1st Mazda MX-5
New engine irons out our only criticism of UK’S favourite roadster. Lower price confirms victory
THE Mazda MX-5 is Britain’s best-selling roadster, and has been around for nearly 30 years. Even over that period, it’s always been one of the finest cars in its class. That’s because it has stayed true to its roots, which are fundamental to its brilliance. It’s small, good value and, above all, great fun to drive. That hasn’t changed one bit with this latest version, and in fact this new 2.0-litre model is more thrilling than ever.
This is because there’s more power than before, up to 181bhp, thanks to a larger intake manifold, increased injection pressure and a new exhaust system. But it’s not just the extra grunt that adds to the fun; it’s the way the MX-5 delivers it. Thanks to a red line that’s 700rpm higher than before, at 7,500rpm, the engine is much keener and sounds better when revved.
The Abarth shares much of the Mazda’s handling prowess, but it does miss out on the zingy and exciting engine, because the 124’s turbocharged unit isn’t as much fun to exploit. But it’s not just the performance that makes the Mazda fun; in fact it’s only a small part of the whole package, although it was half a second faster than its rival from 0-60mph in our tests.
The steering is precise and well weighted, the pedals and gearlever are positioned perfectly for satisfying up and downshifts, and the chassis is a masterclass in driving entertainment.
Turn into a corner and you can feel the front tyres bite, and once you get on the power the diff helps tighten your line and gives a great sense of agility. It feels friendly and benign, but always exciting. There’s a little roll in the suspension in faster corners, even on our Sport Nav+ model with its stiffer set-up and Bilstein dampers. But it’s not disconcerting; it just adds to the car’s enjoyable handling at normal speeds.
The beauty of the way the Mazda drives is that it’s fun no matter where you are or what you’re doing. Even a trip to the shops is great, because you can enjoy the close-to-perfect gearshift, lively engine noise and the wind in your hair when the weather is good. On both of these models you can flip the canvas roof down manually in a matter of seconds.
There’s not much to split the two inside, because so much of the Mazda’s cabin is carried over into the closely-related 124. The MX-5 now gets the option of Android Auto and Apple Carplay as a £350 dealer-fit extra, along with AEB and traffic sign recognition. These items are missing from the 124 Spider.