Item: Mazda MX-5
Rating: 4.5
Author: Matt Prior

11 September 2015

What do you get when you cross an American wistfulness for cheap British roadsters with a Japanese firm’s readiness to speculate and innovate in order to make its global reputation?

In 1989 you got ‘Mazda Experiment, Project Number Five’, which would become the world’s fastest-selling sports car.

The Mazda MX-5 first appeared in 1989
Matt Prior
Editor-at-large

The idea of an affordable open-top was hardly new to Japan. Preceding decades had seen oddities such as the Datsun Fairlady, Honda S500 and Toyota Sports 800 emerge, often as their fledgling makers’ first production models. But by the end of the 1970s, with the demise of such icons as the Triumph Spitfire, MG B and original Lotus Elan, the segment was assumed to be in decline.

It was these models, though, that Mazda dissected during the MX-5’s development, and they are among the reasons why it emerged in 1989 as a small, sub-one-tonne, front-engined, rear-drive, perfectly balanced home run.

Ironically, the MX-5’s success found a counterpoint almost immediately in the lukewarm reception and ailing sales figures that greeted the all-new Elan which emerged only a few months later, lumbered as it was by a higher price, lumpier looks and front-wheel drive.

The first MX-5 was arguably the model’s dynamic high point. Its successors were generally very good too, but they became progressively more powerful, bigger, heavier and that bit less exciting to drive.

Now Mazda – with its Skyactiv engineering programme in full swing – insists it has returned to the old template. Shorter, lower, wider and – most importantly – lighter, the new MX-5 comes with a choice of either 1.5 or 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engines and the promise of unparalleled ‘Jinba ittai’ – the manufacturer’s catch-all term for oneness between car and driver.

For 2016, Mazda created the fourth iteration of its special edition Icon model, which we drove around Iceland to announce its arrival, and was then followed in 2017 by the hard-top Mazda MX-5 RF.

Just as importantly, the car starts at less than £20k, meaning that everyone currently considering a small hot hatch is in the ballpark. Can the new MX-5 do as much as its forebear to turn their heads?

Mazda MX-5 FAQs

Is the Mazda MX-5 available as a plug-in hybrid or electric?

The Mazda MX-5 was designed to be as light and compact as possible, meaning that it’s virtually impossible to package either a plug-in hybrid or full-electric drivetrain. Such is the focus on keeping the mass to a minimum on the car that there’s not even the option of a mild-hybrid system using a powerful starter-generator unit. What’s more, Mazda has revealed the next generation of MX-5 - due in 2024 - will be purely petrol powered, likely using a version of its advanced SkyActiv-X engine.

What are the main rivals to the Mazda MX-5?

As the world’s best-selling roadster, the Mazda MX-5 has effectively scared away any direct rivals. If you want a small two-seater convertible with rear-wheel drive, then the Mazda is the only game in town. If you don’t mind a roof, then the forthcoming Toyota GR86 delivers a similarly uncomplicated driving experience, while the Caterham Seven serves-up more thrills but requires commitment. Other driver-focused options include small hot hatches, such as Ford Fiesta ST and Hyundai i20N.

How much power does the Mazda MX-5 have?

There are two engines to choose from for the Mazda MX-5, both naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol units. The entry-level 1.5-litre delivers a modest 130bhp, yet can fire the Mazda from 0-62mph in a surprisingly brisk 8.3 seconds. For the flagship models a 2.0-litre is available that serves up a muscular 181bhp and gives the MX-5 impressively deep-chested performance, helped in no small part by a kerbweight of just over a ton, with 0-62mph in as little 6.5 seconds.

What choice of gearbox are there for the Mazda MX-5?

As standard all versions of the Mazda MX-5 get a six-speed manual gearbox, while a six-speed automatic is available as option. If you don’t need a self-shifter, then stick with the three-pedal layout, because the Mazda’s manual transmission is the best in the business. With deliciously short throws and beautifully oiled mechanical quality it encourages you to change gear just for the hell of it. The automatic is smooth enough, but its ponderous delivery doesn't suit the eager Mazda’s character.

Where is the Mazda MX-5 built?

Mazda has several factories around the world, but the MX-5 is built exclusively at its Hiroshima facility in Japan. Assembled on the same line is the Fiat and Abarth 124 Spider models, which use the same structure and interior as the Mazda, but different styling and powertrains. Officially withdrawn from sale in the UK, the 124 Spider is still available in most of Europe. Hiroshima is also home to the Mazda 3, Mazda 6, CX-30 and CX-5, as well as the larger CX-8 and CX-9 that are not available in the UK.

