BEST USED CONVERTIBLE Mazda MX-5
Mazda MX-5 2.0 Sport Nav (2015/65, 36k miles, £9,750)
THE MX-5 is the world’s best-selling twoseat roadster, and that’s no surprise: no car comes close to delivering as much fun for your money, regardless of the amount you have to spend.
But we think the current ND-generation is the pick of the bunch when factoring in reliability, running costs and the sheer availability of good, low-mileage cars. Almost all of the fourth-generation models we found advertised for sale have covered fewer than 35,000 miles, because they’re now more weekend playthings than daily commuter cars; the complete lack of interior storage clearly has its upsides. A recent new-car price increase makes the sub-£10,000 starting point for used MX-5s look like even more of a bargain.
As such, you’re more likely to find a cared-for model that’s never seen racetrack tarmac with many more years of motoring ahead of it. Of course, if you feel like breaking its track-day duck, then you’ll have a ball.
While roadsters like this often feel like a throwback, the latest MX-5 has moved with the times. Yet in a world of spiralling power, increasing weight and extreme running costs, the Mazda remains a breath of fresh air.
No matter whether you go for a 1.5 or 2.0-litre model, they both love to be revved and use one of the slickest, most positive six-speed manual gearboxes available.
The car is as easy to live with as strippedback driver’s cars get, bearing comparisons with the likes of the Caterham Seven and Lotus Elise, but with modern-car kit like air-conditioning, sat-nav, leather seats and myriad safety systems. There’s even a boot that is just big enough for a weekend’s luggage, and if you choose the slightly heavier RF model, you’ll get a folding hard top and a fixed, but retractable, rear screen for improved refinement and security.