Is an MX5 the car for me?
Discussion
Hello everyone.
This is another of those forum posts where I suspect I already know the answer before I ask (especially given that this is the MX5 forum
)..
To start, and brief history of a couple of recent cars, and why I'm considering the MX5.
Around this time last year I sold my MK2 MR2 GT T-Bar. I really really enjoyed that car; owned it 3 years, and would regularly go out in it just for a drive about - to enjoy the car. It wasn't as powerful as it could have been (especially given the fact that it was pretty heavy) but when you were on a good clear road it felt very rewarding to drive. The seating position (legs almost "flat", if that make sense), how low you were to the ground, and the growl of the engine from behind your head were great.
I sold that, and bought an Impreza STI Type R. Absolutely ludicrously fast, faster than almost anything else I encountered on the road, and manic amounts of grip on country roads. However; after the initial buzz of a new car wore off, i never drove it "just because" - only when I had to. It just wasn't an entertaining drive to me. Yes you could go very fast on a country road, but to feel it was fast, you were doing some serious speed.... whereas the MR2 could feel quick while going round at 50mph.
So, I sold the Impreza, and now have some money burning a hole in my pocket. A whack of the money has to go towards deposits for a house etc, but I'm left with £1000-£1500 to spend on a car.
I don't need more than 2 seats, I don't feel I need something "big power" like the Impreza, and it would be nice to have something reliable and cheap to run/maintain (I'm nigh on useless with the spanners, but am very willing to have a go and follow guides
)
So... after this essay - the car that keeps creeping into my mind is the MX5. What is the consensus? Will £1000-1500 (preferably as close to £1000 as possible) buy me a nice, reliable, rot free MX5? And will the MX5 bring back the pleasure to driving?
Thoughts, comments, all welcome
This is another of those forum posts where I suspect I already know the answer before I ask (especially given that this is the MX5 forum
)..To start, and brief history of a couple of recent cars, and why I'm considering the MX5.
Around this time last year I sold my MK2 MR2 GT T-Bar. I really really enjoyed that car; owned it 3 years, and would regularly go out in it just for a drive about - to enjoy the car. It wasn't as powerful as it could have been (especially given the fact that it was pretty heavy) but when you were on a good clear road it felt very rewarding to drive. The seating position (legs almost "flat", if that make sense), how low you were to the ground, and the growl of the engine from behind your head were great.
I sold that, and bought an Impreza STI Type R. Absolutely ludicrously fast, faster than almost anything else I encountered on the road, and manic amounts of grip on country roads. However; after the initial buzz of a new car wore off, i never drove it "just because" - only when I had to. It just wasn't an entertaining drive to me. Yes you could go very fast on a country road, but to feel it was fast, you were doing some serious speed.... whereas the MR2 could feel quick while going round at 50mph.
So, I sold the Impreza, and now have some money burning a hole in my pocket. A whack of the money has to go towards deposits for a house etc, but I'm left with £1000-£1500 to spend on a car.
I don't need more than 2 seats, I don't feel I need something "big power" like the Impreza, and it would be nice to have something reliable and cheap to run/maintain (I'm nigh on useless with the spanners, but am very willing to have a go and follow guides
)So... after this essay - the car that keeps creeping into my mind is the MX5. What is the consensus? Will £1000-1500 (preferably as close to £1000 as possible) buy me a nice, reliable, rot free MX5? And will the MX5 bring back the pleasure to driving?
Thoughts, comments, all welcome
Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 23 July 19:40
the mx5 definitely feels excellent fun at lower speeds. its considerably slower than my last car (a throttle bodied saxo), yet just cruising with the top down, or having a bit of a blast round windy roads, its an absolutely fantastic. more fun, whilst not getting to quite such dangerous speeds
I've just done the same thing after lots of different cars, bought a little mk2 1.8 and its great fun, not the quickest car
but like the MR2 with the roof down your looking for the next excuse to find a country lane, at the money they are your never going to loose much so go and get one
but like the MR2 with the roof down your looking for the next excuse to find a country lane, at the money they are your never going to loose much so go and get one
i have a highly modified impreza sti wagon sitting in the garage running around 350bhp, but i also have a mark 1 mx-5 which is totally bog standard, and even with knackered suspension, its the car i choose to use as it's far easier to live with day to day, and feels genuinely quick and fun on an A road with the top down doing 50/60mph, rather than breaking my back in the scoob at license loosing speeds!!!!
Thanks guys. Just what I wanted to hear I think.
For clarification, I'm looking strictly at the MK1 (NA i believe?)
Real world opinions - how "underpowered" are the 1.6?
I'm thinking with the amount of cars out there at the moment, its best to buy the best condition one I can find for the money, rather than holding out for the bigger engine?
I read that some of the 1.6 were restricted later on in the range, as low as 90hp - are these best avoided, or do they still offer a good drive?
Thanks!
For clarification, I'm looking strictly at the MK1 (NA i believe?)
Real world opinions - how "underpowered" are the 1.6?
I'm thinking with the amount of cars out there at the moment, its best to buy the best condition one I can find for the money, rather than holding out for the bigger engine?
I read that some of the 1.6 were restricted later on in the range, as low as 90hp - are these best avoided, or do they still offer a good drive?
Thanks!
I bought the 1.8 for the bit of extra power, but I'm not sure how much real difference it makes. Definitely buy on condition though. I have a Eunos (Jap import), so if you want options like A/C, leather etc, then that's probably the way to go.
