We all know that M.I.A.T.A. is the unofficial acronym proclaiming that Miata is always the answer. And when it comes to an engaging, purebred, authentic driving experience, the 2025 Mazda MX-5 GT — or Miata, as it should still be called — has almost always been accurate. We’re talking a rear-wheel-drive sports car with a short wheelbase, lightweight chassis, and one of the best three-pedal driving experiences out there. This has been the formula for every generation of Miata, but there’s been a glitch in the matrix.
As I eagerly awaited my week with this particular car, my excitement continued to build. The Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray and Lamborghini Revuelto were both insane and thrilling, but I’ve always been partial to lightweight sports cars, having previously owned a Honda S2000, a first-gen BRZ, and even an original NSX. And yet, when I picked up the MX-5, that built up excitement quickly faded: the leather-wrapped, eight-ball-style shift knob was flanked by the letters P-R-N-D.
Huh? An automatic Miata? Which automotive Gods did I upset to deserve this? But as much as it pains me to see two pedals in the footwell, it’s my professional responsibility to remain objective. Can an automatic MX-5 still capture the purity and essence of what this car is meant to be?
Auto-magic or auto-tragic?
Mazda always offered the MX-5 Miata with an automatic transmission, and the reality is nearly half of MX-5 sales are made sans a third pedal. The original Miata had a four-speed slushbox, but this latest ups the number of gears to six. However, the conventional torque-converter design remains; there’s no fast-acting dual-clutch automatic here. But there are at least tiny paddle shifters on the steering wheel, and the shift lever clearly tries to look like it’s a manual, leather boot and all. I do like that Mazda retains the ability to shift gears in manual mode via the shifter itself, with the proper orientation of pulling back to upshift and pushing forward to downshift.
Unfortunately, it can be slow to shift. For a sports car, it’s almost painfully slow when you’re not getting on it; it’s a little more eager when you’re wringing the MX-5 by its neck, but still pretty slow to respond. In my unscientific estimation, it sometimes felt like it took a full second to shift into the next gear. Not great for a sports car, yet somehow, the magic still exists.
You’ve got to be kidding
I know, I know. Hear me out. The MX-5’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine pumps out a decent 181 horsepower and does so at 7,000 RPM. It encourages you to keep the revs high, all the way up to its 7,500 rpm redline. It doesn’t sound particularly good doing so, but it does rev rather smoothly and all the noises are at least unadulterated when you manually throw the soft top over your shoulder and let the wind mess up your hair.
The handling is all there, too, aided by claimed revisions to the steering and suspension. The signature soft-but-grippy suspension you’ve come to expect is ever present. The steering is quick and responsive, no doubt aided by the lithe curb weight and 50/50 weight distribution. You do lose some performance-enhancing features from the manual versions, like a Track setting for the stability control, a strut tower brace, the Bilstein shocks, and even the limited-slip differential. Sad omissions for sure, but they don’t detract much from the overall playful experience of the MX-5, at least on the street.
The MX-5 in automatic form still encourages you to drive it for the sake of driving. You eventually get used to the transmission’s slow responses as long as you keep revs high and shift early to anticipate any delayed requests to the next gear. I found myself foregoing the paddles in favour of the more tactile feel of yanking on the shifter. I also found myself putting the MX-5 into sport mode and manually shifting pretty much the whole time behind the wheel. That’s gotta mean something.
Dollar-store seductress
That’s not a knock in the least. In fact, in the grand scheme of things, this MX-5 isn’t particularly cheap at $42,940 as-tested. But the level of design, character and beauty you get both inside and out is nearly unmatched. Pronounced front wheel arches that follow deep into the hood not only give you that exotic car feel behind the wheel, but act as helpful markers to place your front wheels exactly where you want them. Thin cat-eye headlights, now with integrated LED daytime running lights, are suggestive in the best of ways. The clean side profile gives way to a wide-for-a-tiny-car rear end, itself finished off with, dare I say, Ferrari-ish tail lights. The icing on the cake is Mazda’s Soul Red Crystal metallic paint, which is easily one of the nicest paint colours in existence and somehow only commands a $500 premium. A bargain compared to Porsche now charging more than $1,700 for their iconic but nonmetallic Guards Red.
And in more exotic fashion, that red paint carries into the interior, with the topside of each door panel painted in the same colour. The rest of the interior is rather plain-jane, with a protoptical screen sat atop the center of the dash, some physical controls for the HVAC, and a lot of black trim. The chrome-ringed analog gauge cluster with a central tach is near-perfect, and the steering wheel is right-sized.
Old soul remains, tech just adds to the experience
Mind you, there isn’t much tech to get in your way, but the nine-speaker Bose audio system with built-in headrest speakers actually sounds rather great, so long as you crank it enough to drown out the ridiculous levels of wind noise coming through the thin fabric top. There’s adaptive cruise control on board, but it annoyingly disengages once you come to a full stop. The 8.8-inch infotainment screen is sharp and responsive, but as was the case in most Mazdas of the last decade, the wireless Android Auto connection wasn’t the most reliable. The tech is there if you need it, but Mazda clearly spent its time on the rest of the car, and for good reason.
M.I.A.T.A.
So, is Miata always the answer? Well, for starters the cramped interior isn’t fit for all, and the automatic version is likely to deter some purists. But let’s zoom out a bit from the purists: not everyone wants to or physically can drive a manual, for whatever reason. Maybe it’s the only car among a couple, or someone who has a wonky left knee or other ailment, or someone a wee bit older who hasn’t lost the joy of driving. Heck, even we “purists” don’t have it all right, since half of MX-5s are sold with two pedals. The manual may — nay, is — the absolute best and purest way to experience the 2025 Mazda MX-5 GT, but the automatic gets you closer than you’d expect.
