MX-5 Miata vs Miata RF
MX-5 Miata Soft Top vs. Miata RF: Which One Should You Buy?
Both cars run the same 181-hp Skyactiv-G engine on the same chassis. The soft top is lighter, cheaper, and drops its roof by hand in about three seconds from the driver’s seat. The RF (Retractable Fastback) adds a power-folding hardtop that opens in roughly 13 seconds, a quieter cabin at highway speed, and a distinctive buttress profile — for a modest weight and price premium. In New England, the RF is the easier car to daily year-round; the soft top is the purer roadster.
Side by side
| Soft Top | Miata RF | |
|---|---|---|
| Roof | Manual cloth top, ~3 seconds by hand | Power retractable hardtop, ~13 seconds up to 6 mph |
| Trims | Sport, Club, Grand Touring | Club, Grand Touring |
| Weight | Lightest MX-5 | Roughly 100 lbs more |
| Cabin noise | More road and wind noise, top up | Noticeably quieter on the highway |
| Winter | Fine with snow tires; cloth top needs care with ice | Hardtop shrugs off snow, ice scrapers and car washes |
| Price | Lower starting MSRP | Premium over comparable soft top |
Choose the soft top if…
- You want the lightest, most affordable, most traditional Miata.
- Top-down time measured in seconds matters — stoplight to open sky without touching a button.
- You’re speccing a Sport, which is soft-top only, or a dedicated fun/track car.
Choose the RF if…
- It’s your daily driver, especially through a New Hampshire or Massachusetts winter.
- You take longer highway trips and want the quieter cabin and a locking trunk feel.
- You prefer the fastback look — plenty of buyers do.
What we see at the dealership
Commuters and four-season drivers tend to leave in RFs; weekend and second-car buyers tend to leave in soft tops, usually Club manuals. Neither choice is wrong. We keep both body styles in multiple trims on the lot, so drive them back to back and settle it in one visit.
Prices exclude tax, title, registration and a $519 documentation fee. Seacoast Mazda, 180 Spaulding Turnpike, Portsmouth NH 03801 · 603-436-6811. Operated by Ackerman Auto. Mazda, MX-5 and Miata are trademarks of Mazda Motor Corporation. Vehicle images are 2026 model year and may show optional equipment.