2018 Mazda MX-5 Miata Review: Still the Best Sports Car on Sale Today

Everything is perfect in my magical world filled with Miatas

But, and there is always a but, there is one big problem with the 2018 Mazda MX-5 Miata. An issue so severe that I actually cannot, in good conscious, recommend the 2018 Miata to you. At least, not yet. Shocked? I know, me too, and I wrote all of that praise on the last two pages.

The biggest problem with the 2018 Mazda Miata is that there will soon be a 2019 Mazda Miata.

For 2019 the MX-5 Miata is getting a mid-cycle refresh that is much more exciting than the phrase ‘mid-cycle refresh’ implies. The engine, still the same basic 2.0-liter inline-four, gets the wick turned up in a big way. Horsepower jumps from 155 to 181, torque rises from 148 lb-ft to 151, and the red line RPM skyrockets from 6,800 revs to 7,500 RPM. That’s a 17% increase in power and an 11% increase in engine RPM. It also sounds like the most fun Miata ever made, which is surprising because I thought this was the most fun Miata ever made.

Mazda took the magic formula and somehow managed to make it just a bit better still. If there is a more fun combination of traits than the 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata is soon to offer, I have yet to find it on the road.

All of that said, if Mazda wants to sell me this leftover 2018 MX-5 Miata Club, I guess I’ll take it off their hands for them. After all, it’s still the best sports car on sale today.

Photography for 6SpeedOnline by Jake Stumph

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Jake Stumph

Jake Stumph is a lifelong car enthusiast and racer, and former content editor for Internet Brands Automotive which he joined in 2015. His work has been featured by several other prominent automotive outlets, including Jalopnik and Autobytel.

He obtained a bachelor's degree in Political Science at the Ohio State University in 2013, then pivoted from covering politics and policy to writing about his automotive adventures, something that, he says, is a lot more fun. Since that time, he has established connections with most of the world's major automakers, as well as other key brands in the automotive industry.

He enjoys track days, drifting, and autocross, at least, when his cars are running right, which is uncommon.

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