Canada is known for its cold climate, yet Canada has one of the highest per capita sales of convertibles in the world (I heard this in a car show a long time ago, I don’t know how accurate this number is, so don’t quote me on it, unless the statement is correct). Why would people in cold climates buy convertibles? Because when it’s not cold, they really take advantage of the warm days.
To experience firsthand what it feels like to drive a convertible in the winter, we took the opportunity to test drive/review a 2019 Mazda MX-5 RF for 10 days in January. The RF isn’t a ragtop, living with the hardtop is a little easier and our Vancouver weather, unlike the rest of Canada, is much milder.
I have written extensively about the Mazda MX-5 (aka Miata) over the years, it is one of my favorite cars, especially the fourth generation ND, and even more so the 2019 version of the ND MX-5, which packs an additional 26 horsepower (up from 155 HP) and 3 additional pound-feet of torque (up from 148 lb-ft).
The Mazda MX-5 just turned 30 years old this past week, with over 1 million units sold worldwide. There’s a reason this little roadster/sports car is so popular, it’s a lightweight car with a small amount of power, making for some very fun driving.
The Mazda MX-5 RF is powered by a SKYACTIV-G 2.0 liter 4-cylinder engine, producing 181 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 151 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm, power is sent to the rear wheels via a 6-speed manual or automatic transmission, but we all know which is the right transmission to get with this sweet little car.
The MX-5 RF comes in two trims, the GS-P and GT; The GS-P has a starting price of $41,815 and the GT starts at $44,815 (freight & PDI included).
I’m not going to go through the details of the car very much, as I feel I’ve covered it enough, but I will provide you with a link if you’d like to read my thoughts on the world’s best selling roadster (2016 Mazda MX-5 review, 2017 Mazda MX-5 RF review, 2018 Mazda MX-5 review, and the latest 2019 Mazda MX-5 review).
What is it like to live with a Mazda MX-5 RF in a Canadian winter?
Because the top on the MX-5 RF is a hardtop, living with it in the winter feels almost like living with a coupe. I didn’t notice any (or much) ill effects of winter while driving the MX-5 RF for a week, although temperatures were pretty mild during the time I had the MX-5.
The hard top makes it really easy to live with the MX-5 RF in the winter, and in the rain, which we get a lot of during our winters (and summers, springs, and falls). The hard top insulates the interior well enough to keep the heat in, like in a normal coupe. I did notice some condensation on the inside of the windshield on one of the colder mornings, which I had to use a rag to dry up, the defrost would take hours to dry the amount of condensation that had accumulated. However, on another morning that was similarly cold, there wasn’t any condensation on the inside, so I’m not really sure why one of the days I had that issue?
Other than the little condensation issue, the RF felt like driving a regular coupe, which in a way it is, with a fancy Targa top. The winter conditions made it even a little more fun to drive the already fun MX-5 because sliding the rear end became just a little easier.
The MX-5 is a fun car, it is one of our favorite cars here at Unfinished Man, and the RF version of the car makes it more practical for Canadian winters. It comes with most of the benefits of a convertible and none of the drawbacks.
For more info, please visit mazda.ca.
