MX-5 Miata 2023

Excited at purchase, reality more subdued. Positives: generous space, good fuel economy. Negatives: touchscreen freezes, rear wiper smears, lane-keeping too aggressive. Not bad but needs polish.

Hits a sweet spot for me. Refined on the motorway, economical for commuting, practical for family. Only gripe is infotainment slow to connect to phone on startup. Build quality noticeably better than my previous car.

Sceptical when I ordered — playing it safe rather than exciting myself. A year in, genuinely impressed. More refined than expected, seats comfortable on long trips, nothing unexpected has gone wrong.

At this price point the 2023 Mazda MX-5 Miata is difficult to beat on pure value. Generous standard equipment, solid reliability record, and depreciation that won't sting too badly.

Mid-spec was the sweet spot. Heated seats, wireless CarPlay, blind-spot monitoring all standard. Build quality honest and durable. No showiness, just exactly what I needed.

Fourteen months, more time at the dealer than my driveway. Turbo failed at 8,000 miles, infotainment blank at 11,000 miles, persistent vibration they cannot locate. First and last experience with this brand.

Reliability has been below the brand's reputation. Two dealer visits in the first year for issues that shouldn't exist on a new car. Interior quality also doesn't match the asking price.

40 miles each way. The 2023 Mazda MX-5 Miata makes the commute genuinely enjoyable. Seats stay comfortable, adaptive cruise works brilliantly, fuel costs reasonable. After 25,000 miles nothing has gone wrong.

Cannot recommend. Transmission issue, electrical fault that stranded me, engine warning light dealer cannot diagnose. Every visit takes a week. I had high expectations. Avoid.

Solid car that does its job without exciting me. Ride comfortable, easy to drive, safety features work well. Interior materials feel a step below the price point, engine noisy when pushed. Reliable but not class-leading.