2020 Mazda MX-5 vs 2019

What's the difference?

For thirty years, the Mazda MX-5 has maintained its single-minded focus on driving enjoyment, and this 30th Anniversary Edition is a fitting tribute to that ambition. The searing Racing Orange paint won’t be for everyone, but despite that, this is a car collectors will be arm-wrestling over for the next three decades, and beyond.

This latest face lift for the fabulous Mazda MX-5 may not be revolutionary, and indeed some if it is just fiddling at the edges, but the improved safety, rear-view camera and nice black wheels may impress a few buyers, while the extra zest and reviness from the engine will most certainly attract fans of this car's core ingredient - fun motoring.

The current, fourth-generation (ND) MX-5 was designed to recapture the compact, tightly wrapped look of the 1989 (NA) original.

Not that the NB and NC models of the nineties and noughties suffered from post-Vegas Elvis-style bloat, it’s just refreshing to see a new model shrink and shed a few kilos rather than fall into the seemingly inevitable ‘bit bigger, bit heavier’ syndrome.

In fact, despite the passing of three decades, this car is 60mm shorter nose-to-tail than the NA, and even though it’s packing all the mandatory safety systems current new cars must, it’s around 100kg lighter than the NC model it replaced in 2015.   

And the exterior design is chock full of personality, from the gently curved flanks to the crisply defined lights and wide-mouth grille, it looks distinctive and fun. And you’re never going to miss this limited edition’s ‘Racing Orange’ colour. To say it stands out from the crowd is like saying Adele can carry a tune.

Other exterior differences run to the specially engraved 17-inch Rays forged alloy wheels in gloss black, with body colour brake calipers hiding behind their spokes, and a numbered ‘Anniversary’ badge just in front of the driver’s side wheel arch.

The arresting exterior shade carries into the cockpit with orange piping and stitching on the standard Recaro seats, as well as the stitching on the steering wheel, shift lever, dash and doors. Alcantara trim on the doors and dash is unique to this model.

No other changes beyond that. The characteristic, three ring instrument cluster is dominated by a larger central tachometer, and while the left-hand dial masquerades as a conventional gauge, displaying fuel, temp and distance data, it’s actually a configurable 4.6-inch colour LCD screen able to scroll through multiple read-outs.

The central tacho incorporates a small LCD display noting the gear you’re in, often prompting you to change up. A secondary digital speed read-out in there would be much more useful. But the better news is thanks to the 2018 model upgrade the steering wheel is now height and reach adjustable, where it previously only shifted up and down.

The familiar 7.0-inch ‘MZD Connect’ screen sits proud of the dashtop in the centre of the car, displaying a range of functions including internet connectivity, audio, phone and nav, all managed via touch or a rotary controller in the centre console. This anniversary model’s arrival coincides with the rollout of standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for all Mazda MX-5s.

Changes to the look of the MX-5 would best be described as singular, because there is only one - a swap from silver wheels to metallic black ones, in a bid to "emphasise the car's visual impact".

Even the base model roadster gets the new black look, albeit 15-inch versions, while the RF gets 17-inch alloys. the range-topping GT, strangely, gets 17-inch silver wheels.

Other than that, the looks of the MX-5 remain the same, and that's a very good thing, because this is, far and away, the angriest and sexiest looking version of the classic two-seater ever to roll out of the Hiroshima factory.

Apparently there are people who find the latest look too sharp, too Japanese and too anime, and would prefer a look to the rounded, happy-puppy looks of old. But those people are simply wrong. This is a fantastic looking vehicle, no matter which colour wheels it has.

When it comes to paint colours the same six remain on offer - 'Soul Red Crystal Metallic', 'Machine Grey Metallic', 'Snow' aka 'White Pearl Mica', 'Ceramic Mica', 'Eternal Blue Mica' and 'Jet Black Mica'. So no green, yellow, orange or gold. Soul Red is clearly the choice here.

There is a body kit available as part of the optional Kuroi sports pack ($4220), which also includes a rear diffuser. Roof racks are not an option. Floor mats will also cost you $166.23 extra. Ouch.

Practicality isn’t the Mazda’s strong suit. Clearly, it’s not that kind of car. But having said that, despite a modest 130-litre boot we were able to slide in a medium-size (68-litre) hard suitcase, and there’s more than enough room for several soft bags.