How many generations of the Mazda MX-5 have there been?

Launched in 1989, the Mazda MX-5 is the world’s most successful two-seater sports car, with well over a million having been sold over four generations. The original set the template that the subsequent models have barely deviated from, each boasting similar exterior dimensions and kerbweight. The first MX-5 arrived in 1989, followed by the second, third and fourth generation models in 1997, 2005 and 2014 respectively. An all-new model is due in 2024.

Verdict

Here is the fourth-gen Mazda MX-5 - the definitive small sports car

Model tested:

Rating: 9

Mazda MX-5

Good

Spirited performance

Balanced, involving handling

Excellent packaging

Outstanding value

Bad

Not as quick as a like-for-like hot hatch

Overly light steering

Imperfect cabin ergonomics

DESIGN & STYLING

The first Mazda MX-5 made its appearance in 1989, with us testing the new 1.5-litre SE-L Nav version

Size and weight were preoccupations for the project’s engineers. No one would describe the original Mazda MX-5 as large, yet the new model has been made 55mm shorter still. It’s the most compact Mazda MX-5 yet and, save for the original, the lightest.

Throughout the development, a rigorous ‘gram strategy’ was applied to ensure that the roadster had no superfluous mass. Thus the all-new suspension, still consisting of front wishbones and rear multi-links, is 12kg lighter thanks to its aluminium components.

The LED tail-lights reference the design of the original MX-5 without looking slavish or outdated
Nic Cackett
Road tester

The engine frame is aluminium, as are the front wings and bumper reinforcements.

The front cross-member is high-tensile steel, a much higher proportion of which is used in the body, too. The rear cross-member benefits from a more rigid truss structure, while suspension mounts have been reinforced all round. The result is a claimed 100kg reduction in kerb weight compared with the 2005-2015 MX-5. The additon of the hard top roof to the RF model will increase the overall weight, but should appeal to those looking for a driver's car to use all-year-round.

That presents the prospect of this car being a true sub-one-tonne rear-drive open-top (Mazda quotes the 1050kg kerb weight of the 1.5-litre car to EU standard, adding 75kg for a driver and luggage), without being as stripped out as a Caterham or as overtly spartan as a Lotus. Moreover, the weight is ideally distributed 50/50 front to back and the centre of gravity is slightly lower than before.

Mazda’s seriousness about making this MX-5 fun to drive by adding lightness is welcome – and crucial when you consider that this is the first model to use electromechanical power steering. It’s a compact dual-pinion set-up located close to the front wheels for increased stiffness. It has a marginally quicker ratio than that of the previous car, while the front wheels’ castor angle is increased for better resistance to understeer.

The MX-5’s engines and gearboxes have been made to measure. Despite being used elsewhere in Mazda’s line-up, each is fettled for the MX-5. The 2015 129bhp 1.5-litre Skyactiv-G petrol engine – related to the one in the Mazda 2 and Mazda 3 hatchbacks – gets revised cam timing, a custom crankshaft and a 7500rpm redline, while the 158bhp 2.0-litre version adds a lightened flywheel and pistons.

The rear differential weighs less, too (although it isn’t a limited-slip item in the 1.5-litre car tested), as does the six-speed manual Skyactiv-MT gearbox, which, having been made to emulate the MX-5’s shift action in other applications, gets the starring role here with a simplified linkage for even less resistance.

INTERIOR

The view from the driver's seat in the Mazda MX-5

For those familiar with the Mazda MX-5, the new interior ought to impress – not least by virtue of its freshness. The dashboard architecture is similar to that of the Mazda 2, which is a good thing because the same natty design features and chunky, tactile switchgear work equally well here in the roadster.

If you’re unaccustomed to MX-5s, it’s likely that the cabin’s incredibly compact dimensions will need to sink in before you can meaningfully survey the details. The MX-5 has always been resolutely bijou, and this new car is no different.

The bespoke manual gearbox now has the same 40mm throw as the original car
Matt Saunders
Road test editor

Broader adults will find themselves in frequent contact with the centre console, door trim and the sides of the skinny footwell, along with the floorpan bulge that denies you the option of folding your clutch leg away on motorways (a malaise of right-hand-drive cars only).

Moreover, despite a 20mm lower hip point, you sit a little higher than would seem optimal, and the steering wheel still doesn’t adjust for reach.

These factors can combine to make it tricky to get comfortable – tricky enough, in fact, for some people to be put off the prospect entirely, although others will proclaim this the most comfortable MX-5 yet.

More fool the critics, though, because in an age that tends towards profligacy, the MX-5’s cockpit-sized simplicity – once reconciled with – makes for a charming environment.

