MX-5 ownership

General Discussion Forums MX-5 Chat
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Hi there,

I’m a 3rd year Journalism student from Liverpool John Moores University, and I’m currently working on a car magazine as part of my final year project before I graduate. 

As this years marks the 30th anniversary since its launch, I’ve decided to work on a two page spread all about the popular Japanese roadster. 

I was hoping people on here could possibly just tell me about what it’s like to own an MX-5.

What are the perks?

Why do you think it’s so popular?

What is it about your MX-5 you like most?

And just general opinions on the car.

(Doesn’t have to be about a specific model) 

I would really appreciate it if the MX-5 community could help me out. A couple of replies would be very helpful. 

 

Thanks,

Harry

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Harry, motorcycles were my main interest but got married, had 3 children etc. My wife was worried about the dangers of riding motorcycles and didn’t want the children growing up without a dad So, enter the strings of 5’s I’ve had over the years, 7 mk1’s, a mk3 and a mk3.5 ( current car) ironically I’ve had bikes long side them too despite the warnings

Whilst the 5’s aren’t child friendly if you have 3 and a wife, they fulfilled my tinkering needs, with modifications and maintenance over the years, much like the motorcycles. Mine also fit in the garage easily enough, being a small car. The community is great and you sort of buy into it when you get a 5, I guess. I’ve made some great friend, purely by owning a 5! How good is that? Owning a small open top car is great at anytime, I really like the experience. Another thing, these cars can be everything, to everyone. A standard 30 year old ‘classic’ to a brand new car, heavily modified for performance to cosmetically altered and any combination within that broad range. Enthusiastic followers of the early cars, right through to owners of the latest models.

Hope there’s something in there to help you?

Barrie

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What are the perks?

- reasonably priced / running costs

- Very reliable

- fantastic and great fun to drive

- surprisingly roomy (I’m 6’4")

Why do you think it’s so popular?

- See above

- Easy entry into the sports car arena

- Great support from other owners on sites like this

- Proven pedigree

What is it about your MX-5 you like most?

- Sheer drivability of all the model variants

- getting the roof down as often as possible

- It’s the only car(s) I have had where I have made excuses to just drive it ( need anything from the shops dear, anyone need a lift, oh I left something at work …)

- Forget computer games these cars are far more addictive

And just general opinions on the car.

- I’ve not owned one that has disappointed me they are just a great car.

 

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What it’s like to own an MX-5: happy mostly / bitter sweet maybe … as to many things - if soft top up, worrying about thieves just ripping it open to find nothing/ just vandalise a nice looking car, enjoying it in the summer, missing it in the winter, looking for the next fix/mod, being apart of a “thing” … the mx5 community

What are the perks? good value(?) though that’s subjective, generally just plain fun 

Why do you think it’s so popular? anyone who has driven one knows … its hip, Jay Leno has one amongst many, it appeared in the movie looper (hmm that could be another post in its self - movies the mx5 was in) some bragging rights, the “pop” up lights make the mk1 popular/ iconic 

What is it about your MX-5 you like most? the pure simplicity of it all - though there’s a hell of a lot more to it

And just general opinions on the car… lovely car - can be a car to learn in, drift in, cruise in, have 1:1 time with a loved one.

The issue of rust has to be mentioned - the damned Achilles’ heel of the car - really sad… if i could, I would start a company just selling modified plastic panels for things like the wings and rear arches - imagine bmw z4 style wings with the shark gills or widened out back, anyway, weight reduction and modern like the plastic wings on Renault Clios or Peugeot’s as to crash safety, and frames to be dip protected etc. or maybe offering some sort of electrolysis bath big enough for the whole car etc… anyway… space is limited to so it encourages packing light, little and often etc - again, my imaginary company would make a hardtop alternative to extend the hardtop and make it a bit of a hatchback Honda Civic style maybe… ahh imagination… That might be a bit crazy but would definitely increase space, and weight i guess. That leads me to another thing, every mx5 owners i have met or watched on YouTube seems to be a bit eccentric, in a good way. maybe that could be another forum post idea - personality test for mx5 owners compared to other car owners etc.

