1 year and 11,000 miles in an ND

General Discussion Forums Readers Rides
2

Tomorrow marks 1 year of ND ownership in which I have made full use of the ND whenever possible. My thoughts and conclusions may be of interest?

 

The good

  • Covered 11,000 miles including 3000 on a European tour (in a week) to southern Italia and back.
  • Fuel consumption for the year is around 36 mpg
  • Despite early concerns about uncomfortable seats and back ache, I seem to have got used to it and had no problems during a week living in the car.
  • Love the looks of the car
  • Head lamps automatically adjust between UK and continent based on GPS - neat
  • Hood operation fast
  • Stable at 135 mph on Autobahn (with BBR suspension) though fuel consumption 14mpg...
  • Easy cruising at 110 mph on Autobahn
  • No oil use
  • Tyre wear and consumables very good
  • Luggage space about perfect - enough for a week away (just)
 

The not so good

  • Car felt wallowy and floaty on original suspension - understeer evident at 60 mph in corners
  • New hood required as original wearing on roll hoops
  • Software updates required for glitches in Nav and connected services
  • Connected services are hopeless
  • Mazda dealer not brilliant at fixing issues (third attempt next week to resolve lane departure warning system)
  • Floor mat is worn through under drivers heel - not great - my Audi mats have survived 165k miles in better shape
  • Could be a sharper drive - not really a sports car - no steering feel, marginal performance
 

I had thoughts of getting rid after the European tour as it wasn’t exciting but on so many levels it fits the bill for me. Good size, reasonable running costs, almost quick enough, makes the drive to work more pleasant, cheap insurance and servicing, reliable. Next year will get a BBR tune on it to get it to around 200 bhp after which I think it will probably be as good as it will get.

 

Overall - 8/10 for me (with BBR suspension) and 7/10 without. Good car but room for improvement with a more engaging drive.

 

Adam

3

USeful read, thank you Adam. 

4

 

So now, with the BBR suspension you can easily take corners at 60 mph, albeit that you can’t see round them!  Let’s hope you don’t come across a broken down vehicle, a youngster on a horse or a slow moving vehicle around one of these corners!  Sorry Adam, not impressed with your style of driving I’m afraid, it seems too “at the limit” for public roads to me!

5

Interesting to read your views Adam.

I’m surprised about your view that the ND does not offer an engaging drive and neither is it a sports car.  This is at odds with any review I’ve ever read about the ND…and I’ve read quite a few!  

Having driven and owned a variety of sports card and coupe’s over the years, I would certainly disagree with these statements.  In my view the ND is equally as engaging a drive as my brother’s Porsche 911 turbo, albeit not as powerful, and without the prestige badge. 

 

Maybe it’s not the car for you after all! 

Barry

6

to be fair

we dont know the corners being approached at 60mph!

not enough info to judge, imo.

but , i would not condone lunatic driving.

just my opinion

1 Like
7

There are plenty of corners you can approach at 60mph safely on the public roads, been round quite a few today in fact. It’s all about sight lines.

Condemning someone on the basis of what they have written in one post on an internet forum without any information, come on guys give it a break 

 

8

 

Sorry Ian if I appear unfair.  I am biased inasmuch as round here “corners” are generally on country roads (minor roads), they tend to be tight and are blind. the major roads have “bends” and “curves” which are generally open with good visibility.  So I may have been wrong in assuming that the word “corner” has the same interpretation nationally.

9

   

 

my point exactly!!

10

I’ve been from near Aberdeen today to north of Inverness and back, lots of flowing open roads, I’m sure you could do 80 or so on some of those curves if that wasn’t illegal… 

11

Interesting observations - thanks for sharing

12

 

That’s right Ian, open flowing " curves, NOT “corners”! Different thing entirely!

13

 

and a corner is defined as a curve in the road… 

I’ll leave it there 

 

14

Oh dear…I have a feeling this is about to turn into one of THOSE threads 

I’m outta here … ??

15

Now then children, stop bickering and eat your pudding. Muller fruit curve anyone?

16

Oops, I’ve clearly ruffled a feather or two. Not intentional.

