New MX-5

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Discussion

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

189 months

Monday 31st August 2015
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Mafioso said:
Well I'm currently driving an Astra GTC with the optional 'flexride' (stiffer dampers on the sport button mode) and, while the 2 litre diesel isn't the best, it's a fine steer. I'm assuming it's not far off the VXR which is apparently the hot hatch to have.

Anyway, what I'm saying is I drive a fairly good handling car (for a big hatchback) and was surprised at how different the mx5 was in a straight line. The initial turn in on damp roads this morning wasn't an awful lot different if I'm honest. I'm on an experience day on the 12th anyway so will have all day to get a proper feel for it. Maybe I'll change my mind?
Compared to a large hatch. then yes maybe it does feel quite different. I'd look at it as 'direct' rather than twitchy though.

Pickle77

14 posts

108 months

Monday 31st August 2015
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SFO said:
I have a day out on South Coast with Mazda booked on Sat 12 Sept, and hoping to get a 2L SE-L for the day.

Leather service was specific to my dealer, not from Mazda.

I bet someone on the MX5 forum would be able to recommend someone.
Thanks for that SFO. I look forward to reading about your day out, and hope that you can get an SE-L for the day clap

SFO

Original Poster:

5,162 posts

182 months

Monday 31st August 2015
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JoeyD said:
SFO said:
what (1.5 or 2, SE-L or Sport) did he order? do you know why?

what would you or order? why?
2.0 Sport Nav, Soul Red, Black interior. And TBH having seen the colours on offer I'd order the same. Only other option for me would be white, but it's kind of too 'in fashion' at the moment. Saw Ceramic in the sunlight and it looked fantastic, but then under a dull sky it looked like they'd forgotten to finish painting it, so that went out the window. And whilst it looks great in black, sod owning a black car! The 2.0 is a must due to potential track work and having the LSD is a big plus too. Sport spec for the leather and toys, not so much the bilsteins as they'd potentially be replaced eventually. But it was such a nice thing to drive. Everything in terms of the drive felt familiar - just vastly improved upon. I've not been impressed by a car this much in a long time tbh! Wouldn't think twice about binning off my MK1 that I've spent literally thousands of pounds and hundreds of hours building for one - I enjoyed it that much!

And it even sounded good! Which is a revelation after the previous models.
Sport spec is £2600 for a decent amount of kit, and it would be perfect if you could delete the sports suspension on the 2L.

I drove a NC hard top in Spring this year, the new one is leagues better in all respects.

Edited by SFO on Monday 31st August 21:30

dpop

205 posts

131 months

Tuesday 1st September 2015
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Pickle77 said:
Thanks for that SFO. I look forward to reading about your day out, and hope that you can get an SE-L for the day clap
I'll be attending the same event the day after you on the 13th - also hoping to nab a 2.0 SE-L as that's the one I pre-ordered and still have a month to go until delivery! Hoping its a good one as I can't quite stretch to the 2.0 sport - an extra 10% in price had the other half raising some tough questions!! biggrin

JulesV

1,800 posts

223 months

Tuesday 1st September 2015
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Mrs JulesV has now been told her car is ready for collection on 21st. Looking forward to having a drive in it if I am allowed.

Pickle77

14 posts

108 months

Wednesday 2nd September 2015
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dpop said:
I'll be attending the same event the day after you on the 13th - also hoping to nab a 2.0 SE-L as that's the one I pre-ordered and still have a month to go until delivery! Hoping its a good one as I can't quite stretch to the 2.0 sport - an extra 10% in price had the other half raising some tough questions!! biggrin
biglaugh
Looks like the 2.0 SE-L Supporters Club is growing!

Gandahar

9,600 posts

127 months

Friday 4th September 2015
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New MX5 v the GT86

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wC4xAArXCTY

Of course when you are just driving it down the pub on a nice summers day which one can you put the roof down on ?

wink

Planet Claire

3,316 posts

208 months

Tuesday 8th September 2015
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My biggest gripe with the new mk4 is the lack of colours. When it was first revealed last year someone photochopped it in various lovely bright colours and it looked fab.

My MX5 friend in Japan sent me this picture at the weekend from their meet. I need to ask him whether it's a custom paint job or a special/limited edition.

Introducing the modern day J2 Ltd. I want!

MX-5 Lazza

7,952 posts

218 months

Tuesday 8th September 2015
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Go for the cheapest plain colour then get it wrapped any colour you want. You get to choose your own colour and the original paintwork is protected wink

Planet Claire

3,316 posts

208 months

Tuesday 8th September 2015
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That's what I've been thinking of... innocent blue here we come! wink

threespires

4,289 posts

210 months

Tuesday 8th September 2015
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Extra colours are saved for the Ltd Editions

clarki

1,312 posts

218 months

Thursday 10th September 2015
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I've tried one now too.

Was the 1.5, which felt a bit underpowered tbh.

Liked the car though, looks much better in the flesh, interior much improved in terms of fit and finish. Didnt like the lack of glovebox but the ease of use of the roof is superb. Nice ride, good brakes and lovely steering feel.

All in all a BIG improvement over the NC.

Need to try a 2.0, which looks like being the one for me. In grey, with black leather.


Gandahar

9,600 posts

127 months

Thursday 10th September 2015
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Another vid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLtw2z_mZ6w

The new car is a big improvement over the NC looks wise both exterior and interior.

The NC might be like the Porsche 993 to 996 though. Time will tell. Thes teering and Skyactive engine changes needed to be judged in hindsight.


Edited by Gandahar on Thursday 10th September 14:10

Richyboy

3,739 posts

216 months

Thursday 10th September 2015
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Do we get something like the US club pack here?

clarki

1,312 posts

218 months

Thursday 10th September 2015
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Unfortunately, no, not yet.

