Sport 2dr Convertible
2022 Mazda MX-5 Miata

2022 MX-5 Miata Photos
Miata fans live by a simple mantra. Whether you’re behind the wheel of a spankin’ new 2022 Mazda MX-5 or the 1990 Rustpile Edition™ sitting in my garage, one truth unites us all: M.I.A.T.A. — Miata Is Always The Answer. Sure, it’s exclusionary tribalism with a welcoming smile behind it, but for a long time, it had the benefit of being true. As bargain-priced, rear-wheel-drive models evaporated from the market throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Miata became the enthusiast’s entry-level car of choice if they wanted rear-wheel drive. Even the ho-hum alternatives we take for granted today were fewer and farther between back then. Remember, the DaimlerChrysler partnership didn’t spit out a Challenger with a decent V6 until 2011 and we went nearly an entire decade without a Camaro of any kind. The Honda S2000, Nissan 350Z and Mazda’s own RX-8 were only inexpensive by 2022 standards; back then, they eclipsed the 4.6-liter V8 Mustang GT’s MSRP — by a lot, in the case of the Honda. So, for a long time, your options were Miata, Mustang or making do with front-wheel drive. It helps of course that the Miata has always been good. Very good in fact, despite following a formula that most modern car buyers eschew. Light, low and limber — three terms you’d never use to describe today’s crop of performance SUVs — were the name of the game then just as they are now. The ND MX-5 adheres to the formula even better than the intervening NB and NC models did, in fact, but for some reason, Mazda keeps tinkering with it. Certainly nobody (apart from owners of 2016-2018 models, maybe) complained a few years ago when Mazda upped the 2.0-liter 4-cylinder’s power output from 155 hp to 181. The 2.0 may not be any more characterful or engaging with another 26 horses, but they’re certainly welcome. Ask any clear-headed Mazda fan how best to describe the manufacturer’s offerings and you’ll hear some variant of “outstanding chassis, acceptable engine.” That’s gone double since the Renesis rotary was discontinued (yeah, they’re as reliable as politicians, but equally entertaining right up until they fail). But for 2022, Mazda looked not to the powertrain, but to the chassis for opportunities to improve. Finding none but wanting to do something anyway, Mazda’s engineers came up with new braking software that helps mitigate body motion in hard cornering, reducing roll and making steering response more linear. Mazda calls it “Kinematic Posture Control” (KPC) and it requires no additional hardware to implement — just what the doctor ordered. While you’re busy doing the business of hustling a Miata around tight corners, KPC will digitally sneak in and drag the inside rear brake juuust a tad. Applying the brake in this fashion will help counter the natural upward movement of the body over it, flattening out the car's cornering attitude and giving the impression of a firmer suspension setup without the added cost, complexity and ride quality penalty of actually engineering it …
Full Review
Miata fans live by a simple mantra. Whether you’re behind the wheel of a spankin’ new 2022 Mazda MX-5 or the 1990 Rustpile Edition™ sitting in my garage, one truth unites us all: M.I.A.T.A. — Miata Is Always The Answer. Sure, it’s exclusionary tribalism with a welcoming smile behind it, but for a long time, it had the benefit of being true. As bargain-priced, rear-wheel-drive models evaporated from the market throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Miata became the enthusiast’s entry-level car of choice if they wanted rear-wheel drive. Even the ho-hum alternatives we take for granted today were fewer and farther between back then. Remember, the DaimlerChrysler partnership didn’t spit out a Challenger with a decent V6 until 2011 and we went nearly an entire decade without a Camaro of any kind. The Honda S2000, Nissan 350Z and Mazda’s own RX-8 were only inexpensive by 2022 standards; back then, they eclipsed the 4.6-liter V8 Mustang GT’s MSRP — by a lot, in the case of the Honda. So, for a long time, your options were Miata, Mustang or making do with front-wheel drive. It helps of course that the Miata has always been good. Very good in fact, despite following a formula that most modern car buyers eschew. Light, low and limber — three terms you’d never use to describe today’s crop of performance SUVs — were the name of the game then just as they are now. The ND MX-5 adheres to the formula even better than the intervening NB and NC models did, in fact, but for some reason, Mazda keeps tinkering with it. Certainly nobody (apart from owners of 2016-2018 models, maybe) complained a few years ago when Mazda upped the 2.0-liter 4-cylinder’s power output from 155 hp to 181. The 2.0 may not be any more characterful or engaging with another 26 horses, but they’re certainly welcome. Ask any clear-headed Mazda fan how best to describe the manufacturer’s offerings and you’ll hear some variant of “outstanding chassis, acceptable engine.” That’s gone double since the Renesis rotary was discontinued (yeah, they’re as reliable as politicians, but equally entertaining right up until they fail). But for 2022, Mazda looked not to the powertrain, but to the chassis for opportunities to improve. Finding none but wanting to do something anyway, Mazda’s engineers came up with new braking software that helps mitigate body motion in hard cornering, reducing roll and making steering response more linear. Mazda calls it “Kinematic Posture Control” (KPC) and it requires no additional hardware to implement — just what the doctor ordered. While you’re busy doing the business of hustling a Miata around tight corners, KPC will digitally sneak in and drag the inside rear brake juuust a tad. Applying the brake in this fashion will help counter the natural upward movement of the body over it, flattening out the car's cornering attitude and giving the impression of a firmer suspension setup without the added cost, complexity and ride quality penalty of actually engineering it …
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Retail Price

$27,650 MSRP / Window Sticker Price
Engine 2.0L I-4
MPG 26 City / 34 Hwy
Seating 2 Passengers
Transmission 6-spd man
Power 181 @ 7000 rpm
Drivetrain rear-wheel
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