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2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata

Mazda MX-5 Miata OEM Exterior Primary Photo
OEM Interior Primary
OEM Exterior
OEM Exterior
OEM Interior
Photos Colors
Expert Rating
3 (Good)

Our expert ratings are based on seven comprehensive criteria: quality, safety, comfort, performance, fuel economy, reliability history and value.

You can interpret our ratings in the following way:

: Outstanding vehicle. Only the most exceptional vehicles achieve this rating.

: Very Good vehicle. Very good and close to being the best vehicle in its class.

: Good vehicle. Decent, but not quite the best. Often affordable, but lacking key features found in vehicles of the same class.

: Below average vehicle. Not recommended, and lacking attributes a car buyer would come to expect for the price.

: Poor vehicle. Simply does not deserve to be on the road.

Select a Trim
Select a Trim
2020 Sport 2dr Convertible
most popular
Price:   -  From $26,580
2020 Club 2dr Convertible Price:   -  From $30,290
2020 Grand Touring 2dr Convertible Price:   -  From $31,670
2020 100th Anniversary 2dr Convertible Price:   -  From $32,670
2020 RF Club 2dr Coupe Price:   -  From $33,045
2020 RF Grand Touring 2dr Coupe Price:   -  From $34,425
2020 RF 100th Anniversary 2dr Convertible Price:   -  From $35,425

Overview

What's New

Driving enthusiasts can rejoice: the Mazda Miata is back for another model year. The 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata gets a few tasteful updates, with new features for every trim. Grand Touring models now share a standard sport suspension, Club trims add Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, and base models gain standard active safety like blind-spot monitoring.

Choosing Your Mazda MX-5 Miata

The Mazda MX-5 Miata comes in three trims: Sport, Club, and Grand Touring. Pricing starts at $27,525 including destination for the Sport and extends up to $32,615 for the Grand Touring.

The classic convertible roof is the default, but the two upper trims are available in RF ("retractable fastback") form, which uses a hard targa-top roof instead of the usual fabric. The RF is $2,755 more expensive than the standard version.

Engine Choices

All Miatas use the same engine. The 2.0-liter four-cylinder powerplant was re-tuned in 2019, boosting output to 181 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque. That’s a substantial boost over the previous engine’s 155 hp, especially in a car as light as the Miata, but it’s still not quite as much as competitors like the Toyota 86.

Drivers have their choice between a manual and automatic transmission, both with six cogs. The automatic gets less expensive the higher the trim: $1,350 in Sport models, $600 in Club, and $525 in Grand Touring.

Purists who choose the manual won’t suffer too much at the gas station. It earns the Miata an EPA-estimated 26 miles per gallon city, 34 mpg highway, and 29 combined compared to the automatic's 26/35/30 mpg (city/highway/combined).

Passenger and Cargo Capacity

The MX-5 Miata is a classic two-seater sports car, and it has helped define that genre for its three decades of existence. As such, it’s not designed to carry much aside from its two passengers.

Cargo capacity is about as poor as you’ll find – just 4.59 cubic feet in the convertible or 4.48 in RF models.

Mazda MX-5 Miata

Safety Features

The MX-5 is a small and light car, but it’s better prepared than ever in the safety department for 2020. Automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and lane departure warning are standard across the range. That’s unusual in a dedicated sports car.

The Grand Touring adds traffic sign recognition, automatic high beams, and adaptive front headlights.

Connectivity

Infotainment uses the same interface as 2019’s Miata: a 7-inch touchscreen, which can also be controlled by a rotary knob underneath the shifter. Bluetooth, HD radio, a USB port, and Aha, Pandora, and Stitcher integration are included.

For 2020, both Club and Grand Touring trims come with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility. The Club also upgrades to a nine-speaker Bose audio system, satellite radio, and a second USB port. The Grand Touring further gets a navigation system.

Mazda MX-5 Miata

Sport - From $27,525

The MX-5 Miata Sport keeps things basic, but the added safety equipment helps justify the price increase over last year’s model. The Sport trim also comes with keyless entry, push button start, and a leather-wrapped wheel and shift knob. The exterior wears 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels and LED headlights and taillights.

