MAZDA MX-5 Mk3
OUR PICK 2010 Mazda MX-5 2.0i Sport Tech, 42,000 miles, £8,690
EVEN though we’re heading towards autumn, this is still a good time to take the plunge on a used Mazda MX-5. The arrival last year of an all-new Mk4 model means the talented third generation looks better value than ever. Prices start at just £3,000, and for this amount, you’ll get one of the most engaging drop-tops on the road.
Spend a little more and you can have the keys to one of the post-2010 facelift models that benefit from slightly sharper looks and even more standard kit. The later car was also available in RC guise with a novel powered folding hard-top. This set-up weighed a little more than the fabric roof, yet boosted security and refinement. However, we’d stick with the traditional soft covering, as its manual mechanism can be raised or lowered in a matter of seconds and with one hand.
No matter which version you choose, you’ll get the same entertaining rear-wheel-drive handling, accurate steering and wrist-flick gearchange. The choice of engines is limited to 1.8-litre and 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder units. Both deliver rasping soundtracks and eager acceleration, but we’d pick the larger engine as it delivers even more muscle with virtually no fuel efficiency penalty. What’s more, despite its compact dimensions, the MX-5 offers decent practicality for a two-seater. The cabin is roomy and features some handy storage, plus there’s a useful 150-litre boot capacity.
Yet it’s the ease of use and dependability that make the Mazda a star buy. Unlike the sixties British roadsters that inspired it, the MX-5 is solidly built and relentlessly reliable. If you need any more proof of that, owners ranked the MX-5 17th for reliability in our Driver Power 2016 survey – its secondhighest category score behind road handling.
Fast, fun, frugal and reliable – no wonder the open-top Mazda is the world’s best-selling roadster “THE third-generation Mazda MX-5 is a decade old now, so prices have tumbled to an all-time low. However, these are cars that tend to be cherished by their owners, so even early examples will have had money and time lavished upon them. With so many to choose from, you can still afford to be picky. That means steering clear of high-mileage examples with patchy service history.”