Nowhere is this better encapsulated than in the manually operated roof. Made 3kg lighter than before and requiring 30lb ft less effort to close, the hood can be operated easily with one hand, even when moving. There’s one spring-loaded clip to unfasten on the header rail, then a click somewhere in the housing behind you to confirm that it’s safely stowed. It takes four or five seconds and, like pretty much everything else about the MX-5, puts everything larger, heavier and motor-driven to shame.

The roof’s tiny size means that the car continues to offer a modest-sized but usable boot. It’s too small for golf clubs but is just big enough for two weekend-away bags. Which seems to us exactly as it should be.

There are four trim levels to choose from to deck your MX-5 out in - SE, SE-L Nav, Sport Nav and Icon. The entry-level SE model comes with air conditioning, LED headlights, an USB port and 16in alloy wheels. Upgrade to SE-L Nav and the MX-5 gains climate control, cruise control, a 7.0in touchscreen infotainment system with sat nav, map update, DAB and Bluetooth, and two headrest speakers.

The range-topping Sport Nav models come with keyless entry, adaptive headlights, rear parking sensors, a Bose sound system and a black leather upholstery, while the limited edition Icon MX-5's get Mazda's Soul Red details, graphics and trim, heated seats and body colour interior trim.

Finally the Z-Sport edition, limited to just 300 UK examples, swaps the standard wheels for 17in black BBS alloys, adds a cherry red fabric roof, and includes the usually optional Machine Grey metallic paint and sand leather seats as standard.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

Caterham, Lotus and Ariel's best would struggle to match the Mazda MX-5's offering

Your first few miles in this Mazda MX-5 reveal a truth that devotees will have suspected and that Mazda’s own engineers hint at when invited to. It’s that this ‘lesser’ 1.5-litre version of the car is undoubtedly the most authentic, the most evocative of the much-loved first-generation MX-5 and, in terms of how it actually performs, arguably the sweetest.

The high-revving character of Mazda’s 1.5-litre four-pot is the reason why. Whereas the 2.0-litre car produces more mid-range torque relative to its peak power, the 1.5 needs to spin to allow the car to hit full stride. And it’ll spin with not only freedom but also gathering force, right the way to the 7500rpm redline.

The longitudinal four-cylinder engine and RWD layout make for a perfect 50/50 front/rear weight distribution
Matt Prior
Editor-at-large

Still, we’re not talking about a particularly quick full stride, although, needing little over eight seconds to hit 60mph from rest, the car is appreciably faster than the 1989 original and close enough to hot hatch pace for respectability.

And yet this MX-5 plays perfectly to arouse your excitement and seize your enthusiasm as a willing hostage. It hardly matters how fast you’re going.

The temptation starts with an unexpectedly rorty exhaust note, which sounds playful and offbeat even at idle. Blip the accelerator out of gear and the revs flare with promising urgency, then engage first and the MX-5’s mechanically detailed and supremely positive shift quality announces itself. You’re already having an absorbing and special driving experience – and you’ve yet to even turn a wheel.

Gearshift aside, the car’s controls are light and, being so obliging to control, fairly short-geared and revving cleanly from very low revs, it moves away from a standstill with a pleasing lack of inertia. Add some throttle and you’ll pick up speed gradually at first, with limited mid-range torque on tap but with perfect response and a supremely linear delivery of it as the revs rise.

You work this engine intimately and intuitively, like an extension of yourself. Occasionally you’ll wish for more power; it would be wrong of us not to acknowledge that. But most of the time you’ll be too busy revelling in the vivid mechanical interaction and the joy of taking a modern sports car to the redline as and when you choose without worrying unduly about the potential consequences for your driving licence.

RIDE & HANDLING

The Mazda MX-5's ride is delicate and perfectly balanced, although the ride lacks the original's fluency

The instincts of many long-standing Mazda MX-5 owners will be to keep the mechanical specification of their car simple, and thereby to give the lauded delicacy of the car’s handling the best chance to thrive. We had the same instincts – hence the chosen specification of 1.5-litre engine, standard suspension, open differential and 16in wheels for our road test subject.

In reality, the MX-5’s handling doesn’t reward that judicious restraint in unqualified terms, in ways to which we’ll come. But that shouldn’t prevent this car from taking its place among the most vibrant, responsive and engaging sports cars available at any price.

It's delicate and perfectly balanced, although the ride lacks the original's fluency
Nic Cackett
Road tester

From the effortlessness of its hold on the road, through its fine balance and directional agility, to the zapping crispness of its every answer to a few extra degrees of steering angle or mid-corner dab of pedal, this car remains a true sporting great.

