Roof ideal for UK summer

folds away flat behind the seats or erects on its scissorlike arms at the touch of button, making every British summer’s day a driving opportunity, although you pay £2,000 more over the soft-top equivalent.

The smaller 1.5-litre engine is about 29ps less powerful than the 2.0 stablemate and fractionally slower through the gears, with a top speed about 6mph less as well, but the 2.0-litre will give you 36mpg and the 1.5 stretches eight miles more out of a gallon, and its cheaper to insure and much cheaper to tax.

To my mind the savings make sense unless you really must have the 2.0-litre for a reason, and in fact I believe the 1.5 to be better car with its handling and ride.

It’s still quite quick through that wonderfully creamy gearbox with its light clutch, the steering is pinsharp and well weighted and it stops easily and undramatically from speed.

I liked the compliant ride and the way it soaked up bumps, although you could clearly hear the system working away when the roof was closed, although this was not so noticeable when open.

Handling was entirely predictable and safe with a bias towards over-steer if you were too enthusiastic with the right foot.

It really has adequate power for two people to enjoy a run through the countryside, with enough in reserve to safely overtake. Get it on a motorway and it will gobble up the miles at a sensible speed without any complaint.

You have to be fairly well organised as the interior oddments room is minimal, while the boot space is suitable for a bit more than a credit card and thong but you’d struggle with a big hard-shell case. It would be far better to use a sports bag in it.

Mazda has, wisely, not been tempted to destroy the MX-5 character by making this fourth-generation model too big and its agility and ease of parking are also points in its favour.

Now, Mazda anticipates selling 75% of 3,500 MX-5 models in the UK with the RF body style, which resembles a coupé when closed so it actually looks quite different from the fabric-finished stablemate.

About 40% will be ordered with this 1.5-litre engine and to my mind that will make it rarer and more desirable in a few years – so you might well be saving money when you buy it, when you run it and even when you sell it.

Can you wait to buy one now?