RE: PH Heroes: Mazda MX-5

[Insight]

1. wanting an mx5 is like wanting sex
2. owning one is as exciting as a one night stand
3. moving on to your next car is as inevitable as moving on from the town bicyle to your high school relationship

decipher that. ignore my spelling. drive the car

[speedtwelve]

I'm trying not to blindly get into 'defend your own car' mode, but I often wonder when something like the Mk1 MX5 is dismissed as overrated etc whether or not the poster test-drove a ropey example. I, too, considered the MX5 girly, slow etc, all the usual prejudices. Mate at work bought an S-Spec Eunos 1.6, with the Bilstein suspension and strut-bracing. I asked for a go... Two things I remember making a marked impression 1) My God is this thing underpowered, and 2) This has pretty much the best steering, feedback and adjustability of anything I've driven short of an Elise.

As a result of 2), I now own the actual car after matey decided the Bilsteins were too unforgiving for UK roads. I haven't driven a 'standard' MX5, but mine is a fabulous handler. I've driven everything from Elise S1s & VX220s to M3s and Porsche 997s, and my Eunos handbagmobile is up there on a pure handling front. And for £2000 as well!

The performance I suppose you get used to, after the initial shock. Rev to 7000 rpm in every gear and it makes reasonable progress. My other car (Corrado) has 177 bhp/tonne, and I need to remember that the Eunos ain't going to be able to make use of the same overtaking opportunities. I reckon that the balance is about right; much more power and it might spoil the ethos of the car.

As a parting shot, I bought my Corrado partly because of its reputation as one of the best FWD handlers of all time. A lot of money was spent on rebushing, new springs, dampers and geometry setup. I still think my Eunos handles better, and is in fact more 'fun' to drive. It wouldn't see which way the Corrado went on a b-road, but I still find myself driving it every day, whereas the Corrado hasn't moved for weeks....

[chunkymonkey71]

dern said:

chunkymonkey71 said:

posterboy said:

This is one of the most over rated cars ever.

Lame

Audiholic?

So you love driving over servo'd cars with no feel or feedback then?

Or maybe you are just 15...

I didn't like the one I test drove either. I think they're ok for what they are and most of the popularity is down to the flock of sheep effect.

ok for what they are?

lightweight, well balanced, cheap to own and run, great handling, the roof comes off...

As for the flock of sheep effect... what would you buy instead? An MGF???

Theres are many reasons why they are so popular. And it has nothing to do with lack of individuality.

[kambites]

chunkymonkey71 said:

As for the flock of sheep effect... what would you buy instead? An MGF???

There's nothing wrong with the MG TF. It's faster than an MX5, handles differently but I wouldn't say any worse... the only things that really let it down are driving position, steering feel (although it's probably no worse than a Mk3 MX5) and reliability.

Certainly meets all your criteria of: "lightweight, well balanced, cheap to own and run, great handling, the roof comes off..."

Edited by kambites on Wednesday 16th April 14:18

[dern]

chunkymonkey71 said:

dern said:

chunkymonkey71 said:

posterboy said:

This is one of the most over rated cars ever.

Lame

Audiholic?

So you love driving over servo'd cars with no feel or feedback then?

Or maybe you are just 15...

I didn't like the one I test drove either. I think they're ok for what they are and most of the popularity is down to the flock of sheep effect.

ok for what they are?

lightweight, well balanced, cheap to own and run, great handling, the roof comes off...

As for the flock of sheep effect... what would you buy instead? An MGF???

Theres are many reasons why they are so popular. And it has nothing to do with lack of individuality.

I'm not going to argue the toss with you over the virtues of the car, you either like it or you don't. All I'm saying is that you don't necessarily have to like over assisted cars or to be a loser to not like them. Don't be so precious, it's only a car.

The popularity effect I was talking about was that they're raved on about so much on here and loads of people bought one.

Edited by dern on Wednesday 16th April 14:19

[zcacogp]

Dooshbag said:

Here's me in mine at the 'ring. Best £1500 I ever spent.

Looks like you meant to post this on the "Crushes" thread, mate.

Nice little silver car in the foreground tho'.


Oli.

[chunkymonkey71]

kambites said:

chunkymonkey71 said:

As for the flock of sheep effect... what would you buy instead? An MGF???

There's nothing wrong with the MG TF. It's faster than an MX5, handles differently but I wouldn't say any worse... the only things that really let it down are driving position, steering feel (although it's probably no worse than a Mk3 MX5) and reliability.

Surely these are pretty fundamental flaws???

[kambites]

chunkymonkey71 said:

kambites said:

chunkymonkey71 said:

As for the flock of sheep effect... what would you buy instead? An MGF???

There's nothing wrong with the MG TF. It's faster than an MX5, handles differently but I wouldn't say any worse... the only things that really let it down are driving position, steering feel (although it's probably no worse than a Mk3 MX5) and reliability.

Surely these are pretty fundamental flaws???

The driving position is fairly fundamental I suppose - I don't know if you could improve it with lower seats. The steering feel is worse than a Mk1 or Mk2 MX5 but it's not bad by modern car standards. I don't know about reliability but the K-series only usually suffers its famous head gasket issues if it's abused.

