So yesterday - in the pouring rain - I went for a spin in one of these:
This is the all-new, 4th-generation (ND) version of the venerable MX-5. If you are in the market for a two-seater sports roadster for around £20k, the MX-5 is currently the only game in town. Audi's TT starts at £29k, BMW's Z4 at £30k and Mercedes' SLK at £33k. The Mazda starts at £18.5k and even the top spec 2.0 litre with all the options only runs to £24.5k. So good value, on the face of it.
Amazingly, the new model is smaller and lighter than the outgoing car. It retains the front-mid engined layout, with all of the engine's weight sitting behind the front wheels, and weight distribution is 50:50 The engines are new, too: out go the Mazda-built Ford Duratec fours and in come Mazda's own Skyactiv-G designs, in 1.5 litre 131 bhp and 2.0 litre 155 bhp versions. Modest power outputs compared to the competition, but this is a light car. In terms of bhp/tonne, the 1.5 is competitive with the 180 bhp Audi TT 1.8. No stinky diesels are available, so penny-pinchers will have to stump up the extra for an Audi. Although it beggars belief that anyone would want a diesel convertible, tbh. All models have a 6-speed manual gearbox. All the 1.5s have 16" alloys, all the 2.0s have 17" ones.
The interior is also new: I drove the SE-L NAV version, which looks like this (but with cloth seats):
The consensus among road testers is that the 1.5 is the engine to go for (lighter and more free-revving) while the SE-L NAV is the sweet spot for trim level. That is exactly the car I tested, and the salesman reckoned it was the most popular choice. No options are available except paint colour!
First impressions: I like the styling. The outgoing model looks like the fat, ugly girl when you park them side-by-side. The pictured red is definitely the colour to go for, all the others are kind of dull. The seats are comfy and it was very easy to find a good driving position even with the roof up (did I mention it was pissing down?) The instruments are clear and easy to read, although I didn't try the radio/CD/nav which looks complex. Annoyingly, all models have air con and all but the basic SE have climate control. In a convertible. :doh:
Speaking of which, the roof is the same single-latch design as before, and it can be raised or lowered from the driving seat in about 2 seconds. With one hand. Eat your heart out, classic brit owners! There is no electric option, although a foldy-metal-roof coupe version is certain to come along at some point. Lack of any kind of spare wheel means that the boot is usefully large, although you won't get a big suitcase in there. Or golf bats. :nup:
Which brings me to the first irritation. There is nowhere in the cabin to put anything! The old model's glove box has been deleted. The cubby between the seats - once big enough for a carry case full of CDs - is reduced in size and completely filled by a pair of fold-out cup holders, which you can just see in the pic. Yes, the cup holder is next to your left shoulder. What on earth is the point? :roll: The cubby behind the gear lever - once home to a much more sensible pair of cup holders - can now just about take a phone. A small phone. Your iPhone 7 XXL will have to go in the boot. The can-holders in the doors - which were ideal for sunglasses - have been deleted. There is nowhere in the cabin to put sunglasses. Jeez! :grrr:
So, off we go. Depress the light clutch, press the big STOP/START button and snick it into gear for whizz round the back roads around Burnham Beeches. :close:
The car feels much lighter and quicker than my current 1.8. The engine is a delight, with lovely linear power delivery all the way up to its 7,500 rpm redline (the more pedestrian 2.0 maxes out at 6,500.) The gearchange is lovely, with a precise rifle-bolt action. The six-speed gate is narrow, though - I changed from 2nd to 5th by mistake a couple of times. It is delightfully pointy, with super-sharp turn-in and the line can easily be trimmed on the throttle in sweeping bends. This is about as far from my stodgy, awful Lexus as you can get! :^
Downsides? The new, electrically-assisted steering is not as meaty as the old model, and the feedback through the wheel is not as obvious. That said, even on wet and leaf-strewn country lanes I didn't once get the back out. My car would have been sliding around like mad. It isn't super quick, either: if you get your fun boasting about bhp and 0-60 times, look elsewhere. The fun to be had in this is driving it.
So: will I buy one? £212 a month on a PCP deal with my car plus £3k deposit and a final payment of just under £9k makes it certainly affordable. But no. It doesn't do enough more than my current car, and it's a bit less practical for touring. However, I will be watching with interest for the forthcoming FIAT Barchetta version, and when 3-year-old second-hand ones appear, who knows?
