideal layout of the pedals.

For many people, the biggest challenge may be extracting themselves from the car. With long doors, a floor just a few centimetres above the ground and an arching roof, achieving an elegant egress is no mean feat.

Finish and convenience

Door top panels than match the body colour, contrasting stitching, and optional Nappa leather are luxury touches previously unheard of in an Mazda MX-5. That being said, the base dash materials, all hard, and some of the colour schemes—brown leather with cherry-red plastic in our test car!—are disconcerting in a car than can cost nearly $50,000.

Main controls, ventilation, the instrument cluster are all well designed and intuitive. However, we’d trade the manual’s gear shift display (totally useless in a sports car) for a digital speed display, especially since the speedometer is offset to the right and slightly out of the field of view.

The infotainment system did not win universal approval among our testers. Some thought that perching the screen on the dash, like you would a tablet, was a bit rudimentary. Others would have preferred a genuine touch screen instead of the large knob and hard buttons behind the gear shifter.

And all remarked on its slow response time, particularly after switching on the engine—a good minute or so before being able to change the audio source. On the other hand, Bluetooth connectivity, voice recognition and the sound quality of the audio system are satisfactory for a convertible.

Finally, don’t count too much on the cabin for small item storage. There is no open space to deposit a wallet or telephone, there is barely room for a pack of gum in the bin under the armrest and the location of the removable cup holders (between the seatbacks or in the space for the passenger’s left knee) is ridiculous. The MX-5 is a great car, but practicality is not its best quality.

Safety features

• Antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist
• Stability and traction control
• Hill-hold system
• Front airbags
• Side head and torso airbags
• Seatbelt pretensioners
• Two fixed head restraints, high enough to protect against whiplash in case of a rear impact
• Blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert
• Lane departure warning (standard, GT; non-available, GS)

Visibility

Unlike the soft-top Mazda MX-5, when its top is folded, the 2017 Mazda MX-5 RF model never provides totally satisfactory visibility. It is passable towards the front, except for very tall people, whose view lands opposite the top edge of the windshield. Things get complicated towards the sides, with the rear frame of the roof creating an enormous, permanent blind spot. The standard blind-spot monitoring make lane changes a bit less hazardous than expected.

However, the fact that in 2017 a back-up camera is not even listed, for a model costing at least $40,000, is inadmissible. The car may be small, but you cannot see much when parking, especially with the roof in place.

Headlights: The bright LED headlights standard on all models light a good forward path both in low- and high-beam mode. The GT’s headlights pivot depending on the angle of the steering wheel with automatic high-beam control, both noteworthy features.

Engine and transmission

The Mazda MX-5 is not a road rocket. That would be difficult to expect with a 155-horsepower engine, when even the most mainstream compacts offer more power. But the little Mazda has another card up its sleeve: light weight.

With just 1,114 kg to motivate, the 2.0-litre four-cylinder suddenly becomes more than adequate. Flexible and relatively smooth, it climbs easily through the gears to deliver very decent performance. Its raucous engine note reinforces the lively feel that accompanies each acceleration, even if you’re not going all that fast. Which, when all is said and done, is not such a bad thing!

In fact, you have to play with the gear shifter to extract the maximum from the engine. But who’s complaining, when the MX-5 offers one of the best manual gearboxes in the industry? The short, precise, mechanical throws, ideal gearing and progressive clutch make every trip a delight. Fans of sporty driving will also be pleased by the ease of heel-toe downshifting.

We have never tested this generation of the MX-5 with an automatic transmission, but if it functions as well as in the other Mazdas, it should prove efficient. However, if you want to savour all the fun this little two-seater has to offer, just stick with the manual.

In terms of fuel economy, we obtained an excellent highway result of 6.7 L/100 km, which is better than the Natural Resources Canada rating. We equalled their combined average rating of 8 L/100 km.

Ride and handling

Hitting the road in a Mazda MX-5 is a driving delight. It goes without saying that it delivers the windblown experience sought by all convertible car enthusiasts. In the case of the RF, however, the rear roof structure slightly lessens the open-air feeling you get with the soft-top version.

The Mazda MX-5 RF more than redeems itself when driving with the roof in place. The noise level is considerably more tolerable, not only because the hardtop is better at filtering out wind noise but also because the RF is equipped with superior sound deadening in the wheel wells.

The MX-5 is still not the ideal road trip machine, but the RF is at least tolerable at highway speed, especially since Mazda has slightly softened its suspension tunings compared to the softtop model. The suspension remains firm, but that’s what you get with most sporty cars.

You quickly excuse the occasional jounce once you get a taste of the thrilling grip the MX-5 delivers. In a time when electronic assistance is becoming more and more the norm, Mazda has carefully preserved the sensation you look for at the wheel of a sports car: ultraprecise and perfectly weighted steering, incisive front end, tenacious tire grip and just the right amount of body roll to settle the car properly in curves.

In addition to testing the Mazda MX-5 RF 2017 in Quebec, we had the opportunity to drive it on superb canyon roads around San Diego earlier this year. It proved sparkling yet docile, nervous, but easy to steer. The numerous hairpin turns and downhill stretches underscored its powerful, fade-resistant braking, even without the optional Brembo braking system.

There are very few models that promise so much fun behind the wheel without resorting to totally illegal and dangerous speeds.

Inspection

The following points were noted in our inspection at a CAA-Quebec vehicle inspection centre:

• Solid frame with several crossmembers; longitudinal support between the transmission and differential reduces powertrain play
• Long, heavy hood supported by a simple prop rod; telescoping shocks are preferable
• Placed for a long time in the trunk, the battery now loges in the engine compartment; the positive pole’s black cover could create confusion when boosting the battery
• Easy-to-see wiper fluid reservoir is located on passenger side, safer during a roadside fill-up
• Front turn-signal bulbs accessible only by removing the fender liners
• Engine oil filter and pan difficult to access, under a plate fastened with eight bolts
• Very large openings in the bottom of the bumper; air-conditioning condenser exposed to road debris
• Floor generously protected by factory-applied rust proofing
• No spare; replaced by a tire inflator kit (compressor and sealant), which complicates repairs and increases cost