Recommended Hitch for a 2023 Mazda Miata

Question:

We own a 2013 Mazda Miata PRT which we love, but it does not carry a spare tire. We plan on taking many multi-thousand mile trips, e.g. Route 66 and want the security of carrying a spare tire with us. We see you have both 1 1/4 inch hitch units for our car and spare tire mounts for such hitches. Which would you recommend as the best to install on our Miata and allow us enough clearance to open the trunk without removing the spare tire? Would this combination have the capacity to carry the weight of the spare tire, wheel and spare tire mount without risk of breakage? How durable for pot holes, expansion joints and badly repaired highways? Thanks for your help. Carl Paul

asked by: Carl P

Expert Reply:

I have one hitch for your 2013 Mazda MX-5 Miata however, none of our spare tire carriers are small enough to fit it. The Curt Trailer Hitch item # C11028 is a class I hitch with a 1-1/4" receiver. Due to the small size and weight of your car this is the largest capacity hitch available.

All of our spare tire carriers like the Curt item # c31006 you were looking at fit a 2" class III receiver. Additionally, the owner's manuals prohibit the use of adapters like item # HTAD that would allow you to connect a 2" spare tire carrier to a 1-1/4" receiver.

The only solution I would have for you is to install the Curt Hitch item # C11028 and use the 19x47 Curt Cargo Carrier item # C18110 to store your spare tire. It has a 300 lbs capacity but you would be limited to the 200 lbs capacity of the hitch or your Miata's tongue weight capacity which ever one is lower.