Mazda MX5 Roadster Coupe
Road test - March 2007

My first impressions on collecting the test car were disappointing to say the least. It was silver, a most insipid colour for a car, it had black upholstery - hate black upholstery - and it had a folding hardtop ! The top folded away quickly and easily enough, but as I slowly drove down the street, I thought that I detected scuttle shake. Things were not looking good ! Still there were a lot of things in its favour and I resolved to get to know it as best I could. After that initial bit of uneven road, I never noticed any hint of scuttle shake again, so perhaps it was just my silver and black disappointment getting the better of me.
Certainly the ride and roadholding were up to expected MX5 standards, the driving position was superbly comfortable and the seats seemed to hold me firmly but ever so comfortably. After a few more days, I had come to the conclusion that I could live with a folding hardtop if I had to and on the plus side, my wife thought that it was a far better alternative to a soft top. It goes up or down at the touch of a button in twelve seconds. Unless the folding soft top is electrically operated, I have grave reservations that a driver will be able to get it up or down in the same time and comfort, from the driver’s seat. On the second generation model, I could do it in six seconds ! If the soft top is not electrically operated, although I far prefer a soft top, I think that I would opt for the folding hardtop, if I were buying an MX5 for myself.
There were still some disappointments however. The third generation model does not have a spare wheel, just a bottle of latex and an air compressor, for dealing with punctures. This is not a solution that I am particularly happy with, especially when touring. The gearchange on the test car was a bitter disappointment, after the slick changes I have come to associate with every previous MX5 I have ever driven. Most of the time it baulked going into reverse, while normal changes up and down were gritty and unpredictable. Sometimes they were good, other times less impressive. Perhaps this was just a fault of this particular car, but until I drive another MX5 I will never know.
I like the styling of the third generation model, although, I still drool over the styling of the second generation model. It stands that little bit higher, which makes it that little bit easier for me to enter and leave, especially as I am not getting any younger. I cannot make up my mind about the boot, which my son assures me is larger than that in his second generation model, but to me it looks smaller. I am not satisfied that it is adequate for two people on a touring holiday. On referring back to a previous road test of the second generation model, I find that it offered 0.144 cubic metres of luggage space, as against 0.150 cubic metres in the third generation model, but it is still poor when compared with the 0.244 cubic metres available to MGF drivers.

The interior is simply, but clearly laid out, for driving pleasure and convenience. The main, hooded instrument binnacle, holds two large analogue dials, for engine speed and road speed, plus three smaller ones for engine temperature, oil pressure and fuel level. Between the two large dials, there is a digital panel for trip and total distance recorders. All five dials have black faces with white lettering and silver bezels, making them easy to see at a glance.
The centre console houses the heating/ventilating controls and the audio equipment. The three circular heating/ventilating controls are clearly marked and easy to operate whilst driving. The digital panel in the audio unit serves as the location for a digital display of the time. Additional audio buttons are located on the left hand arm of the steering wheel.
In the curved top segment of the centre console there are the buttons for lowering and raising the roof, one for each operation, situated on either side of the hazard warning switch.
Two buttons for the electric windows are positioned on the tunnel behind the gearlever, while a sliding cover on this tunnel opens to reveal two cupholders. Each door also has a small bottle holder. Controls for the adjustment of the two exterior rear view mirrors are located in the armrest on the driver’s door.
Besides the large, lockable glovebox on the passenger side of the lower facia, there is another lockable storage box in the rear bulkhead, between the two front seats.

The luggage compartment offers 0.150 cubic metres of luggage space. The bag in the centre left (in the picture above) contains the latex, air compressor and puncture fixing tools, while the hatch on the wall of the right hand side of the boot, opens to give access to the jack. A bag secured to the inner side, immediately ahead of the number plate location, holds the wheel brace and bar for operating the jack. A button on the remote control key fob, allows the luggage compartment to be unlocked without unlocking access to the passenger space.

The designers have managed to retain most of the attractive styling of the car, when the folding hardtop is erected, but personally I think that this car is made to be driven top down.