Annoyingly, the glovebox is in the bulkhead behind and between the seats, with a couple of cupholders sitting below (they can be unplugged and moved down next to the ventilation controls). There’s a small lidded oddments box lower down, a tiny cavity at the leading edge of the centre console, and that’s about it for cabin storage.

In the spirit of less is more, there are no door pockets or bottle bins, but you will find a pair of USB inputs, and an in-line audio socket in the centre console, plus a 12 volt outlet (weirdly hidden) in the top of the passenger footwell.

By the way, don’t bother looking for a spare of any description, a repair/inflator kit is your only option in the case of a flat.

Once again, the changes inside the MX-5 are not huge, but one of them - the addition of telescopic adjustment for the steering column - will be very welcome to fans who have long wondered why they couldn't be just that bit more comfortable at the wheel.

This Mazda already had a fantastic, low-slung driving position that made you feel like part of the car, but it's even better now that you can have the wheel exactly where you want it.

There's also been a slight tweak to the design of the sun visors, for better coverage, and the gaps between the detachable cupholders - of which there are two - have been optimised to allow easier attachment and removal. They've also been made more rigid, "to suppress wobble", because no one likes a wobbly drink, particularly around fast bends.

In yet another example of paying attention to every detail, the levers you use to adjust the seats have also been made slightly thicker and more rigid, just so they feel better.

In terms of practicality, of course, it's not really a key selling point of any MX-5, nor has it ever been. There's limited oddment storage behind the gear lever and a tiny kind of lunch box behind your left shoulder, and a very small glove box as well, with no room for bottles, or anything else, in the doors.

There's not a lot of room, generally, in the MX-5's tight and glove-like cabin, but that's just the way it's supposed to feel. Small and perfectly snug.

The boot is deep-ish, but narrow, and it's overnight bags only in its 130-litre space (boot capacity in the RF is an even smaller 127 litres).

While shoulder and elbow room are limited, headroom is quite good, even in the hard-topped RF version.

Prices have risen $750 across the entire range for this new update to the MX-5, but Mazda Australia claims that's more than made up for by the extra new safety kit, plus the reversing camera, the new wheels and, in the case of the 2.0-litre models that 95 per cent of people will buy, more power, torque and revs on offer.

The base model Roadster, at a very temping $34,190, will still appeal to some purists who hate the idea of big, heavy roofs (70 per cent of buyers will go for the RF) and big, powerful engines.

Standard kit at that level includes that new reversing camera, 16-inch alloy wheels (now black metallic for extra visual menace), a cloth soft top, LED headlamps, power mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, climate-control air (but who needs that, with a convertible!), black cloth seats, a 7.0-inch touchscreen with 'MZD Connect', an audio system with six speakers and DAB+ (but no CD player), Bluetooth streaming, internet radio integration, satellite navigation, 'Smart City Brake Support', or AEB, in both forward and reverse, 'Traffic Sign Recognition', 'Driver Attention Alert' and reverse parking sensors and blind-spot monitoring.

Step up through the trim levels to the GT Roadster with the 2.0L and you're quickly over $40K at $41,960 (add another $2000 for the auto, if you must), and you'll score 17-inch alloys, adaptive LEDs headlights and DRLs, black or tan leather on your seats, which are now heated, a 'Premium' Bose stereo with nine speakers, 'Advanced keyless entry' and lane-departure warning.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto gadgets are not available yet, but a dealer-fit fix is expected very soon, at some extra cost.

If you want the folding hard-top RF version, and most people do, then the basic spec will set you back $39,400, the GT $45,960 or the RF GT with the optional black roof $46,960.

It's still a lot of car, or at least a lot of fun in a little car for the money, but you'd have to consider whether you'd could be just as happy in a car that's almost as more fun but has five doors and a decent boot, like VW's Golf GTI.

What price, though, a roof-down drive on a summer evening? On its day, the Mazda makes a compelling argument against buying a Porsche Boxster. Which is high praise indeed.

The MX-5 GT’s all-alloy ‘Skyactiv-G’ powerplant is a double-overhead cam design featuring direct-injection and variable valve timing. Thanks to a late 2018 upgrade it now produces 135kW (+17kW) at 7000rpm (+1000rpm) and 205Nm (+5Nm) at 4000rpm (-600rpm). The rev ceiling has also been elevated from 6800rpm to 7500rpm.