Shame, because the Club Edition is exactly how i'd spec the car tbh.

Maybe it'll come. I'm not rushing to buy atm. Thinking the first special edition is only round the corner. Been looking at mk1s recently to tide me over till the new year. Need a little winter project. See how the mk4 options develop. It's nice, but not spot on for me yet, if you know what I mean??!!

SFO

Original Poster:

5,162 posts

182 months

Friday 11th September 2015
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Richyboy said:
Do we get something like the US club pack here?
UK's 2L Sport spec has the 17" wheels, engine strut braces and Bilstein dampers from the US Club pack; so missing Brembo brakes and the fussy BBS wheels

SFO

Original Poster:

5,162 posts

182 months

Saturday 12th September 2015
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was at Mazda's South Downs day out today

very well organised with some friendly and very helpful people

started off in a 2L Sport Nav which had done nearly 2k miles. the engine felt much more responsive and eager than the new (50 miles) 2L I drove 2 weeks ago. Night and day difference. Running in the engine has transformed the feel; it felt athletic and awake. Any doubt in my mind about the 2L engne being a bit lazy and slightly overweight vapourised.

steering on straight ahead is lifeless, with lock and at speed, you can feel the car lean, but the steering remains uncommunicative and almost silent. accurate, yes, but not pin sharp. for me, the biggest disappointment of the car. however, the steering is OK, just not good or very good like many other aspects of the car.

power and torque was excellent, you can use much of the power a lot of the time, but you do run out of revs sooner than you expect

the Sport suspension is almost schizophrenic .. on smooth roads, it's perfect. in town at low speeds, it was brittle and at times downright annoying. on fast rutted or worn carriageways, it was too busy and unsettled such that you can feel the onset of very slight motion sickness

overall, for me the Sport suspension does not work well for UK roads

I took out a 1.5L SE-L when I returned the 2L early .. I had phoned ahead and they said I could.

SE-L suspension works beautifully on almost all roads, on almost all surfaces and at all speeds. the damping is near perfect; and only the worst potholes and bumps disturb its composure. in fact, we were going quite briskly on a tight country lane and felt a relatively sharp bump; which did not unsettle the car. on the way back down, I noticed I had in fact went over a small sleeping poiiceman type hump.

1.5L had 500 miles. Revvy and zingy, but the run in 2L was not anywhere near as poor as it felt a fortnight ago (the 1.5L from a fortnight ago was also new with around 50 miles). The 1.5L needs revs, and is absolutely fine until you want to overtake slighly fast (rather than dwadlers) traffic .. just not quick enough. the wider rev range is more enjoyable and I rarely felt as if I had run out of revs, which happened more often on the 2L

I may have imagined this, but on some bumpy roads, the 1.5L actually felt quicker, more keyed in and more alive and authentic than the 2L Sport. somehow, on those roads, the 1.5 felt real and present while the 2L was slightly detached and disinterested.

again, I may be imagining this, the 1.5L's steering felt more talkative, and more engaged than the 2L .. the harder dampers of the 2L reduces feel and engagement not materially, but appreciably

in the final analysis, for me, the 2L makes the car more usable over a wider range of road conditions, with a slightly but noticeably less eager and less smooth engine.

I would take a 2L in SE-L spec .. I think the 17" wheels will sharpen the handling without any unacceptable deterioration in ride and comfort.

PS. I preferred the cloth seats over the leather seats. The seats, while not uncomfortable, are not as good as they should be. the seatbase is too soft, and does not appear to be designed to suspend heavier folks!

Cabsi

259 posts

138 months

Saturday 12th September 2015
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I was at the South Lodge Hotel event today. It was very well run and the lunch hamper was great. They certainly looked after us. Having tried a 2.0 Sport in the Cotswolds, and been disappointed with the suspension, I managed to nab a 2.0 SE-L this time.

IMHO, it's the sweet spot in the range. The more compliant suspension is in a different league for our rubbish roads - with none of the busy skipping on small bumps that upsets the Sport - just more 'fluid' progress. It didn't seem to lean more either. The bonus (of course), is the ride is also so much more comfortable.

Why Mazda UK signed off the Bilsteins is a mystery. For track work, I can see the argument, but the car sits far too high for that.

A couple of things worth mentioning about the Sport v SE-L spec. I thought the quality of the cloth on the SE-L seats was very poor. And it looks like you can't option leather. Also, the SE-L stereo is only just about acceptable to my ears. I played with the sound settings a lot but couldn't get anything 'rich' enough, without it being harsh. The Bose in the Sport was much better.

So if I was ordering tomorrow, I'd take the 2.0 SE-L and get the seats re-trimmed with some of the £2,600 saving. I could probably live with the stereo.

SFO

Original Poster:

5,162 posts

182 months

Saturday 12th September 2015
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Cabsi said:
So if I was ordering tomorrow, I'd take the 2.0 SE-L and get the seats re-trimmed with some of the £2,600 saving. I could probably live with the stereo.
this is exactly what my dealer offered for £1000 .. with the benefit of a much wider range of leather colours

lucky you for getting the 2L SE-L .. I forgot to ask, as I was so keen to try out the 2L Sport comprehensively

Cabsi

259 posts

138 months

Saturday 12th September 2015
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They were scratching their heads for a couple of minutes, but they did eventually find me one... I wouldn't normally choose Blue Reflex Mica though.

I like the idea of keeping it in the purchase deal, but I'd be tempted to look at something bespoke, perhaps with Alcantara in the middle section of the seat as there won't be any bum warmers. This thread gives an idea of what can be done with contrasting colours:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=118...