RE: Mazda MX-5 2.0 (2019): Driven

RE: Mazda MX-5 2.0 (2019): Driven

Thursday 30th August 2018

2020 Mazda MX-5 2.0 | PH Review

Injecting some more gusto into the more powerful MX-5 has accessed an even deeper level of entertainment



When it comes to sports cars priced under £30k, the Mk4 MX-5 is about as fun as it gets. But for the keenest drivers among us, the current engine options do hamper the excitement a bit. If you want a zingy, high-revving motor you'd likely opt for the entry 1.5-litre, but it produces just 131hp so isn't particularly quick. For those after a bit more power there's the 2.0-litre option which has a slightly more appropriate 158hp - only it doesn't have anywhere near the same keenness for revs.

What the MX-5 really needs then is a combination of the two - a high-revving and yet suitably powerful engine to make the most of that lightweight, rear-driven chassis. Thankfully, Mazda agrees. It now concedes that the larger SkyActiv-G unit was brought to market before it was completely optimised for the MX-5 because it was needed to satisfy demand in America. Now, with three additional years for development, the engine has been brought up to snuff for the model's first update, due in the UK next month.

The 2.0-litre motor now produces 184hp - an increase of 26hp - at 7,000rpm, fully 1000rpm higher than the old peak. It pulls all the way to its raised 7,500rpm soft limiter too, which is 700rpm higher than it could spin before. There's also been a gentle improvement in torque from 147lb ft to 151lb ft. Modest increases perhaps, but don't forget the soft-top weighs little more than a tonne - making the enhancements significant enough to reduce the 0-62mph time by eight tenths of a second.


That's important because there's a whole heap of difference between 7.3 seconds and 6.5, but it's also notable for the pleasingly typical way Mazda has gone about it. Each of the engine's four pistons and conrods is lighter (by 27g and 41g respectively), the crank has been redesigned and the intake throttle body is 28 per cent larger, while the port area is expanded by 18 per cent and the exhaust valve diameter has grown as well. There's a low inertia dual mass flywheel, too, for enhanced throttle response, while a different exhaust silencer gives the motor a slightly more spirited voice. In short, the engine is fed air quicker, spins faster and does a better job of letting you know how it's getting on. Sounds good, right?

Mazda thinks so, and went to the trouble of laying on the Transfagarasan Highway in Romania to prove it. The good news is the tweaked MX-5 remains as easy to get on top of as ever, and no less keen to engage the senses - primarily your fingertips and backside - as soon as you wind it up.

The seating position is still about 5cm higher than this 5ft 11 tester would like it, but the addition of telescopic steering rack adjustment (a first for the MX-5) means you no longer have to mimic an Egyptian mummy when reaching forward - a trait which improves the car's usability right out of the gate.


Can you feel the engine changes? Yes, very much so. There's an air of elasticity all the way through the rev band (it trundles along happily at 1300rpm), but it's the top end power that really entertains. Rev the nuts off it - to use the technical term - and there's a real sense of excitement about the way the needle climbs the rev counter, one which doesn't taper as it approaches the redline.

Where as the old, pre-update 2.0-litre would have begged for more shifts of the tight (and very satisfying to use) six-speed manual gearbox to stay on the boil, the stretched range of usability in the 184hp engine means that's it's possible to stay wedged in second for much of the technical route - adopting an elbows out driving style and really hustling the car into corners without the concern of hitting the limiter or bogging down on exits.

That being said, there's still not enough grunt for the car to be naturally throttle adjustable to the extent of, say, a Porsche 718 Boxster (no surprise there), but you can maintain gentle slides in the MX-5 once you learn its chassis' secrets. These include seesawing at its wheel as you power out of a tight turn to encourage the standard-fit (on the 2.0) slippy diff to send more torque to the inside wheel and, ahem, gentle kicks of the clutch, where circumstances allow.


Our test car, in European spec but roughly comparable to the UK-issue Sport Nav+, featured Bilstein dampers and a strut brace, both of which make a noticeable difference on the Transfagarasan Highway, which swiftly evolved from Autobahn smoothness to British B road over our 100-mile route. As before, there's ample suspension travel for the body accommodate big undulations, but it's also just about strict enough to prevent it feeling unstable or easy to unglue.

