Why I Wouldn’t Trade My Old Miatas For A Brand New One

I admit I have a small Miata problem.

I currently own two of the small Japanese roadsters, and I will go to my grave believing that the Miata is the most perfect car ever made. My lifted and supercharged Miata named Buddy you’ve likely seen here on the pages of The Autopian, but I also have a 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata. Speedy is mostly stock, save for a roll bar and some upgraded brakes. I am the second owner and she has 82,000 miles on her. I love Speedy just as much as I love Buddy– maybe even more so because she always runs.

When I spent some time in the 2024 Mazda Miata it got me thinking– would I ever trade in my Speedy for a modern Miata? Just what has improved, or not, in the ensuing 20 years of Miata-dom? I’ve had some time to noodle on it, and I have thoughts.

Turbo Or Nah?

When new, my MSM’s 1.8-liter turbo four-pot put out 178 horsepower and 166 pound-feet of torque. The factory single scroll turbocharger puts out a whopping 8.5 pounds of boost and for the life of me, I’ve never heard any pssssh turbo noise come into the cabin. It’s that tiny. The gears are fairly short and closely spaced so I get all the good feels of rowing my own, downshifting around turns and I enjoy the quick acceleration off the line. It’s like driving an angry bumblebee. However, on the highway, this car blows. I’ll be sitting at 80 miles per hour and the engine is sitting at 4,000 rpm or so. No wonder I’m only getting highway mileage in the low- to mid-20s.

Here we are in 2024 and the Miata has a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-banger rated for 181 ponies and 151 pound-feet of torque. Again, gears here are pretty closely spaced and first gear zings to 35 miles per hour at the 7,500 rpm redline in about the same time it takes mine to reach 30 miles per hour at the 6,500 rpm redline. What really makes me smile, though, is that at 80 mph on the highway I’m sitting at 3,200 rpm. So yeah, it’s like an angry bumblebee until I get to the highway then it transforms into, say, a slightly annoyed bumblebee. Still, it’s enough for an EPA fuel rating of 34 mpg on the highway.

I got curious about the gear ratios so I looked at the spec sheets for each car. My Mazdaspeed’s first gear is at 3.76 and the final drive is 4.10. That makes sense to me. Mazda prioritized acceleration over fuel economy. I get it.

The 2024 Mazda’s first gear is a super-low 5.087. What the what? This made zero sense until I looked at the final drive. Y’all, it’s a super-tall 2.866. If Mazda didn’t put in a low first gear I doubt it would ever get off the line. With the higher redline, however, it means the car can gain more speed in first gear, even though it’s so damn low. Then you get the benefit of better fuel economy on the highway. At first, I wondered why Mazda didn’t split the difference and offer 3.88s in the rear but hey– their way works and just proves that I’m not an engineer.

We Don’t Need No Traction Control!

When it comes to handling and steering, I have no complaints about little Speedy. Twenty years ago Mazda was still using hydraulic steering and it’s still as divine as the day it came off the assembly line. I know when I cross over a lane marking there is so much communication from the tires to the steering wheel. Although the car originally came with Toyo Proxes, I currently run Michelin Pilot Super Sports. The chassis and steering are so chatty I know exactly when they are about to lose grip– which is not often thanks to the standard limited-slip rear differential. When it does break loose, a bit of countersteer and the Mazdaspeed gets back in line. Pure joy.

Mazda also added larger front and rear sway bars and slapped some Bilstein shocks on the Mazdaspeed. It’s still a little roly-poly like all NB Miatas, but that’s part of the charm. It’s all old-school too. There is no electric this or Drive Mode that. No traction or stability control, no ESC. Heck, the only vague consideration to driving safety here is ABS. The Mazdaspeed has one setting: fun.

Meanwhile, Mazda has modernized but not over-complicated its suspension and handling features in the ensuing 20 years. While I’m bummed that the company went to electric power steering, I can’t expect it to remain in the dark ages forever. And as far as an electric setup goes, Mazda has one of the best. It’s hefty and quick and while it can’t feel paint changes through the rack, it communicates enough of what’s going on with the front wheels to be satisfying. For 2024 Mazda was able to reduce friction in the steering setup for even greater precision. I’ll take it.

Bilstein dampers are here as well, but Mazda made some innovative improvements on the limited-slip differential– no electronics required. Essentially there is a cam mechanism on the differential that provides more lockup under engine braking, reducing oversteer during trail braking. I mean, I always thought that was the fun part about a Miata, but it’s certainly not the fastest way around a turn. When accelerating the diff provides less lockup to reduce understeer. Since understeer is scary, I applaud this improvement.

