- Mazda dropped the automatic transmission from two of the Miata's trim levels for the 2022 model year.
- The six-speed automatic is now only available on the top Grand Touring model.
- The Miata is powered by a 181-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder, and pricing starts at $28,315.
Mazda is showing that it's on the enthusiast's side by dropping the automatic transmission from two of the MX-5 Miata's three trim levels for the 2022 model year. This is a big deal because it's usually the other way around with new performance cars; the Chevy Corvette, for instance, recently dropped the manual gearbox altogether. Mazda continues to #SavetheManuals, and we appreciate it.
Previously available on all trims, the six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters is now only available on the top-of-the-line Grand Touring model, which gets dark silver 17-inch wheels and newly available Terracotta leather seats. The Sport and Club models can only be equipped with the six-speed manual, which is the way you should buy a Miata anyway. And the Club model can be equipped with a Brembo BBS Recaro package that adds Brembo brakes, 17-inch forged BBS wheels, and heated Recaro seats for $4,500.
Mazda gave the Miata a revised 2.0-liter inline-four engine for 2019 that gave it 181 horsepower and helped the manual-equipped car zip to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds in our testing. In that test of the new car in 2019, we said that the six-speed manual, which was also tweaked for that model year, moved "through the H-pattern with a bit more finesse than before."
Available at dealerships in the coming months, the 2022 MX-5 Miata starts at $28,315 for the Sport and $31,815 for the Club, and we suggest you buy one of those models.
