I hadn’t driven a Mazda Miata until my recent tester. I’ll admit, it’s one of the few vehicles I’ve spent time with that I was sad letting go of at the end of the week. The 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata is a fantastic little car. But I will say the infotainment needs some tweaking.

Overall, though the ride is a tad bumpy and the seating is impractical, I have to say that there’s just something about the 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata. I absolutely understand why this car has such a cult following. For anyone who wants something affordable and fun for sunny drives down long, winding roads, I highly recommend testing the Miata. You just might fall in love.

The 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata doesn’t feel cheap

Considering the performance and freedom a car like the 2020 Mazda Miata offers, the Miata comes for a very reasonable cost. The price range––according to Car and Driver––starts at $27,525. The higher starting prices on the upper trim models start north of $30 grand and closer to $35,000. No matter which Miata you end up in, it’s not likely to break the bank.

But it doesn’t feel cheap. The Miata actually feels nice. That’s because it is. Each dollar stretches in this car to give the driver more. While it can’t compete with an expensive luxury car, it’s not really trying to. The 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata just wants to be fun––and fast.

While it by no means feels cushy and plush, it definitely doesn’t feel cheap. The tan leather in my tester looked great inside the red paint color that continues into the cabin for a bright red accent under the windows. Besides the fact that there’s no place for the children in a car like this, I loved it. But the infotainment was a little weird.

2020 Mazda Miata infotainment

The one issue I had while driving this car is the way my iPhone connected with the infotainment system. My tester had the upgraded sound system, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, navigation, and hands-free operation. However, something is up with the connection between the device and the car.

Once your phone is connected to the 2020 Mazda Miata infotainment system, you have to adjust the volume so much in order to get it right. On connecting my device, the volume went from the average listening volume I had the radio on to barely audible. I wouldn’t mind so much if this was just a precaution to keep from having a too-loud tune blast the speakers on first plugging in your device.

Disconnected volume

The 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata infotainment didn’t support my device well enough to sync up properly in terms of volume. Once you turn the volume up louder on the infotainment system in order to hear your song, it’s nearly at full volume.

Not to mention the fact that there’s the helpful hassle of adjusting the volume on the iPhone as well. Overall, it just doesn’t feel like the infotainment system has worked out the kinks. I will say it’s impressive that I could both hear and be heard while speaking on the phone hands-free with the top down. Still, the 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata infotainment system isn’t perfect, and I don’t love the weird connectivity I experienced between my iPhone and the infotainment.