Mazda MX-5 2.0
More kit for roadster – but a price hike is included, too
ONCE again, Mazda has given the fourth-generation MX-5 a tweak for the summer, with a new-look UK line-up.
Basic versions of the MX-5 are still powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine developing 130bhp, but this engine is only available in two trim levels – SE and Sport. Faster 2.0-litre cars, like the one driven here, are offered exclusively in more lavish Sport Tech and GT Sport Tech trims – the latter a range-topping model with all but one option box ticked, Nappa leather seats and neat-looking 17-inch black BBS wheels.
Go for a 2.0-litre car, and there’s 181bhp and 205Nm of torque on offer, while the manual model gets a front strut brace for additional rigidity, a limited-slip differential, and dampers from specialist Bilstein. Don’t be disheartened by the lack of change under the metal, though: the fourth-generation MX-5 is still one of the most fun cars on sale in the UK.
The MX-5 has never been a sports car to place too much emphasis on its engine. That 181bhp output is pretty modest when you consider the 300bhp-plus on offer from some turbocharged hot hatchbacks, but the flyweight Mazda makes the most of what it has. It takes a while for the engine to rev all the way round to its 7,500rpm red line, but it’s a rewarding task with a ripe exhaust note. With 0-62mph coming up in 6.5 seconds, it has the sort of pace to worry the likes of the Ford Fiesta ST.
The steering feels light, and the wheel sits large in the small cabin, although taller drivers will still find enough room behind it to get comfortable. Thankfully, the steering is communicative enough, and the MX-5 is so placeable – and correctable, if you’re overly keen – while the gearshift is one of the sweetest around. Many performance cars costing more than twice as much fail to engage you with the basics quite as easily as this.
And it’s not uncomfortable, either. The damping is stiff enough to make speed bumps and potholes around town felt, but it settles into a nice frequency when you’re up to speed. As such, on a motorway the only thing that you’ll really notice is the relatively tight cabin and the wind noise, but it’s not too bad when cruising.
While the MX-5’s driving experience is unchanged, the buying process is certainly not. The line-up is smaller than before, but
prices have risen, with the base price of the MX-5 creeping up to £23,800 on the road for the 130bhp 1.5-litre car in SE trim. Only 20 months ago the cheapest MX-5 you could buy, with the same engine, was £18,995. Worse still, the cheapest 2.0-litre model has leapt from £22,295 to £28,405 in that time. The blow is softer over finance, but you’re now expected to pay more for the praiseworthy Mazda.
Mazda’s concerns over CO2 emissions penalties may be at the heart of this, but it has tried to soften the blow by increasing the level of kit. Even the basic SE-L model features LED headlights, heated electric mirrors, heated seats, cruise control, navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a leather steering wheel.
Looking at the Sport model, it’s a shame that the 2.0-litre engine isn’t available here; it probably would have been the sweet spot of the new look line-up, with luxuries such as leather seats and a Bose surround sound system. As for the new GT Sport Tech model, the styling bits and pieces are nice, but the £1,500 premium over Sport Tech trim is on the steep side.
“Performance cars costing more than twice as much fail to engage you quite as easily as this”