Mazda’s iconic MX-5 Miata has always been the proverbial little engine that could with the tiny two-seater becoming a strong seller for the Japanese auto giant in recent years. This is largely due to its simple formula of providing thrills with little power and the fact that it has seductive exterior styling doesn’t hurt either.
However, some elements of the recipe were starting to age, and Mazda has addressed some of these trouble spots by giving the model a light refresh for 2024 which also comes bundled with some welcome upgrades as well.
The MX-5 exterior and interior updates are hard to spot
At first glance, it can be hard to spot the updates with our Club grade tester looking largely the same as it did in 2023 with the bulk of the car being largely carried over. However, look at the front and some of the differences do begin to make themselves apparent. The front grille has been reworked but unless you have a magnifying glass or a side-by-side image of the outgoing model, the supposed updates here are hard to spot. What’s more noticeable though are the reworked headlights which get new housings and new DRL accents for a better presentation when the car is driven at night.
The interior is also largely carried over as well with Club models like our tester getting supportive Recaro seats to keep occupants firmly in place during spirited driving. The lone change here is the infotainment system and while it’s still controlled by a large rotary control knob, the dinky 7.0-inch display is gone, and in its place is a bigger 8.8-inch display that’s standard on all models. The software has also been reworked and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now standard. The latter item was welcome during its stay with us since Google Maps is a noticeable improvement over Mazda’s clunky in-house navigation system. Storage space is still at a minimum too with the small trunk being paired with a small glovebox mounted in between the seats.
MX-5 performance still delivers the goods
Slip inside the MX-5 and you’ll find that the experience is still the same which is great news for budget-minded enthusiasts. Power still comes from a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder that still makes 181 hp with Mazda making a six-speed stick standard on nearly all MX-5 models (the Grand Touring is the only automatic model left in the fold. Our stick-equipped tester made the sprint to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds with Club models getting BBS-sourced wheels, beefier brakes, and a slightly firmer suspension.
All manual-equipped 2024 models get a new limited slip differential and engineers have also made tweaks to the suspension and steering systems. The improvements here are more noticeable with the suspension allowing our tester to have less body roll than before and the steering feeling sharper and more accurate than ever when the car is thrown about through corners. Mazda also made some minor improvements to safety with the MX-5 getting an adaptive cruise control system and a rear-automated emergency braking system.
Value Quotient
Pricing has creeped upward to go along with the updates with the MX-5 crossing over the $30,000 barrier. Our Club tester had a starting price of just over $34,000 with taxes and fees applied. Buyers are strongly encouraged to get the $4900 Brembo/BBS Recaro package which adds the BBS wheels, upgraded brakes, and the aforementioned Recaro seats. It does cause the price to get close to $40,000 but that’s a small sacrifice to get a better long-term reward especially if you’re a driver who likes to experience the best that the MX-5 has to offer.
The 2024 MX-5 is a welcome improvement over its predecessor and that’s good news since the model is expected to hold the fort in its current form for a few more years. The company is working on a reworked successor but that next chapter in MX-5 performance is not expected to appear for a few more years.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.