Goodbye poverty pork - back in an MX5!
Discussion
I have just returned back to the MX5 fold, after a brief dalliance with a more teutonic roadster, and thought it might be interesting to write a little comparison of the different cars!
My first MX5 was a 1991 UK Mk1, which was much loved (and worked on!) I had it for 2 years and did a lot of work on it in that time (clutch, suspension rebuild, replaced and repainted rear quarters etc, etc!) and had it looking and driving brilliantly - it was such a great car to drive and felt amazingly lively and communicative.
Unfortunately, I had got itchy feet and had the urge to swap to something else - so after a bit of looking around, I bought a 2000 Boxster S and sold the Mazda to a mate. The Boxster was an interesting contrast to the mazda - obviously a lot quicker (although it was still a fair bit behind my Vectra VXR in pure shove!), and it was more "special" - but actually to drive it felt a little numb after the MX5 (although obviously, kart like compared to the vectra!). I guess that the feeling was due to being set up for high-speed stability, but it certainly didn't have the alertness that I had become used to. The other big downside of the Porsche was the costs of keeping it fettled - during my 11 months, despite doing most work myself, the parts alone soon add up! I had a full set of tyres, a big service, a pair of suspension arms, discs and pads, a radiator and other sundry items...
I did manage to get out on track (something that I had kept intending to do in the MX5), which was good fun - and showed the high limits of grip that the car has. In fact, I think these high limits are part of the reason I missed the MX5 - despite less power, you can really feel the chassis working, even at sensible road speeds whereas the Boxster was so planted and composed unless you were going at speeds that would get you in trouble! I do think that if I wanted to track it more regularly, the Boxster would take a lot of costly upkeep - just in tyres and brakes alone (I think I took about 2-3mm out of my tyres on a day at Bedford)!
So having done the Porsche thing, and getting fed up of keeping spending, I have come full circle - I traded the Boxster in last week (and got a pitance for it - but I was being impatient and wanted to swap without hassle!), and have bought myself a very clean and tidy 2006 MX5 mk3 2.0 Option Pack with only 38k on the clock. It is interesting to contrast this to both the Boxster and the Mk1, as it's got a useful bit more performance than the mk1, but also has some of the refinement of the boxster (and at last, I have a glass rear window!). With all of that though, you can still tell that it is an MX5 - it feels much more intimate and chuckable, despite the extra kit and safety gear. The only things I have seen so far are that the DSC seems a bit keen to cut in quite early - although that might be due to the "primewell" tyres on the back end (they will definitely be going soon!), and that I need to clean the drains, as the carpets got a bit damp when I was over keen with the hose while cleaning/treating the roof.
Overall I'm glad I tried the Boxster (although it was a costly experiment in the end!), but very happy to be back in an MX5. A further twist to the tale, is that my mate who bought my mk1, asked me if I would be interested in buying it back - I'm sorely tempted, so might even end up with a pair of MX5's if I can get it past the missus!
Apologies for a monster essay! of course, any such thread wouldn't be complete without pics - so here are a couple:
The Boxster
The mk3 (I didn't really want boring silver, but I ended up buying on condition, and this was very good!)
My first MX5 was a 1991 UK Mk1, which was much loved (and worked on!) I had it for 2 years and did a lot of work on it in that time (clutch, suspension rebuild, replaced and repainted rear quarters etc, etc!) and had it looking and driving brilliantly - it was such a great car to drive and felt amazingly lively and communicative.
Unfortunately, I had got itchy feet and had the urge to swap to something else - so after a bit of looking around, I bought a 2000 Boxster S and sold the Mazda to a mate. The Boxster was an interesting contrast to the mazda - obviously a lot quicker (although it was still a fair bit behind my Vectra VXR in pure shove!), and it was more "special" - but actually to drive it felt a little numb after the MX5 (although obviously, kart like compared to the vectra!). I guess that the feeling was due to being set up for high-speed stability, but it certainly didn't have the alertness that I had become used to. The other big downside of the Porsche was the costs of keeping it fettled - during my 11 months, despite doing most work myself, the parts alone soon add up! I had a full set of tyres, a big service, a pair of suspension arms, discs and pads, a radiator and other sundry items...
I did manage to get out on track (something that I had kept intending to do in the MX5), which was good fun - and showed the high limits of grip that the car has. In fact, I think these high limits are part of the reason I missed the MX5 - despite less power, you can really feel the chassis working, even at sensible road speeds whereas the Boxster was so planted and composed unless you were going at speeds that would get you in trouble! I do think that if I wanted to track it more regularly, the Boxster would take a lot of costly upkeep - just in tyres and brakes alone (I think I took about 2-3mm out of my tyres on a day at Bedford)!
