HI all I’m on my 3rd MX5 I bought a Kendo a few years ago and was impressed with the build quality and performance so last year I PXd for a 2015 SE-L car has a great shape but was a let down (I bought from dealer over internet during lockdown) not by the dealer but the car firstly the interior is so plastic who decided to put CD player and cup holders behind the driver under the centre storage area, no glove box so very limited storage in the cabin, the new engine is noisy generally not impressed so I have just sold it and bought a MX5 graphite back to the car I love.
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Same here Mk3.75 1.8SE to an Arctic ND now back to a 3.75 Powershift, and totally agree about the interior ergonomics of the ND very badly set out.
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I’ve had a few drives in the ND, both the 1.5 and 2.0 but not the latest higher power 2.0.
My wife doesn’t like them at all because of the interior and although I do think there are some nice touches, the lack of storage is annoying. As they don’t really drive any different to my NC, I think I’d only be changing for changes sake. Plus the rear hub issue doesn’t fill me with confidence for long term ownership.
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I much prefer the earlier model, went from MK1
to MK2 NBFL
went back to MK1 VR Ltd, then a rather large stag sat on me
so I decided on a safer car
but didn’t like the MK3, so back to a MK1 as it’s my personal favourite
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I loved my mk3.75, but the styling on the mk4 won me over and still love it.
I haven’t sat in the SE-L so can’t comment on the interior feel, but think the cream and black interior on mine is very nice.
I didn’t know there was a CD player for the first couple of months and can’t understand why they fitted one, I’d much rather have the extra cubby space.
I haven’t found the engine noisy as no MX5 is exactly quiet experience.
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This has been well debated and discussed, and the simple answer is that the NC1 is the best.
I have saved you a lot of time there.
You are welcome.
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Unfortunately I just don’t like the front of the NC1.
Ha! I went from a mk2.5 to the mk4 and now have a mk1. Only 1 week in, but my favourite so far. I’ve always thought the mk3 styling was a little too bulbous, though I do like the 25th anniversary & sport Recaro trims…
It’s been a while since we’ve seen Nder — their last post was yesterday.
The ND has been in production for well over 5 years now, did you ever maybe think, over that half of a decade, of maybe sitting in one of the thousands and thousands which have been on dealer forecourts over that half of a decade, prior to lockdown? The 1 minute of real life pro active research over that half of a decade would have answered your questions and you’d have not have progressed any further.
Also, as an MX-5 owner already, hence presumably have an interest in the marque, had you read any of the thousands of reviews or seen any of the thousands of youtube videos on the ND and seen/read copious people commuting on storge space, no glove box, cup holder positioning etc etc?
Granted the engine noise couldn’t have been deduced via sitting in the car or reading reviews, but maybe tried one of the thousands which have been on dealer forecourts over the years prior to lockdown could have, again, given the answer to that?
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Sorry I dont usually bother with reviews I much prefer to decide for myself as I had an MX5 before I thought that the SE_L would have been of similar build quality and as I bought the car from a dealer over the internet during the 1st lockdown there was no chance to see the car nevermind test drive
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There was a chance to see an example of the car. The car wasn’t released recently. If you maybe would have had 0.1% of interest that in the future you could have got an ND, or at least were inquisitive as to what the ‘new’ model was like, being an MX-5 owner, you have gone to a dealership in 2015, or say 2016 or say 2017 or say 2018 or say 2019 or say some of 2020 and just sat in one, you wouldn’t had had to guess. Or even asked someone parked in a Tesco car park if you saw one shopping over the last 5 years if you could have a look inside. People are generally nice when you ask them about their car.
Maybe take it as a lesson learned and read them next time. Thousands have commented on the lack of space, glove box and cup holder positions.
From your first post:
So you part Xed a car which you were impressed with, build quality and performance wise, for a car which you’d never even sat in (and maybe didn’t even really research reviews of?) blindly over the internet 
Tell you what guys, I must be doing something wrong!