The last thing I have to mention is about the project car syndrome, procrastination, and unbelievable - stamina? dependable reliability maybe? these cars have as to starting up after months or years of being left alone, probably in a garage or barn etc. There is a recent post here asking about should a mk1 mx5 be brought and saved or not… I am also in that decision spot after leaving mine garaged for the last 6-7 years. Basically the MX5 was my working car while my clio was being fixed up, and then essentially I got married, mortgaged, had a kid, got a Toyota Corolla (4 doors, so more of a family car) and just had to park the mx5 away for a long while - till now as my sister is moving house so I can no longer leave it in there (damn). on Youtube, there was a recent episode on driftland as to a mx5 barn find. They just seem to start up without to much fuss - an idea for another forum post, how to safely start up a mx5 after 5+ years etc. I recently cleaned mine up and had a local mechanic have a look - he took of HT leads, strapped on a battery booster, cranked the engine and all seem well - i just need to charge up the battery and get the car over to the garage for them to deal with rust on rear arch sills and replace all fluids and filters and do an mot. I’m hoping brakes will be okay but have a feeling they won’t. as to “project” i have lots of silly little extras to add like lambo door hinges (yes i know, cringe for some), tr lane side bars, heated seats and air pumped lumbar supports, some wiring etc… the list could go on, but this is just to share my on going experience with it etc.     

Good luck with you project, i hope this helps - thanks for asking.    

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Hi Harry.

I won’t repeat what’s already been said so I’ll make a few suggestions.  You don’t say where you are (OK, you’re at a college in Liverpool, but you could live in Durham!) or whether you’ve got means of transport.  What I would suggest is you get in touch with your local area group (if you add your location to your profile you’ll be told, but you can check it for yourself on the forum).  If you’re mobile you could maybe go to one or two of their meetings and do some “interviews” and see the various models from mk.1 - mk.4.  Likewise maybe you could go to one of the big events, maybe cadge a lift from one of the local area group, and get “feel” of what it’s all about.  You’ll find that if you make a serious, professional approach and tell people “why” you’ll get lots of help and advice. You really must get out to meet the owner’s and their cars in the flesh (metal) to get good firsthand material, a few questions and answers from one computer to another will not make a good article, you need to go “where the action is” as any good journalist will tell you, take a small digital sound recorder, and don’t forget to take loads of photos!  

PS:  Maybe you could contact the editor of the club magazine - “soft top hardtop” - Heather Serjeant - email - editor@mx5oc.co.uk - for advice/tips.

PPS: Good luck with the project and the degree!

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Why the car was popular (or whether it was populat) deserves a look at the sales of the car, versus its peers. There are several places online where you can analyse, at the model level, EUR v US sales 9where about 80=90% of MX5s were sold). It sold really well in the first few years, when there were no other alternatives. it tapped into that unmet need then. Mazda reported at the time, the average age of a new MX5 owner, was around 40 years old; ie boomers. 30 years on, Mazda is now saying the average age of an owner buying a new MX5 is now 60; still boomers. So as a new car, it has a fairly narrow generational appeal.

In 1996, the monopoly was ended, and there was a tsunami of competitors, from BMW (Z3), Mercedes (SLK), Porsche (Boxster), MG (F), Fiat (Barchetta), Alfa Romeo (Spyder), and a little later, Toyota (MRS). The market for these compact roadsters (“affordable”) rapidly expanded, from around 40,000 cars to well over 120,000. Mazda lost a few sales, but lost market share. That share varied geographically. Overall, in that period, the Z3 was the most popular car, despite being dynamically inferior. Similarly, the MG and Fiat did quite well in Europe, despite being flawed cars. Later, when Pontiac launched the Solstice (and its Saturn twin), the Kappa twins outsold the MX5 in the US by nearly 2 to 1, despite being panned by the press. So all in all, the popularity of any of these cars is less about the head, and more about the heart. I’m not sure about the demographics of the other cars, but I suspect we are talking about the same group born between 1945 and 65, and ultimately, Mazda could not shake the perceived lack of heritage in this slice of the population. 30 years on, and Mazda is pretty much the only one left standing, with the market contracting to about what it was in 1990. Whether this market will continue to contact is another issue; is it a market (new sales) drven by people of a certain age, or who were born in a specific period. Those born between 1965 and 180 have a different relationship with this kind of car. Growing up, they never really saw roadsters as new cars, only elderly MGs and Triumphs coughing their last. Did the 1990 MX5 have the same impact on them as, say, the 1962 MG have on the Boomers, enough for them, now well into middle age, start turning to the the 2019 MX5. That’s not certain; how Mazda is reporting sales isn’t suggestive of that, so possibly, there might be a continued decline in that market, as the numbers of boomers starts to decline.

