I have to disagree on the rain thing, at least with an NA and NB nothing much gets in the cabin at all so long as you keep moving forward, probably at speeds in excess of 20mph. What does happen though is the water runs up the side windows and then drips off the top which can hit your shoulder or end up on the door panels, I’ve long thought a simple deflector clipped to the top of the glass would cure that. The other thing is with the 2.5 the rain that goes over the top of the screen will hit the top of the headrests above above your head. I speak as one who has experienced this many times in an MX-5 from UK motorway driving to alpine passes.
Same for snow, but that will accumulate in the hood and when you finally stop and pull up the roof, it then falls into the cabin!
That sentence was OK up to the unnecessary ‘but’ and what followed. Perhaps they just want the choice? It’s not as if it affects anybody else in any way.
This is going from bad to worse - first they should have the roof down, now if they don’t they should buy something else!
If you want an explanation, I suspect it’s very simple.
My MX-5 is a toy. If I go out in it, it’s usually dry weather, and it’s been cleaned for the occasion, I have my cap with sunshade peak, a scarf against a stiff neck if it’s cold, sunblock on the end of my neb and on the back of my hands - I burn easily. Default is roof down, although if I want it up then up it goes. Circumstances irrelevant.
For others, it’s their transport. They might be nipping to the shops or commuting. Those times are not ‘occasions’, they will be in the car for a few minutes, they haven’t dressed for top-down or applied factor 50, they don’t want hat-hair, they don’t want to drop the roof for a 10 minute journey or a trip down a busy multi-lane road or, heaven forfend, for NO REASON AT ALL:)
(the beta blockers don’t always work)
The roof on mine is either up or down depending on whether I want it to be up or down…
Apologies if offence was taken, I was airing my views and thoughts; each to their own you can take it or leave it with what I said.
I can only speak for my own reasons in getting a MX5, I have managed to save up a few quid and so wanted to treat myself to dare I say with tongue in cheek a ‘mid-life crisis car’ (await further consternation).
I wanted something different from your everyday car, and my everyday car is a Focus, so 2 door, low slung and the ability to drop the roof was the wish list; my point was that once again judging by own experience in times when previous cars have got to their last legs and I ‘need’ another car something along the lines of the everyday 4 door is more likely than a 2 door drop top sports car.
I assume most on here got an MX5 because they wanted one.
No offence meant to anyone, all the best 
I was only indulging in banter…and airing my views and thoughts. No apology required:)
JM
Along the lines of this subject. I keep the roof down on my car when it’s in the garage unless it was raining when I arrived. Am i unusual in this? I use it as a daily so I’m not talking winter storage [then it’s up but not latched]
This is what I like, healthy debate. Keep it up lads, I’m enjoying this 
One thing it has brought out is what Orange MX5 said and I had forgotten, and that’s how the rain didn’t come in the Spitfire but the MX5 does.
I do exactly the same…
I do the opposite - for fear of it shrinking (which it appears yours doesn’t) and to avoid setting the creases.
I think shrinkage was a thing with vinyl rooves [apparently it’s roofs these days, pah]. I’ve not heard of it being a problem with a mohair type but I haven’t been listening out for it either
I’m sure you’re right, the vinyl ones certainly do shrink widthways, probably up or down. It would certainly be easier to leave it down in the garage it’s in at the moment which is only 2.3m wide.
I think that any sports car owner who has their soft top up on a sunny day should be fined and 3 points on their licence, and the amount of the fine should be on a sliding scale depending on how hot it was , the hotter the day the higher the fine, that’s probably the fairest way to do it.
I’m going to write to my MP straight away.
Boz
Roof down every time !
You’re wasting your time, I took the bait ages ago!
<8 °C__Leave MX-5 in garage
8 °C < 24 °C__Roof DOWN, clothing as appropriate
24 °C < 30 °C__Roof DOWN, air con ON
.>30 °C__Roof UP, air con ON
I’ve got a MG Midget and now my dad’s MX5 and both have their hoods down. I kept my hood up once on a MG run was made fun of and I said it is going to pour with rain later and they didn’t agree and it poured and guess who was the only one dry when we got to the restaurant the others were soaked and had sit there in sodden clothes.
Roof down whenever I can except for rain or motorway journeys.
No rain, no roof, a good rule to live by.
I do keep a Thinsulate hat behind my seat though.
I didn’t know you could put the top up. My dealer showed me when I bought my softop but in over a year of ownership I have forgotten how to.
I’m definitely in agreement of top down when possible - it’s a major part of the fun! As someone new to Mx-5’s though I do wonder if I’ll get stares (as we approach winter) with people thinking what an idiot driving with the roof down it’s not even sunny or warm!
I used to think a bit like that. However, driving in the dark on a cold, crisp winter early morning is something to be enjoyed. Before lockdown, every month I was going to a meet in N Wales and used to set off early, absolutely loved those trips with roof down, despite funny looks, I was always nice and warm.
Barrie