Legend Revived: 2024 Mazda MX-5 ND3 Review

The MX-5 is more than just a car. And in the automotive world, it's a cultural icon. And for decades, it's defined open-air motoring fun. But how do you hold on to a legacy like this when the automotive world moves forward? Well, this 2024 MX-5 is a new chapter in the book of MX-5. What's it like? Buckle up, my friends. Let's go for a drive. I'm your host, Brian Max Racer, lover of driving fast, fun things. And on this channel, you get reviews for drivers from drivers. Now, I think we've got the perfect combination here today. The refreshed 2024 ND3 Mazda MX-5. And we've got some brilliant, brilliant roads that happen to be the favorite of Mazda engineer Dave Coleman. And before we get into what this refreshed 2024 MX-5 is like to drive, let's have a look at it in a little more depth. The basic goodness of the MX-5 still carries over, but there are a number of major and minor improvements that we do have to talk about. The list of updates is a long one. Starts with the asymmetric limited-slip diff, revised steering, the track mode for the stability control system, updated front and rear lights, different wheel design, and a new, larger infotainment screen that better integrates Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and has Alexa integration. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the show, the infamous Dave Coleman. Yeah, one of the things we're noticing is just in normal driving on the freeway, the steering response, the turn-in is great. It doesn't always come back to center quite as well as it should. And so there was just a little bit too much friction in the steering. We've got a lot of caster in this thing. There's a lot of self-aligning torque, but the car's really light, so it still doesn't generate quite enough torque to overcome the little bit of friction that was in the steering system. So we went chasing through the steering system to get rid of the friction, to get it to come back to center more naturally. And then really paying attention to the very beginning of turn-in. Everything you do in a corner relies on you getting your turn-in point right. And we've done some other things, but the very first turn-in was still just not quite as perfect as we wanted it to be. And that traced its way back to the friction on one thing, but also the limited slip. The preload on the limited slip was a little bit too high. And so the wheels are trying to go at the same speed. And to turn, you've got to break that preload loose and let the car start to turn. And so we went through the diff and took out a bunch of preload so that right on center, it's really natural and precise. And then that sort of led into some other tweaks in the diff as well. We needed the diff to work asymmetrically, so it had a stronger lock-up ramp on coast down so that that would stabilize the entry a little bit and get it to rotate in just the right amount. And then a little bit lighter on corner exit so that it doesn't push the car wide. So it continues to track the way you want it to go. So the whole concept of this diff, the end result is it's asymmetrical lock-up. But the concept is built around yaw damping and getting the yaw damping right for the car. Powering the ND3 is the familiar two-liter Skyactiv-G four-cylinder. It makes 181 horsepower at 7,000 RPM and 151 pounds of torque at 4,000 RPM. Six-speed manual, especially in this one, of course. The base MX-5 still gets an open differential. The others get the new asymmetric limited-slip diff. Steering is still electrically assisted. It is a rack and pinion style system, but it is revised significantly. Suspension is based around double wishbones at the front, multi-link at the rear, four-wheel disc brakes, of course. The base wheel in the U.S. is a 16. Optionally, there are 17. 17s are standard in Canada. There is still kinematic posture control that we did a deep dive of in a previous episode. Of course, optionally, you can get Brembo calipers, BBS forged lightweight wheels, and Recaro seats. Curb weight of this 2024 MX-5 in this spec is 2,368 pounds. That's actually up 18 pounds over the ND2. The RF is 102 pounds heavier, and the automatic adds another 42 pounds. Weight distribution of this specification of MX-5 is 52% front, 48% rear, but on this channel, we know it's not static weight distribution that counts. It's how you use it. Did you know that about 80% of you are not subscribed? Yes, it's true. I checked the data, and 80% of you are not subscribed. So if you enjoy the content on this channel, do me a solid. Hit that subscribe button while you're at it. Be sure to like this video and share it. And if you don't mind, drop by our merch store. There's lots of great stuff for driving enthusiasts like us, including our very popular