Managed to get some time to have a thrash in the MX5

at the weekend and was surprised at what a different experience

it was. Up until then I'd never driven a convertible and I must

say I found the drive quite involved and intense without even

going particularly fast. I whacked a Korn CD in the (quite decent)

stereo, turned up the volume, applied the sunglasses and away I went.

All in I drove it for about 70 miles on Sunday evening.

The weather was lovely so top down of course.

It's a 2.0 Roadster Coupe Sport 6 speed. At about 160bhp the engine is

standard and unmodified. However mine is lowered about 30mm on Eibach springs

and Bilstein dampers and the ride is excellent even on my badly maintained

street. It's only done 16000 miles so is as new really with hardly any signs

of previous owners mistreatment. The rear bumper has been resprayed after

a minor car park ding but it's a different shade of silver to the rest of

the car so that'll be sorted soon. The work is of good quality but

I can't believe someone didn't spot the shade difference.

Peak power is delivered at 6700rpm so you really have to thrash it

to get the best of it. It took a little getting used to coming from my

Fabia which never gets revved past 4500rpm. The exhaust note is quite

nice at the top end of the revs and she certainly turns heads.

The powered hard top is a joy to use but you have to be stationary

when you use it so changing your mind on the move isn't an option.

I believe there is a little gizmo available to allow this but it's

£300 for a tiny little black box that plugs in behind one of the seats

but since it only takes 12 seconds to open or close I won't be buying

one of those anytime soon. :no:

I drove mostly on b roads as there are many in my neck of the woods

and what's more they are the most fun. The roads were warm dry and grippy

and it was my first time out in it so there weren't too many heroics.

I'm sure my confidence in it will grow in time.

It felt flat and well balanced in fast bends and stable on the

straights with good manners in the 30mph villages along the way.

The sensation of speed is deceptive, a few times I glanced down expecting

to see I was going way too fast but in actual fact I wasn't.

I put it down to it being so low to the ground and open to the

elements so wind and engine noise probably contributed to the sense I was

flying along. I reckon my Fabia is quicker in more or less every way but

the MX5 wasn't bought for out and out performance it was bought for the open

air motoring experience which after trying it out I found intoxicating.

I loved driving along with the scenery flashing by overhead while the angst

blared out of the stereo, particularly along narrow tree lined roads.

I'll get another bash next weekend as I'm away working again this week.

Mrs Grr still hasn't had a go yet, I think she's a little nervous tbh but

she needn't be. Apart from the pedals being a little close together it's a

fairly easy car to drive at slower speeds. You just have to concentrate

a bit more if you open it up but it's far from difficult to drive.

I also had nice comments from 3 different passers by while I was parked

and at a petrol station. It was lovely and shiny though thanks to my hard

work on Sunday morning but it was still nice to hear.

That's my mini first drive review. Now for some pics.

Top down.

And top up

Thanks for looking and reading.

All comments welcome.

Good repot and a fantastic looking 5. Cant wait to get rid of the octy and get another drivers car!

Very nice Nothing like a noodle full of bugs at speed

Possibly the nicest mx5 I've seen. Normally considered as a ladies car but this one looks the part!!! What age is she

Possibly the nicest mx5 I've seen. Normally considered as a ladies car but this one looks the part!!! What age is she

Thanks mate, it's really growing on me.

It's 57 plate. I think the lowering, anthracite alloys, and painted calipers

set it apart a bit. It's bigger than I thought it was going to be though.

Really easy to polish the roof Unlike my van which is a major pain.

And she is a ladies car, two thirds of her anyway.

I share ownership with Mrs Grr and her Mum.

We looked at a few, a couple with cloth interiors, a couple

with soft tops etc but I was only going in on it if I'd be happy

to be seen in it. The mother in law insisted on an electric roof

in the end so we had to get the "mark 3" version as the roadster

Coupe were only introduced in 2006 (ish)

I've joined the MX5.com forum to try and learn more about them

as I don't have a scooby when it comes to Jap cars.

I've come to the conclusion that it would be MAD with a turbo

though. Don't know if it's do able but it would be mental to drive

if it could be done. From what I've read on the forum they did do

a turbo one for a short while but I don't know if a conversion

is possible without rupturing my wallet permanently

Good repot and a fantastic looking 5. Cant wait to get rid of the octy and get another drivers car!

Thanks very Much, I wasn't sure at first but I'm glad we took

the plunge. We bought it purely for fun and feel good factor.

So far it's working. Main dealer quoted £180 for full service

so should be reasonably cheap to maintain.

Very nice Nothing like a noodle full of bugs at speed

Cheers Moggy, Haven't had the pleasure yet but it's

only a matter of time.

SWMBO is just about to swap her MX5 for a Mini. Have to say the MX5 is a great car to drive and you will probably find goes round corners much faster than the Fabia can.

