the third-generation Mazda mx-5 miata
roadster came of the choice of two tops
manual soft top and a power retractable
hardtop cr.hp now for 2017 joining the
fourth-generation manual soft top is
what's called the retractable fastback
or RF coincidentally the fastback aspect
is what is not retractable as you can
see the top is essentially down but it
really has more of the look of a
removable roof panel or targa top as
porsche closet though note that you can
still have the rear window go down aside
from this little windscreen which can be
removed does anyone remember the old
honda del sol pacific del sol from the
early 90s it was a two-door two-seater
with a removable roof panel manual and a
retractable rear window I've never seen
anything quite like it before this is
about as close as has come anyway is the
RF as good as the PR HT let's find out
people like the looks of this with the
top down let's see it with the top up it
is fully powered which means all you
have to do is press one button takes
about 13 seconds which isn't bad though
it doesn't have that much to move and
you can watch the motion on a little
graphic on the instrument panel which is
nice unfortunately the top moves only up
to six miles per hour
today's powered soft tops can operate up
to 20 25 miles per hour sometimes higher
which is good if it starts raining means
you don't have to pull over on the
flipside the traditional retractable
hardtop requires you to stop completely
and put the car in park before the top
will move at all it's just another way
that this car is kind of between soft
hop and retractable hardtop this is
where the Miata RF really shines the
fastback profile makes it look not just
better than the soft-top version was a
pop up but definitely better than the
old PR HT it was a little bit awkward
looking with the top up frankly now what
did was they used steel here in this
middle section but lightweight aluminum
for the front panel a lot of plastic
composite for the back
but even so with the addition of the
extra hardware and the motors it adds
weight even though they drilled out a
tunnel member under the undercarriage
which is essentially like an X brace
they drilled that out to take some mass
out of that the net gain in weight over
the manual transmissions soft-top is
about it's almost 120 pounds which is
not nothing also think about where it is
it's a little bit higher which can raise
the center of gravity and a little bit
farther back so what that is done is it
has changed the weight distribution from
47% of the weight in the rear in the
manual transmission soft top to 50%
50/50 now to compensate Mazda made some
changes they retune the suspension a bit
as well as the power steering out on the
road I didn't feel a big difference
possible there was a little less
understeer going into corners but it
wasn't like the rear end was hard to
control frankly I think you'd have to
push the car a lot harder than I was
able to consent the difference between
this and the soft top you might even
have to do it back-to-back when I first
saw the retractable fastback I kind of
thought I'd prefer a full proper
convertible where the top goes all the
way down and having driven it that's
pretty much how I feel when I Drive a
convertible which I do as often as
possible I like to feel like I'm outside
as much as possible and with the
structure still up here it's not quite
the same it's a little bit more like a
target pop or even a big moon roof now
that's not to say there aren't some
advantages if you want the interiors to
be less turbulence less windy this does
the trick definitely less wind blowing
around you can hear yourself talk you
can hear your passenger talk but what
you cannot deny is that you are going to
lose some outward visibility
the structure back here definitely
blocks your view on both sides it's also
true of the soft-top
Miata when the top is up but of course
in that case when the top of sound your
visibility is terrific what I really
like when driving something this small
in traffic with semis and SUVs an
unquestionable benefit of the RF is that
it is quieter inside with the top pop
and that's really what you expect from a
retractable hardtop mods are did a good
job of making the soft top quieter for
the fourth generation but no question
this is a much quieter experience than
the soft top now let's talk trade-offs
you will find that there is 6/10 of an
inch left Headroom in the retractable
fastback versus the soft top and that's
not nothing if you're already order line
as for the trunk it loses only 1/10 of a
cubic foot which is actually quite good
though I have to say the power
retractable hardtop had a fully
retractable hardtop and it didn't affect
the trunk space at all either the RF
will also cost you more hole 27:55 more
in a comparably equipped Club trim level
now because the club trim level is the
lowest for the RF if you want to save
money you get a soft top sport that's
the lowest trim and you save over sixty
six hundred dollars so why do you buy
the RF you buy it for the look and
because it's quieter with the top up if
you want a full convertible experience
though you're going to want to stick
with the soft top
you