Image © Mazda
- Model: Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupé
- Bodystyle: Sports car
- Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder, petrol
- Transmission: 5 or 6-speed manual
- Date of Test: September 2006
What is it?
A Mazda MX-5 with a fancy folding hardtop. With everything from superminis to super-coupés now offering the ability to fold away a ‘proper’ hardtop roof into the boot, Mazda has decided to do the same. And its chosen to do it with its huge-selling MX-5 sports car. Unusually, it’ll sell it alongside the canvas-roofed model, Mazda expecting the ‘Roadster Coupé’ to take only 20% of sales. We reckon that’s a bit pessimistic, as at just an additional £1,200 over the standard car – that extra also including climate control air conditioning, alloy wheels, and ipod connector – buying the standard car looks like a no-brainer.
Where does it fit?
It competes in a market that’s seen its competition significantly reduce since the MGTF left for China. Toyota’s MR2 is due to be canned soon too, so Mazda’s MX-5 is in a fortunate position of having few direct rivals in the entry-level sports car market. In the coupé-cabriolet market most models in its price range are based around hatchbacks, the MX-5 a far more sporting choice than any such competition. The trick roof adds appeal to those who like the idea of a roadster but want the security, increased refinement and ease of use it offers. All it takes to convert the MX-5 from a coupé into a proper roadster is the releasing of a catch on the windscreen header, and a 12 second hold on a button on the dash.
Is it for you?
If you like the idea of a sports car but perhaps don’t want the compromises associated with them, the MX-5 Roadster Coupé offers an intriguing proposition. Refinement is better in the cabin with the roof up, with noise decreased at motorway speeds by 8 decibels. Similarly, roof down the buffeting is less due to a new wind deflector. It’s more secure when you leave it parked, and you won’t (as so many current MX-5 owners do) need to fit a hardtop during the winter months. It looks all but identical to the canvas-roofed car, the only proportion being different is a 1cm increase in the roof height. Agile and fun, it’s an easy drive, but even here in 2.0-litre 160bhp guise it needs working hard to perform.
What does it do well?
Sell. The MX-5 has been a tremendous success for Mazda, and remains so. The folding hardtop is likely to increase its appeal further still, attracting those buyers who might have been put off by the compromises of a traditional canvas roof. It feels very well built, offers an excellent level of standard kit, and amazingly Mazda has managed to engineer the Roadster Coupé without compromising the bootspace at all. It remains at 150-litres – roof up or down – the same as the regular car and remarkably useful. Mazda has also managed to incorporate the roof with only a marginal 37kg increase in weight, too. Few will notice. The steering is precise, the body control well judged and the handling nicely balanced: the 50/50 weight distribution helping here. Good looks, sensible pricing and assured reliability add up to an appealing sports car.
What doesn’t it do well?
The 2.0-litre engine might offer 160bhp, but it’s pretty short on torque and needs worked very hard to produce its best. That’s frustrating, as the chassis could so easily cope with (and needs) more power. Even so, some of the intimacy of the original and second generation MX-5s has been lost in the current model. Oddly, the shift on the five-speed example we tested wasn’t as sharp as usual, the six-speed a better choice - even though you pay in emissions and consumption. The standard iPod connector is an excellent addition, but is only a halfway measure, with there being no way of seeing what tracks you’re selecting.
What’s it like to live with?
It’s fun, surefooted and not overly compromised for a sports car. However, that might be a turn off for some buyers, the MX-5 Roadster Coupé losing some of its raw edge. The suspension is slightly revised on Roadster Coupé, being softer, and it doesn’t feel as playful as the old car when the roads get a bit more interesting. It’s remarkably practical though. The boot is a good size, the cleverly engineered roof meaning you can use all its 150 litres of space whether in roadster or coupé mode. Reliability is a given with Mazda, and dealer service also good. As are residuals. So as a private buy the MX-5 in any form makes a good deal of sense, and the Roadster Coupé is likely to build on this.
How green is it?
Driven sensibly and you should be able to achieve the 36.7mpg official combined consumption Mazda quotes for the five-speed 2.0-litre. Emissions of 183g/km should keep the environmentalists quiet, too. Opt for the six-speed manual and the same 2.0-litre engine and consumption increases to 34.4mpg and emissions rise to 193g/km.
Would we buy it?
Of the current MX-5 range the 2.0-litre Roadster Coupé model is perhaps the most appealing all-round choice. If you’re after a genuine, day-to-day-use sports car that looks good, costs little and delivers grins then there’s little to touch it. The folding hardtop only adds to this with increased refinement and better security and ease of use. As good as it is though, some drivers might find that it’s lost some of its edge in the process. The 2.0-litre engine really needs more grunt to better exploit the MX-5’s chassis. It’d also make overtaking and cruising easier – all too often you’re hunting around the gearbox when the hitting an incline or trying to get past traffic. Asked about an MPS version of the MX-5 and Mazda’s engineers grin knowingly without saying anything. We’d like to see one, as it’d really make the MX-5 shine.
