2017 Mazda MX-5 RF Review by Carfection Gives You Reasons to Stare

Some things are just going to come down to choice, like pickles in a burger and Kirk vs. Picards. But if you're the type of guy who wants his roadster to feel like a safe, sexy coupe, this could be the MX-5 for you. Obviously, they've had to add a bit of weight to make the beautiful folding mechanism, but maybe this could be your motivation to finally start that diet.

The tall buttresses and metal roof are especially sexy on this white car. But even silver works, as proven by the launch car at last year's LA Auto Show. From the side, the MX-5 RF is so beautiful it will make you bite the back of your hand.

The rest of the design is the same, retaining the origami creases down the hood and that sharp front end. Roof up or down, it's got visual appeal by the bucketload.

We drove the roadster version nearly two years ago, and it was a tight squeeze for most of the guys in the office. That's not going to change, nor is the tiny trunk, though the metal roof takes the same amount of space.

You might want to avoid the optional navigation system because it's annoying as heck, say Carfection. Maybe that's why our Mazda rep never, ever gave us a car with nav.

The engines are the same, so you've either got a rev-happy 1.5-liter or this 2.0-liter with a broader spectrum of performance. Mazda offers an automatic option, but nobody ever buys it. Some alterations have had to be made. You might notice it's got faster steering, stiffer dampers, and beefed-up anti-roll bars. The only real flaw is that the top can only go up and down up to 6 miles per hour.