I am entirely confused. I can just about afford a ND2 2.0 but a very early one with bose. For a few hundred pounds more, I can get a 2020 R sport but that has a 1.5l engine, no bilsteins, brace bar or lsd.
I am fed up of looking (over a year), what are people’s thoughts?
cheers
sam
Have you driven both engines?
If not I’d suggest you do that first then find the best of what works best that you can afford.
I could have had any ND and over the years I chased the ‘top spec versions’ with all the gubbins , but this time i bought a sport venture 1.5 which likewise doesn’t have billys, Brace bar or LSD but i don’t miss any of those things and i still have as much fun driving the car as any 5 I have had in the past.
Yes i change gear a little more often on hills than i would on a 2l but i paid for that gear knob and im damn well going to get my moneysworth in using it! 
Have a drive at both as IanH suggested, you might come to a conclusion unexpectedly.
I know I like my ND2 2l but I also know that many enjoy their 1.5l just as much.
As others have enquired, have you driven both? It’ll become pretty clear which is right for you.
Some love the 1.5 others describe it as ‘gutless’. Personally the 1.5 suited me best.
I had a short drive in a 2l, which I quite liked tbh.
I have not driven the 1.5 (I currently run a 1.2 fiat 500, so anything is faster!). I guess I am struggling with FOMO, as I used to have a 1.6NB and always then lusted after the 1.8, and do not want that feeling again
If you get the 1.5 and you’re not prepared to let it rev, performance will be limited. If you are prepared to venture into 6000 to 7500 rpm territory it will reward you with performance that, in my judgement, compares well with a stock 2 litre NC, and you will have stunning economy when you’re playing follow my leader on day to day public roads. I have 1.5 with open diff. Not an issue. Given you describe the R sport as “no bilsteins, no brace bar and open diff” I think that has standard suspension.
I think you would have been just as disappointed with the 1.8NB. Neighbour has a 2004 1.6 which is at least as good to drive as my 1999 1,8 was, and actually feels quick.
I’m one of those happy 1.5 owners, it was chosen after driving new examples of the ND1 1.5 & 2.0. The later 2.0 cars have more power , but that’s basically from extending the rpm range.
Don’t think the 1.5 is not a sports car. It’s plenty fast enough in anything resembling normal use if driven , flexible at 3000rpm if you want to bimble, and to my mind feels more agile than the 2.0. The 1.5 I drove back-to-back and immediately after a 2.0 Sport with with sports suspension and LSD was a 1.5 SEL-Nav with standard suspension.
Check the specs - the ND 1.5 is practically identical in weight, power and theoretical performance to the NA 1.8. It’s an MX-5 to its boots. The 1.8 NB has a little more power but similar performance being 60-70kg heavier.
I say theoretical performance because my use case does not actually involve 0-60mph sprints. I’m 71, not 17.
I’m in the 7th year of ownership of my 1.5 now.
But just get what suits you best. They are all good cars. Make sure it’s not rusting away, get some protection for the underside and cavities, look after it and it will last a long time.
I have been driving my 2016 1.5 ND for 5 months and 4000 miles after my 1.8 NB. I was surprised how torquey the 1.5 is pulling from 2000 rpm. The power is more than adequate for most driving although 6th gear is too high as the car looses too much speed on mild inclines if doing 60mph in 6th. It’s better at 70mph when the engine is developing more torque. The gear indicator suggests changing up much too soon. The 2 litre would suit a “lazier” driver who is not prepared to change down to keep the engine spinning and will have more urge above 75mph. I would like to see full performance graphs for both cars but no one seems to do proper road tests anymore.
I suspect that slogging in 6th is less economic that keeping the engine spinning in 5th when driving at less than 65 mph but modern engine management systems are incredible so my old fashioned thinking may be incorrect.
If you’re doing motorway work or lots of rural overtaking I think you’ll want the 2.0 car. If you’re not, then I’m sure the 1.5 will suffice. I’ve only ever had 2.0 L NDs though. The LSD isn’t essential but I very much enjoy tailsliding with it!