 

The bend in the road taken at 60 can be sighted from a distance and is approached on an undulating straight stretch. No great drama and certainly not being reckless. Amazing that its possible to characterise 25 years of driving in one sentence eh?

The comment about the mx5 perhaps not being the car for me has some truth in it as I have wondered the same often in the last year. I had an NA before this and loed the drive but didn’t like the lack of safety features for my family and I. Though I’ve neer crashed a car in 400k miles of driving it may happen one day and I’d like to have a fighting chance. |On balance I think the MX5 ND is the car for me now. I had a VX220 some years ago and loved the telepathic steering (my benchmark) but that was it - the roof leaked, the coil packs failed, the body was fragile, the heater was a joke, no aircon, couldn’t hear stereo… 

 

I considered a used Boxster of a similar cost to the £24,500 I paid for my ND and decided that it wasn’t right for me. Ironically a key reason was that I enjoy driving cars and don’t want to have to corner at 90 mph+ before the car starts engaging. A friend had a Cayman S that I was fortunate to drive a few years ago and while I loved the engine noise and design and quality, it didn’t start being interesting until silly speeds. My friend also regularly had garage bills running in to the thousands for routine servicing and consumables - not my idea of a fun second car that you can use when the mood takes. I certainly couldn’t afford to do 11,000 miles a year in a Cayman / Boxster without earning substantially more.

 

I’m not all about speed - but I do like accelleration. The two are different. I’d like the MX to accellerate quicker but I wouldn’t much care if it didn’t go over 90 mph. I had an early smart car years ago which was limited to 83 mph and loved it for all its faults, anmd it had many. MX5 are not about outright speed or performance and do so many things brilliantly. I love the hood. I love the reliability. I love the running costs. I love the economy. I love the headlights. I’d just like the steering to be more talkative and the accelleration to be more like the VX220 (or Saab 9-3 Aero I had, or Audi 3.0 TDi). They all get to 60 in about 6 seconds and that feels about perfect. Safe for overtaking on a country road (with clear sightlines etc). Overtaking is not just about speed but road position and anticipation. But a car that can accellerate smartly helps. Another friend has an M235i which is quite a machine, however I wouldn’t dream of driving near its limits. In the MX5 you can drive at 7/10 and feel great. In the BMW or Porsche 7/10 is license shredding territory and a spell at her majesty’s pleasure. Not for me.

 

Posting negative comments on an owners forum (that I am a member of) is always a risk I guess, I just figured we were all grown ups and could have a grown up conversation. I have opted not to extend my membership because I find my interests to be at odds with the general forum vibe. Not a criticism in any way, just a statement. I will likely still be on here but I don’t get £35 value from being a member and posting when I see another mx5.

 

I plan to tune the car for improved accelleration and I have genuinely found the BBR springs have made the car feel much more positive. Not a great improvement on the steering, but just feels more balanced. I like the difference. If others are happy as they are then save the ÂŁ200 and be happy. On balance I really like my MX5 and despite a few quality niggles and dealer hassles it fits the bill for me right now.

 

Not much more to say but I find it a shame that Countryboy has not driven his car round corners at 60 mph… Isn’t that what a fun roadster is about?

1 Like
17

Having driven every version, at 60 and above, around corners, curves and bends, I couldn’t say the new model is any different in the definition of a sports car than any of the previous versions. None of them have stunning performance and none of them are the best handling car in the world, but they certainly have something about them. 

The MK4 does feel light, and “loose” but many of the others in standard form do as well.

18

I found your views very informative Adam, and I have driven all 4 Mk’s, so know exactly where you’re coming from.

Unfortunately you appear to have been judged, sentenced, and hanged by an extremely blinkered view…hey ho, thats forums for you, there will always be someone who will take umbrage, no matter what the subject…

Keep on enjoying the 5 (and the corners)…its what they’re for !

19

Apology PM sent to Adam. 

20

    

I.m with you there are too many PEDANTIC  answers /opinions on here at times re grammar , spelling and politcal correctness  loosen up guys   Cry