Agree with the fact you have to get the revs above 3k before you start to hear and feel the sports car nature of the beast but is also means relaxed touring.

One of the best experiences is seeing the jaws drop when children see you hit the button for the Thunderbirds roof (our grand kids can't get enough of this).

The only down sides have been rear wheel drive in the snow is not the best and transverse mounted back box with lowered suspension does not like speed bumps. Otherwise it is one of the most fun cars you can drive and gives really good feedback to the driver.

Nice car - welcome to the pleasures of MX5 ownership - I've had mine 13 years and wouldn't sell it! Car looks good - I'm not normally a fan of the Mk3 but the silver and dark wheels do make it stand out a bit and look a bit meaner!

MX5OC is good for info but so it MX5Nutz, although they tend to be owners of the older cars.As for Turbos - yep they do them - BBR Cosworth do a conversion for about £2,500.Whatever you do don;t go on the MX5Parts or Moss websites as you'll be on the slippery slope to modifications and add-ons!

Lovely car - glad you are enjoying it.

I've had 2 Mk1 MX5s (pop up lights), and miss them sorely. The Mk3/3.5 are a good modern version more in-keeping with the MX5 ethos than first looks would suggest. I'd love one!

Realy interested in the running costs as I was thinking of getting rid of the Octy next year and getting a Mr2 or a 5

and having a trip round europe next year

Mr Bushrat,

I've owned 2 MR2's and 1 MX-5

let me give you a breif opinion and overview.

Every review you read will tell you the MX-5 is better, due to more fun on the limit and more pratical.

I will give the real deal.

MX-5, FUn, cheap to maintain, 30mpg average, great for the wife and handling best described as 'a car that flatters your ability to drive'

MR2, Sharper, Slightly higher cost to maintain but far more reliable, 38mpg, the wife will put it in a ditch and handling described as 'tests your ability to drive'

Both are great drivers cars, but offer very different experiences, if you enjoying driving a car and 10/10ths of the limit and look back and say WOW i took the corners as fast as was possible then THE MR2 is for you!

If enjoy driving fast but don't need to test how good you actually are and are just satisfied with the odd tail slide and the wife wants to use it then go for the MX-5

Me.... i enjoyed driving the MX-5 more(it was my first RWD car), but i learnt how to handle a car at the limit in the MR2.

O and the MR2 has plenty of luggage and boot space, don't be put off by that, it does about 10mpg more than an mx-5 and whilst they look the same on paper both with same top speeds, 1.8 140bhp eninges etc etc, the MR2 is by far the faster car, both in a straight and in the corners.

My recommendation is a POST-FACELIFT MR2, yours for £3800 upwards, try and get one with the TTE option sports exhaust already added, makes tunnels much more fun and completes the experience IMO.

I wouldn't mod either of them btw, good as they are!

Edited 5 October, 201114 yr by Sonner

Looks very nice. The combo of silver and the wheel colour sets everything off well

Was going to mention BBR too, but Skomaz beat me to it

Enjoy

Mr Bushrat,

I've owned 2 MR2's and 1 MX-5

let me give you a breif opinion and overview.

Every review you read will tell you the MX-5 is better, due to more fun on the limit and more pratical.

I will give the real deal.

MX-5, FUn, cheap to maintain, 30mpg average, great for the wife and handling best described as 'a car that flatters your ability to drive'

MR2, Sharper, Slightly higher cost to maintain but far more reliable, 38mpg, the wife will put it in the ditch and handling described as 'tests your ability to drive'

Both are great drivers cars, but offer very different experiences, if you enjoying driving a car and 10/10ths of the limit and look back and say WOW i took the corners as fast as was possible then THE MR2 is for you!

If enjoy driving fast but don't need to test how good you actually are and are just satisfied with the odd tail slide and the wife wants to use it then go for the MX-5

Me.... i enjoyed driving the MX-5 more(it was my first RWD car), but i learnt how to handle a car at the limit in the MR2.

O and the MR2 has plenty of luggage and boot space, don't be put off by that, it does about 10mpg more than an mx-5 and whilst they look the same on paper both with same top speeds, 1.8 140bhp eninges etc etc, the MR2 is by far the faster car, both in a straight and in the corners.

My recommendation is a POST-FACELIFT MR2, yours for £3800 upwards, try and get one with the TTE option sports exhaust already added, makes tunnels much more fun and completes the experience IMO.

I would mod either of them btw, good as they are!

You have the same opinion as me Sonner wanted to back to toyota for years since I had a Yaris T Sport when they came out and that was a little beast and such fun to drive. Rwd is ok as I rally a 170bhp Hillman Avenger and the other half is handy behind the wheel. Yeh the facelift models had a few tweeks and an lsd also. Think I am due a midlife crises next year lol

Still like grr666 5 thou DOH

Graeme

the MR2 has plenty of luggage and boot space, don't be put off by that

Where exactly have they hidden that then? When I test drove one it had just enough room for about two bags of shopping

Mr Bushrat, if you enjoy rallying cars then go for the MR2, you will appreciate the edgey sharp handling. it's more comparable to Elise than the

MX-5 in the corners, i always wished my MR2 had about 20 extra bhp from stock,

Glad to hear your with the MR2 over the MX-5. Sounds like the right choice for you.

