Mrs BS is looking for a new car. we don’t have kids, the bikes go in the van so I’m thinking small and fun, I fancy an MX-5 but she’s not that keen and for some reason would rather a small hot hatch.

Help me convince her (or prove her right) what do I need to know before parting with any cash.

All you need to know is that for 99% of UK driving conditions an MX5 is an absolute hoot. Perfect balance of grip/power/nippiness/safety IMO for driving on the public road.

SOLD, think i’ll end the thread now! 🙂

As above.

You just need to buy one and enjoy it.

Fun, reliable, rear wheel drive, roof down…
If you have a seperate bike vehicle go for it.

Yeah, we have a VW transporter camper for bike/activity use. The car would be the (occasional) transport for her to get to her sports injury clinic in town and for general hooning around.

Suzuki Swift Sport is her choice.

I’ve an older MX5. I have had a fair few hot hatches (type R, 205GTI, Golf GTI etc) and I completely agree that for driving within the law in the UK the MX5 is almost perfect. It’s fun, decent boot space, uber reliable, waterproof, practical as a daily driver etc etc.

Clarkson

If you’re going to do it, do it fairly soon, prices rise drastically as Spring approaches….

Had mine for 4 years now, 65k of trouble-free motoring. Just regular servicing – biggest bill was probably a new set of discs/pads.

Went for the 1.8 rather than 2.0 because it was significantly cheaper at the time, plus a bit less to go wrong (specifically no DSC/TC module). For the money, great drive. Eentertaining in the snow – Toyo Proxes didn’t help (great tyres otherwise), and neither did a couple of concrete slabs in the boot.

Mk3? Sorry its civilised and drove like a Jap saloon for me.

I owned a mk1.6 and a mk1.8 Mk2.5. Rawer experience.

I had a 2006 Mk3 2.0 sport. Benefit was that you had the limited slip diff, disadvantage is that the bigger alloys made the ride harsh.

The soft top is a better option than power hood IMO. Power goods are slow to work on any car. The manual MX5 hood is fantastic and can be up or down in about a second!.

2 biggest concerns. UK Mk3’s have really bad geometry set up. Pay £140 and get the alignment sorted and it transforms the handling from better than most cars to sublime. Make it better still and get the correct length springs retro fitted. For some reason Mazda increased the ride of all UK Mk3’s, so the suspension doesn’t act quite as designed. Second concern for me was that the MX5 grew up too much from the Mk2 to Mk3. Its now a comfy modern car, nit a full on sports car.

Edit: Like what Hora says above.

I found it perfectly ok in the snow, just keep your momentum up.

Are they better than a hit hatch, yes without a doubt. Are they as good as other rwd sports cars, or the MK 1 or MK 2. Nope

Ps. I dont mean it in a rude way. My mk2.5 beat me up on long journeys but it felt very connected. If I slid a Golf I’d be more likely to shit myself, in the ‘5 it felt hilarious!!!

I never had any issues in snow. Tip buy in winter, sell in summer.

Well, a mk2 would also work, I’m all for saving a bit of cash. was looking at the power hood as it might have to live on the street a bit and my thinking was it’s more secure than a rag top?

I had mine in Hillsbrough, Sheffield and never any issues. I treated the soft once a year to keep it in top form.

I would test drive a Mk 2.5 and Mk3, see which you prefer.

If they want to get in a side window offers equal resistance. Tbh. Drive both.

Ha I was going to add the same! Both central Manc. Top tip 6ft driver? Unscrew the sun visors you dont need them and it gives you an inch more visibility.

Boy it was fun. 90mph over the moors at night with the roof down 8)

what sort of age we saying is mk2.5?

I think 03 to 05?

Just googled, they’re saying y2k until 2005.

I wouldn’t make age such a deciciding factor, half the cars for sale are owners beloved weekend toy.

Since the wife now has the longer commute, I’m mostly driving her 2000 Mk2 1.8iS, found one with just enough of the right things we were looking for, namely LSD, mohair roof and power mirrors (we sit in entirely different positions). Good fun within (or close) to the speed limit, not necassarily the quickest a-b, but plenty of fun.

Friends missus has a 2.0 Mk3 with the mods FD mentions, but it will be going in the spring as it has no edge or fun over the Mini Cooper she had before.

