What to look for / be aware of with buying an MX5

Spammeh

Spammeh

Spammeh

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Guys,

I've been nosying @ MX5's in the last few days or so, but what I'd like to know is what to look out for.

Looking at a MK3 (2006+) I think, with a low as miles as possible really. Hard top only (for security purposes more than anything). The question is, are the heated seats worth it? climate control? bose sound system? Can you get parking sensors etc on them?

Is there any owners or knowledgable people round here that could shed some light on them please?
 
I have a 2006 2.0ltr Sport model. Owned it since March 2011. To answer your direct questions:

- Heated seats: excellent for driving with the top down in cold weather or at night. I find them more valuable as I own the soft top and drive it every day, so getting into the car on a winters day the interior can be very cold.
- Climate control: Works well so try and get it if you can. If you are using the car as a weekend toy and will probbaly have the roof down for most of the time anyway, it's probably not essential. Again, as I commute I spend (too much) time with the roof up, so climate control is great.
- Bose Sound System: I have it, but cant help feel it's a little overrated. It has a system called Audiopilot which adjusts the sound depending on the ambient environment. Works well with the roof down, but I still find myself correcting the volume when driving at speed - sometimes I think a simple automatic volume correction based on the vehicle speed would work better. That said, the audio quality is pretty good for a soft top.
- Parking sensors: Mine had them fitted at the rear as an option (and the previous owner fitted front sensors but I dont use them). At first I scoffed at the need for parking sensors on such a small car, but with the roof up, the rear visiblity is actually quite restricted and they have been really useful.
 
Go for the 2.0 sport RC it has the heated seats, climate etc.

Not a massive difference between the bose and non bose systems, or so I've been told.

Parking sensors not sure why you'd need them.
 
I am not sure parking sensors are an option, we don't have them on my wife's coupe and that is fully loaded with every option available. Bose is OK and more than enough for the car in my opinion and I would also go with heated seats too as they toast you nicely on cold mornings, though they are basic in that they tend to warm your bum rather than bum and back like my RS4. I do find when reversing I leave WAY to much space behind but then I don't drive it that often and it always feels closer than it actually is. They are very reliable and my wife's car is just having its first set of new tyres with 26K on the clock so that's good. Brake pads have taken a hammering from my right foot so these need replacing and I shall probably replace the discs too shortly, though not sure they need doing but want something with a bit more bite. We did have a warranty replacement on a MAF sensor the other week that took an age to locate and source but other than that the car has been faultless.

This morning my wife reversed out the garage, put the roof down and went to work, this is the weather they are built for!
 
Excellent, sounding good! I've noticed there is a standard 2.0l and a 2.0l sport. Whats the major difference between them? Also, if I'm buying private or from a garage, what's best to look out for problems wise?
 
We've got a 2.0 sport with climate, bose, heated seats etc.

I'd deffinatly recoment getting heated seats as started above, amazing for colder days with the top down.

Climate is also good, not the cleverest system but works pretty well.

Make sure you get one with a 6 speed 'box as its tones better on any motorway than the 5 speed.

Ours has the Blistien shock absorbers and an LSD, i've not driven another 2.0 so can't say how much these help but it feels pretty amazing.

One thing you'll NEED to do, imo of course, is lower it on some better springs and get a proper alignment as that turns the car from an unsure, stuttery mess into a proper sorted sports car.
 
So going off what people are saying, go for:

2.0 sport (for the 6 speed gear box more than anything)
heated seats are a must
Climate control generally is a goer
bose sound system ok but not a killer

I'm looking around the 8-9k mark, anyone have a rough idea how good of an example I should be able to get for that? Any pitfalls @ XXX miles? Expensive service's? etc

Just like to give myself a good idea of the ownership costs of it really. Well aware of the MPG etc, but that doesn't bother me as work is less than 10 miles away and I dont tend to notch up too many miles in a year anymore
 
Rough prices for main dealer servicing, I think this is for Mk3.

1st - £195
2nd - £230
3rd - £305
4th - £260

Rinse and repeat, servicing is every year or 12k miles. Engines are chain driven so no cambelt change etc and iirc everything else is built into the service schedule. What area of the country are are as there are quite a few specialists who are well regarded in the owners community?
 
There are a couple of decent places, Paul Sheard in Congleton and if you head over to the MX5OC there is a guy called Wayne (Mazda-Mender) who is based in Manchester who comes very highly recommended.

If you don't mind a trip over the Peaks to Sheffield the other guy is Paul Roddison who races Mk3s (and has raced Mk1 and Mk2) and knows about all there is to know about all generations of the MX5, does servicing, alignment, modifications etc.
 
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