Roadsters

Yes there are some places nearby who seem to specialise in the mx5.

It does have drive modes. It looks nice but you can have a TT for that or an MX-5 RF which goes back to the type of car you wanted. Have you tried an MX-5 or TT? Or even a Toyota GT86?

Looking a prices now ...The answer is always E85 Z4 (2.0/2.5/3.0)

I'm biased in that I have a Z4M 3.2

But for cheap roadstering the 2.0 is a sweetspot and a great car!

Im a late comer to this thread but hopefully I can help a little.

Your position sounds very similar to mine in terms of car needs, similar “Im not driving xxx” wife constraints.

I’ve owned about 10 different Cabriolets / Roadsters over the past 20 years (Mini R52/59, Golf, A3, Boxster 986/987, Z3, MR2 mk1/2/3 and I’ve settled now on a Mazda MX5 ND and plan to keep it for the next 3/4 years.

Mine is an early (2016) ND 1.5 model and it’s fab and importantly it’s NOT riddled with rust, it’s not (yet) been under sealed or protected either. Hopefully that allays any concerns you have over an ND disappearing before you eyes by rust 😀.

You’ll be able to buy a decent example with your 10k budget.

Comparing it to the only other Roadster you’ve owned (MR2 mk3) I’d say it offers 85% of the fun driving performance. That said it completely trumps the MR2 with mod cons and interior build and style, plus it has a boot. The 1.5 engine is a gem, as is the gearbox, 45MPG…all better than the MR2 roadster. Low insurance and usual low MX5 running costs.

If you’re looking for more power than the 1.5 then you’re on the right track looking at the ND2 2.0 but that will up your budget by a fair margin. I drove both and picked the sensible 1.5 engine as it offered enough performance for me to have fun without breaking the speed limit (where can you really drive fast these days with the volume of traffic and pot holes everywhere)

BTW the fabric roof ND drops in seconds and is IMHO better then the RF as it’s suffers a lot from buffeting and with the top down (looks pretty though).

Finally my wife says her favourite of the Cabriolet/Roadster cars we’ve owned is the MX5 - she didn’t really express a view either way on the other but she loves the MX5!

Go with your heart, you’ll regret it if you don’t.

Happy car hunting and if you do decide to go the MX5 ND route check out the MX5 forums, a wealth of info on them and helpful members too.

I read the MX-5 ND was designed around the 1.5l engine and the handling is slightly better with it. It’s probably perfectly suited to b roads and being able to rev it out, but what happens when you come up behind a slow driver in a Qashqai etc and want to pass? So many people floor it when you go for an overtake and I bet you’d run out of power and have to abort with that engine. I’d want the 2.0 to help and ideally the updated one with 184 bhp. They do look fantastic for 10 years on sale

That does have the drive modes - you can see it around the gear selector. But it is over priced. I picked up the LCI version with updated lights on a 2018 plate with only 34K on the clock for £14K in March this year . Benefit being it’s pre-opf so all the pops and bangs which I find hilarious. I’ve had many many cars in my time, gt86, supra, Nc Mx5, various mini’s, and the jcw F56 is by far the most fun to drive out of all of them.

On the roadster front… I’ve also got ‘08 Z4 for some top down fun with the 2.5si engine. Compared to my old Mx5 NC (which was also a 2008) it’s a much better car. Decent build quality, better engine, looks better (in my opinion) and less concerns about it rusting to pieces.

I thought Mini drive modes were on the toggle switch to the far right of the start button but maybe that's just on the facelift cars?

I'm sure I'd enjoy a Mini. Might just be a bit similar to my Fiesta ST as far as driving goes. Only they cost considerably more than I'll get for the Ford.

Yes and even some of the bog standard EV stuff are quick initially as well.

...especially in a roadster. It's all a bit masochistic to charge about at high speed with the roof down. Can't resist a chuckle when I see the occasional brave soul "roof down" at motorway speeds. It's why the electric folding roof was invented.

In addition, electric roof is particularly well suited for the UK climate. In an unexpected shower some clunky convertibles can be about as much fun as erecting a tent on a wet camping holiday.

I regularly visit both MX5 forums but find the OC more oriented towards ND but that may be just me.

I use my ND daily and whilst I have a garage it’s too full of “man stuff” to go in it ??. I’ve had no problems with it being frozen on the inside after a heavy frost, heated seats work well too so nice and toasty.


Sounds like a decent 2.0 ND RF in Soul Crystal Red is out there somewhere with your name on it.