MX5, would you?
Author
Discussion

deltashad

Original Poster:

6,731 posts

228 months

Monday 4th March 2013
quotequote all
Every thread seems to have an MX5 mentioned in it somewhere or other.
Personally I wasn't impressed. Had a test drive and walked away dis-heartened. Maybe I'm not a true PH?

I'd like to see a poll on this, but don't have the ability to start one.
Would be interesting to see the general consensus on them.


Grenoble

59,826 posts

186 months

Monday 4th March 2013
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Have one - a Mk3 2.0 (I have had a Z3 as well for comparison) - and love it. Probably the best balanced car I have driven, or can drive towards the limits on UK roads. Huge fun, especially in the summer.

I was more underwhelmed by the Mk2 and Mk2.5, but I liked the Mk1 in 1.6 form.

Mikeyplum

1,646 posts

200 months

Monday 4th March 2013
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I'm currently looking to get a Mk1 1.8 as am leaning towards the idea of more power. However yet to test drive one so will leave my opinion until I do.

Have pretty much got my heart set on one though so not liking the idea of being dissapointed frown

TheVole

556 posts

184 months

Monday 4th March 2013
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Also got one - it's nicely balanced and it's the cheapest and best way for an 18 year old to have a sports car with a roof that comes off.

Cheap to buy, cheap to run and relatively cheap to insure (I've got 1 year NCB, it's a 1.8 and it costs me £900).


Great little cars for the price smile

rumple

15,310 posts

182 months

Monday 4th March 2013
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Drive the original one from Newcastle to Teddington once, it was fairly new. Nice little car, handled well drove well but not for me, I'm not really into 'verts so that was it, I'd like a noisy 6 pot if I did the Roadster thing, that wasn't meant to mean I'd have a Z3/4 over one because I wouldn't entertain one of those either, I suppose the only 2 seater vert I'd have is the S2000, but again its not a 6 pot although they so sound nice.

Ari

19,828 posts

246 months

Monday 4th March 2013
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Had two, both 2.0 MK3. Great little cars, very reliable, lovely feel to them, but not that quick, a bit cramped, and far too unrefined for any serious distance.

Made a perfect second "fun" car when I had a company car.

When I went self employed and the co car went I swapped the MX5 for an SLK. Most of the fun of the MX5 but does the "proper car" bit so very much better.

Lazygraduate

1,790 posts

192 months

Monday 4th March 2013
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I did - it's fun, not too serious, very reliable and it doesn't really owe me anything.

Just out of uni with a mountain of debt, that's about as much as I could ask for!

jones325i

755 posts

184 months

Monday 4th March 2013
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Collecting a 2010 mk3 1.8 RC today. My wife has bought it, so obviously it's mainly for her. It wouldn't be my own choice of car (I'm more into powerful saloons) but at the same time I'm really looking forward to being able to use it now and again.

On the test drive it didn't feel very quick (as expected), but really liked the general feel of it. Fantastic driving position, gear change, and a nice little engine.

kambites

71,646 posts

252 months

Monday 4th March 2013
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They're decent little cars but IMO they are overrated on PH.

The mk3 MR2 is a far better driver's car, IMO, but gets nowhere near as much attention.

Chris71

21,549 posts

273 months

Monday 4th March 2013
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deltashad said:
Every thread seems to have an MX5 mentioned in it somewhere or other.
Personally I wasn't impressed. Had a test drive and walked away dis-heartened. Maybe I'm not a true PH?

I'd like to see a poll on this, but don't have the ability to start one.
Would be interesting to see the general consensus on them.

I think they're very good for what they are - affordable to buy, acceptably nippy, good fun, just about practical enough to use every day, reliable and yet cheap to fix or upgrade. My only gripe is that they're quite thirsty for the performance on offer.

However, I think you have to bear in mind they're a jack of all trades and a master of none. You can find cars that are faster point-to-point even for the same sort of money, spend a bit more and you can find cars that are a lot more focused and significantly better to drive. But the MX-5 combines a huge breadth of ability with a remarkably painless ownership experience.

Grenoble

59,826 posts

186 months

Monday 4th March 2013
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Clarkson's view:

http://mx5roadster.org/clarkson/

(Original review is behind the Times paywall)

daemon

40,169 posts

228 months

Monday 4th March 2013
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Grenoble said:
I was more underwhelmed by the Mk2 and Mk2.5, but I liked the Mk1 in 1.6 form.
I've had a mk2.5 1.8i and a mk1 1.6i.

Loved the mk1. Fantastic little car.

Gad-Westy

16,635 posts

244 months

Monday 4th March 2013
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The very first MK1 that I drove was awful. No idea why but the steering felt vague and the car didn't seem too light on it's feet. You'd blame shot suspension but it wasn't crashy or full of knocking noises, maybe it had awful tyres on. I almost gave up on MX5's but drove another one about 6 months later that was miles better. It was actually in quite poor condition all over but was a superb car to drive, far more what I was expecting. Bought another one a couple of weeks later.

Davey S2

13,394 posts

285 months

Monday 4th March 2013
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My old man (70) has just part exed his Masser Quattroporte for one.

He also has a Bentley for the weekends but wasnt using the Masser much at all so chopped it in for something fun while he still can.

I've only driven the MX5 once but it seems quite good fun. It's the metal folding roof version.

Not as quick or sharp as my old Elise but for a spirited blat on a nice sunny day with the roof off it seems fine. I will be borrowing it for a few runs in the summer.

MonkeyBusiness

4,259 posts

218 months

Monday 4th March 2013
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Best car I have ever owned.

Garlick

40,601 posts

271 months

Monday 4th March 2013
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Yep, see profile/ fleet updates.

Mine's not new though

Grenoble

59,826 posts

186 months

Monday 4th March 2013
quotequote all
Davey S2 said:
Not as quick or sharp as my old Elise but for a spirited blat on a nice sunny day with the roof off it seems fine. I will be borrowing it for a few runs in the summer.
Which is their sweet spot.

Summer time, early finish, blat out on some A/B-roads to a nice pub for dinner, come back home the long way. Can also be done in winter on clear days thanks to heated seats smile

Davey S2

13,394 posts

285 months

Monday 4th March 2013
quotequote all
Grenoble said:
Davey S2 said:
Not as quick or sharp as my old Elise but for a spirited blat on a nice sunny day with the roof off it seems fine. I will be borrowing it for a few runs in the summer.
Which is their sweet spot.

Summer time, early finish, blat out on some A/B-roads to a nice pub for dinner, come back home the long way. Can also be done in winter on clear days thanks to heated seats smile
Yes I must admit the creature comforts were nice to have compared to an Elise. Imust be getting old!



garrykiller

5,670 posts

189 months

Monday 4th March 2013
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I had a mk1 for 5 years. Utterly fantastic car.

Captain Muppet

8,540 posts

296 months

Monday 4th March 2013
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I've had mine for 5 years. I used to hate them, then I spent a day sliding one around and realised that the poor thing had coped with four of us trying to kill it for a day without any problems. So I bought one to replace my mostly broken Nissan.

For the price of a mk1 there isn't much to beat them for fun, running costs and reliability. Although when mine dies (and god knows it's lived long enough given the abuse it gets) it will be replaced with something else.

For more than mk1 money there are loads of cars I'd rather have.