Mk3 Mx-5 - which model?

sigma

sigma

sigma

Caporegime
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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).
 
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
 
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.
 
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...
 
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!
 
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!
 
Thanks for all of that! The one we're looking at tomorrow is a 2.0 SE but it looks like a sport I think, it's got bulges etc. I've not really looked too much into it today as I'm a bit hungover :p
 
"It looks nice"

I'm not even kidding.

Other than when I drive it the car will probably never see more than 4k revs and will be on the motorway 95% of the time, it will never be driven in anger, the roof will never be down. I tried to reason but it's just not going to happen.
 
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Went to look at the car I mentioned earlier...I know the car supermarkets operate a low-cost regime but the car was dirty inside. Nearly new Accelera tyres all-round, wouldn't reduce price, not even when pointing out a deep stonechip/patch of paint missing on bonnet. Couldn't tell us how many previous owners there were, service history was on one sheet of paper, that looked like it had been through a hurricane, along with the MOTs.

Saw sense in the end but I have no idea why people turn all giddy when they see a new car. In fairness, the car is pretty cheap and you tend to get what you pay for but when you can afford to pass on such a car then there is no need to put up with a low end car. Even the key was dirty! Had paint or something on it.
 
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