This is the all-new, 4th-generation (ND) version of the venerable MX-5. If you are in the market for a two-seater sports roadster for around £20k, the MX-5 is currently the only game in town. Audi's TT starts at £29k, BMW's Z4 at £30k and Mercedes' SLK at £33k. The Mazda starts at £18.5k and even the top spec 2.0 litre with all the options only runs to £24.5k. So good value, on the face of it.
Amazingly, the new model is smaller and lighter than the outgoing car. It retains the front-mid engined layout, with all of the engine's weight sitting behind the front wheels, and weight distribution is 50:50 The engines are new, too: out go the Mazda-built Ford Duratec fours and in come Mazda's own Skyactiv-G designs, in 1.5 litre 131 bhp and 2.0 litre 155 bhp versions. Modest power outputs compared to the competition, but this is a light car. In terms of bhp/tonne, the 1.5 is competitive with the 180 bhp Audi TT 1.8. No stinky diesels are available, so penny-pinchers will have to stump up the extra for an Audi. Although it beggars belief that anyone would want a diesel convertible, tbh. All models have a 6-speed manual gearbox. All the 1.5s have 16" alloys, all the 2.0s have 17" ones.
The interior is also new: I drove the SE-L NAV version, which looks like this (but with cloth seats):
The consensus among road testers is that the 1.5 is the engine to go for (lighter and more free-revving) while the SE-L NAV is the sweet spot for trim level. That is exactly the car I tested, and the salesman reckoned it was the most popular choice. No options are available except paint colour!
First impressions: I like the styling. The outgoing model looks like the fat, ugly girl when you park them side-by-side. The pictured red is definitely the colour to go for, all the others are kind of dull. The seats are comfy and it was very easy to find a good driving position even with the roof up (did I mention it was pissing down?) The instruments are clear and easy to read, although I didn't try the radio/CD/nav which looks complex. Annoyingly, all models have air con and all but the basic SE have climate control. In a convertible. :doh:
Speaking of which, the roof is the same single-latch design as before, and it can be raised or lowered from the driving seat in about 2 seconds. With one hand. Eat your heart out, classic brit owners! There is no electric option, although a foldy-metal-roof coupe version is certain to come along at some point. Lack of any kind of spare wheel means that the boot is usefully large, although you won't get a big suitcase in there. Or golf bats. :nup:
Which brings me to the first irritation. There is nowhere in the cabin to put anything! The old model's glove box has been deleted. The cubby between the seats - once big enough for a carry case full of CDs - is reduced in size and completely filled by a pair of fold-out cup holders, which you can just see in the pic. Yes, the cup holder is next to your left shoulder. What on earth is the point? :roll: The cubby behind the gear lever - once home to a much more sensible pair of cup holders - can now just about take a phone. A small phone. Your iPhone 7 XXL will have to go in the boot. The can-holders in the doors - which were ideal for sunglasses - have been deleted. There is nowhere in the cabin to put sunglasses. Jeez! :grrr:
So, off we go. Depress the light clutch, press the big STOP/START button and snick it into gear for whizz round the back roads around Burnham Beeches. :close:
The car feels much lighter and quicker than my current 1.8. The engine is a delight, with lovely linear power delivery all the way up to its 7,500 rpm redline (the more pedestrian 2.0 maxes out at 6,500.) The gearchange is lovely, with a precise rifle-bolt action. The six-speed gate is narrow, though - I changed from 2nd to 5th by mistake a couple of times. It is delightfully pointy, with super-sharp turn-in and the line can easily be trimmed on the throttle in sweeping bends. This is about as far from my stodgy, awful Lexus as you can get! :^
Downsides? The new, electrically-assisted steering is not as meaty as the old model, and the feedback through the wheel is not as obvious. That said, even on wet and leaf-strewn country lanes I didn't once get the back out. My car would have been sliding around like mad. It isn't super quick, either: if you get your fun boasting about bhp and 0-60 times, look elsewhere. The fun to be had in this is driving it.
So: will I buy one? £212 a month on a PCP deal with my car plus £3k deposit and a final payment of just under £9k makes it certainly affordable. But no. It doesn't do enough more than my current car, and it's a bit less practical for touring. However, I will be watching with interest for the forthcoming FIAT Barchetta version, and when 3-year-old second-hand ones appear, who knows?