The other day, I happened to pick up the Spring edition (no.3) of Total MX-5 magazine in my local newsagent, and in it was an article which stated that 80% of NCs sold featured the PRHT - the mag called them Roadster Coupes (was this the official Mazda designation ?).
The magazine did not qualify if this figure was for worldwide sales, or just the UK, but it seemed to me to be a surprisingly high percentage over the soft-top version.
There was also an inference that Mazda were expecting the new RF sales to reach a similar ratio over the soft-top ND ! Personally, I can’t see it happening because to many people, the RF is not a proper roadster, but only time will tell I suppose.
In my opinion, with the NC Roadster Coupe (with PRHT), one had the best of both worlds. With the lid down, one had the sensation and appearance of a ‘proper’ roadster, whilst with the roof in place, there was the feeling of extra security, sound insulation and weather protection of a saloon car.
I’m sure there are many who would have preferred the ND to have been made available with an NC-like PRHT, instead of the fastback looks of the RF. However, it could well transpire that Mazda indeed did the right thing, because I’m sure the RF will attract buyers to the marque that perhaps would not have even considered a ‘proper’ wind-in-the-hair roadster.
Before buying our 2011 Miyako (Special Edition) PRHT in Aluminium Silver last year we looked/drove many soft tops and PRHT’s and yes I would say a little quieter with roof up on PRHT. Security wise yes that too, but for us it was just the look of the car when the roof was up. I was lucky and bought a 6k 2011 car and since September last year, putting 6k on it already.
Having said all that 99% of the time roof is down…
Well Roymondo, I have had two NC Roadster Coupes now, and certainly in my experience, the PRHTs have been as dry as a bone - never even leaking when I have taken them through a car wash or used a pressure washer ! Also of course, you do not get the problems as with soft top material leaking through old age and neglect - it has to be regularly re-treated to keep its waterproof ability.
A PRHT is not as easy to break in to either - not like a soft top where a Stanley knife (or something similar) could do major damage in the hands of a vandal or a prospective thief.
From friends’ soft tops I have ridden in, I would say that the PRHT is quieter - but then this could well be a matter of opinion I suppose.
Personal preference will always count for a lot when weighing up which type of MX-5 to buy. Some people feel that a roadster isn’t a proper roadster unless it’s got a soft top. Others, like myself, and apparently 80% of NC buyers, prefer the extra security, weatherproofing, and the saloon car-like snuggness that the PRHT provides. It’s also pretty cool when operating it - I often get admiring stares, especially from children, when showing off the action of my electric roof !
Yes, I do remember the Rose Royce record from 1976, and the film of the same name that the song was featured in. Ah, those were the days !
The first MX-5 that my wife and I had was actually her company car, and being both lazy gits, it was taken to the car wash more often than not. It went through a machine once or twice, but then a hand-wash outfit was set up in town, which consisted of a bunch of immigrants with pressure washers - and very good they were (indeed still are) at their jobs too. Also, she was allowed to take the cost of washing / valeting her car out of petty cash !
Our current 5 - the one we actually own now, does get the hand treatment occasionally - but like I said, I’m basically a lazy git, and I generally let the Poles do it !
I had a 3.5 hard top and now have a 4.0 soft top. The soft top is so much quiter than the hard top was. At speeds above 60 MPH I couldn’t hear the radio or phone with the hard top down and with it up it wasn’t much better. The 4.0 soft top you can listen to the radio no problem at 70. Not sure what the new RF is like but this is the main reason I went from hardtop to soft.
As the owner of a 3.5 PRHT I would have agreed that it was very noisy, except of the fact that a change of tyres from Kuhmo 39’s to Dunlop SportsMaxx2.
This simple mod made such a difference to the noise levels - I can now, hood up or down, have an intelligible conversation at 70mph, listen the radio, and also for the first time since we bought it, hear the exhaust note.
So… perhaps it’s not as clear cut as different models, but also what tyres are fitted?
That’s an interesting observation Steve, and one which could very well be worth considering when the need for new tyres crops up.
I dare say many people would not think about the noise a particular set of tyres might cause, when it came to replacing them - just having whatever make the garage / tyre fitting company has available at the time, or whatever suited their pocket.
R2*********** is the first person, to my recollection, to say that a soft top is quieter than a hard top, and perhaps the different tyres on the two cars he compared may have some bearing on his opinion.
The measurement of sound is complicated because it’s not just a question of volume, but also of harmonics and the sensitivity of the human ear. It is further complicated by the fact that decibels are measured on a logarithmic scale rather than a linear scale.
As a rule of thumb, noise is perceived as being twice as loud when it rises by 6 -10 decibels, depending on how you measure its intensity. A difference of 4 decibels may not seem much when comparing the ratings of two different tyres, but the difference in noise levels will be noticeable.
A quick check reveals that the difference is about 5 decibels with the Dunlop being the quietest… could this be be further amplified by bodywork drumming through the boot?
There’s a road test somewhere on youtube in which the tester uses one and the difference was only about 2 decibels. The most noticeable difference I find with the detachable hard top fitted is a marked reduction in traffic and exhaust noise.
At 2dB the difference won’t be perceptible. That’s the thing, people’s “perception” of noise is often in stark contrast to reality. I’ve worked on road schemes where people were convinced a tall hedge or row of conifers will act as an effective noise barrier even though all the evidence and noise measurements show there’s no perceptible difference. I have the detachable hard top on my NC although to be honest I took it off after I bought it and haven’t used it since. On my NB I had the same but did use the hard top in the winter. I can’t say as I ever noticed much difference between that and the soft top.