line of Save the Manuals merch. Now back to your regularly scheduled episode. Did you know the Mazda MX-5 holds the record in the Guinness Book of World Records for best-selling two-seat roadster? In terms of seating position, fundamentally nothing has really changed. It's all the other refinements that have gone into this MX-5 that make the difference, but we still have that fantastic driver-oriented cockpit. I've got a wonderful interface to the steering wheel and to the pedals. Pedals are laid out perfectly. Of course, heel and toe is not a problem whatsoever. The gearshift is an easy reach. Of course, the gearbox is a joy to use. But one of the big refinements is in the steering, which we will discuss later. The steering wheel is basically the same. It's a great same shape and size and encourages you to have your hands at 9 and 3. The gauges are all new, and because we drove a 2023 not that long ago, it's apparent that these are updated. They're just a little bit more legible, a little bit more clear and easy to read when you're hustling this MX-5 as we're doing today. First and second level ergonomics are, for the most part, unchanged and they're still very driver-oriented, and that is fantastic. What is different, that required significant updates to the wiring harness. Apparently, the wiring harness throughout this entire car is new in order to support this new infotainment system, bigger screen, and all of its new features and functions, which is very, very cool. But what I like about it is how it renders Apple CarPlay, and I am a Wazer Google Maps user, and it works beautifully for me. Visibility, well, you know the deal. You're in a MX-5 Roadster, so you can see in almost 360 degrees. It's absolutely a joy, and on top of that, it's more of a sensory experience because, of course, you have the top down all the time as we are doing, and you can smell what's going on as well, whether that's good, bad, or otherwise. With respect to spaciousness, nothing has really changed. It's the same space in the trunk, same space here in the cabin, same kind of cup holders, and when you've got the right size bottle, it absolutely works perfectly. Although, on today's road, we're generating some high G-loads, and if I had a water bottle in there, it would go flying, I'm sure. I don't know if we've ever talked about the soft top operation in any of the MX-5 drives that we've done, but it's so easy to put it up, put it down. It's a one-handed thing, and it's so easy. You could do it blindfolded, but if you're blindfolded, just don't do that when you're driving. In terms of straight-line acceleration, we still have that same 2-liter Skyactiv-G under the hood, and it develops all of its power way up high in the rev range, so it's an absolute joy to run to redline. And of course, the rest of the drivetrain suits this engine and this car perfectly, but the big change is, of course, that diff. And I do have to say, it does make a difference, especially for me, because I might have a little bit more experience, and yes, I could exploit all of the performance of this car fairly easily, but near its limits, the car does give me a little bit more confidence on entry to corners and on the exit of corners. It's never really caught me out, and what I've been doing throughout the day here is driving more aggressively into turns and coming out of them more aggressively, so I'm diving in on the brakes and coming out hard on the gas. And this diff is one of the two biggest improvements in this MX-5, at least from my perspective. The thing is, in 2024, it blows me away that Mazda is producing a car like this with a naturally aspirated four-cylinder, because everybody's going turbocharging or hybrid, god forbid, in order to meet emissions standards. But Mazda is holding on to this, and it seems like they're going to do this for a long time, so kudos to Mazda, because this is just a brilliant machine. And they're not kidding about this driver-machine interface being harmonious. This is one of the few cars that really feels like a genuine extension of my hands and my feet. Mazda has really worked some magic here. In the previous ND2 episodes, I've gone on at length about how wonderful this shifter is, and it's one of the best in the business. And in 2024, driving enthusiasts like us are spoiled that Mazda produces a car like this just for the manual gearbox experience alone. This is just a wonderfully harmonious package. For this ND3, Mazda has refined the steering system even further. There's really nothing wrong with it, but the car has been with us, the ND2 has been with us for a little while, so of course they couldn't leave well enough alone, and they refined this steering system to work even better from a driver's perspective. One of the key differences