So after owning a MX5 for over a week now I’m coming to realise a few things some good some bad. Just so you know I absolutely love this car and am thoroughly enjoying every minute I get to drive her. So as follows is my list of realisations
Been nearly 30 and young looking it seems every idiot in an audi wants to race me. Yes it’s a sporty car and yes I can get nearly 7k revs before changing gear but no I don’t want to race you I just want to get home from work safely.
The car is so much better with the roof down. I have the retractable hardtop version and I don’t like the roof up, I’ve only had the roof up this morning as rain started getting me :( and I’m sure it’s got a squeak when the roof is up.
Diesels are horrible noisy tractors that should be banned! I know my 6 was a diesel and my other half has a Tiguan diesel but I still hate them.
Been shouted at it’s only a Mazda by some idiot who probably drives a clapped out corsa. I mean how daft do you have to be to tell someone what car there driving
I love the MX5 wave, even if I’m starting to stop waving at mk4s as they don’t seem to wave back, with the exception of one lady in a lovely red mk4 who has the top down as much as I do who has a lovely wave back. Hope shes on here as we pass in the Halifax / Hipperholme area quite a few mornings.
I love mk1 mx5’s even though I’m in my 12 plate white mk3.5
this is the worst one – I now notice every convertible car that has the roof up when its warm and dry and it infuriates me I have no idea why this gets to me so much as is their car they can choose to buy a convertible and not use it but it just really seems to annoy me.
I find the ride very, very comfortable my previous car a Mazda 6 sport was a much harsher ride than this is
I can’t quite figure out how to get out of the car gracefully. I love been sat on the floor where a driver is meant to be though
All in all I really, really love the car and to be honest it’s more grumbling about other people. I’m really excited as I do believe me and the other half are taking her for a spin out up into north Yorkshire and towards the lakes this weekend
This is good to know, a nice read, I have just bought a new MX 5, I pick it up around 3pm today!! Cant wait.
Looking forward to this new chapter in owning a car for fun rather than for practical requirements. Hoping the weather picks up a bit for this afternoon.
I intend taking the car out this evening for a run.
Likewise, had our Mx5 nearly two weeks and loving it. Bit older than yours at 2007 but even wife says it’s more comfortable than the Rx8 we once had and I’m lowered 40mm.
Wife who does have a back condition struggles a little in and out but on a 60 mile drive yesterday she loved it and says even her hair stayed more or less intact
Best way we have found to get in is sit on seat sideways then bring your legs around and getting out the reverse, if i try getting in normally it end in a bit of a thump.
Strangest thing was after driving it for nearly two weeks then getting into our other car a new Vitara its like sitting on the top of a double decker bus !
Great car
Only grumble is with Mazda dealer, ordered 10ltrs of FL22 extended life coolant over a week ago and four times they have gave me a date to collect but when i phone first as its a 30 mile round trip they say it’s not turned up, until yesterday it was in but when i arrived it wasn’t there.
Although sometimes if I’m just nipping down the road I’ll keep it up. It’s a bit stiff after winter and can’t quite pull it back over while sat down as I could before annoyingly. I keep meaning to search the forum to get a remedy for this and this has just reminded me so I’ll go and do that now!
Excellent list, I agree with all of it, particularly the convertibles with roofs up.
I’ve only had my MX-5 since November, but really enjoying it now the weather is improving and I can have the roof down more often. That said, I did drive it with the roof down on some bright days around Christmas, got some strange looks but I had a very thick jumper!
glad most of you agree with these. I did miss the fact i use too much fuel as I tend to have it in a gear too low so I can here that 2.0 litre purr. its quite an addictive sound
I even did a 10 mile round trip to the next village to buy a paper and bottle of milk last weekend. We live about a two minute walk from our local village shop
Had my Mk3.75 about 3 weeks now and have to say I agree with all your comments. Only fault I can find is that I’m a little older than you and don’t have as much hair as I used to so keep burnin me bonce with the roof down. Also may have to up the mileage on my insurance as I have covered nearly a thousand miles in 3 weeks lol.
Am I missing something whats wrong with a Porsche 911 now if you said Porsche boxster Id understand but 911 is a nice motor in my eyes much better than a audi R8 give me a GT3 RS anyday.
Glad I’m not alone on my findings on owning a MX5 had the top down this morning too only had one morning this week I had to put the top up as I started getting rained on, the rest of the week the top has been down and its been great.
Im excited to be giving her her first full deep clean this weekend.
Congratulations Ben, glad you are enjoying your car.