I looked at both cars, along with a lot of others, before I bought the Elise and I wouldn't have found it easy to choose between a Mk2 MX5 and a TF160.

Edited by kambites on Wednesday 16th April 14:30

[darth_pies]

Road_Terrorist said:

darth_pies said:

Now why did Mazda never make a proper 'hot' version?

You mean like the Mazdaspeed Turbo version?

No i mean like a proper hot version.
200ish bhp NA, stripped out, lightweight everything, proper roll bar....think GT3 RS. I know...it was never going to happen!

Slightly O/T, but Mazda could do something like that with the Mk3 which is badly in need of some more kudos and has basically the same NA 2.0 Duratec engine that Caterham are putting in their new R500....but the R500 has got 265bhp! A smokin' hot Mk3 with 200bhp+ and the unfortunate EU ride height issue sorted would surely sell!

[rchadd]

worse thing i ever did was sell my '95 MX5 in hind sight i should have kept it - it was in such good condition. the bloody girl that bought it wrote it off

[chunkymonkey71]

dern said:

chunkymonkey71 said:

dern said:

chunkymonkey71 said:

posterboy said:

This is one of the most over rated cars ever.

Lame

Audiholic?

So you love driving over servo'd cars with no feel or feedback then?

Or maybe you are just 15...

I didn't like the one I test drove either. I think they're ok for what they are and most of the popularity is down to the flock of sheep effect.

ok for what they are?

lightweight, well balanced, cheap to own and run, great handling, the roof comes off...

As for the flock of sheep effect... what would you buy instead? An MGF???

Theres are many reasons why they are so popular. And it has nothing to do with lack of individuality.

I'm not going to argue the toss with you over the virtues of the car, you either like it or you don't. All I'm saying is that you don't necessarily have to like over assisted cars or to be a loser to not like them. Don't be so precious, it's only a car.

The popularity effect I was talking about was that they're raved on about so much on here and loads of people bought one.

Edited by dern on Wednesday 16th April 14:19

Just out of sheer curiosity, what model did you drive? And what do you drive now?

[Munter]

chunkymonkey71 said:

Just out of sheer curiosity, what model did you drive? And what do you drive now?

If i'm right dern was asking questions about a Subaru engine with compression problems. So I'm assuming it's one of those sloppy understeering unreliable Subaru things.

Sorry dern. I guess the engine thingcould be a source of pain but it was too easy .. All said in jest etc

[dern]

chunkymonkey71 said:

Just out of sheer curiosity, what model did you drive? And what do you drive now?

A 1.8 mk1 and I drive an impreza now. I don't drive the impreza for the same reasons I was test driving the mazda. I don't currently have a car I particularly like the driving experience of but needs must and all that. My favourite cars for driving feel that I've had are westfields and my old porsche 944 (which was fantastic and in the same price bracket as mazdas). I would definitely consider a mazda with a lot more power as while I rate driving experience for me power is part of that and something that was missing in the mazda and the rest of it didn't make up for it. It's down to taste though but I just feel the mazda is overrated.

[Dale@RSRNurburg]

You will never hear me say a bad word about mine. I work as in instructor at a race school on the Nurburgring and get to drive everything from £500 to £500k. And although the standard car UK car is a bit wobbly, especially as they age, the Jap-specs with Bilsteins and braces are proper little Elise-wannabes and only £1500 to boot.

Here's my asthmatic little example fighting through the corners with some far more expensive machinery. On sticky tyres the Mazda (mine on polybushes, caged and track tyres) will hold 105mph through corners that I can only push a 996 through at around 100mph...

[scubadude]

oagent said:

Some may call it hair dresserish, but I would prefer my hair cut by a girl who drives a rwd car and knows how to drift it

Nicely summed up.

I've been lusting after one of these for ages, now- to just tempt my GF out of her Fiesta!
Front Engine-Rear Drive is the only way, you've not lived if you've only driven FWD :-)

[kambites]

oagent said:

Some may call it hair dresserish, but I would prefer my hair cut by a girl who drives a rwd car and knows how to drift it

Really? I'd rather have it cut by one who knew how to cut hair.

[houseonthehill]

Have owned two MX5s, a MK1 eunos 1600 and a MK2 special eunos 1800 - love them to bits.

[houseonthehill]

Have owned two MX5s, a MK1 eunos 1600 and a MK2 special eunos 1800 - love them to bits.

[Wigeon Incognito]

rchadd said:

worse thing i ever did was sell my '95 MX5 in hind sight i should have kept it - it was in such good condition. the bloody girl that bought it wrote it off

I'm selling my mint Mk1 '5 soon and I'm worried about this sort of thing.

I had a very good offer on the car from a chap at work but I refused it point blank as I don't trust that he'll look after the car properly.

I dread to think what that says about me!!

[dern]

Wigeon Incognito said:

rchadd said:

worse thing i ever did was sell my '95 MX5 in hind sight i should have kept it - it was in such good condition. the bloody girl that bought it wrote it off

I'm selling my mint Mk1 '5 soon and I'm worried about this sort of thing.

I had a very good offer on the car from a chap at work but I refused it point blank as I don't trust that he'll look after the car properly.

I dread to think what that says about me!!

From an outsider's perspective it says you're a mentalist. HTH.