X

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF: Ravishing in red

The RF is one of the most gorgeous convertibles on the market today. Prove me wrong.

img-4356-2
img-4356-2
Emme Hall
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
1 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow

The MX-5 is Mazda's take on the two-seat roadster. Now in its 30th year and fourth generation, the Miata has been a favorite of drivers since its debut.

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
2 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow

The RF has a retractable hardtop that can be lowered in 13 seconds and stows away nicely without interfering with trunk space.

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
3 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow

A 2.0-liter naturally aspirated engine pushes out 181 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque.

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
4 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow

Power goes to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission, although an automatic is available as well.

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
5 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow

The car's 50/50 weight distribution makes it feel predictable in the corners and the sticky Bridgestone Potenza tires mean there is grip for days.

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
6 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow

Coming out of bends, the Miata won't win any straight line speed contests, but it certainly holds its own.

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
7 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow

Mazda isn't too concerned with things like adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist. However, this tester has blind-spot monitoring, which is nice to have in the RF as blind spots are huge.

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
8 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow

There is no glovebox in the MX-5, just a small, lockable bin between the seat backs. There really isn't a center console to speak of, either.

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
9 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow

Taller drivers might have a hard time fitting behind the wheel of the Miata, but the new tilt and telescoping steering wheel can at least get itself out of the way of knobby knees a bit.

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
10 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow

The 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata starts at under $30,000, but this RF tester comes in at $38,955.

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
11 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow

Keep scrolling for more photos of our favorite roadster.

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
12 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
13 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
14 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
15 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
16 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
17 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
18 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
19 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
20 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
21 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
22 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
23 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
24 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
25 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
26 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
27 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
28 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
29 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
30 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
31 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
32 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
33 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
34 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
35 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
36 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
37 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
38 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
39 of 39 Emme Hall/Roadshow

More Galleries

Go Inside the Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro: See How the New iPhones Look and Work
iphone 15 in different color from an angled view

Go Inside the Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro: See How the New iPhones Look and Work

21 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features and Settings on Your iPhone
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features and Settings on Your iPhone

18 Photos
Astronomy Photographer of the Year Winners Reveal Our Stunning Universe
andromeda

Astronomy Photographer of the Year Winners Reveal Our Stunning Universe

16 Photos
I Got an Early Look at Intel's Glass Packaging Tech for Faster Chips
Rahul Manepalli, right, Intel's module engineering leader, shows a glass substrate panel before it's sliced into the small rectangles that will be bonded to the undersides of hundreds of test processors. The technology, shown here at Intel's CH8 facility in Chandler, Arizona, stands to improve performance and power consumption of advanced processors arriving later this decade. Glass substrates should permit physically larger processors comprised of several small "chiplets" for AI and data center work, but Intel expects they'll trickle down to PCs, too.

I Got an Early Look at Intel's Glass Packaging Tech for Faster Chips

20 Photos
Check Out the iPhone 15's New Camera in Action
A photo of a silhouette of buildings on the water taken on the iPhone 15

Check Out the iPhone 15's New Camera in Action

12 Photos
Yamaha motorcycle and instrument designers trade jobs (pictures)
yamaha01.jpg

Yamaha motorcycle and instrument designers trade jobs (pictures)

16 Photos
CNET's 'Day of the Dead Devices' altar (pictures)
dia-de-los-muertos-3318-001.jpg

CNET's 'Day of the Dead Devices' altar (pictures)

9 Photos