► We welcome the Mazda MX-5 to our fleet
► Puny 1.5-litre unit is the engine of choice
► Gorgeous red and black contrast colour
It’ll be too slow. That’s what I was told by colleagues when I originally tried to order the entry-level 1.5-litre engine for our new Mk4 Mazda MX-5 long-termer. But within five minutes of starting a test drive in the 2.0-litre alternative I knew the 1.5 was the one for me. While the bigger brute may be more powerful – James Taylor reckons it’s the first MX-5 he’s driven that actually feels ‘fast’ – it also comes across as flat as an ironing board that’s been in an accident with a steamroller compared to the puppy-on-Haribo urgency of the smaller unit, which peaks a whole 1000rpm further round the dial. Okay, so you have to wind it up, but isn’t that what the MX-5 is all about? Apparently Mazda’s engineers agree; they’re said to favour the 1.5-litre version, too.
Long-story-short, the new MX-5 that graces these pages is not a 2.0-litre. Instead, it’s the way I think Mazda really wanted it to be. We’ve even got the Soul Red Metallic chosen as the launch colour – it’s the most expensive paint option at £660 but I doubt you’ll blame us, especially given how sensational it looks contrasted with the black 16-inch alloys and mirrors that come standard as part of the Sport specification. Actually, it’s the Sport Nav package in this instance, which brings the (obvious) addition of satellite navigation while meaning that at £22,445 even before adding the paint, our car costs almost £4000 more than the bone-stock £18,495 SE model. Porsche would probably charge you that much for a swanky cupholder of course, but on a relatively low cost car like this that represents a hefty percentage.
I’ve done the math. The difference is approximately 21% of the base price. In exchange you get 21 items of extra kit, including climate control, the Mazda ‘Multimedia Commander’ infotainment system, heated leather seats, Bose audio with additional speakers in the headrests, automatic lights and wipers, cruise control, and keyless entry. This is on top of the fancy LED headlights that are fitted across the range, alongside items such as keyless go and the obligatory USB ports – of which there are two, so you and your passenger don’t have to get into a fight about who should charge their phone first. Mazda lists the weight of both versions at 1050kg, which seems slightly suspicious, but I’m not going to complain about the added luxury; if I want a rawer (rattlier) MX-5 experience, I can always fire up my 1991 Mk1, which has electric windows and that’s about it.
Even with all that gear I suspect the 129bhp 1.5-litre Sport Nav is going to be something of a rarity – not because it’s poor value but because the 158bhp 2.0-litre equivalent is just £850 more at £23,295, and how many people are really going to be able to resist the extra 29bhp? After all, it’s enough to shuck a whole second off the 0-62mph time, bringing it down to 7.3sec, and not only do all 2.0-litre MX-5’s get a limited-slip differential and arch-filling 17-inch wheels, the 2.0-litre Sport and Sport Nav include pub ammo bonus points in the form of Bilstein suspension. Personally, I found this made the new MX-5’s already nervous ride quality still worse when I tried it, preferring the extra compliance of the ordinary suspension (and smaller wheels) on all but the smoothest of surfaces. Others in the office have already raised eyebrows at the body roll.
Again, though, I would direct the jury’s attention to the purpose of this vehicle. It isn’t about outright speed – and what was ever going to be as fast as the Huracan I’ve just said goodbye to, anyway? It’s about a sweet, responsive engine paired with one of the nicest, tightest six-speed manual gearboxes currently on sale and a chassis that’s built to balance and inform, not turn every corner into a simple twirl of the wheel. It’s about compact, distilled driving that actually gives the chump behind that wheel the opportunity to get involved. And it’s about a manual convertible roof that folds flat in under three seconds. Winter is coming, and I know I’m still going to be able to make the most of it.
How we specced our MX-5
Paint it red: Soul Red Metallic is the most expensive paint choice at £660 – but it’s also the only option fitted, so we don’t feel too bad about it
Shiny things: LED headlights – standard across the range, and quite brilliant given they look so tiny
Less is more: 1.5-litre engine means 29bhp less but 1000rpm more – shut up and cane it
What a wand!: Six-speed manual gearbox – the magic wand of happiness
Case closed: Who needs a folding hard top or power assistance when this simple, lightweight fabric roof can be opened or closed in under three seconds – brilliant
Hot seats: Heated leather seats – help make every clear moment a drop-top opportunity
Spot the diff: 1.5-litre cars make do with an open diff, 2.0-litre cars get an LSD – so far, so what?
Logbook: Mazda MX-5 1.5 Sport Nav
Engine: 1496cc 16v 4-cyl, 129bhp @ 7000rpm, 111lb ft @ 4800rpm
Gearbox: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Stats: 8.3sec 0-62mph, 127mph, 139g/km Price £22,445
As tested: £23,105
Miles this month: 1895
Total miles: 3599
Our mpg: 41.7
Official mpg: 47.1
Fuel this month: £240.17
Extra costs: £0