If I appear to have spent a lot of time describing the layout of the controls, the operation of the roof and the provision of luggage and storage space, it is because a roadster becomes part of you. You wear it like a favourite suit. You have to be totally comfortable with it, in order to enjoy it to the full. Naturally you expect a sparkling performance, delivered with comfort and safety.
The only other roadster with a similar size engine and a folding hardtop that I have tested is the Mercedes-Benz SLK 200 Kompressor. Because of its turbocharging it is tuned to deliver 66.815 kW/lt, which gives it a top speed of 225 kph (140 mph), with a 0-100 kph acceleration time of 8.3 seconds. The SLK is, of course, far more expensive than the Mazda MX5 roadster coupe.
The MGF VVC that I tested had a cylinder capacity identical to that of the Mercedes-Benz, 1796 cc, but being naturally aspirated, its specific output was a much more modest 58.463 kW/lt, yet it could deliver a top speed of 209 kph (130 mph) with 0-100 kph acceleration in just 7.0 seconds. The standard MGF produced 89 kW giving a specific output of 49.554 kW/lt. It had a top speed of 193 kph (120 mph) with 0-100 kph in 8.5 seconds.
This was not quite up to the standards of the tenth anniversary model of the second generation MX5 which had a specific output of 56.005 kW/lt and gave a top speed of 204 kph (127 mph) and 0-100 kph in 8.0 seconds.
This latest MX5 has a specific output of 51.724 kW/lt, giving a top speed of 196 kph (121 mph) and 0-100 kph in 9.4 seconds. On that basis it is not the most sparkling performer amongst the ranks of affordable roadsters that have ever hit the road. Indeed, it is only very marginally better than the second generation model with the smaller 1597 cc engine, which had a specific output of 50.720 kW/lt and offered a top speed of 189 kph (118 mph) with 0- 100 kph in 9.7 seconds.
It is not so much what it can do, as the way in which it does it, as the Bishop said to the actress, that is important. Although the figures, on paper, do not tell too impressive a story, on the road, it delivers a satisfactory performance, which yields real driving pleasure. Perhaps that folding hardtop has added too much weight, as this version has a power to weight ratio of 14.569 kg/kW. That compares with 12.530 kg/kW for the 1.6 litre second generation model, 11.910 kg/kW for the standard MGF and 9.951 kg/kW for the 1.8 litre, tenth anniversary, second generation model. Let us hope that Mazda does not let the MX5 develop into a fat, overweight, old lady.

Surprisingly in spite of its less favourable power/weight ratio, it is actually more economical in its thirst for fuel, than the tenth anniversary model. Perhaps this is because the gear ratios have been adjusted away from outright performance and more towards economy. That would certainly go some way towards explaining the performance deficit compared to the tenth anniversary model. The actual figures for the roadster coupe are: Urban 9.9 lt/100 km (28 mpg), extra urban 5.8 lt/100 km (48 mpg) and combined 7.3 lt/100 km (38 mpg). This gives carbon dioxide exhaust emissions of 174 gm/km.

In the chassis department, the third generation model has departed from the design and layout used on the original and second generation models and has adopted the design used by the RX8 coupe. It still gives excellent ride, roadholding and handling, which makes the car such a pleasure to drive. The power assisted steering is geared to give 2.75 turns from lock to lock.
The braking system incorporates anti-lock with electronic force distribution and dynamic stability control, with traction control. It uses 290 mm x 22 mm ventilated discs at the front and 280 mm x 10 mm plain discs at the rear.
Overall this latest model has lost nothing of the taut feel and precise control, of its predecessors, which gave such sheer driving pleasure. It is superbly comfortable and well laid out, which also contributes in no small way to that overall driving satisfaction. While the performance, in terms of velocity, may not be quite up to the excellent standards set by the tenth anniversary model, it is still sufficient to bring a smile to the driver’s face and keep it there for the duration of the journey. Traffic volumes have increased tremendously over the past few years, so in an urban environment, your speed is limited to that of the other traffic on the road. As a general rule, Irish roads are too narrow and too overcrowded for safe overtaking, so you are committed to the pace of that Nissan Micra or big Volvo, dawdling along in front of you. Once you reach an open road, you can enjoy a faster pace, but this too is severely limited by the pathetic state of our road surfaces, or on new roads, by the sheer volume of traffic they are carrying. Bearing these restraints in mind, I cannot imagine that anyone would be dissatisfied with their Mazda MX5 driving experience. The only question that remains is, hardtop or soft top ? Only you can answer that for yourself.

Technical data