• Near-identical boot capacity to soft top MX-5
• Interior storage space is at a premium with no door pockets
• Higher roofline than soft-top MX-5 means more headroom

How much space is there?

There’s not much storage space and it’s snug for those with long limbs. And despite the slightly higher roofline than the soft-top, there’s a bit less headroom.

The lack of door pockets and a glovebox are particular disappointments, but there’s a useful cubby between the seats, with removable (and slightly fiddly) cup holders just ahead of it. The passenger can move their cup holder further forward onto the centre console to be beside the gearlever. There’s also a small cubby for keys and coins where your arm rests behind the handbrake, but that’s about it.

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Boot space and storage

One of the primary detractors of a folding hardtop roof is where to stow it once folded down. Most manufacturers make room for it in the boot, but since the soft top MX-5 only has a 130-litre luggage capacity there’s precious little space to take away.

Happily, Mazda’s engineers have managed to keep the RF’s boot capacity almost identical to the soft-top’s at 127 litres. This means you can still just about squeeze two holdall style bags or a weekly shop for a very small family.

Is it easy to park?

An excellent turning circle makes it a very easy car to drive at low speed, and once you’ve got used to sitting near the rear wheels, it’s one of the easiest cars around to park. However the buttresses obscure over-the-shoulder visibility slightly.

Thankfully, the RF’s compact dimensions means it’s easy to slot into small spaces, being 3,915mm long, 1,735mm wide and 1,235mm tall. Plus, you have parking sensors on all models and a rear-view camera on mid and top spec cars.

Safety

• No official Euro NCAP score
• Likely to be as safe as four-star rated soft-top MX-5
• Rear cross-traffic alert and blind spot monitor are cost options

This version hasn’t been tested by Euro NCAP’s, however, the soft-top version scored a four out of five in 2015, helped by a pop-up bonnet and impact absorbing beads above the engine. We’ve referenced the soft-top’s video and ratings below.

Because the Mazda MX-5 does not have a B-pillar joining the roof like many conventional cars, it adds a seatback crossmember to strengthen the body structure, and reinforced sills and A-pillars. Front and side airbags are fitted, and the steering column is designed to be crushable to absorb energy.

Adaptive LED headlights and blindspot monitoring are now fitted on the top two higher-spec models, while all models but entry-level come with traffic sign recognition and lane-departure warning. Higher-spec models come with blindspot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert, while all models feature a tyre pressure monitoring system and Isofix child seat point on the passenger seat.

Watch: The soft-top Mazda MX-5’s crash video