2025 Mazda MX-5 RF review: Buy the soft top; the hardtop sucks

As a former (NA) MX-5 owner myself, I was rather excited at the prospect of the RF. It sounded like all the MX-5 stuff I loved, but with less risk of someone slashing the hood, and maybe a more refined interior.

While I am sure the RF is more vandal-resistant, again I have to report that the hardtop makes this car, if anything, less refined to drive. There’s a sound-deadening panel that I am sure wasn’t fitted to the first RF we drove in 2017, but with the roof up, conversations with your passenger sound tinny, never mind anything played on the audio system. By comparison, the soft top soaks up some of the road noise without turning the interior into a resonating tin can.

Roof-down is not really much better. It’s the buttresses, which catch the air behind your head and make noise in the process. Raising the windows alleviates this, but only a little. You have to pay extra for this, too—a bit less than $3,000 depending on spec.

Still a joy to drive

So far, so not-great. But the rest of the MX-5 recipe is still sound, even if the RF remix is a little lacking. Under the hood is a 2.0 L four-cylinder Skyactiv-G engine, with 181 hp (135 kW) and 151 lb-ft (205 Nm), which is a lot more than early MX-5s made. And it’s still a relatively modest output, although sufficient for the car’s 2,469 lb (1,119 kg) curb weight. The engine revs freely to 7,000 rpm, but you’ll have to work at the gears if you’re in a flat-out hurry.

These cars have never been about outright speed, though. Or outright grip, either. Instead, it’s a car where making progress is all about maintaining your momentum, and enjoying the balanced chassis, sharp and communicative steering, and the six-speed manual transmission.

Enhance your driving experience with the P12 Pro 4K Mirror Dash Cam Smart Driving Assistant, featuring Front and Rear Cameras, Voice Control, Night Vision, and Parking Monitoring. With a 4.3/5-star rating from 2,070 reviews and over 1,000 units sold in the past month, it’s a top-rated choice for drivers. The dash cam comes with a 32GB Memory Card included, making it ready to use out of the box. Available now for just $119.99, plus a $20 coupon at checkout. Don’t miss out on this smart driving essential from Amazon!

Help Power Techcratic’s Future – Scan To Support

If Techcratic’s content and insights have helped you, consider giving back by supporting the platform with crypto. Every contribution makes a difference, whether it’s for high-quality content, server maintenance, or future updates. Techcratic is constantly evolving, and your support helps drive that progress.

As a solo operator who wears all the hats, creating content, managing the tech, and running the site, your support allows me to stay focused on delivering valuable resources. Your support keeps everything running smoothly and enables me to continue creating the content you love. I’m deeply grateful for your support, it truly means the world to me! Thank you!