Club - From $31,235

The Club trim brings some substantial performance upgrades. Among them are a limited-slip rear differential, a sport suspension with stiffer springs, and a lower ride height. The wheels are swapped out for 17-inchers, the nose gains LED daytime running lights, and the back gets a black rear lip spoiler. Smartphone compatibility, the Bose audio system, heated seats, and silver accent stitching also come standard.

Grand Touring - From $32,615

The Grand Touring trim is the closest you’ll get to luxury in a Miata. Mazda includes more creature comforts than the Sport or Club, including rain-sensing windshield wipers, automatic climate control, and leather-trimmed seats. Navigation comes standard, as do automatic headlights, automatic high beams, adaptive front lights, traffic sign recognition, a trunk light, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.

Performance enthusiasts need not shy away: for 2020, the Grand Touring shares the Club’s suspension upgrades.

Compare MX-5 Miata Trims Side-By-Side

CarsDirect Tip

The 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata is a driver’s car, and we prefer it with a manual transmission. We’d spring for the Club trim and wouldn’t say no to an RF body.

author image
Automotive Editor
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Expert Review

Pros
  • Cheap
  • Lively engine
  • Playful chassis
  • Analog engagement
Cons
  • Tall folk need not apply
  • Confounding infotainment
  • Frustrating ergonomics
  • Grand Touring disappoints
Expert Rating
3 (Good)

Our expert ratings are based on seven comprehensive criteria: quality, safety, comfort, performance, fuel economy, reliability history and value.

You can interpret our ratings in the following way:

: Outstanding vehicle. Only the most exceptional vehicles achieve this rating.

: Very Good vehicle. Very good and close to being the best vehicle in its class.

: Good vehicle. Decent, but not quite the best. Often affordable, but lacking key features found in vehicles of the same class.

: Below average vehicle. Not recommended, and lacking attributes a car buyer would come to expect for the price.

: Poor vehicle. Simply does not deserve to be on the road.

author image
Automotive Editor

No-frills fun. The 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata, now in its fourth generation, has been dancing along back and curvy roads for 30 years now. In all that time it has managed to stay true to its original formula: a lightweight, no-frills, affordable roadster. While other sports cars have put on the pounds of middle age, the Mazda Miata is still the lithe little two-seater the world has come to love.

Decent power, finally. Miatas might be known for their handling, but their engines were never so universally lauded. That finally changed last year, when Mazda saw fit to thoroughly revise the Miata's 2.0-liter four-cylinder. The updates brought a sense of verve to the powertrain that older models lacked.

Most apparent to anyone who's driven a pre-2019 Miata is the revised engine's newfound willingness to rev. The whole engine feels lighter, as if all the rotating pieces have gone a diet. The tach spins freely up to the 7500 rpm redline, which is up from the 6800 rpm limit in the early fourth-generation cars. The powerplant finally feels like it read the Miata manifesto on lightness.

It's not just a freer-revving engine, though, it also brings an ample amount of power to the table. This is almost unprecedented: aside from the turbocharged Mazdaspeed models of 2004 and 2005, the Miata has always been at least a touch underpowered. That's finally not the case, as the 181 horsepower feels appropriate for this 2,400-pound roadster.

Paired up with the engine is a six-speed manual transmission or six-speed automatic. The automatic does what's asked of it without much fuss or fanfare, but it simply doesn't offer the satisfaction of the stick shift. Punch in the clutch, grab the stubby shifter, snick it into the next gear, and get back on the throttle – a satisfying antidote for today's tech-heavy age that could be prescribed by therapists.

Practical considerations. For the right person, the Miata could be practical, but that person abhors carpooling, doesn't know snow, and only buys one bag worth of groceries when they shop. For the rest of us, the Miata comes with inherent limitations that can make it difficult to live with as a daily driver.

We're just not talking the lack of a back seat, either. There's the trunk that holds just 4.6 cubic feet of cargo. An interior that refuses access to anyone over 6 feet. Don't forget the claustrophobia that can set in when the soft top is in place. It's tempting to laud the Miata as one of the few remaining uncompromised sports cars, but diminished livability is the flip side of that romantic notion.

Still, those frustrations come with the territory for this micro-sized roadster. Measuring just 154 inches bumper to bumper, the Miata is about as small as it gets. Such dimensions mean this is also a narrow car, with just 52 inches of shoulder width between the door cards. But drop the top and any concerns over width or room fall away; infinite head room makes up for any occasional shoulder rubs.

