I’ve just returned from the local dealer having ordered a new 2ltr Sport Nav in Blue Reflex with black leather interior. I drove a 1.5 SEL Nav back to back with it, and the difference was incredible. The Bilstein shocks in the Sports Nav transform the ride and the car felt much more planted on the road. Should arrive in a couple of weeks, can’t wait
Enjoy your new car
Interesting; although I recall most roadtesters talked about the 1.5 being the better choice for driving fun I suspect that if they were spending their own money they’d buy a 2litre . As both you are doing and I have just done; I’m very impressed with ride/handling but I wish they had tried to engineer even the teensiest bit of feel and feedback into the steering - for a car which, in its original form at least , was an Elan homage is disappointing .
I had a 1.5 RF for a day while my 2.0 Sport was being serviced, and found it annoyingly slow and soft in comparison (oddly I preferred the 1.5 on initial test drives).
I will say that when hopping between my Mk1 and Mk4 I don’t notice a great deal of difference in steering feel, not enough for any positive or negative reaction anyway.
I had -30mm Mazda springs fitted to my ND 2ltr sport nav followed by full 4 wheel alignment. The work was carried out at my local Mazda dealership.
The springs improved the handling and overall ride quality and made the car feel so much more planted.
I would fully recommend the upgrade, if you think the car is good now, you would be very pleased with the result after lowering.
Did the same to my 2.0 Sport Nav (Reflex Blue with Sand interior trim) and I wholeheartedly agree with 1954.
But I doubt if it did anything for the steering feel ? My one real disappointment - given the car’s weight the really brave thing might have been to go unassisted ? It was good enough for the McLaren F1 …
I’ve had the 1.5 and now 2.0 I love the fact that the 2.0 has a lot more acceleration high end but I do find it more difficult to get the power down at the low end.
Really - how so ? Do you mean the 2 litre wastes time with wheelspin (shouldn’t with a slippy diff)or is it somehow just trickier at low revs? I find my 2 litre very…er…house trained?
Interesting. My back to back tests of the 1.5 and 2.0 in SEL and Sport setups (in the Cotswolds & Sussex lanes) had me putting them in the following order of preference:
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1.5
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2.0 SEL
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Don’t buy one
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2.0 Sport
Reasons? The 1.5 felt the most fun, the 2.0 SEL was decent, and quicker, but lacked leather, bose etc. and the 2.0 Sport was just too harsh & skittish on the sort of roads on which I was going to buy the car to enjoy. It would be different if I was buying a motorway and/or track car.
But I wasn’t.
People and their preferences eh?!
Some similarity to my experience. I drove a 1.5SE-L which I liked a lot, and put a holding deposit on a used 1.5 Sport Nav that was coming in p/x (I prefer leather seats). Everyone I mentioned it to said I should get the 2.0 because it would be more willing, better for overtaking, or whatever. So I drove the 1.5SE-L and a 2.0 Sport Nav back to back on the same roads for half an hour.
The 2.0 certainly felt quicker and firmer and the extra torque at moderate rpm was noticeable. Granted there were two things going on here, the engine and the suspension differences, but without trying to analyse it too much I just enjoyed the 1.5 more, even driving it immediately after the 2.0 so as to show it in a less favourable light.
I enjoy using the rpm and ‘making progress’, but outright speed or aceleration doesn’t matter to me within reason as I want to keep my licence and I do not plan to race.
When I eventually saw the 1.5 Sport Nav it wasn’t very well looked after so I left it. I invited the dealer to find me a better one but meanwhile I found the Arctic (1.5 of course) elsewhere which I am happy with; the only material bell or whistle it lacks cf. the 1.5 Sport Nav is the Bose which I would have liked but can easily live without.
I certainly wouldn’t say there is a right or wrong here - the 1.5 is fast enough for me, I love the way it revs and whilst Mazda could probably have designed more ultimate grip into it, I haven’t run out yet and that’s not what I have it for.
Vive la difference.
Not that there is really that much difference, they clearly have much more in common with each other than not, or than with the turbo assisted Fiat versions. Both Mazdas would initially feel slow to a driver inured to one of today’s small petrol turbos that make torque (so power) more accessible.
The ‘right-sized’ engine, without forced induction that has to be driven to do more than pootle, is there for pleasure not bare utility. A proper high revving twin cam, such as in the 1970s would have done half the mpg with two twin choke Webers, brought up to date with engine management, direct injection and the rest but still with distinct ‘performance’ characteristics. I like them both.
When I purchased my ND 2ltr Sport Nav it felt skittish compared to my previous -30mm lowered MK3.5.
However after having the ND 2ltr Sport Nav lowered 30mm and the alignment set, it feels superb. Its just so planted and the ride quality is far better than my previous lowered MK3.5.
An absolute must is the tyre pressures set at 29psi.
The car is an excellent drive and pulls so well through the gears, overtaking is effortless + on a run of mixed driving it returns 45mpg.
[quote=jezer]
I’ve just returned from the local dealer having ordered a new 2ltr Sport Nav in Blue Reflex with black leather interior. I drove a 1.5 SEL Nav back to back with it, and the difference was incredible. The Bilstein shocks in the Sports Nav transform the ride and the car felt much more planted on the road. Should arrive in a couple of weeks, can’t wait
I collected my new ND from the dealer this afternoon. They managed to get one in Soul Red (my original choice) from another branch, hence quick delivery. I’m busy reading the handbook
Enjoy your new car
You can download a comprehensive manual for the ND off the Mazda website.
That is the one thing that my 2.0 NC cannot even begin to match - Even on a long run, with a deliberately light right foot, the best I have ever managed is 36mpg 
I would not change my sport nav 1.5. Have fitted a free flow air filter from ITG better throttle response and better mpg. A recent run into mid wales I returned 55.1, on similar runs in the same area I returned 49.6