Drive goes to the rear wheels via an in-house design six-speed manual gearbox.

So, let's start with the engine that almost no one - other than rusted-on purists apparently - will opt for; the 1.5-litre engine lurking in the base-model roadster, which is still seen as "the ultimate expression of the MX-5", by the marque's hardcore, old-school fans.

Small tweaks to this engine - which will make up just 5 per cent of total sales - have seen power rise by a single kilowatt to 97kW, and torque bumped from 150Nm to 152Nm.

The bigger and more exciting changes have been made to the 2.0-litre engine, which is the only choice you have anyway if you're opting for the RF - which 70 per cent of buyers will - but in the case of both engines the control units have been revised to give a feeling of more direct acceleration, a sensation further exacerbated by tweaks to both the automatic and manual transmissions to offer quicker response times, and less "jerk" during acceleration.

Yes, you can have your MX-5 with a six-speed automatic transmission, and a shocking 43 per cent of buyers are tipped to make that choice, even though it is the wrong one. The six-speed manual goes with this car the way tomato sauce goes with a pie, or soy sauce with sushi.

Revisions to the 2.0-litre power plant, including the use of a new, dual-mass flywheel, have increased power significantly from 118kW to 135kW, while the redline has also soared to 7500rpm from 6800rpm. Overall torque is up from 200Nm to 205Nm.

The engineers claim to have a delivered a sensation of "urgent, limitless acceleration", with linear responses all the way up to that new rev ceiling. Against the stop watch, that means a 0-100km/h time for the 2.0 of 6.5 seconds in the Roadster or 6.8 in the RF, against 8.3 seconds for the 1.5-litre Roadster.

Mazda says there's also more torque available across the whole rev range, while tweaks to the exhaust system, including a new inner silencer structure, also provide a more resonant, exciting sound to go with the extra power and revs.

The engine uses a timing chain rather than a timing belt. Oil capacity is 4.1 litres.

Claimed fuel economy for the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 6.8L/100km, the MX-5 emitting 158g/km of CO2 in the process.

Over a roughly 200km mix of city, suburban, and freeway running we recorded 8.2L/100 (courtesy of the on-board trip computer).

Minimum fuel requirement is 95RON, and the tank holds 45 litres, which at our average consumption rate translates to a real-world range of around 550km.

Fuel economy for the little 1.5-litre engine is 6.2 litres per 100km for the manual or 6.4L/100km for the auto, while the 2.0-litre version - which is naturally aspirated rather than turbocharged or supercharged and thus wonderfully old-school, returns 6.8 and 7.0L/100km respectively in the roadster, rising to 6.9 and 7.2 in the RF.

All of these figures reflect an ideal world, rather than the real one, where you will regularly push it all the way through the rev range in several gears and get nowhere near those numbers.

The late 2018 improvements to the MX-5’s 2.0-litre engine added 17kW, with the maximum number (135kW) now arriving at a dizzying 7000rpm. But the more significant change for day-to-day driving is an extra five Nm of torque (up to 205Nm) with the peak coming in 600rpm lower at 4000rpm (-600rpm). The rev ceiling has also been elevated from 6800rpm to 7500rpm.

That translates to a claimed 0-100km/h 6.5 seconds, which is entertainingly rapid, and there’s now even more punch in the lower mid-range. But straight-line speed isn’t the point of this little roadster. At 1080kg the MX-5 is a modern day featherweight, and it’s the overall dynamic response that makes it such a buzz to drive.

The ND MX-5 is the perfect example of Mazda’s ‘Skyactiv’ engineering and design philosophy. Add lightness, optimise aero performance, and wring every last drop of efficiency from the engine and drivetrain.

A double wishbone front, multi-link rear suspension set-up keeps the car planted and predictable, and steering feel is a particular highlight, the wheel in your hands providing a feelsome link with the rubber-shod pair under the front guards. And the rorty exhaust note adds to the entertainment.

The manual gearbox retains the same 40mm shift stroke that’s been carried through all MX-5 generations swapping through its six ratios just feels right. And for old-schoolers the pedal set is perfectly aligned for a bit of the old heel ‘n’ toe on downshifts.

