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- Mileage total: 3,200
- Mileage since last report: 1,160
- MPG overall: 27mpg
- Costs: £0 so far
- On fleet since: June 2008
In pictures: life with our Mazda MX-5
Where have we been?
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I'll often find myself making excuses just to take the MX-5 out. Like we need more milk or I need to get cash or I'm off to buy the papers. These simple chores can often take an hour, as I'll disappear onto my favourite roads through Burnham Beeches, usually with the roof down, weather permitting.
Further afield, my brother and I drove down to Goodwood for the Festival of Speed and I think I managed to persuade him of the MX-5's considerable talents. Like a lot of blokes, he accused the baby Mazda roadster of being rather effeminate - an opinion he soon reviewed when we got out onto the flowing West Sussex roads and I demonstrated just how capable the MX-5 is.
Image © Microsoft
We've also been up to Yorkshire for a wedding, my girlfriend and her mum enjoyed a roof-down trip to Brighton, and I've driven it into London a few times, where its nimble handling and zippy engine allows it to nip through traffic like a supermini.
More interestingly, I also managed to secrete the keys to our other convertible long-termer, a BMW 135i M Sport. How does 'my' Mazda compare to BMW's most expensive 1-Series? After a week of driving around in this powerful and involving rag-top, I thought it would be a culture shock to drive the MX-5 again. I'm pleased to say it wasn't.
What has impressed?
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After the heavy Beemer, the MX-5 felt light and agile, the steering direct and less influenced by assistance, and the cabin snug and sports car-like. The roof is also simpler and faster than the BMW's; once you undo the central catch it takes only 15 seconds for the metal roof to do its bit.
I also prefer the MX-5's ride, which is never harsh, and the roof-down dynamics puts expensive BMWs to shame, with little of the scuttle shake normally associated with drop-tops. The heavy but direct six-speed gearbox is a pleasure to use, and the pedals are close enough to blip the throttle on downchanges. Oh, and the MX-5 costs almost half the price of the 135i.
What’s not so impressive?
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More torque from the 2.0-litre petrol engine would be helpful. The majority of its 158bhp is stacked high up the rev range so you need to drive it hard to get the best from it. The windscreen has also picked up a stone chip - not the car's fault, I know, but I need something to write in here - so I'll be getting a quote to get that fixed.
If I'm being picky, I suppose I could mention the seating position, which is set a bit high. And I'm not even that tall at 5ft 10.
What’s next for the Mazda MX-5 RC
Tom is taking charge of the MX-5 for a week so I'll be interested to hear his opinion, especially since he owned an old-school marque one. I've also got a couple of longer trips on the back burner which I might get round to setting up. Plus I need to do that trip through Wales I mentioned in my last report before the summer has ended. Not that it has exactly started yet!
Performance | 0-62mph 7.9/131mph |
Power/torque | 158bhp@6,700rpm/ 138lb ft@5,000rpm |
Insurance group | 13 |
List price | £21,100 |
Options fitted | Bose sound system (£555) and metallic paint £375) |
Price as tested | £22,030 |
All our Mazda MX-5 RC reports
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