Caught in the classifieds: 2015 Mazda MX 5
I know summer is well over six months away, but I don’t think there’s ever a ‘wrong time’ to buy an MX-5. In this week’s “Caught in the Classifieds” section, I thought I’d focus on one of the most popular and affordable sports cars ever made. Designed with the single goal of being fun and exciting, the MX-5 is arguably the best bang for buck sportscar currently on the market.
Although you can buy a used MX-5 for well under £2,000, in this article I’ll focus on the latest ND-generation for people who have a bit more cash to burn and want a more modern car. The car I’m highlighting has just over 41,000 miles on the clock, making it barely worn-in yet, and since this is a small convertible sportscar, I picked a manual instead of an auto.
Exterior
The ND MX-5 is the most aggressive-looking car of any of the MX-5 generations. When Mazda decided to launch an all-new MX-5 in 2015, they had a completely bespoke chassis for it but they weren’t sure which design route to take. They basically had two options: either keep the MX-5’s cute, smiley exterior, or transform it into something more aggressive.
I know a lot of people don’t like the latest MX-5 but I think it’s the best-looking generation so far. I’d compare it to a little terrier. It looks kind of cute but a little bit angry at the same time.
The original MX-5 was criticized for being a ‘hairdresser’s car’, with a lot of people saying it looked too ‘feminine’. I think Mazda took the design route they did with the latest car as a response to some of the criticism directed towards its predecessors.
I always felt that the first-gen MX-5 was a good-looking car exactly because it wasn’t imposing or trying too hard. It was just an honest little roadster that didn’t have anything to hide. If you see someone in a first-gen MX-5, you know full well that they don’t care about the way their car looks, they just want to drive it and enjoy themselves.
That being said, I think a more aggressive car like the ND MX-5 is perfect for today’s automotive climate as more and more manufacturers start designing striking-looking cars.
My favourite angle has to be the front three-quarter view. It captures the car’s new front fascia and its side curves all from one perspective. I love the front bumper with the central opening that still gives the car the impression that it’s smiling. It adds that ‘cute’ element which I think should be Omni-present on any MX-5 generation.
The rear is simpler than the front and truer to the original MX-5. I love that they’ve decided to stick with round central elements for the taillights, even if they’ve moved the taillights themselves towards the inside by a significant margin. The twin exhaust pipes look good too, especially combined with the small bumper cutout in the middle.
Interior
The MX-5’s biggest competitor is the Toyota GT-86, and while they’re similar on paper, the way they drive and feel is completely different. Their cabins are entirely different too, with the Mazda MX-5 being surprisingly more luxurious and better built.
Build quality in the MX-5 is heads and shoulders above anything the GT-86 has to offer. The materials feel a lot better too, especially the plastics. The Toyota has some seriously cheap plastics which start to rattle and squeak over time, whereas the Mazda feels a lot sturdier.
The driving position in the Toyota is great, but the little Mazda is like a race car in comparison. You sit extremely low to the ground, to the point where you feel like you’ll scrape the ground if you go any lower, and the three-spoke steering wheel feels amazing in your hands.
The gearstick is in exactly the right position for intuitive shifts and the pedals are perfectly placed for heel-and-toe. I could tell you that the infotainment display is decently large and the controls are all ergonomic, but let’s be honest, none of that matters in an MX-5.
Engine and Performance
The ND MX-5 is available with either a 1.5 or a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine depending on trim level and spec. There are two 2.0-litre engine variants, the most potent of which makes 184 horsepower and the weaker one produces 160 horsepower.
They’re both decently quick, with the more powerful car reaching 62 mph in 6.5 seconds and the other in 7.3 seconds. Power is obviously sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual or a six-speed auto. This car is, as I mentioned previously, a manual.
The MX-5 really starts to come into its own once you show it a set of corners. It’s so light and nimble on its feet you feel like you can place the car anywhere you want to. The front end is really pointy on initial turn-in. The car doesn’t seem to have any understeer until you’re travelling at unreasonable speeds.
The rear end feels planted and safe, but you can get it to squirm around if you give it a boot full of throttle on corner exit. Because it’s turbocharged, it feels more potent overall than a GT-86, despite the fact they’re nearly equally matched.
The 86 wants you to rev its nuts off and drive it on the limit all the time, but the MX-5 is more enjoyable at slow and medium speeds on the public highway. It’s better to poodle around in traffic too, because the clutch is light and the engine pulls away without any hesitation.
Model: Mazda MX-5
Year: 2015
Trim: 2.0 Sport Nav
Mileage: 41,833
Price: £12,750
Why buy one
For track use or a quick weekend drive, I’d always pick an 86 over an MX-5 because it feels more rewarding to push it to its limits. The MX-5 though is the better car if you want a daily driver, provided you don’t mind the lack of rear seats (which are pretty much useless in the Toyota anyway). Find the one for you from the list of used Mazda MX-5 cars for sale available right now on DesperateSeller.co.uk
DesperateSeller.co.uk rating: 9 out of 10
