My trusty Focus is getting on a bit and my girlfriend and I are soon going to look to replace it with something newer, shinier and all round better. A car I have always admired has been the MX5 as a lightweight, reliable and fun choice, something that I can enjoy as well as getting me from A-B.
Now, a change in my circumstances over the last year has made the prospect of owning one a very real possibility. Me and my girlfriend live together and now work at the same company, so we only need the one car (although my girlfriend may be eligible for a company car come November). Our commute is 12 miles/20 minutes each way (8 miles of which is dual carriageway).
I was hoping some of the MX5 drivers here could give me an insight as to what these cars are like for everyday use. Are they comfortable enough to live with everyday? I was impressed with it on the quick test drive I had (2ltr 6-speed), even on the motorway it was quite smooth and powerful enough not to be a chore, but I only spent about 10 minutes cruising at about 60-70 with the roof down.
Fuel economy: Is it a killer? Book figure seems to be about 35MPG combined, (I currently get about 39MPG in my 1.6 Focus)....but then, I know how misleading book figures can be. Whilst I'm not buying a car with MPGZzzzzzzz in mind, I would like it to be capable of some measure of efficiency and know in advance if it drinks like a fish.
Folding soft tops: This will probably be the option we go for. Anything I should be wary of? Apart from wind noise on the motorway (although as stated, only 8 miles of my commute is motorway driving), what are they like to live with. Are there any special requirements on caring for a cloth top? Are they prone to leaking, or fairly well engineered on the MX5? Also, is it right than you can buy a detachable hard top to fit during the winter months? Bear in mind, the car will be parked overnight in a secure underground car park. Also, I know that some have a powered roof, but the one I drove had a manual roof that was so easy to operate, I could do it in 5 seconds flat sitting in the drivers seat; is it really worth finding/paying for an example with a powered mechanism?
Options and trim: We still haven't fully researched what's available. As per thread title, it will be a MK3, as we both would like to have a newer car...although I'm aware how popular older MXs are, I really like the look of the newer ones and would prefer to own a car a maximum of 4 years old if I can. I don't have a huge amount of demands options wise; air-con would be nice and Ive heard of some models having a Bose stereo setup; worth hunting one of these down?
I test drove a 2.0 litre Sport with a 6-speed box which felt great to drive and is probably the one I'd look at; I'd like this car to be an appreciable step up in power terms, but I'd like to hear opinions on the 1.8. As for gearbox, does the 6-speed offer much in terms of driveability? Would it be the better the better choice for a car which will get used on the motorway each day? Should I consider the 5-speed instead?
Reliability: One assumes that being Japanese it will never break down(rite?), but it never asks to beg the question of what peoples own experiences are.
Budget: We are probably looking to spend about £7500-£8000. I've seen some nice examples for this sort of price range, but it would help if anyone could give me a steer of what to expect from some of the options (a vague request I know) at this sort of price range. Is that a sensible budget, or am I falling short of finding a good example?
Anyway, I'll open the floor now, and sorry for the long post. I'd be really interested to hear your opinions and ownership experiences.
tl:dr - wishful thinking or a sound choice?
Now, a change in my circumstances over the last year has made the prospect of owning one a very real possibility. Me and my girlfriend live together and now work at the same company, so we only need the one car (although my girlfriend may be eligible for a company car come November). Our commute is 12 miles/20 minutes each way (8 miles of which is dual carriageway).
I was hoping some of the MX5 drivers here could give me an insight as to what these cars are like for everyday use. Are they comfortable enough to live with everyday? I was impressed with it on the quick test drive I had (2ltr 6-speed), even on the motorway it was quite smooth and powerful enough not to be a chore, but I only spent about 10 minutes cruising at about 60-70 with the roof down.
Fuel economy: Is it a killer? Book figure seems to be about 35MPG combined, (I currently get about 39MPG in my 1.6 Focus)....but then, I know how misleading book figures can be. Whilst I'm not buying a car with MPGZzzzzzzz in mind, I would like it to be capable of some measure of efficiency and know in advance if it drinks like a fish.
Folding soft tops: This will probably be the option we go for. Anything I should be wary of? Apart from wind noise on the motorway (although as stated, only 8 miles of my commute is motorway driving), what are they like to live with. Are there any special requirements on caring for a cloth top? Are they prone to leaking, or fairly well engineered on the MX5? Also, is it right than you can buy a detachable hard top to fit during the winter months? Bear in mind, the car will be parked overnight in a secure underground car park. Also, I know that some have a powered roof, but the one I drove had a manual roof that was so easy to operate, I could do it in 5 seconds flat sitting in the drivers seat; is it really worth finding/paying for an example with a powered mechanism?
Options and trim: We still haven't fully researched what's available. As per thread title, it will be a MK3, as we both would like to have a newer car...although I'm aware how popular older MXs are, I really like the look of the newer ones and would prefer to own a car a maximum of 4 years old if I can. I don't have a huge amount of demands options wise; air-con would be nice and Ive heard of some models having a Bose stereo setup; worth hunting one of these down?
I test drove a 2.0 litre Sport with a 6-speed box which felt great to drive and is probably the one I'd look at; I'd like this car to be an appreciable step up in power terms, but I'd like to hear opinions on the 1.8. As for gearbox, does the 6-speed offer much in terms of driveability? Would it be the better the better choice for a car which will get used on the motorway each day? Should I consider the 5-speed instead?
Reliability: One assumes that being Japanese it will never break down(rite?), but it never asks to beg the question of what peoples own experiences are.
Budget: We are probably looking to spend about £7500-£8000. I've seen some nice examples for this sort of price range, but it would help if anyone could give me a steer of what to expect from some of the options (a vague request I know) at this sort of price range. Is that a sensible budget, or am I falling short of finding a good example?
Anyway, I'll open the floor now, and sorry for the long post. I'd be really interested to hear your opinions and ownership experiences.
tl:dr - wishful thinking or a sound choice?
