But don’t buy an auto! An auto in an MX5 (any MX5) is like putting sugar in a fine claret instead of in yer tea.
And you’ll never sell it on. At least not at a decent price.
Are you not overlooking the ever growing aging population with gammy knees who are no longer able to operate a clutch, but might still want to enjoy a fun roadster 
I am aways from being there myself but the sounds emmenating from my left knee are certainly trying to tell me something which I will endeavour to ignore or atleast endure til the end, but it could become an unequal struggle at any time from here on in 
The re-sale values of MX5 autos does not support that as a serious market. I am awaiting new knee but thankfully can still drive my lovely ND2 with no problems, But if I needed an auto I’d probably get a different sort of car. In an engaging car like the MX5 the manual gearchange is a vital component in the enjoyment.
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The Mazda ACC loves to brake hard, e.g. when the car in front is about to enter a slip road and starts to slow down. It’ll be long gone before your car gets there, but the ACC can’t tell.
I have driven the auto NC and it’s a fine driving car, you can control it pretty well with manual/paddle changes, it isn’t as free as the manual however I wouldn’t be so quick to write it off as an option.
This response is totally pointless. I have never liked manual cars and will NEVER buy one. I have driven RWD auto sports cars since 1983 (Porsche 924, then NB and now NC).
They are made to meet demand - that demand also exists in the used market and in fact they are quite hard to source. Took me 6 months to find my current NC2 AUTO at a decent price.
Not the case, I am sort of looking for a used ND2 auto (2019 onwards) and can’t find one in machine grey unless I travel 100 miles away.
If anyone has a low mileage ND2 Auto in machine grey for sale with clean MOT and FSH - within 30 miles of the M25 (in any direction) do let me know.
All cars depreciate, looking at Autotrader I see no greater depreciation in the auto - yes it’s a minority taste but so what? We are not all alike.
Because minority tastes leads to a smaller market which is reflected by less demand when you come to sell it.
A sports car without manual transmission is like steak and chips without the steak. Still edible, but not the treat it should be.
Some people of course cannot work a manual transmission or having passed their test in an auto can only drive autos, especially in USA where nearly all cars are autos and where a lot of MX5s are sold - which is why Mazda offer the option.
And autos suit many cars, but not a lightweight sports car.
So when you sell it you have to find someone who falls into one of those categories to buy it from you.
What percentage of UK MX5 purchasers actually want an auto? I suspect it’s a pretty small percentage. Or you could export it to the USA!
I repeat, I will NEVER buy a manual car. Don’t care what anybody but ME thinks about it.
I have full UK car and bike license (and also a pilots license).
Why you imagine the (small) percentage of MX5 buyers who buy NEW autos would be a larger percentage than those who buy USED autos, I have no idea.
Clearly you have never tried buying a used MX5 auto (NC or ND) - they are hard to find. However stick to your prejudices if you must.
I sold my NB auto a few years ago within a couple of weeks, no problem at all.
Some dealers even resorted to grey imports of used MX5 autos when they were not available new from Mazda UK. There is demand, but NOT from you (which is fine for YOU).
Autotrader is not full of unwanted used MX5 autos - I can assure you of that. Few and expensive. The Parkers valuation of my current NC auto is actually very good - it’s about 85% of what I paid for it 8 years ago. But hey - what do Parkers know about cars?
However I didn’t particularly like the auto NB gearbox - the NC 6 speed with paddles is good (IF you like autos). No auto will ever be good enough for those who like manual clutches (I hate the things). However the future is going to be auto only due to EVs.
“…Autotrader is not full of unwanted used MX5 autos”.
Of course it’s not. Any more than it’s full of bright pink Austin Allegros. As I said, it’s a very limited market.
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