Mazda knew it had a hit on its hands when it introduced the fourth-generation MX-5 Miata back in 2015. It didn’t make a huge amount of power, but it was small, light, nimble and an absolute hoot to drive. Fast forward to today, and the ND Miata is still fantastic even though its design is nearly 10 years old. In fact, Miata sales were actually up 50 percent last year. Now, for 2024, the Mazda MX-5 Miata has gotten even better.
While Mazda North America only announced these changes today, they don’t come as a complete surprise. Back in October, Mazda announced changes to the Miata for the Japanese market. At the time, it seemed likely that Miatas sold in the U.S. would get the same updates, but you never know. This wouldn’t be the first time Japan got something special that we didn’t.
So what do you get for 2024 that’s different than before? Sadly, unlike when Mazda updated the Miata for the 2019 model year, there’s no extra power under the hood. On the outside, not much has changed. You get new headlights and taillights, as well as new wheels and the option to pay $450 to get some Aero Gray paint. Inside, the ancient infotainment system has finally been updated, and there’s a bigger screen, although at 8.8 inches, it’s still pretty small compared to what you get in a lot of other new cars these days.
We definitely wish Mazda had added a more interesting color than Aero Gray, but at least that and the infotainment system aren’t the only changes for 2024. For example, the steering has been improved with a new rack that should make things smoother and more precise. There’s also a new asymmetrical limited-slip differential that should improve handling and reduce understeer compared to the previous one. Plus, certain versions can be had with a new Track setting for the stability control that gives you a lot more leeway before it intervenes.
The Miata is a little pricier than before, though, with the manual Sport starting at $28,985 and the manual Club at $32,485. Meanwhile, the Club RF starts at $40,210 but includes the Brembo/BBS/Recaro Package that costs $4,800 on the soft top. If you don’t need that package but still want an RF, the Grand Touring starts at $37,010, and if you want, you can add a $300 tan Nappa leather package. That package is also available on the $34,285 Grand Touring soft top.