Considered alongside the car's quick responding front axle, we'd bet that the MX-5 is more content to glide over these surfaces than most hot hatches you'd care to think of. It's possible to argue against the two-seater's softer side, of course, but the Bilstein shocks feel about right for road use - or they did in Romania at any rate.

The brakes, now located behind 17in (standard on the 2.0) wheels with a different finish (anthracite or black) still look hilariously small, yet their performance is impressive and the pedal that controls them provides sufficient feel for you to modulate them effectively without leaning on the ABS. Of course, with the roof down, there is always the audible chirps coming from the Bridgestone Potenzas to signal when you're approaching the limit of adhesion.


When you've had enough of listening to that, Mazda now includes Apple CarPlay as an option for the car's rotary dial-operated infotainment system, which is useful if, like a large portion of MX-5 owners, you plan to drive it everyday. Wind noise is acceptable, too, with the hood up - although closing off the outside world does remind you just how cramped your immediate surroundings can feel after a good while spent in the cabin.

We had a short stint in the non-Bilstein equipped RF model, too - just long enough to remind us that the ride is even more supple without the trick dampers, albeit less hunkered down as a result, and that the added refinement of the folding hard-top is somewhat cancelled out by the enhanced buffeting created by the fixed back section of the roofline. (In conclusion, buy the soft-top.)

In broader conclusion, rejoice, because the latest MX-5 is the real deal: a proper back-to-basics sports car in its purest form. It was those things before - but the engine's enhanced spiritedness has finally nailed down the reputation. As ever, you'll have to make your peace with the tiny two-seat nature of the beast - and any number of hot hatches still walk away from the car on paper - but almost none of them enjoys the same iconic status as the MX-5. Now more than ever, the Mk4 owns it.


SPECIFICATION - MAZDA MX-5 SKYACTIV-G 2.0
Engine:
1,998cc, 4-cyl
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 184@ 7,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 151@4,000rpm
0-62mph: 6.5sec
Top speed: 136mph
Weight: 1,105kg (with 75kg driver)
MPG: 40.9
CO2: 156g/km
Price: £22,295











Author
Discussion

Nerdherder

Original Poster:

1,773 posts

96 months

Wednesday 29th August 2018
quotequote all
Great revision to a very nice car and I've enjoyed reading the article. All of us have been reading about the ND on here so far, it shouldn't be designated as mk4, now should it.

Luke.

10,944 posts

249 months

Wednesday 29th August 2018
quotequote all
Brilliant. Can't wait for Abarth to come back with a 200bhp 124.

LaurasOtherHalf

21,429 posts

195 months

Wednesday 29th August 2018
quotequote all
Luke. said:
Brilliant. Can't wait for Abarth to come back with a 200bhp 124.
You are for the crappy Fiat what RamboLambo is for McLaren rofl

In the real world, this sounds like the best MX5 in history. I can't wait to try it.

mph999

2,714 posts

219 months

Wednesday 29th August 2018
quotequote all
One of the best looking cars on the road ...

cib24

1,115 posts

152 months

Wednesday 29th August 2018
quotequote all
Great buy. After a purchase I would immediately have it rustproofed with a quality underseal and cavity wax, then big brake kit, stainless lines, upgraded pads, coilovers, and Yokohama AD08Rs. Then once BBR has a 225bhp NA kit put it on and drive it all the time.

TheDrBrian

5,444 posts

221 months

Wednesday 29th August 2018
quotequote all
LaurasOtherHalf said:
Luke. said:
Brilliant. Can't wait for Abarth to come back with a 200bhp 124.
You are for the crappy Fiat what RamboLambo is for McLaren rofl

In the real world, this sounds like the best MX5 in history. I can't wait to try it.
They already make a more powerful version and people aren’t buying it.

CarPlay- how do I get that on my car

Luke.

10,944 posts

249 months

Wednesday 29th August 2018
quotequote all
TheDrBrian said:
They already make a more powerful version and people aren’t buying it.

CarPlay- how do I get that on my car
You sure? 168 bhp is the current spec.

Edited by Luke. on Wednesday 29th August 23:52

cheddar

4,637 posts

173 months

Wednesday 29th August 2018
quotequote all
Wow, what a thorough update !

An absolute belter of a car for only £22k

Master Bean

3,517 posts

119 months

Thursday 30th August 2018
quotequote all
Luke. said:
TheDrBrian said:
They already make a more powerful version and people aren’t buying it.