Don’t be too hard on non-waving Mk4 drivers. Some of them won’t have owned earlier versions and perhaps don’t have the MX-5 recognition skills:)
I haven’t had too many problems with people wanting to race me (with the recent notable exception of a BMW X6 driver a few days ago who must nearly have reached escape velocity while demonstrating his virility) but close following seems to be much more frequent when I am in the MX-5 compared with my other, taller, car - maybe because they can see over us. I think most of them are just dozy rather than aggressive. If you find a non-confrontational way of dealing with that, let me know…
What non-MX-5 people don’t always get is that it isn’t about outright speed, but driving pleasure. What use is 300bhp when the roads that a sports car is designed for have a maximum 60 limit, and many A-road limits are now being reduced to 50?
Yeah I really am loving The MX5 she handles well she goes into a corner better than I do and she has enough grunt to leave those audi diesels behind me.
As for a non confrontational way of dealing with these idiots I find that just pulling aside and waving them past the best option, I’m not bothered if my journey takes an extra 10 minutes I’m enjoying the sunshine in my nice car. Its funny though when they are in front thy dont go any faster than you I think people dont realise to leave braking distance between cars
One of the joys of the MX5 is the amazing limpet grip in the corners (assuming proper decent tyres and wheel alignment). This is a good way to lose most tailgaters, especially the tall 4x4s and top-heavy SUVs.
There is an exit slip from M25 to M40 where the comfortable maximum speed for most cars is 50; if one has been doing 70 on the M25 and just lifts after entering the slip, by the time the bend begins to tighten the car will have dropped to 50. I know this bend very well having commuted round it for eleven years. It has the advantage of excellent visibility, with no worries about a sudden surprise lurking around a blind corner.
Twice now I’ve been 'gated from before Heathrow all the way to M40, even though there were plenty of opportunities for the 'gater to go past. In these instances I did not bother to lift and kept to 70 around the tightening bend in the ‘slow’ lane to allow them to pass. Last year a Bini Cropper began to twitch all over the road with much sawing on the steering wheel and suddenly dropped away out of sight. A few weeks ago an '18 plate XC60 spun and ended up sliding sideways through the ‘fast’ lane onto the offside margin facing backwards with rear bumper almost touching the crash barrier, and I left him to it since he did not appear to damage anything except his ego. I wish I had put the dash cam on the rear window for later sharing (lid up on boring motorways).
No show-boating, no flash, no brake testing, no arm waving nor any inflammatory gestures, just keeping to the speed limits and allowing other road users plenty of room. Their aggression is not my problem, especially if I simply ignore them and drive correctly. I also know a very good solicitor. He once gave ma a very good piece of advice, “Don’t confront an idiot, just let him go, he will eventually meet a kindred spirit and they’ll mutually eliminate each other.”
I too am a newbie MX-5 owner (again - a bit older 2006 mk3) having had it for just over two weeks, but it’s the first car I’ve ever really enjoyed driving properly. It really brings a smile to my face. My wife loves it too, although she does call it my mid-life crisis.
As others have said - if I need to pick something up, I could go to Tesco which is only 2 miles away, or even the co-op in the village, but I’ll take the longer blast to Sainsburys at Tadcaster 7 miles away because, well, why not? I might even go the back way on the country lanes which is even further but it’s great fun. Also, because mine is a 1.8i without Aircon, if you have the top up when it’s sunny it’s too hot - so it’s Yorkshire Aircon and top down all the way!
Downside? I’ve already spent a few quid on bits - the replacement ICE setup was probably £600 all in (including all the bits and pieces as I replaced the speakers in the doors too) and I’ve ordered a new re-covered steering wheel from Royal, and will get the seats re-covered later in the year with the local guys at Seat Surgeons in York who do the rather lovely leather retrimming.
And like others - it’s really odd to get out of this into my other daily driver (a 2 year old Skoda Octavia) as it feels like I’m driving a 4x4!
Wow your spending some brass getting the seats re-trimmed. I’m quite lucky that mine is in pretty mint condition and nothing needs doing (that i can see at the moment ) as for the stereo I’m not sure whats mine sounds like tbh I’m still happily driving in a lower gear listening to my exhaust pipes. I know I’m not going to be happy with the quality though as my mazda 6 had a full Bose system and was so damn good that I know these aint going to match it. some nice bolt in speakers would probably be great but my past experience tells me not to touch the speakers as im happy to replace a headgasket etc but I swear im cursed when altering sound systems
I have also only owned my MX5 for a few weeks but love driving around with the roof tucked away, i’m convinced that when the car was designed it was done & perfected without a roof & then some one raised a query so the roof was put on as an after thought, the car just seems quieter & more solid with the roof down as stupid as that may sound!
I think the key to getting in & out is to stand with both feet on the ground, lower your bum into the seat & then swivel both legs around & into the car, reversing this procedure to get out, my wife learned this very quickly, the first time she went out in it she didn’t think & put quite a short dress on!
only had one morning this week I had to put the top up as I started getting rained on, the rest of the week the top has been down and its been great.