It was with some surprise that I realized
that I’d been driving the Mazda for over 10 months. That alone was indicative
of how easy it had been to live with and with how little grief it had slotted
into my lifestyle.
After all, I’d found it an impressively
competent all-rounder — despite being a compact two-seat sports car. It could
seat two 6ft adults with ease, had enough storage for short trips and was
comfortable on motorway schleps and powerful enough to keep up the pace across
country.
Sure, there were a few foibles. I wasn’t a
great fan of its styling — you’d never find me looking back at it in a desiring
fashion — and I never quite found the seat and steering wheel to have enough
adjustment to get my driving position spot on. For a car of its class to have
so few issues is no mean feat, though.
Fast,
simple and fun, the Mazda MX-5 still has much of the magic that made the
original great
My only real gripe was with its engine.
It’s not that the 2.0-litre four wasn’t outright powerful enough, mind. Its
158bhp and 139lb ft may not sound like much on paper, but they granted the
Mazda a 0-62mph time of 7.9sec. With its low-slung seating position and roof
down, the MX-5 felt plenty vivid enough. It delivered its power in a suitably
sporting fashion, too, becoming increasingly eager as it ran towards its peak
at 7,000rpm. The problem was that the engine simply wasn’t evocative enough,
more often than not sounding humdrum or harsh. For me, the powerplant is one of
the key aspects of a car like this, but I found the Mazda’s somewhat
uninspiring.
Driving
position and visibility is massively improved over the old car
The MX-5 never felt quite as sharp or
communicative as I’d expected on the handling front, either. Driven flat out,
it was good fun, but in day-to-day use it felt subdued rather than
scintillating.
Even though our car didn’t require a
service during its time with us, I was also disappointed to find that many
Mazda dealers were looking to charge a significant amount for an otherwise
simple service. Still, that is an issue easily avoided by going to an
independent specialist instead.
Nevertheless, the MX-5 did exactly what
many would expect it to do. It was enjoyable to drive quickly, inexpensive to
run, reliable and capable of dealing with myriad situations without fuss.
Rear
lights are slightly reminiscent of the now-defunct RX-8
The one catch is, after living with the
Mazda for several months, I couldn’t shake the notion that I’d rather buy something
less costly but more interesting if I were in the market for a used sports car.
For example, a Nissan 350Z is considerably more charismatic, and you could pick
up a great example for $13,560. If having a convertible was a must, you could
even consider buying an older MX-5 or a Honda S2000, both as equally easy to
live with but — importantly — more engaging.
Those not interested in outright enthusiast
appeal and seeking a simple solution in this price range, however, will find it
hard to fault the otherwise likeable and multi-talented MX-5.