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I prefer later models I have an ND1 and I have had an NA. At the time of owning the NA it suited me as it was something to go out in and drive hard on a weekend. Now I prefer the comfort of my ND and the gadgets, I also much prefer the looks of my ND. Quality is good no squeaks or rattles unlike my NA. Never had issues with storage either im not sure what people want to keep in their cars I keep baseball cap, sunglasses for me and wife, beanie hat, torch, couple of microfibre clothes and a map, I can’t think what else I would need, but it only gets used for weekend drives and occasional days out. There are little cubby holes the back of the seats, there’s the area the back of the seat and even under the seat if you needed more.
Essentially only you can decide what is best based on what you want the car for and what you expect from it. As someone has no doubt mentioned just go and test drive some.
I mean, I don’t want to come across like peter perfect, but surely some pre research is required.
I’d been considering an eventual replacement of the family’s NISMO RS and (initially) was interested in the PUMA ST. Read reviews, browsed forums, watched vids and I’ve visited two dealerships (one of them twice) and just sat in three of them to get a feel. Then I think ‘that’s stage 1 done’. I haven’t test drove one yet as I didn’t want to hassle the dealerships too much given a potential purchase is a while off. Of course I would do so before parting with readies. I’ve since read a good number of reliability issues with those, so those aren’t on my radar now, but at least prelim research is/was done.
Before i got my ND I had two test drives at different dealerships of ones they had on the forecourt. I’d also did the ‘sit in’ thing a few times before that too.
Similar for all cars I’ve got.
It isn’t hard to do a bit of research before hand. ‘Lockdown’ isn’t any real reason when a car has been out for YEARS. In addition ‘pure’ lockdown when everything was shut has only been a few months of the last 1.4 years. I managed quite easily last Nov (when ‘lockdown’ was such that stuff was open, just a bit more of a hassle) to sit in, test drive and buy a MINI with the Mrs, and in any case, if one was impressed with their current car in terms of performance and build quality, why not just wait a touch longer until showrooms were open again??
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You are likely correct… IF you do not include the MK1, of course the NC1 is a double win if you need a small boat that has a fold away mast 
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Each to their own, I’d suggest ignoring the egotistical holier than thou put down merchants who seem to take pleasure in belittling others for no other apparent reason than their own self gratification.
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Yeah I agree here, I do a huge amount of research before even getting interested to buy a car down the line. I join owners groups, find the common grumbles and problems and see how much they are to fix or how to prevent. Then find an appropriate model that suits my needs, even rare cars you can do this with unless you are in a rush to use money burning a hole in your pocket… I never understand people who will just drive up the rod to their local dealer and PX their current car for something the dealer has, when you can get a better spec car for cheaper further afield. 
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Agree to every single word of your reply.
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I had an NA and a Golf GTi, but wanted 1 car for using all the time. The NA was not really suitable as it was an old car and felt like it. I decided on an ND without driving one or even sitting in one. I know that I put my laptop bag/sports bag in the boot and there is somewhere to keep my phone. Other than that I do not really carry much and in the Golf the only thing kept in the glovebox was the service book.
I never use the CD player as I stream music from my phone. We all use and want different things from our cars. My wife has a practical car that we use if mine is not suitable for any reason.
I really like the ND - it provides all the fun of the NA, but feels like a “proper” car. The interior seems smart and well specified and I accept its limitations as there was no other convertible fun car that I was prepared to pay for. I have had a new Boxster in the past and whilst that was great and a better car, I get more fun and better value from the MX5.
I did some research, but trusted how it drove etc. If I was looking for a second hand car, it would be a very different situation as there is a lot more choice, but I also prefer the look of the ND to the NC, but this is a very personal thing - there are certainly some nice looking member NC’s on here. Colour choice is also limited for the ND’s compared to the NC’s, which may be a factor.
When developing the ND, they wanted to go back to the NA, so whilst offering more technology (some not needed), they also cut weight and a glovebox was one of the things to be cut.
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I have had my 2017 ND for 3 months . It is my first MX5 and as an ex Morgan owner , I am very impressed with it . My initial feeling of good for a few months has changed to thinking of keeping it.
If I want cubby boxes and shelves and all the other stuff , I use my wife’s Land Rover Series.
Horses for courses if you want everything in it’s ’ right place’ and a cd player in the dash get a Eurobox.
Everything else about the MX5 is character 
I might add that the Morgan had no cubby boxes of any description and no boot either
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And gearbox quality too, apparently.