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TFL Checks Out the Gadgets and Gizmos of the 2021 Mazda MX-5 RF

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Do The Gadgets & Gizmos On The 2021 Mazda MX-5 RF Make It Worth The Price And The Hype? I Find Out! 91 photos
Photo: The Fast Lane Car on YouTube
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Love it or hate it, the hard-topped Mazda MX-5 Miata RF has a lot going for it. The Fast Lane had the opportunity to check a 2021 model, and Tommy Mica is mainly impressed by the car’s gadgets and gizmos.
The review starts with the key fob, which feels a little chintzy because of the side-located buttons. On the upside, Tommy praises the retractable hardtop that offers more sounds deadening than the soft-topped variant.

Tommy further makes a case for the looks. “I don’t care what you drive. This is one of the prettiest cars in the entire automotive world. With the top up or down, it’s gorgeous.” Part of the reason the design is this good comes courtesy of buttresses joined by a beam for rollover protection.

A downside over the canvas roof is the open/close function that doesn’t work above 6 miles per hour (10 kilometers per hour). The Ferrari F8 Spider, for reference, can deploy or stow its roof at up to 28 mph (45 kph).

Not exactly spacious in terms of passenger legroom, the MX-5 Miata RF can get pretty miserable if you really need to use the removable cup holders. There’s no proper cubby for your smartphone either, and Mazda doesn’t offer a glovebox either because the HVAC ducting runs through that area.

Tommy does like the steering wheel, though. “I like that it’s not too thick because so many modern steering wheels are like holding baseball bats.” The infotainment system isn’t exactly up there with SYNC 4 and iDrive 8, but it certainly does the job thanks to wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity.

Another strong point of the MX-5 Miata RF is the trunk, which doesn’t lose any cargo area with the roof up or down. Adequate for a weekend’s trip in two, the retractable fastback offers 4.5 cubic feet or 127 liters.

Priced $2,755 higher than its soft-roofed sibling, the MX-5 Miata RF is currently available in two configurations. Both of them rely on a 181-horsepower engine and rear-wheel drive, and customers who fail to understand the magic of a sports car are offered a $600 automatic.

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Editor's note: 30th Anniversary Edition pictured in the gallery.

2021 Mazda mx-5 review 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata The Fast Lane Mazda MX-5 TFL Mazda MX-5 Miata sports car
About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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