I had an Impreza Type-R too. You're right in that the MX5 is a more fun car, but I do miss that performance. I wish I hadn't sold it now, but it just wasn't getting the use it deserved. Maybe a decent turbo conversion will give me the best of both worlds.
There are plenty of FAQs out there, so have a Google. I found this one very useful before I bought mine.
I had an Impreza Type-R too. You're right in that the MX5 is a more fun car, but I do miss that performance. I wish I hadn't sold it now, but it just wasn't getting the use it deserved. Maybe a decent turbo conversion will give me the best of both worlds.
There are plenty of FAQs out there, so have a Google. I found this one very useful before I bought mine.
I picked up my second MX-5 on Saturday after selling the old one a month ago. I took it on a track day on Sunday and had fantastic fun in it. It's an enjoyable car on the backroads too without going stupidly fast.
To give you an idea what you could get for your budget, I paid £900 for the car which came with Gaz suspension, a stainless steel exhaust and roll hoops, but it needs the sills doing (approx £500) and the roof is tatty (£240 for a new one). I have a few other things to do to make it a good track car that aren't essential (wheels, uprated brake pads and suspension set up) if I wasn't taking it on the track, so it just fits into your budget (well, only slightly above).
I thought it was worth getting one that I knew the sills needed doing and priced accordingly as I'd rather be sure they'd been done properly rather than paying more for a car and potentially seeing rust come through in 6 months time.
To give you an idea what you could get for your budget, I paid £900 for the car which came with Gaz suspension, a stainless steel exhaust and roll hoops, but it needs the sills doing (approx £500) and the roof is tatty (£240 for a new one). I have a few other things to do to make it a good track car that aren't essential (wheels, uprated brake pads and suspension set up) if I wasn't taking it on the track, so it just fits into your budget (well, only slightly above).
I thought it was worth getting one that I knew the sills needed doing and priced accordingly as I'd rather be sure they'd been done properly rather than paying more for a car and potentially seeing rust come through in 6 months time.
CaptainSlow said:
Why don't you go for a MR2 Turbo, I think you may find any MX-5 a bit underpowered
I had considered it. But again, I don't think I need to go THAT fast anywhere any more - I've scratched that itch for the time being.I was considering the N/A MR2, but looking at what you get with a £1000 MR2 vs an MX5 - the MX5 seems to come out on top.
Do you find yours to be underpowered?
Hmmm.. will have to head out this weekend and drive a few to see I think.
I'd like to think I could get the pleasure from getting along a country road in a car which likes being pushed, rather than traffic light sprints etc. In which case the MX5 is sounding ideal.... whether its true or not remains to be seen.
Thanks for all the replies and PMs so far guys - keep 'em coming, all opinions valued
I'd like to think I could get the pleasure from getting along a country road in a car which likes being pushed, rather than traffic light sprints etc. In which case the MX5 is sounding ideal.... whether its true or not remains to be seen.
Thanks for all the replies and PMs so far guys - keep 'em coming, all opinions valued
Although I think I'd like an extra 50hp, I dont know for sure.
What I know I love about mine is that away from a stop, full acceleration mode its like baaaaaarp, change gear, baaaaaaaaarp, change gear and Im still doing less than 65. I havent ripped my face off with the acceleration but its low to the ground, wind rushing through the hair and it feels faster than it has every right to be.
There is also nothing more satisfying than being an annoying little buzzing bee chasing the tail of faster straight line machines that cannot shake you on a country road. It depends on whether you like being an underdog or not.
What I know I love about mine is that away from a stop, full acceleration mode its like baaaaaarp, change gear, baaaaaaaaarp, change gear and Im still doing less than 65. I havent ripped my face off with the acceleration but its low to the ground, wind rushing through the hair and it feels faster than it has every right to be.
There is also nothing more satisfying than being an annoying little buzzing bee chasing the tail of faster straight line machines that cannot shake you on a country road. It depends on whether you like being an underdog or not.
Thanks for the reply. Sounding more and more like what I'm looking for. That was kind of the situation in the MR2 - which I liked; whereas the Impreza was "barrrrp, change gear, barrrp, change gear, baaaaarp" and you were doing a ton without even blinking. I don't need that power any more.
Having tooled around in my works van (61 plate transit) this week, I can confirm hustling others along/being the underdog is something I like
I think that's sold guys. Now on the look out for a decent MK1 with no rust. Preferably in/near Berkshire. Please give me a heads up if you spot anything in my (up to £1500 price range)
Having tooled around in my works van (61 plate transit) this week, I can confirm hustling others along/being the underdog is something I like
I think that's sold guys. Now on the look out for a decent MK1 with no rust. Preferably in/near Berkshire. Please give me a heads up if you spot anything in my (up to £1500 price range)
In photos of a few cars I've looked at, it appears that there is quite a large (noticeable in the pics at least!) gap between the "back" of the pop up headlights (when in the off/down position), and the bonnet "above" (hope this makes sense!).
Is this normal/to be expected? Maybe 25-50% of the cars I've looked at in detail seem to have this. Does it indicate crash damage, or is it pretty common?
Is this normal/to be expected? Maybe 25-50% of the cars I've looked at in detail seem to have this. Does it indicate crash damage, or is it pretty common?
Many will just need adjusting.You can probably press too hard with a sponge when washing and create a gap! Some will look like a gap because they have dropped, so you just push them back up.They should have a relatively small gap and line up perfectly with the bonnet line if everything is good.
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