Had a mk 2 for 6 years. Wife’s daily driver and no problems other than having to replace the roof due to wear. Wasn’t too pricey and I would have another in an instant if I had somewhere to keep it.

Great fun at normal speeds and great heater so I would drop the roof in any weather, if you keep above about 30 you stay dry even in light rain.

Buy one and love it.

We have have a 2.5 and a 3, liked them both but love the MR2 we have now. They get used all year round absolute hoot.

I would go for the Mk1, bags of character and great fun all year around. My wife owns a brand new BMW and I have this

MX-5 032.jpg by ian_warnes, on Flickr

I rarely drive hers, don’t get me wrong the BMW is a great car, but it isn’t anything like as much fun to drive as my 5.

Running costs are so low. The most we have spent by a long shot in one year was £215 and that inc 2 new tyres.

Go for the roadster coupe rather than the soft top. I really enjoyed having mine – all I had to do to it in four years was replace a set of brake discs and pads.

I wouldn’t make age such a deciciding factor, half the cars for sale are owners beloved weekend toy.

Haha! This is my Mrs we’re talking about here, they’ll be no rational discussion on the handling merits or performance of any vehicle. It’ll be more based on what colour it is and er, that’s about it! When 1st discussed she said she wasn’t a hair dresser and hated them, never having looked at one or driven one. You’d think I was asking her to have a daewoo matiz!

Love my mk1.

’89 1.6.

The Mk 2.5’s (about 2002 to 2005) are generally considered to be better driving cars than the Mk3’s – I would certainly rather have a good 05 car with a good spec. They are fab, had mine for about 3 years before up/down (i’m never sure..) grading to an Elise.

Go for it – they really are fab little cars. They are so popular for a reason!

If anyone has a mk2.5 could they by any chance measure the boot opening please? She’s using this as the next excuse! cheers.

We used to have a mk2, lovely little car. But a bit small for me at 6ft, and a bit underpowered for overtaking (1.8 engine).

Wife then got a Z4 2.5, better for me but she preferred the MX5.

Word of warning on the Swift; a lass in our office bought one, but chopped it in a couple of months later as she found the ride way too hard. But then Sheffield has the worse roads in the world.

That may be the sticking point, I’m 6’2 so space could be a bit tight, I’m going for a browse over Christmas to see what’s what.

Im 6ft2. Seat slightly fwd- seat back then reclined against bulkhead. Visors unscrewed too.

Very easy to drift round damp roundabouts with little skill. Theres a double roundabout under the m60 that I use to play on in a figure of 8 pattern.

Not an issue for us as were 5’9” & 5’2″ but my 6’4″ BIL gets in better in our MR2 than he did in the MX5’s I know someone whose 6′ and uses hers as a daily driver. Go and drive one, see who you get on, so much fun you won’t notice its a bit cramped.

If you do look to buy look at condition and the sills and wheel arches, inside between the skins should be free of debris. The limited edition ones have more toys. If its not going to be garaged a cover is a must and give the hood some TLC removing any mould right away.

Boot opening on our Mk2 isn’t quite big enough for 26″wheel. Mk2.5 will be the same. Passenger seat it is then.

Saris bones js spot on.

Im going to throw a spanner in the works here, s2000??? Imo a much better drive and that vtech!!!!! A few pals used m1 mx5s for track cars and granted theyre fab but on a recent track day a nice chap allowed a few of us to “test” his s2000 2 of the 5 of us were making serious offers on his car and now 4 out of the 5 own one for weekend b road blasts, tbh i think il stick to my fiesta rs turbo ; ) as my weekend hoot mobile

Dave – I had an S2000 for a bit, awesome car, 9000rpm rev limit is incredible and what a sound! Faster than the MX5 too, plus they do a hard top cover for winter.

In thatcase OP: mk3 or a Mini.

If the 1.8 struggles overtaking (in such a small car) what kind of figures are we looking at?

I thought they’d be more than capable. Always fancied a mk1.

If the 1.8 struggles overtaking (in such a small car) what kind of figures are we looking at?

I thought they’d be more than capable. Always fancied a mk1.

I had a 1.8, and certainly never had any trouble overtaking.

They aren’t great motorway cars, but if you mainly drive B roads they are awesome.