Mk3 Mx-5 - which model?

sigma

sigma

sigma

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I guess this thread will be aimed at Housey mainly but if anyone else has a clue, feel free to chip in.

Budget is around £15k and the car of choice is the Mk3 Mx-5.

Can someone tell me the differences between the Sport and the Sport-tec please? Are they the only models worth considering?

£15k seems more than enough to get a decent one.

Ideally it'd be a hardtop but a there don't appear to be many of them about (on PH at least).
 
Sport was Mk3 and SportTech is Mk3.5 iirc.

I've a MK3 2.0 Sport.

The folding HT is the "Roadster Coupe" (comes in diff trims too).
I don't like the way the RC handles, I really noticed the extra weight of the HT and it's in the wrong place too (too high up).
 
I don't think the driver cares enough about the handling to notice the weight higher up (the car 'looks nice', this is a big factor ;)) and isn't really one to drive around with the roof down so I don't see the point in having the soft top.

This looks nice: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...red-listing/dealer/25840/usedcars?logcode=flp

Bit over budget though but there does seem to be a far better selection on AT. :)

Edit - funky kit on this one! http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif.../page/4/postcode/b145dl/radius/1500?logcode=p
 
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Not sure whether the 1.8 is worth considering, hopefully people can advise me further.

At the moment I'm thinking bigger is better. :D
 
Hang on, you say that the driver wouldn't notice the weight difference.... so would they notice the difference between 2.0 and 1.8?

2.0 Sport/Sportech also has a 6spd box and an LSD... again...based on your statement about not noticing weight, are they gonna use these benefits?
 
CocoPops said:
Hang on, you say that the driver wouldn't notice the weight difference.... so would they notice the difference between 2.0 and 1.8?

2.0 Sport/Sportech also has a 6spd box and an LSD... again...based on your statement about not noticing weight, are they gonna use these benefits?
Click to expand...

I will be driving it sometimes too, hopefully! :p

Given the fact that the roof is never down on the current car, I'd say a hard top is more worthwhile. :)

Will be sure to test drive a soft top and hard top before committing but basically want to know which model is the best to buy/try before arranging viewings.
 
I bought the Mk3.5 Sport Tech Coupe for my wife, a great little thing that comes with pretty much all of the available options, all factory options in fact I think so it wants for nothing really with the exception of Sat Nav which isn't an option from the factory.

I can't really comment about the weight difference of the hard top having not spent enough time in the soft top version side by side but I don't think it impacts on the handling so that most people would notice and the noise reduction (very obvious no matter what sound meters on TV programs might lead one to believe) and simplicity of it is worth the extra weight in my book. It goes down in a few seconds and locks itself behind the seats without any intrusion into the boot, very clever mechanism and I think it adds around 37kilo's in total.

I think the 2L is worth the money over the 1.8 and having got back into my wifes car before my RS4 after 5 weeks away from driving either and using a 1.6 Astra hire car the little Mazda felt quite nippy and lovely steering though it is over sensitive I feel on initial turning, brakes are lovely too. The car comes with BOSE, heated seats, 6 disc CD, LSD, traction control that can be turned off and is very nicely put together. They are very reliable (some issues with windscreens cracking however I've read) and great fun to drive but they do feel bigger and less sharp than a Mk1, certainly when compared to my race car, which is to be expected.

I rate them highly, not perfect but great value smile inducing little thing that with a few tweaks can be made very rapid and very sharp if that's your thing.
 
Have test drive both the soft top and roadster a couple of times now, Me myself I prefer the roadster as it is more refined and if I was looking for a car with amazing handling to play about with I'd look at a mk1 and some mods instead, I really like the Mk3/Mk3.5 mx5's I just haven't taken the plunge on one.

Have also driven the 1.8 and 2.0 sports, The Sport is without a doubt the one to go for, Even if it's just for the looks.
 
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A few things, Get the 2.0 with the rag top. The optional hardtop looks much slicker than the folding h/t.

Also get the mazda lowering springs (the stock springs are not as mazda intended).

The 3.5 is a nice car, but a good mk3 (pre face lift) is much of the same and can be had for sub £10k.

Try the forums and look up Roddersons garage (Yorkshire way), he races them and will be able to give you the advice you need about mk3/3.5 cars.
 
So there is a Mk3 (confusing slightly as I didn't realise the facelift was called the 3.5) with a 2.0 but not the folding hard top?

Will have to see what they're like but I think the Mk3.5 will probably be chosen because it looks nicer.
 
Bump....finally got around to needing to buy one, needs to be bought by next weekend.

Have spotted a few but she's got her heart set on one at a place called the Car Shop. Naturally I have alarm bells ringing as I'd never buy a from a place like that. We're going to look at it tomorrow and will get the hard sell, no doubt.

Other than checking the basics, how can I ensure we don't get a lemon? Is there anything that these places are know to be poor at?

Seems like their after-sales care is poor and the car isn't amazing value (decent, from what I can tell, but not zomg amazing). I guess one saving grace is that the MX is generally a pretty solid and reliable car...
 
Not sure if it's still a problem on Mk 3 MX-5s, but traditionally they rust under the sills quite badly, which is probably the first thing I'd be looking for since rust scares the crap out of me.
 
Will check, thanks. We're looking for around MY09/10 so I would hope that they're not rusting already but will have a nose around!
 
sigma said:
Bump....finally got around to needing to buy one, needs to be bought by next weekend.

Have spotted a few but she's got her heart set on one at a place called the Car Shop. Naturally I have alarm bells ringing as I'd never buy a from a place like that. We're going to look at it tomorrow and will get the hard sell, no doubt.

Other than checking the basics, how can I ensure we don't get a lemon? Is there anything that these places are know to be poor at?

Seems like their after-sales care is poor and the car isn't amazing value (decent, from what I can tell, but not zomg amazing). I guess one saving grace is that the MX is generally a pretty solid and reliable car...
Click to expand...

Check all tyres match, and are decent quality, these cars are fun but also not the grippiest of things, and very sensitive to tyres.

Also budget to get a wheel alignment done after purchase (or ideally as part of the deal, with a print out done by the garage to show the changes), they can feel somewhat skittish without and tramline or need constant steering correction to track straight and true on the motorway

Very early Mk3s are apparently prone to some corrosion, check around the indicator side repeaters, edge of the bonnets can also experience paint/lacquer issues, and also some corrosion can start on the underside of the boot lid near the numberplate lights.

What year is the car you are looking at? Is it a soft top or does it have a folding electrical roof?

Early Mk3s (55 plate to 57) have no height adjustment for the seats and as such some find the driving position somewhat odd/uncomfortable. This was changed for mid/late 2008 onwards, and all facelift cars (09 on) had height adjustments to.

09 plate onwards car do drive better as standard, revised engine with a higher rev limit and subtly different induction system seems far more eager, with better throttle response. No more powerful 'out of the box' but they feel a bit more sporty as standard as the throttle response is better and the induction piping tuned to give more sound in the cabin, and they will tune slightly better too if thats your thing....

I love mine :D. Pre facelift but with the height adjustable seats, and it has been breathed upon somewhat too ;)

zsWucmI.jpg
 
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Apologies, I should have clarified - we're looking at Mk3.5s now - around 2009-2011 only and she's had a mk2 already but wants a folding hard top this time.

Yeah I've told myself that I'll take it for an alignment (doubt she would bother), I recall Housey taking his wife's MX to someone who's known to be really good.

She's not fussed about engine size but I'm trying to get her to get a 2.0. We sat in one at a Mazda showroom a few weeks back and they're quite a bit nicer than the Mk-2!
 
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