2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club Update 4: Tearing up the Top

Hands-down, our long-term 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata has the best top available today. This became especially apparent after experiencing tops in other cars such as our previous long-term Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (creaky) and a Bentley Continental GT Speed (super quiet, but takes an eternity to operate). The Miata’s top is neither of those things. It doesn’t make strange noises and literally takes two seconds to open or close. Thanks to the top’s simplicity, I use it a lot. But unfortunately, it has developed scuff marks in multiple spots.

From what I can see, the top appears to be making contact and rubbing the frame behind the seats in the lowered position (which it’s in most of the time). Some of the scuff marks are fairly severe and are close to turning into holes.

A local dealership is still looking into the matter. That said, I browsed a few online forums and found I wasn’t alone. In fact, multiple sources may be causing premature wear including inadvertent contact with the roll hoop (not the case with our car). The forums also suggest that Mazda is well aware of the issues and has recently released a service bulletin, so stay tuned.

In other news, the Miata was involved in a minor fender bender (other driver’s fault) and was out of commission for a few days while it received a new front bumper. The odometer hit 20,000 miles, and aside from the fraying soft top, the Miata has been flawless. One nitpick I do have, though, is the digital gear indicator within the tachometer. It’s helpful, but I wish you could toggle between that and a digital speedometer, too.

More on our long-term Mazda MX-5 Miata Club: 

• Arrival
• Update 1: Rats, Road Trips, and Real MPG
• Update 2: Getting Fired Up at the Track
• Update 3: How the Miata Performs in the Snow

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