Body control through quick twisting sections is impressive, and ride comfort is better than you’d expect for a car this focused.

The grippy 17-inch (205/45) Bridgestone Potenza S001 rubber is a perfect match for the taut and nimble chassis, while a limited-slip differential ensures drive is going to the rear wheel that can use it most.

Brakes don’t need to be dinner plate size for a car in this weight division, and the MX-5’s ventilated front, solid rear discs deliver progressive and secure stopping power.

Other things worth a shout-out are the ultra-simple soft roof, which in the spirit of Skyactiv does without electric assistance and is light enough to put up or shut away with one arm from behind the wheel. Reminds me of NASA’s drive in the 1960s to develop a pen that would write in zero gravity while Russian cosmonauts just used pencils.

And the standard Recaro seats are like wearing a pair of perfectly fitting Goldilocks gloves. Not too tight, not too loose, but just right. 

Almost every time you drive an MX-5, of any generation, you find yourself doing a little glee face. There's something innocent, old-school and almost childish about how much fun they are.

The magic is in the simplest of set-ups - light weight, rear-wheel drive, short wheelbase, sharp steering, slick gearbox - and it's one that has only gotten better over the years with the addition of better technology. And, vitally, more power.

Every time you drive one, however, it's hard not to wonder how much more enjoyable it could be with just a few more herbs under the bonnet. The current iteration of the car, with its sharp, sleek lines and mean, take-me-seriously face, has been offered with a 2.0-litre engine for a while now, and it did make the MX-5 feel more potent than ever before… and yet you had to wonder if there was still a bit more lurking under the bonnet, waiting to be unleashed.

And now, finally and wonderfully, it has been. The upgraded version of the power plant produces more of its 205Nm of torque (up 5Nm) throughout the rev range, which now stretches all the way to 7500pm (up from 6800rpm), and power has taken a serious step up from 118kW to 135kW.

It's still not a huge number, but in a car that weighs just 1035kg (1087kg for the RF), it's enough to produce more than just the sprightly performance we've come to expect from this zippy Mazda.

The power now on tap means you can really up your pace if you want to, and go-to-jail speeds are now most assuredly an option for the keen/crazy driver.

What has always made the MX-5 one of the great sports cars, however, is that it's so much fun to drive even at lower, legal speeds, and that remains the case here. The way the car corners, the connection it seems to have to your core, through your hips and via your finger tips, remains as visceral and vital as ever.

It is telling that the engineers made no changes at all to the chassis or handling of this version, because they realised it was damn close to perfect already.

This MX-5, then, is just as much of a huge hoot as the one it replaces, it's just that it's now faster, and perhaps even a tiny bit louder, than before, and that is a very good thing.

The standard safety offering is another area that's had the facelifting magic applied to it for this upgrade, with more 'i-ACTIVSENSE' technologies now coming as standard across the range, and, finally, a 'Rear Monitor', or reversing camera, now standard, tucked away in the centre of the rear bumper.

New safety features include 'Smart City Brake Support', or AEB,  forward only on the base but also in reverse on GT and above, 'Traffic Sign Recognition', 'Driver Attention Alert' (GT spec only) and reverse parking sensors. Blind-spot monitoring was already included.

If all that fails you'll be protected by four airbags, two each for driver and passenger. The MX-5 received a five-star ANCAP rating when it was most recently tested, back in 2016.

The MX-5 is covered by Mazda’s five year/unlimited kilometre warranty, with roadside assistance included for the duration.

Scheduled maintenance is due every 10,000 km or 12 months (whichever comes first), and Mazda’s Australian website allows owners to enter their vehicle's VIN and calculate ‘base’ service pricing out to 160,000km. It also details ‘additional’ maintenance costs like fluids, filters and spark plugs.

For this MX-5, the first five years of the 'Mazda Service Select' capped price serving program breaks out as - $310 for the first, third and fifth visits, and $354 for the second and fourth, for annual average of $328.

As well as being good value you can bet this car will have good resale value. Check out our problems pages to see if there any automatic transmission, clutch or engine problems, faults or issues.

The warranty is now five years/unlimited km, which is pretty good for a sports car, but you will have to service it every year/10,000km. The first service is $304, the second $347, then back to $304 for the third and fifth. You get the picture.