The Mazda MX-5 is a car you don’t have to drive fast to have fun in.
It’s so lightweight and low-slung you feel incredibly connected to the road. Zipping around some twisty woodland bends at 40mph in an MX-5 offers similar dollops of thrills to doing double that speed in a bigger and more powerful sports car.
Relatively affordable, cheap to run and with Mazda’s bulletproof reliability, it’s also an amazingly sensible choice for a sports car.
The first generation Mazda MX-5 launched in the UK in 1990 and was an instant hit. Since then the car has evolved over various generations, improving each time but never losing the back-to-basics vibe that is key to its success.
The last time I had an MX-5 on test it was October and getting cold. Of course I still spent most of my time driving with the roof down, but I had the heater whacked right up and the heated seats on.
On this occasion Mazda’s press office had impeccable timing. The MX-5 arrived just at the start of a summer heatwave and I spent virtually the entire week zooming hither and yon with the roof down.
Proper coupe
Speaking of roofs, this time Mazda sent me the fancy version of the MX-5. The RF model eschews a cloth roof in favour of a folding metal hard top.
It costs a little more than the soft top version but with the hood up it turns the MX-5 into a proper coupe you can use all year round.
The extra weight of the metal roof must impinge on performance slightly but I couldn’t notice any difference. The RF puts just as big a grin on your face as any other version of the car.
Under the bonnet there’s a 2.0 litre, four cylinder petrol engine with 184bhp. That’s more than enough power for a car that tips the scales at a svelte 1,100kg. The 0-62mph sprint is completed in a brisk 6.8 seconds and top speed is 137mph.
More importantly than the raw numbers is the free-revving nature of the engine and the sporty exhaust note. I got the top down and drove the backroads from Dundee to Pittenweem on a warm sunny day.
In a world of big, wallowy SUVs with automatic gearboxes, being low to the ground in a lightweight car and changing up through the six-speed manual gearbox was an absolute joy.
Mazda does offer an automatic version of the MX-5 but you’d be a fool to buy one. This is a car that rewards driver involvement and working your way through the gears is part of the fun.
Driving joy of MX-5 RF
The steering is light and accurate and the MX-5 is so manoeuvrable it feels more like a go-kart than a car. It really does handle beautifully and has just the right amount of power to have fun without getting in trouble.
I’ve driven a lot of supercars in my time. While they’re thrilling, it’s impossible to use their power on a public road without losing your licence or destroying the car.
Prices for the MX-5 RF start at a very reasonable £27,415 and my top spec Homura version cost around £34,500. It came with beautiful cream leather seats, reversing camera, Bose sound system, heated seats and lots of other toys.
While it’s no Lexus, the RF version of the MX-5 has better sound insulation and it is a car you can cover big distances in without too much discomfort. You should average around 40mpg on longer drives too.
Really I have only one issue with the MX-5. I’m 6’5” and fitting my gangly frame inside its petite proportions is something of a yoga exercise. Once in I’ve got just the bare minimum of head and leg room. If Mazda were to make the car two inches longer and one inch higher I’d be delighted.
My much smaller fiancée fits inside the car beautifully, however, and has expressed a strong desire to buy one ahead of a milestone birthday next year.
When I asked how we would get me, her and our golden retriever inside her reply was simple. “Bracken and I will fit in nicely.”
I guess I’ll be getting the bus, then.
MX-5 RF review – facts
Price: £34,150
0-62mph: 6.8 seconds
Top speed: 137mph
Economy: 40.9mpg
CO2 emissions: 155g/km
