2019 Miata Test Drive
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From: Virginia
2019 Miata Test Drive
I test-drove a used 2019 Mazda Miata RF (retractable hardtop targa roof) two days ago. Nice little car, but I think that with how much money they wanted for it, I might be better off just buying a new one. As is the case with a Corvette, the fun part for a senior citizen such as myself is getting in and out of one. Haha!! The 2019 doesn't look much different on the outside from the 2025 - but I think there were some changes to the interior.
The Mazda Miata still uses an actual hand brake (Yay!) - which is superior to the little button with an electric activator. I am also happy that they still sell them with a manual transmission. Apparently, the flow of new 2025 Miatas has slowed to a trickle and I have yet to see any 2026 models on their web page. The 2026 might be the last of the breed, as I have heard rumors of the Miata going to a hybrid or even an EV platform. In my view, that would fundamentally destroy the car as we know it. It's like how Ford made a four-door SUV and put the Mustang nameplate on it.
Anyway, the Miata is a cool little car that "feels" much faster than it really is. For long-term reliability, they're hard to beat. No turbo. No CVT. Fewer electronic doodads than some other cars have. It will be a weekend toy for us - not a daily driver (our CX-30 and Camry fill that bill). Any particular advice or "must have options" for a potential Miata purchase? Thanks!
P.S. The only two colors that really look nice are the Soul Red and the dark blue, but the Soul Red is the best color of the six that they offer. Too bad they don't offer the bright blue from the 1990s or the shiny teal green color from the early 2000s.
The Mazda Miata still uses an actual hand brake (Yay!) - which is superior to the little button with an electric activator. I am also happy that they still sell them with a manual transmission. Apparently, the flow of new 2025 Miatas has slowed to a trickle and I have yet to see any 2026 models on their web page. The 2026 might be the last of the breed, as I have heard rumors of the Miata going to a hybrid or even an EV platform. In my view, that would fundamentally destroy the car as we know it. It's like how Ford made a four-door SUV and put the Mustang nameplate on it.
Anyway, the Miata is a cool little car that "feels" much faster than it really is. For long-term reliability, they're hard to beat. No turbo. No CVT. Fewer electronic doodads than some other cars have. It will be a weekend toy for us - not a daily driver (our CX-30 and Camry fill that bill). Any particular advice or "must have options" for a potential Miata purchase? Thanks!
P.S. The only two colors that really look nice are the Soul Red and the dark blue, but the Soul Red is the best color of the six that they offer. Too bad they don't offer the bright blue from the 1990s or the shiny teal green color from the early 2000s.
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Senior Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 108
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From: Virginia
It is probably going to be a long search that won't yield much in the way of results. I thought buying a used one might be prudent, but they seem to be way overpriced - at least the ones at dealers. I found some "close matches" online that are new 2025 models. It's astounding that some dealers want full MSRP on a 2025 car that is - for all intents and purposes - a year old. The 2026 models (on the Miata anyhow) are not out yet, despite every dealer having abundant supplies of the 2026 Mazda 3, the CX-30, CX-5, CX-50, CX-90, etc. A few dealers still have 2025 Miata as being "arriving soon" or "on the way" if you look at their web pages. That seems very strange to me! I know that the Miata is built in Japan rather than Mexico or the USA, but the 2025 models should all have been delivered by now.
My search criteria narrow my selection quite a bit too. We want a new Soul Red Miata RF (with the retractable targa roof) Grand Touring.........with a black interior and a manual transmission. I don't care about any other options (first aid kit, ground effects package, etc.) - although I would be okay with the front & rear splash guards. The RF comes with a hell of a lot of standard features already. There are two trim levels with the RF - Grand Touring and Club (which adds Bilstein shocks, black BBS wheels, Brembo brakes with red calibers and Recaro seats). The soft top Miata comes in Sport, Grand Touring and Club trim levels. I wouldn't mind a soft top, but the wife put the kibosh on that. Besides, the RF does look better and has a nicer profile / silhouette to it.
So far, two dealerships have reached out to me via phone call or text and a third one emailed me. A bad thing about doing a TrueCar search is that it requires you to provide your contact information - which undoubtedly means that a salesperson will be reaching out to you. That in itself is not a bad thing - but in all honestly, I'd rather just have ALL of the pricing info up front and then I would contact them at my convenience. Some of them can be very difficult to deal with and only underscore the slimy reputation that the auto sales industry has earned for itself over the years. Oh well, as the old saying goes..........don't hate the player - hate the game.
I had two dealers who did not have any idea when the 2026 models were going to be available (they probably KNOW, but would rather sell me a leftover 2025). A third said it would be early March. I think that probably makes sense and - apparently - there are no changes in store. It's winter time here now anyway - not a great time to sell a rear-wheel-drive convertible. We are not in a hurry and don't "need" another car right now (we already have two cars + a pickup truck), so waiting is indeed an option for us. My second choice is probably white and my wife's second choice is the dark blue - but we both agree that the Soul Red is an awesome color (as it still looks great on our CX-30 after five years).
I'll let you now how our search progresses!
My search criteria narrow my selection quite a bit too. We want a new Soul Red Miata RF (with the retractable targa roof) Grand Touring.........with a black interior and a manual transmission. I don't care about any other options (first aid kit, ground effects package, etc.) - although I would be okay with the front & rear splash guards. The RF comes with a hell of a lot of standard features already. There are two trim levels with the RF - Grand Touring and Club (which adds Bilstein shocks, black BBS wheels, Brembo brakes with red calibers and Recaro seats). The soft top Miata comes in Sport, Grand Touring and Club trim levels. I wouldn't mind a soft top, but the wife put the kibosh on that. Besides, the RF does look better and has a nicer profile / silhouette to it.
So far, two dealerships have reached out to me via phone call or text and a third one emailed me. A bad thing about doing a TrueCar search is that it requires you to provide your contact information - which undoubtedly means that a salesperson will be reaching out to you. That in itself is not a bad thing - but in all honestly, I'd rather just have ALL of the pricing info up front and then I would contact them at my convenience. Some of them can be very difficult to deal with and only underscore the slimy reputation that the auto sales industry has earned for itself over the years. Oh well, as the old saying goes..........don't hate the player - hate the game.
I had two dealers who did not have any idea when the 2026 models were going to be available (they probably KNOW, but would rather sell me a leftover 2025). A third said it would be early March. I think that probably makes sense and - apparently - there are no changes in store. It's winter time here now anyway - not a great time to sell a rear-wheel-drive convertible. We are not in a hurry and don't "need" another car right now (we already have two cars + a pickup truck), so waiting is indeed an option for us. My second choice is probably white and my wife's second choice is the dark blue - but we both agree that the Soul Red is an awesome color (as it still looks great on our CX-30 after five years).
I'll let you now how our search progresses!
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