Mazda MX-5 2025 Review

In the local sports car market, the price range of 200,000 to 300,000 ringgit has always been the focal point for "driving purists" — after all, achieving a balance between daily usability and maintaining the soul of sports car handling at this price point isn't easy. The arrival of the 2025 Mazda MX-5 RF 2.0 MT perfectly fills the gap in this niche market: not only does it continue the MX-5 family's iconic lightweight rear-wheel-drive setup, but it also features tailored upgrades in configuration, such as standard Bose sound system and Level 2 driving assistance. This time, we got a test drive vehicle, and the main purpose was to verify whether the manual transmission version can truly balance "driving fun" and "daily practicality."

The MX-5 RF's exterior grabs your attention at first glance, and the overall silhouette maintains the compactness of a two-door sports car. Its length of less than 4 meters (3915mm) paired with a low body height of 1235mm gives it high road recognition. The RF version's hardtop convertible is a design highlight: when closed, the roofline smoothly extends from the A-pillar to the rear, forming a coupe-like fastback shape; it opens in just 13 seconds and can be operated at speeds below 10km/h, making it more practical than the soft-top version. At the front, the blacked-out shield-shaped grille is connected to the sharp LED headlights on both sides, and the front lip adds aerodynamic details. At the rear, the LED taillights feature circular clusters, echoing the retro elements of the classic MX-5, while the rear bumper's diffuser design enhances the sporty feel.

Sitting inside, the interior design follows a "simple and practical" approach without too many flashy elements. The seats are manually adjustable Recaro-style sports seats with good wrapping, and the leather material feels delicate to the touch. The steering wheel is a three-spoke multifunction design, perfectly sized for one-handed operation, and features perforations at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions for improved anti-slip functionality. The most noticeable feature of the center console is the 8.8-inch floating screen, which doesn’t support touch but can be comfortably operated using the knob behind the gear lever, preventing accidental touches while driving. Configurations include many pleasant surprises: the standard Bose sound system has 9 speakers, including sound units embedded in the seat headrests; features like automatic air conditioning, keyless entry, rear parking sensors, and automatic headlights cover daily needs and are better catered to practicality compared to the previous model. The only small regret is the limited storage space—the door pockets can only fit one water bottle, and the central armrest box only holds some change and cards.

As a two-door, two-seater sports car, the MX-5 RF's space just about meets the needs of two people traveling. A passenger with a height of 175cm sitting in the front seat will have a fist's worth of headroom and sufficient legroom, thanks to the reasonably distributed 2310mm wheelbase. There are ISOFIX child seat anchors below the seats, but considering the rear is essentially "storage space" (officially labeled as a 2-seater, but in reality, the rear can only hold bags), it’s unlikely anyone will use it to install child seats. The trunk has a capacity of 130L, which can fit two carry-on suitcases—sufficient for grocery shopping or short trips. For long road trips, however, you might need to add an extra luggage rack.

After starting the engine, the 2.0L naturally aspirated engine produces a refined sound—not the overly amplified noisy sound, but a smooth mechanical roar. The maximum power of 184PS is unleashed at 7000rpm, with 205N·m of torque reaching its peak at 4000rpm. Paired with a 6-speed manual transmission, the shift stroke feels short with a strong tactile engagement. Every shift provides a clear "stepped feedback." At start-up, as long as the clutch is released steadily, power response feels linear, without the abrupt thrust typical of turbocharged cars. When you press the accelerator hard above 4000rpm, torque output becomes more pronounced, and dropping a gear provides sufficient power reserve for overtaking.

Handling is the core advantage of the MX-5 RF. The rear-wheel-drive layout combined with a 50:50 front-to-rear weight distribution makes the body particularly stable when cornering, even at slightly higher speeds. The ESP intervenes gently without disrupting the driving rhythm. The front double-wishbone independent suspension and rear multi-link independent suspension are tuned on the stiffer side, but the ability to absorb small bumps is better than expected, making it not feel too bumpy when driving in the city. When encountering speed bumps, the suspension rebounds crisply without unnecessary wobbling. The steering wheel has virtually no dead zones and is as precise as an “extension of the fingers”; you can clearly feel the road feedback when cornering. This kind of “man and machine as one” feeling is rare among sports cars in the same price range.

As for fuel consumption, we drove on a mixed route (30% city + 70% highway), and the combined fuel consumption was around 7.2L per 100 kilometers. It takes 95-octane petrol, has a fuel tank capacity of 45L, and a full tank offers a range of approximately 620 kilometers, so there’s no need to worry about range for daily commuting. The braking performance is also good. The front ventilated disc and rear disc brakes provide linear braking force, and the car doesn’t swerve during emergency braking; the braking distance from 100-0km/h is about 38 meters, which meets the standards for sports cars. In terms of noise control, with the hardtop closed, wind and road noises are well suppressed, and you don’t need to raise your voice for conversations in the cabin at highway speeds of 120km/h. When the hardtop is open, wind noise increases significantly, but the Bose sound system’s automatic volume adjustment function compensates in time, ensuring no impact on listening to music.

Overall, the core advantages of the 2025 MX-5 RF 2.0 MT are very prominent: the pure driving pleasure of a manual transmission, the practicality of a hardtop convertible, and rear-wheel-drive handling rarely found at this price point. Compared to the Toyota 86 manual version in the same class (around 300,000 MYR), the MX-5 RF offers richer features (standard Bose sound system and ACC), a lighter weight (1119kg vs. 1270kg), and better handling agility. Compared to the BMW Z4 sDrive20i (around 450,000 MYR), although it’s slightly less powerful, it’s 150,000 MYR cheaper, making it a better value for money proposition.

This car is ideal for two types of people: First, “purists” who enjoy weekend mountain drives and seek the quality of driving; the shifting pleasure of the manual transmission and the rear-wheel-drive handling can fulfill all their “driving” imaginations. Second, young people who need a car for “daily commuting + occasional fun” will appreciate the hardtop convertible for dates and the standard driver assistance features for city commuting.

In summary, the 2025 Mazda MX-5 RF 2.0 MT is a sports car with “no significant shortcomings” — it allows you to experience the joy of shifting on mountain roads and also serves as a hassle-free daily driver for work. If you’re looking for a sports car that is “not just a toy,” it’s definitely worth considering.