So having done the Porsche thing, and getting fed up of keeping spending, I have come full circle - I traded the Boxster in last week (and got a pitance for it - but I was being impatient and wanted to swap without hassle!), and have bought myself a very clean and tidy 2006 MX5 mk3 2.0 Option Pack with only 38k on the clock. It is interesting to contrast this to both the Boxster and the Mk1, as it's got a useful bit more performance than the mk1, but also has some of the refinement of the boxster (and at last, I have a glass rear window!). With all of that though, you can still tell that it is an MX5 - it feels much more intimate and chuckable, despite the extra kit and safety gear. The only things I have seen so far are that the DSC seems a bit keen to cut in quite early - although that might be due to the "primewell" tyres on the back end (they will definitely be going soon!), and that I need to clean the drains, as the carpets got a bit damp when I was over keen with the hose while cleaning/treating the roof.
Overall I'm glad I tried the Boxster (although it was a costly experiment in the end!), but very happy to be back in an MX5. A further twist to the tale, is that my mate who bought my mk1, asked me if I would be interested in buying it back - I'm sorely tempted, so might even end up with a pair of MX5's if I can get it past the missus!
Apologies for a monster essay! of course, any such thread wouldn't be complete without pics - so here are a couple:
The Boxster
The mk3 (I didn't really want boring silver, but I ended up buying on condition, and this was very good!)
Great post, and you've followed the very same journey as me. For the exact same reasons as me.
Here's my R-Ltd prepped for sale with the Boxster in the background.
Boxster was very capable but felt like a GT car to me. It ate up the journey to Brugge like a 7 series!
So now I have this black one:
And it certainly has no problems showing a clean pair of heels to the other cars in the pic.
Here's my R-Ltd prepped for sale with the Boxster in the background.
Boxster was very capable but felt like a GT car to me. It ate up the journey to Brugge like a 7 series!
So now I have this black one:
And it certainly has no problems showing a clean pair of heels to the other cars in the pic.
I've had a similar journey - not quite identical because I still have the Boxster, and went back to a mk1 MX5. The Porsche is for sale though.
First MX5; a 1992 S-Special 1.6; pristine condition physically though I never trusted the cooling system after many years of being run without anti-freeze in Japan:
Had great fun in that; bought it when I separated from my wife in 2009, kept it about 18 months, took it on track, drove top down everywhere including in the snow. But it was joined by a Boxster and ended up sitting unused in the garage for a couple of months, started to get mould inside the hood and I thought it was better to let it go to a friend.
My Boxster is a facelifted 2.7; hasn't cost me a fortune to run though it hasn't been virtually free to own like an MX5:
Now the Boxster is sitting in the garage not being used (not going mouldy though!) and I have a new toy which I plan to modify a bit. Forced induction when the Boxster sells:
I've never driven a mk3 MX5 and I don't think they'd fit my requirements anyway; I don't want to have thousands tied up in a car (the latest one cost me £900, I've probably spent under £250 in total on new wheels and other tidying up) when it's only used for fun purposes. Maybe when they're in the sub-£2k bracket. One of the joys of the mk1 is that it feels like a classic in its mechanical simplicity; much of the pleasure of a Caterham 7 without the expense.
First MX5; a 1992 S-Special 1.6; pristine condition physically though I never trusted the cooling system after many years of being run without anti-freeze in Japan:
Had great fun in that; bought it when I separated from my wife in 2009, kept it about 18 months, took it on track, drove top down everywhere including in the snow. But it was joined by a Boxster and ended up sitting unused in the garage for a couple of months, started to get mould inside the hood and I thought it was better to let it go to a friend.
My Boxster is a facelifted 2.7; hasn't cost me a fortune to run though it hasn't been virtually free to own like an MX5:
Now the Boxster is sitting in the garage not being used (not going mouldy though!) and I have a new toy which I plan to modify a bit. Forced induction when the Boxster sells:
I've never driven a mk3 MX5 and I don't think they'd fit my requirements anyway; I don't want to have thousands tied up in a car (the latest one cost me £900, I've probably spent under £250 in total on new wheels and other tidying up) when it's only used for fun purposes. Maybe when they're in the sub-£2k bracket. One of the joys of the mk1 is that it feels like a classic in its mechanical simplicity; much of the pleasure of a Caterham 7 without the expense.