Now about the legacy cars, the second/third/fourth hand MX5s, and their popularity. They are popular because they are cheap and reliable. They are cheap because lots were sold new, and their reliability has ensured high survival rates. The question is whether that popularity continues when supply start to dry up; will values climb. They are seen to climb to an extent, for the right car. There are not that many people, yet, prepared to spend £10,000 or more on one. I’m not convinced there ever will be.

Sporting convertible market since 1989



Includes MX5, Z3/Z4, MRS, Boxster, MG F/TF, Barchetta, 124, Alfa Spyder, Alfa 4S, Lotus Elise. Doesn’t include the SLK. The stark differece at the end, is how Europe has changed.

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Hi there

Thanks for you suggestions it’s much appreciated. I didn’t consider your response to be personal in any way. In fact, I welcomed it.

Judging by the extensive replies I’ve had so far, this forum has proven to be a really helpful place for my project.

I’d say I have plenty to work with now so thank you again to yourself and the others for replying.

It’s only a 250-300 word piece ,so the replies are more than enough for what I need which is great!

I hope to become a member of the club myself one day when I have my own Mk3.

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Merc have advised with the now SLC and Audi with the TT, that the cost of developing electrified and hybrid everyday cars will use up their spare capital and it is probable that they will retire these two cars in the medium term. While the SLC is more expensive than the MX5 on sticker price to buy, the leasing deals bring the monthly cost nearer an MX5 than you first think.

The Toyota and BMW joint venture at the moment are in another price range.

How will Mazda be able to afford to electify the MX5 or will their new petrol engines be able to creep under the emmission regulations if it is replaced around 2025, if the model duration stays around 10 years.

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Mazda Stories 

Some more inspiration there

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If you could get to the Spring rally at Elvington this Suday you would get enough material for a book.

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Drumtochty, the thought of a hybrid or electric mx5 is sobering.  An imaginary gearbox combined with a whooosshhh noise? Just no.

No. 

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I’ll agree that the engine noise is the best soundtrack in a 5. However if they could get the balance of the car right then an MX-5 with Tesla-like performance and torque with MX-5 handling would be an interesting proposition.

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It’s been an adventure… that pretty much sums up my 12 years of ownership

These little cars have bought me new life friends, big laughs, thrills, and big grins. It’s taken me to places I would never have been and journeys never probably undertaken. Indirectly it’s led me to places across the world to visit friends made through the OC and holidays with others from here.

its maybe just a car but for me it’s so much more than that

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Strangely, many people were quite excited at the idea of the 2004 Ibuki concept providing a basis for the NC; a 1.6 MZR combined with a generator to give an extra push during WOT activities (similar to what Lexus did with the GS Hybrid). Instead we got a MX5 with a Focus engine. Unlike in 1989, in 2005, Mazda was not brave, and took the safe option. In a parallel universe, Mazda would have taken a different decision, in the face of a sceptical press, but would by now be well ahead of the pack, and attracting a younger (and not dying) clientele. Mazda missed an opportunity then. 

 

 

So, by the time the ND comes up for discusion, its likely that MG will be firmly established with the £30k E-Motion EV coupe.

 

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Perhaps forming the basis for their roadster, which MG is still thinking about

 

 

Now, there is an interesting conundrum. Sales numbers show that buyers are mostly driven by their hearts, going for the brands they know. But would they go for a MX5 that is, at its heart, a Chinese MG? Has the MX5 become as firmly established in motoring lore as, say, the Elan?