Any other quibbles we could lob at the Miata's interior are minor. There's still no standard Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, though it's found on the Grand Touring and Club trims. The 7-inch screen houses an infotainment system that's more frustrating than intuitive, and its rotary controller is placed awkwardly close to the shifter. Cupholders could be nearer at hand and the 12-volt outlet is too well hidden.

But all these complaints – save perhaps the infotainment – can be overlooked in light of the car's intended mission. The sheer amount of fun that's on tap atones for any inconveniences found in the clumsy cabin design.


Mazda MX-5 Miata

Safety-first features and other niceties. Safety remains a priority for Mazda engineers. For 2020, the Miata gets an injection of active safety equipment in the form of low-speed automatic emergency braking and blind-spot monitoring. The latter is particularly helpful when the top is up. Lane departure warning and rear cross-traffic alert are also standard.

That's a short list compared to what's found in many sedans and crossovers, but surprisingly good for a cheap sports car. The comparably-priced Toyota 86, for instance, doesn't offer any active safety equipment. Neither does the Subaru BRZ. A Ford Mustang offers optional active safety equipment, but nothing comes standard. Ditto for the Chevrolet Camaro.

Despite the surprisingly plentiful array of safety features, the Miata's list of comfort and convenience features is a bit dismal, especially when we're talking about the top-spec, $32,615 Grand Touring trim. Standard features at that price point include leather upholstery, heated seats, navigation, and adaptive headlights, but the list of notable goodies stops about there. For perspective, that $32,590 is about how much an optioned-up four-cylinder Mustang or Camaro will run you. Spoiler alert: the pony cars will be a lot better equipped.

The questionable value of the Grand Touring leaves us hankering for the Club trim. Though there may be 17-inch wheels and upgraded seats over the base Sport model, the Club is more about what's underneath the bodywork: stiffer springs, a limited-slip differential, and a bigger strut tower brace for increased rigidity are really what you're paying for here.

Is it worth the premium over a Sport? We'd say so. Hustle the Miata along some spaghetti-shaped roads and you'll quickly notice the sum of these upgrades.

Final thoughts. As the automotive industry continues to further blur the line between digital and analog, the 2020 Mazda Miata is a refreshing throwback to simpler days. It's a back-to-basics roadster that prioritizes feel over data, engagement over lap times.

The only other car that comes close to capturing this is the sports coupe sold as the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ. Yet even those twins don't have the same magic of the ragtop Mazda.

When it debuted in 1990, the Miata was intended to be a nostalgic paean to the old European roadsters of the 1960s and 70s. Now it has become an icon itself, a homage to the joy of driving for driving's sake. It's as much an automotive antidote to the complexities of modern life as the Jeep Wrangler.

Perhaps, when the encroaching hand of autonomy finally clenches all the auto industry in its fist, the Miata will be sent up to that great road course in the sky, dying as the Dodge Viper did – in unwavering allegiance to a set of values that time rendered obsolete. But until that fateful day, the Miata endures, a perennial favorite for all the right reasons.

Check prices for the 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata »

