The world rejoiced in June when Mazda announced that the 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata will be getting a much-desired power bump over the outgoing model. It’s 2.0-liter SKYACTIV-G engine will be putting out a peppy 181 horsepower, up from 155 in last year’s car. And now we know just what that extra oomph will cost you: $435 over last year’s base price. Not bad at all.
The Miata has always been one of the biggest performance bargains on the market around $25,000, though its abilities are best measured in the corners rather than a straight line. If a 26-horsepower bump (plus an increase of 3 pound-feet of torque) doesn’t sound like a lot, consider the fact that the car weighs less than 2,500 pounds. A seventeen percent increase in grunt is nothing to sneeze at, especially when Toyota 86 and Subaru BR-Z owners continue to shout into the void about their own cars’ deficits on that front.
And neither is the price. The basic soft-top 2019 MX-5 Sport will start at $25,730 (not including $895 destination), which is a measly $435 more than the base price of the 2018 model. That extra cash also brings in a few more standard features like a backup camera, a telescoping steering wheel, and a redesigned aluminum steering column intended to save weight. Its EPA-rated fuel economy is a smidge better than the old car—about 1 mpg combined—which probably means that boost will be invisible to most drivers.
But the power bump, achieved through lighter engine internals and a new exhaust setup, surely won’t be. And it’s the same engine on all trims, so you’re guaranteed a good time whether you’re in the cheap-ish Sport or the top-flight MX-5 Miata Grand Touring RF starting at $34,410. Check out the company’s new fact sheet for a fuller pricing breakdown—or head to a nearby Mazda dealership, where the 2019 Miata is now officially available.