Those just learning to push their MX-5 will enjoy the new DSC-Track feature which limits the stability control but doesn’t turn it all the way off. Now you don’t have to risk it all on the track if you’re still making payments on your roadster. Of course, you can still turn DCS all the way off if you’d like and frankly, there isn’t enough power here to warrant it in the first place if you have a modicum of driving talent. Just turn it off and let it rip.

However, Mazda does get modern with the software-based Kinematic Posture Control. Here, the computer is on the lookout for high-g cornering. When it detects such a situation, slight brake pressure is applied to the inside rear wheel. Mazda says this keeps body roll in check and helps with steering response. If the driver is accelerating through a turn, a higher level of braking is used.

What can I say except that it all works. Taking a run up my favorite windy road the new Miata just feels sharper all around. Turn-in is crisper, the rear stays tucked in and the Bridgestone summer tires are grippy as all get out. Understeer and oversteer seem to be a thing of the past now. That is a little sad-face if we’re being honest, at least in terms of oversteer, but this car is just as fun as my old-school MSM.

Those Cupholders, Though

When it comes to the interior, well, I have some very strong opinions. My 2004 has no tech at all. No blindspot monitoring, no lane departure warning, no cruise control, rearview camera, or TPMS. Speedy is bare bones, baby. I miss none of those things. The only tech I would want are heated seats and Apple CarPlay– just not encased in Mazda’s terrible infotainment system.

See, the infotainment system in the new Mazda, housed on an 8.8-inch screen, can only be controlled by a rotary dial that is located just behind the gear shifter [Ed note: We have many thoughts on this and are glad Mazda is slowly moving away from this as the only option – MH]. Mind you, the screen itself has touch capabilities as you can use your finger to navigate through Apple CarPlay. If Mazda would just allow folks to do the same for their native infotainment system guess what could go in place of that stupid rotary dial? Cup holders.

Yes, the cup holder situation in the new Miata is turrible. Granted, in my older car I have to twist my arm a bit to reach my road Diet Dr Pepper, but the twisting is egregiously bad in the 2024 Miata. Mazda has seen fit to make the cup holder movable and when driving solo I can place one on the right side of the center console, but it definitely impedes into the passenger footwell.

Small storage is just slightly better in the older Miata, thanks to its deeper center console bin. The Mazdaspeed also has an easily accessible glove box, whereas there is more twisting in the newer car to access the little lockable cubby on the wall between the two seats.

Speaking of seats, mine are a nifty black and red cloth but I like the leather seats in the new model as well. The fore and aft movement is about the same but drivers can actually adjust the steering wheel in the new Miata. This gives taller drivers more options. Likely not comfortable options, but options nonetheless.

The Mazdaspeed ekes out a bit more trunk space at 5 cubic feet, but it’s more wide than it is deep. The new Miata’s trunk is a bit smaller, 4.59 cubes, but it’s much deeper. I can fit my suitcase in both, but it needs to remain flat in my car. I should note that I’ve driven Speedy across the country and the best packing strategy is to use multiple soft-sided bags and then fill in the holes with your underwear and socks.

Perhaps the best creature comfort improvement over the past 20 years has been the soft top. I can easily close it while sitting in the car so if a sudden rainstorm hits or it just gets too damn hot to go topless, I don’t have to pull over and get out of the car to put it up. Even without the rollbar in Speedy, I can’t wrangle my arm up and over my head while holding on to the soft top in my car. The latches on the new Miata are much easier to use as well and the top does a better job at keeping out wind and road noise. I mean, it’s not quiet in the cabin but I can at least have a conversation with someone without yelling. That’s more than I can say about my little Miata.

Could I Really Be Tempted To Upgrade?

In 2004 my Mazdaspeed Miata cost around $26,000. I bought it in 2014 with 13,000 miles on the clock for $11,000. Yeah…I got a great deal. The 2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata starts at just over $30,000 including $1,185 for destination. However, my top Grand Touring model with Nappa leather interior and a fancy paint job is over $36,000. I’d probably save a few thousand dollars and give up a few comforts with the Club model.

Or, you know what? Maybe I’ll just get an aftermarket Apple CarPlay unit and some seat heaters at Target and call it good. That seems like a pretty good plan, too.