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Specs & Features

Highlights
Overall Crash Safety Rating
Not Available
Engine - Cylinders/Horsepower/Torque
2.0L I-4 / 181 HP / 151 ft.lbs.
Transmission
Standard: 6-spd man
Available: 6-spd sequential shift control auto w/OD
Drive Type
Rear-wheel
Fuel Economy - City/Highway/Combined
26 / 34 / 30 Mpg
Passenger Capacity
2
Bumper to Bumper Warranty
36 Months / 36,000 Miles
Mechanical Specs
Engine - Cylinders/Horsepower/Torque
2.0L I-4 / 181 HP / 151 ft.lbs.
Drive Type
Rear-wheel
Fuel Economy - City/Hwy/Combined
26 / 34 / 30 Mpg
Brakes
4-wheel Disc
Front Suspension
Double Wishbone
Rear Suspension
Independent Multi-link
Spare Tire And Wheel
Fuel Tank
11.9 Gal.
Recommended Fuel Type
Premium Unleaded
Average Cost To Fill Tank
$45
Dimensions & Capabilities
Maximum Cargo Volume
4.6 Cu.ft.
Passenger Volume
Exterior Length
154.1 "
Exterior Width
68.3 "
Exterior Height
48.6 "
Front Headroom
37.4 "
Rear Headroom
Front Legroom
43.1 "
Rear Legroom
Front Shoulder Room
52.2 "
Rear Shoulder Room
Front Hip Room
Rear Hip Room
Curb Weight
2,341 Lbs. / 2,403 Lbs.
Wheel Base
91 "
Turning Radius
15.4 '
Exterior Features
Door Count
2 Doors
Wheels
16.0 " Black Aluminum
Paint
Clearcoat Monotone / Metallic Monotone / Pearlcoat Monotone
Exterior Mirrors
Dual Power Remote
Bumpers
Body-colored / Front Body-colored
Grille Moldings
Black
Rear Spoiler
Lip
Exhaust
Stainless Steel With Chrome Tailpipe Finish
Interior Features
Seating
Passenger Capacity
2
Seat Trim
Cloth
Front Seat Type
Bucket
Heated Front Seats
Front Driver Seat Direction Controls
6-way
Front Passenger Seat Direction Controls
4-way
Front Armrests
6-way
Rear Armrests
Rear Seats
Radio & Infotainment
Radio
Am/fm/hd, Clock, Seek-scan
Speakers
6
Radio Steering Wheel Controls
Apple Car Play
Android Auto
Bluetooth w/ Hands-Free Connectivity
Convenience Features
Steering Wheel Type
Telescopic Tilt Sport
Climate Control
Cruise Control
With Steering Wheel Controls
Sun Roof
Rearview Mirror
Day-night
One Touch Open Window
Driver And Passenger
Tinted Windows
Light
Vanity Mirrors
Remote Keyless Entry
Keyfob (all Doors)
Power Outlets
1
Safety Features
Overall Crash Safety Rating
Not Yet Available
Overall Front Crash Safety Rating
Not Yet Available
Overall Side Crash Safety Rating
Not Yet Available
Rollover Crash Safety Rating
Not Yet Available
Front Impact Airbags
Driver And Passenger
Driver Side Impact Airbags
Seat Mounted
Knee Airbag
Passenger Side Impact Airbag
Seat Mounted
Rear Side Airbag
Seatbelt Pretensioners
Front
Anti-Lock Brakes
4-wheel Anti-lock Brakes (abs)
Forward Collision Warning
Smart City Brake Support (scbs) Forward Collision Mitigation
Blind Spot Sensor
Blind Spot Monitoring (bsm) Blind Spot
Lane Departure Warning
Lane Departure Warning System (ldws) Lane Departure
Autonomous Cruise Control
Pedestrian Detection
Driver Attention Alert
Daytime Running Lights
Auto High Beams
Adaptive Headlights
Parking Sensors
Security Systems
Panic Alarm
Ignition Disable
Immobilizer
Warranty
Bumper To Bumper Months Miles
36 Months / 36,000 Miles
Major Components Months
60 Months / 60,000 Miles
Included Maintenance Months
Roadside Assistance Months
36 Months / 36,000 Miles
Corrosion Perforation
60 Months / Unlimited Miles
Accessories Months
36 Months / 36,000 Miles

Used 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata for Sale

2 vehicles found within 100 miles of your area
Mazda
Grand Touring
Color: White
Price

$23,800

Mileage

9,194 mi

Map location icon

Driveline Used Cars Murrieta (76 mi)

Phone: (951) 446-7757
Mazda
Grand Touring
Color: Gray
Price

$29,999

Mileage

7,192 mi

Map location icon

Capistrano Mazda (52 mi)

Phone: (949) 218-2445

Other Mazda MX-5 Miata Listings

We have expanded the search to include other Mazda MX-5 Miata years that you might be interested in.

Mazda
Grand Touring
Color: Platinum Quartz Metallic
Price

$28,491

Mileage

8,957 mi

Map location icon

Glenn E. Thomas Dodge Chrysler Jeep (16 mi)

Phone: (562) 426-5111
Mazda
Grand Touring
Color: Machine Gray Metallic
Price

$29,250

Mileage

3,834 mi

Map location icon

Star Mazda (17 mi)

Phone: (818) 247-1903
See All Used Car Listings

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