CarPlay- how do I get that on my car
You sure? 168 bhp is the current spec.

Edited by Luke. on Wednesday 29th August 23:52
158bhp.

Luke.

10,944 posts

249 months

Thursday 30th August 2018
quotequote all
Sorry to confuse. Was talking about the Abarth's bhp.

rare6499

648 posts

138 months

Thursday 30th August 2018
quotequote all
cib24 said:
Great buy. After a purchase I would immediately have it rustproofed with a quality underseal and cavity wax, then big brake kit, stainless lines, upgraded pads, coilovers, and Yokohama AD08Rs. Then once BBR has a 225bhp NA kit put it on and drive it all the time.
Undersealing a brand new car in 2018? Are they THAT bad?!

TheDrBrian

5,444 posts

221 months

Thursday 30th August 2018
quotequote all
Master Bean said:
Luke. said:
TheDrBrian said:
They already make a more powerful version and people aren’t buying it.

CarPlay- how do I get that on my car
You sure? 168 bhp is the current spec.

Edited by Luke. on Wednesday 29th August 23:52
158bhp.
28 grand for such a car. Can see why they aren’t flying off the shelves.

Kennyforever

4 posts

80 months

Thursday 30th August 2018
quotequote all
Very nice Car but given the weight it could do with another 50 BHP or even More.

Onehp

1,617 posts

282 months

Thursday 30th August 2018
quotequote all
I drove the 1.5 for a day and it's lack of power was refreshing. I enjoyed driving it within the speed limit, honestly not a single other car has done that for me. And some real fun to be had when pressing on some more, making the most of those sweet revs, and yet you know you never risked you license. Of course you need to lift at some point, but by then you've had plenty of fun, countary to 'fast enough' alternatives where you MUST lift after, what, 4-5 seconds?

It was also one of the few cars where I immediately didn't want to change something. The lean in the corners was fine by me, the relative lack of body control at speed exciting/challenging and not bothersomebin a car this light and talkative, it sounded about just right. I'm also told it's surprising frugal, added bonus. Just that driving position which is now fixed. The new 2.0 sounds like a great proposition likewise, but you'll need to lift sooner, I know how it is having had a GT86 with similar power to weight. Driving my very capable fast HH, I feel I really need to wait, wait, wait, before I can have a short squirt of driving joy when circustances are appropriate. Feels like 90% waiting and 10% paranoia. Make that 95% and 5%.

So deep down I want a ND 1.5, maybe this 2.0 but I already know it's actually too quick already also, such is the world we live in. And I have no use for a tiny ND frown Which is where the true joy would be, with daily use.

Edited by Onehp on Thursday 30th August 06:39

kambites

67,460 posts

220 months

Thursday 30th August 2018
quotequote all
Sounds like they've made a lovely car even better; the 2.0 always felt oddly reluctant. Makes it even harder to see a reason for the Abarth 124 too.

dinkel

26,884 posts

257 months

Thursday 30th August 2018
quotequote all
Is there a hard core version without aircon and iPad?

Mike335i

4,985 posts

101 months

Thursday 30th August 2018
quotequote all
Over the last few days I have been really thinking about these and what they represent, maybe the last of its kind. A 'proper' drivers car for real people (as in not just the wealthy posers).

Not a point and squirt hatch, not a fast but soulless coupe, not an 'infotainment first then worry about the dynamics' approach, not a rock hard 'sportlich' barge and not a 'look at me!' badge, but a car to be driven and enjoyed.

And yet I won't be buying one. I'm not sure if it is the lack of power, the image or any of the usual reasons for not wanting an mx5. Maybe I do still just want a V8...


Chapppers

4,483 posts

190 months

Thursday 30th August 2018
quotequote all
See, why can't Toyota take a leaf out of Mazda's books and do something like this instead of struggling by with a measly 200bhp. What a joke.

daveco

4,122 posts

206 months

Thursday 30th August 2018
quotequote all
Mazda please stick this engine in the Mazda 2 or Mazda 3. I will buy it immediately!

ambuletz

10,689 posts

180 months

Thursday 30th August 2018
quotequote all
Chapppers said:
See, why can't Toyota take a leaf out of Mazda's books and do something like this instead of struggling by with a measly 200bhp. What a joke.
Not sure I understand your point when the mx-5 is 183hp.