Despite some saying the 2.0 ND2 isn’t much faster than the ND1 I’ve certainly noticed the difference when pushing on. Even on the 2.0 you do have to stretch the revs and work the box to make good progress, but you can do big block up changes when bimbling like 2nd to 5th.
I agree with this analysis. In my test drives I loved flipping through the gears on the 1.5, but I preferred the relaxed driving of the 2 litre.
It echoes my experience with gear suggestions in my Mazda3 especially for the higher gears. It shows the instant mpg allowing one to compare usage in different gears at a steady speed on a flat road, and yet always suggests changing up too early!
V-Power allows a very wide torque range on its 2litre Skyactive engine, it’ll pull from 30 in top, so I can understand it wanting to change up early where it might almost be appropriate. BUT, it’ll show ~19mpg at 30mph in 6th vs ~30mpg in 5th or ~40mpg in 4th.
And it’s hopeless when forced to drink Regular, sometimes needing a change down (or two!) from top merely to hold 70 even on slight motorway gradients. Whereas with V-Power anything over 60 and almost any gradient is fine in top.
Firstly thank you all for your responses.
I live in London so the car is mostly be used motorways, A/B roads going to and from friend’s places. I hardly drive in London so high speed is pretty irrelevant.
I am not too bothered about motorway pace as lot as it can get a move on. I have a RE meteor motorcycle which is a bit of liability on a motorway, so anything is better than that and I find my Fiat 500 1.2 perfectly adequate (although another person does slow it down).
Hopefully go do a test drive tomorrow despite my bad back.
That is the major reason I don’t have an ND!
ND is just a fraction too small for comfort, my back protests after about ten minutes in each of the NDs I tested, all with different seats.
But my NCs let me drive all day, as is also the case with almost any other car.
6th is very much an economy gear for flat motorways especially on the 1.5. Maximum speed is reached in 5th and if you want to be ‘on the cam’ at 70mph you’ll need 4th (about 15mph/1000rpm).
3rd will take you to 90 if you really want to hold it. Theoretically of course. But one can keep it moving quite nicely with 5000rpm while listening to the wireless.
I have a 2020 R Sport special edition myself and you’re right the ‘Sport’ bit can be misleading. It doesn’t have the bits you’re probably looking for, namely a bigger more powerful engine, heavier and a harder ride.
I found the model I wanted and bought it. So far I have been delighted with mine. I could have had a 2.0 litre but the level of performance, overall balance and handling of the 1.5 were right for me. I don’t use it as a daily drive, so it’s used for pleasure only. For info the R-Sport is finished in Polymetal Grey metallic with a Burgundy Nappa leather interior with a light grey soft top, lightweight 16-inch RAYS alloys (unique to the R-Sport) piano black door mirrors, cruise control, heated seats, climate control, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. In other words a great spec.
My advice, is to stick to your guns and get what you want, even if you have to wait a bit longer.
Tesco Momentum 99 also seems to work OK, and despite people saying it’s poor, BP Ultimate 97 has been fine for me too.
What I really want is a 30th AE lol
Sam do you mind me asking what your budget is? From what I read on here and many reviews on line, then the 1.5 will be great.
It was £17k for a 30th AE but if i dont eant to overstretch myself closer to £15.5k
Also depends what I get for my car.
Insurance for me is close to £400 from the £90 I pay now
The 2.0 has 17" wheels over the 16" of the 1.5. This means that you have so much more choice of good tyres and is worth taking into account.
As said, test drives of both are key to getting what you want.
How do you like to drive, revving it out all the time or using the torque?
For me, I like torque, you can always rev out a torquey engine when you are in the mood but you cannot ride the torque at lows revs if the car doesnt have it.
Neither are wrong choices as there are very happy owners of both but you could make the wrong choice for you!
I bought an ND1 thinking that I may change to an ND2 later but have since changed my mind and plan to keep this car as for me and my needs, this is “Peak Mx5”.
The ND1 responds superbly to a simple remap and gives me what I want, hopefully you will know what you want after driving both!