I think it looks cracking, the media interface needed to be updated.
My only concern is that Mazda need to speed things up even more. The NE is around two years away and will likely be a hybrid. While MG are close to unleashing their fully electric roadster onto the market quite soon (I signed up to their email updates).
Yes the Mazda will likely be better quality but if the MG is priced correctly and not too much more than the MX5 it is simply going to gobble up the small, value-orientated roadster market around the world. The MX5 remains very vulnerable to disruption with its slow, gradual evolution while new entrants come in with clean sheet designs and all-new electric technologies.
Just look at what the new Volvo EX30 is about to do to ICE hatchbacks everywhere if you want an idea of how this will play out…
My 0.02 is that it looks like a very nice tidy up (especially the info screen and the front LEDs) but it’s a shame the drivetrains don’t get the SkyActivX engine before hybridisation in an all-new model presumably coming out in 2026. I’m also guessing undersealing is not about to be improved!!
Delightful. Not least because it is practically indistinguishable from my ND1. Seriously - very, very few updates of existing models are improvements and some are hideous .
It’s a great design that still looks modern after almost 10 years. In a depressing world of wannabe SUVs and crossovers, the MX-5 has the affordable roadster market all to itself.
Unlike the Mk3, where IMO the Mk3.5 is the one to have, the ND1 1.5 was pretty much spot on from the off. Happy to keep mine. I could have made use of reach adjustment for the steering wheel, but I don’t think anything else that matters has changed much. The plethora of driver aids, i-stop, and i-eloop introduced after 2017 would add nothing for me except weight.
I would concur that there is little point upgrading an existing ND to this, but for those looking to go from an NC I’m sure the enhancements will be welcome. A more general comment would be what great value a top of the range MX-5 2.0 would be versus a new Porsche Boxster, a bit more than half the price but 98% of the joy and now updated with the latest kit…
And still no glove box! That’s a no from me then
I’ve been driving my NC Launch most days for the last 10 years without a hiccup, but from all the common faults of every edition of the ND I very much doubt the new edition with be any different fault wise . I test drove the first edition ND during its first appearance on the roads and pinpointed most of it’s faults then.
True I can’t think of a single fault with my ND in the six plus years I’ve owned it, there are lots of complaints on miata.net about gearbox failures, but I think most of those are from poor driving and lots of repeat mentioning of the same faulty box.
I don’t think there’s much doubt that the gearbox was not quite what Mazda must have hoped for and there were several successive production changes from 2016 on to make them better. My 1.5 is fine as far as I know, but if it breaks I will get it fixed, it’s not a reason for me to get rid or buy a new car which would cost many times more than just mending it. My 2017 car is pretty much as new and rust protected. Barring accidents, it should outlast me.
The one '‘fault’ I have had fixed under warranty was a rusted window guide cover, for which a service bulletin was issued. Two other wear and tear items you will hear about are rear suspension spherical bearings and window regulators, you will find posts here about those. I have yet to suffer from either.
Well for a start the showroom test drive model was an ND1 a six speed 2.0 version Black with stone leather seats.
The first two gears were clunky even when the engine was warmed up after a 10 mile trip. (Mazda had claimed that this annoyance, present in earlier mx5’s was sorted in the new generation NOT)
I asked how I can get to the load space behind the rear seats, where the hood folds into. On the NC the wind deflector folds down to allow access behind. The sales assistant literally RIPPED the wind deflector right out of its socket and said ‘‘there you go you can now get to the back!’’
Then the convertible roof would not close properly as the fabric was being wedged against the body trim.
It would be very interesting of one of our members to go try out the new ND3 and report back on here if any of the above have been well and truly fixed.
To be fair I have heard of the suspension issue on this forum, but surprisingly it doesn’t seem to be an issue on miata.net which seems very odd to me. I still can’t see a few occasional faults being the issue sparks seems to be making it out to be, I think maybe he just prefers the NC which is fine.
which is fine.