I test drove a Boxster and found exactly the same things the OP mentioned with it, it just felt too composed to me; I don't want to say 'boring', but it certainly didn't light my fire.
I scrapped that idea and kept the '5, I think I made the right decision.
Fancy something else now (possibly), but am sure the '5 will be staying.
I scrapped that idea and kept the '5, I think I made the right decision.
Fancy something else now (possibly), but am sure the '5 will be staying. It's interesting to see that I'm not the only one having undergone the same journey, and had the same experiences (and some lovely looking cars - the blue Mk1 looks fantastic on the Enkeis, amazing value for money there!).
For me, I think that the joy of the MX5 is that it has enough performance to be interesting, but also a chassis that is designed to come alive within the available performance. Conversely, the boxster has a lot more performance and a much more capable chassis - that is great for those times when you want to make progress, or on track, but driving considerately on the road it just feels like you are so far within it's capabilities that it's just cruising along.
I guess what I really mean is that for me, the satisfaction in the mazda comes from the fact that even on the road you can be safely exploring more of the available performance envelope without needing to go a licence-endangering speeds.
I will concede though that there is one thing I am really missing from the boxster - the howl from that flat 6 over 5000rpm is a wonderful sound!
For me, I think that the joy of the MX5 is that it has enough performance to be interesting, but also a chassis that is designed to come alive within the available performance. Conversely, the boxster has a lot more performance and a much more capable chassis - that is great for those times when you want to make progress, or on track, but driving considerately on the road it just feels like you are so far within it's capabilities that it's just cruising along.
I guess what I really mean is that for me, the satisfaction in the mazda comes from the fact that even on the road you can be safely exploring more of the available performance envelope without needing to go a licence-endangering speeds.
I will concede though that there is one thing I am really missing from the boxster - the howl from that flat 6 over 5000rpm is a wonderful sound!
Edited by browno on Friday 3rd August 08:51
Jobbo said:
I agree entirely with that. How does the mk3 MX5 fit in?
Good question - and one that I can't fully answer, as I've only done about 150 miles so far! I would say it's an interesting mixture of the best bits of the mk1 and the Boxster. It is more civilised than the mk1, so has that grown-up nature you get from the Boxster - mine isn't highly specced, but small things like a stereo that's audible with the (improved) roof down are nice. It's also undoubtedly an MX5 - it has much quicker steering than the Porsche and seems to wrap around you (I found that the extra width of the boxster in particular made it more tricky to judge on the little lanes).
The extra poke from the new engine is definitely noticeable compared to my early mk1 - you're not having to work it quite so hard in normal driving, and there's a bit more go if you want to hoon. It is interesting to see the electronics on the Mazda now - it seems that the DSC is tuned to cut in very early to prevent any wheelspin, which I guess is a good safety net when you're not concentrating, but can be switched off if you're in the mood. It seems generally very surefooted with DSC off, even with the aforementioned chinese ditchfinders! I did get a bit more slip than I had planned coming out of a junction yesterday, but it was perfectly catchable. This is my first car with an LSD and I think that might have contributed!
There is one thing that I have definitely noticed so far - it seems a lot more economical than the mk1! I would generally get about 210 miles from a 35litre fill in the mk1 (28-ish mpg), whereas so far, having filled up, I've done about 150 miles on just over 1/3rd of a (45-litre-ish) tank. Both are admittely much better than the boxster which averaged 19.5mpg during my ownership!
I'll add some more thoughts as I drive it more, but so far, I'm liking it (although still tempted to add the mk1 back too!)
- I had a look and it said I could re-list even though it hadn't expired so I thought it might be a bit easy to find.I looked at going to a Boxster / S from my mk1, but after making a thread on here decided against it - and went mk3 instead.
I'll echo all the comments about the mk3 being like a grown up version. I loved my mk1, the only thing I didn't like was the age - and rusty components. Not just the usual bodywork but changing anything on it took hours as everything was seized with rust. The mk3 wont have this problem (yet) but I find it 95% of the fun but a more realistic proposition for a daily driver.
I'll echo all the comments about the mk3 being like a grown up version. I loved my mk1, the only thing I didn't like was the age - and rusty components. Not just the usual bodywork but changing anything on it took hours as everything was seized with rust. The mk3 wont have this problem (yet) but I find it 95% of the fun but a more realistic proposition for a daily driver.
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