that I found is it's much stronger on center. It returns on center much better than the ND2 did, and that is one of the things that they did indeed promise. And what I find is the steering is just a little bit more alive and connected to the car, and connects me to those contact patches at the front tires. We are driving a model equipped with the forged BBSs, the Bilstein dampers, and the Brembo calipers, and that is a bit of a harmonious package. We've got the Recaro seats, and I can take them or leave them. Yeah, they're a little bit more supportive than the base seat, but that's another story for another day. We're talking about dynamics, and with this package, the BBS wheels, the Bilsteins, and the Brembo brakes, it's just slightly more controllable, more refined, and with these brakes, wheels, and dampers, just gives you a little bit more refinement in this ND3 package, and these are all very proven technologies. The lighter weight wheels do a lovely job reducing unsprung weight. The Bilstein dampers are uprated from the base damper, and what I found going back to back between the base brakes and these Brembo calipers, these optional Brembo calipers, there's just a little bit more precision and control with this package, and I really can't complain. This is an incredibly refined package, and given that this is just over 2,300 pounds, the way the chassis communicates, the way the steering communicates, the way that brake pedal communicates, there's just nothing like this simple, back-to-basics, and highly refined, delightful-to-drive Mazda MX-5, and for 2024 with these updates and refinements, it's just a blast to drive. As Coleman told us, a lot of the roads we love to drive on are not perfectly smooth. They're not billiard table smooth like a lot of racetracks are. They're lumpy and bumpy and everything else, so the suspension does have to work. So you have to have that travel at each of the four corners. So yeah, there's going to be a little bit of body roll, but it's exceptionally well controlled, especially in this package with the Bilstein dampers. How do you spec yours? Well, just like this, but in sole red crystal metallic. No, just kidding. There's a little bit more to consider with this 2024 MX-5. Base price in the U.S. is $28,985. In this spec, you are looking at $37,285. The RF runs from $37,010 to $40,210 near this mechanical specification. In Canada, base price is $34,900, and in this specification, you're looking at $43,300. Also in Canada, the RF runs from $41,900 to $48,600 for a GT trim level with the Grand Sport package. So how do you spec yours? Well, I wasn't kidding earlier. You need to get it in sole red crystal metallic, and in this exact mechanical specification, you want the manual gearbox, and of course, you want the diff and DBS wheels, Brembo brakes, and Recaro seats. You're going to keep one of these for a long time. This is the right package. Just get it in sole red crystal metallic paint. It's a stunner. My verdict? Well, we've had an incredible day driving this ND3 on some fantastic roads, and what I've discovered is that all of the promises that Mazda has made are spot on, and that's what a company like Mazda does. For a company that's very much focused on that driver-machine interface and how everything is meant to work harmoniously, well, that is absolutely true in the case of this 2024 MX-5. In terms of fuel efficiency, who cares? This is all about miles per mile, not miles per gallon, but the reality is this thing sips gas like a thimble full of sunshine. The best thing about this ND3 is that it honors the MX-5 ethos. It's just been honed and refined, and it is certainly the best ND yet. If you're looking at something like this, you owe it to yourself to drive a 2024 MX-5. Thanks for hanging out with me today and having a look at this 2024 ND3 Mazda MX-5. Hope you liked this episode, and if you did, you're not new, you know what to do. Smash the subscribe button, turn on your notifications, like this, and as always, sharing is caring, so please share this with your friends, especially on Reddit because on Reddit, they really need to see reviews for drivers from drivers. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them in the comments below. I'll get back to you as soon as I can, and if you want to support the channel, well, you know what to do there too. Hit up our merch store, pick up some Save the Manuals merch, and there's lots of great stuff there for driving enthusiasts like us, but this is the home run, and if you drive something like this, you need some merch like this that says Save the Manuals because they're disappearing day by day. Anyway, hope you liked this episode. We'll see you again next time, and remember, cars don't understeer by themselves, not even Mazda MX-5s.