FYI, both pre and post facelift MR2's had LSD's and the PRe factlift model is actually a bit more fun because it had skinny rear tyres and a more neutral balance whereas the post facelift model is a little biased towards understeer(changed because of all the people crashes them)

The main advantage of the post facelift MR2 is the alterations they made to the piston rings, so the post facelift models don't suffer from oval bore syndrome or pre cats issues.

The 6 speed gearbox is the same box but with an added gear. the projector front headlights are a good improvement, but the additional bracing is the real benefit, the stiffer chassis is slightly more responsive. The exterior improvements are also very good.

good luck, i hope you get an MR2

Edited 5 October, 201114 yr by Sonner

Forgot to mention, the bootspace on mine is unaffected roof up or down.

Somehow Mazda have managed to fit the roof behind the seats.

It would easily store 2 or 3 quite large sports bags.

Large suitcases may be a problem as the opening is a quite

small even though there is probably enough room inside.

Plenty of space for luggage for two for a week away.

Yep, soft holdalls are definitely the order of the day, as they can be squeezed to occupy all available space

That's certainly what I did when I had my NB - will still get another one of these for weekends, one of these days

MR2... but far more reliable...

...O and the MR2 has plenty of luggage and boot space, don't be put off by that...

Not quite sure where you get those two from??? The MX5's are reknowned for being pretty bulletproof in my experience and on most of the forums and the last time I looked the latter MR2's (the ones that look the same travelling in either direction ) had just two small lockers beihind the seats.

Or are you talking about the earlier model MR2's?

My other car is also a silver MX-5 2,0 Sport 6 speed! With the cloth roof alas. Lovely beast. Not too much power, just enough to wring its neck plenty but not get into (too) much trouble (had it been a Porsche Boxster S or such like).

And the anthracite wheels....... hmmm. I like. Maybe mine should be butched up a bit! This is the Monster and Magnus meeting each other on day 1 of Yeti ownership:

My other car is also a silver MX-5 2,0 Sport 6 speed!

Nice 1 Johann seen a few Briskodians seem to have a

soft spot for these terrific little cars.

Maybe you can tell me something?

It looks like the previous owner has stuck little chrome trims

on more or less everything in the cockpit. Cup holders, heater slats,

vents, door sills to name but a few.

I just don't know what's standard and what's not?

Also, there's a centre cubby hole with a sliding lid.

but mine has a foam gel rubber insert which slots

in with the lid 3/4 open which acts as a very comfortable

armrest. Is this an "extra" too? If you don't have one in

yours I definitely recommend it. Very comfortable.

No idea where you'd get one though :no:

I've so much to learn about these cars

Nice 1 Johann seen a few Briskodians seem to have a

soft spot for these terrific little cars.

Maybe you can tell me something?

It looks like the previous owner has stuck little chrome trims

on more or less everything in the cockpit. Cup holders, heater slats,

vents, door sills to name but a few.

I just don't know what's standard and what's not?

Also, there's a centre cubby hole with a sliding lid.

but mine has a foam gel rubber insert which slots

in with the lid 3/4 open which acts as a very comfortable

armrest. Is this an "extra" too? If you don't have one in

yours I definitely recommend it. Very comfortable.

No idea where you'd get one though :no:

I've so much to learn about these cars

I've seen those armrests on some of the MX5parts websites... Mine does not have anything there and is dead standard inside. I find that the door armrest and the tunnel are perfectly at the same height as it is. So if you pad the tunnel your inner arm will be higher than the other... though to be honest arms are at different heights in most cars so not really an issue!

As to the other silver things: I don't really know. Without seeing most interiors next to each other I won't know what is stock TBH. Surely a Google Image search will show you?

I was at a charity car show which had a mix of classics and the local dealerships trying to get interest in their offerings. Anyway after spotting a mk3 MX-5 I went to try it on for size and was really disappointed that I had to literally shoe horn my legs in :( It has always been a realistic "one day I'll have one of those" sort of sports car but I don't think I could really enjoy driving one :(

I tried another of a lower spec with different seats and it was a tiny bit better but at just a smidge over 6 foot tall and not that fat I was really surprised how snug it was :(

Edited 5 October, 201114 yr by lordrobs

I tried another of a lower spec with different seats and it was a tiny bit better but at just a smidge over 6 foot tall and not that fat I was really surprised how snug it was :(

Same - 6foot 3ish and 11stone. Didn't fit at all.

Just an excuse to go up a size.

I'm 6ft and 12 stone.

It's snug but comfortable