On delicacy, meanwhile, nothing short of a Caterham, Lotus or Ariel can equal what the MX-5 brings to the table. The car’s 195-section tyres produce only moderate but perfectly balanced grip levels and therefore don’t overburden the suspension or steering with cornering forces, and they break away into lateral slip with a wonderfully tender progressiveness.

The day of our performance tests started wet but subsequently dried out. It therefore afforded us the opportunity to find out that the MX-5's delicate dry-surface grip level becomes even more tantalising when a bit of surface water is in the mix. In the wet, an uninterested driver might call that grip level worryingly faint - although the MX-5's ESP would look after even them.

In the dry, there's only just enough power to get the rear wheels to break traction with the accelerator during cornering - and only then at very high revs and by a fleeting few degrees of slip angle. It's a tenderness of adjustability that you rarely find in a modern car and is no less enjoyable for its subtlety than a 500bhp Jaguar's handling is for its luridness.

Disengage the ESP - a system that's neither sophisticated nor unobtrusive, unfortunately - and there are familiar ways to have fun with your cornering line, either with a trailed brake or an exaggerated, throttle-off steering input. The MX-5 is sensitive to all.

The electromechanical power steering could actually do with a larger contact patch through which to work, though. On 16in wheels, there’s just a tad too much lightness about the steering wheel and the merest shortage of centre feel and dead-ahead stability about the steering. Meanwhile, with a relatively high 50-profile sidewall, there’s inevitable softness in the handling mix under high lateral loads, taking some precision away – if only on the very edge of adhesion.

Those sidewalls also make the ride a bit excitable over very high-frequency lumps and bumps, because they’re simply too soft to let the suspension do its work. But the rest of the time the MX-5’s ride is easy and fairly laid back. Like that of its forebears, the directional keenness and poise come not from high chassis rates but from the advantages of even weight distribution, a low centre of gravity and driven rear wheels, and so the MX-5 doesn’t feel firm on the road or short of wheel travel. It doesn’t need to.

It’s true that the ride could feel more fluent. Mazda couldn’t get away with the gentleness of the original MX-5’s damper tune today, and so the new car is more tautly checked when disturbed vertically. But it still feels like a natural athlete rather than a reconstructed one – and that’s absolutely vital to its appeal.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

Mazda, in contrast with Toyota’s overzealous positioning of the Toyota GT86, has kept the MX-5’s affordability front and centre.

Available in the firm’s SE, SE-L, SE-L Nav, Sport and Sport Nav trim levels, the £18,495 starting price for the 1.5-litre version is about where fast superminis begin, rivalling options such as the Fiat 500 Abarth 595C and drastically undercutting a Volkswagen Golf convertible.

SE-L Nav trim delivers most of everything that you could expect
Matt Saunders
Road test editor

The sparsely kitted SE has limited appeal, but our SE-L Nav car featured DAB, a 7.0in touchscreen, Bluetooth, cruise control, air-con and, as the name implies, satellite navigation – and still scraped under the £20k mark (minus metallic paint).

This 1.5-litre car can also claim decent efficiency, with its claimed 47.1mpg reduced only to 46.1mpg during True MPG examination.

Its 139g/km CO2 figure, meanwhile, is almost the same as that of a Ford Fiesta ST – one of only two cars able to match the MX-5 for fun. The other, the GT86, is 41g/km to the worse.

VERDICT

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 9

Mazda MX-5

Good

Spirited performance

Balanced, involving handling

Excellent packaging

Outstanding value

Bad

Not as quick as a like-for-like hot hatch

Overly light steering

Imperfect cabin ergonomics

We’ve grown used to giving couched verdicts on sports cars, sometimes weighing progress in one direction against compromise in another. Not so here.

There isn’t a single area in which this new Mazda MX-5 fails to surpass its predecessor. It’s shorter, lighter, more spacious and better laid out. It’s sharper-looking but still disarming and distinctive. It’s faster, more frugal and even more vibrant and engaging to drive.

An outstanding and usable sports car at an outstanding price
Matt Prior
Editor-at-large

All that, and yet the MX-5 is still every inch the same zesty and inimitable car that it was. Its character hasn’t altered at all.

There’s no five-star rating, reflecting the fact that the 1.5-litre mid-spec model tested didn’t quite feel like the definitive version. Most modern sporting tastes will crave a bit more performance than it offers. The 2.0-litre model provides that, as well as even greater handling panache.

And yet the 1.5 has an authenticity that honours the original MX-5. So just pay your money, take your choice and enjoy a far better driver’s car than you’d believe £20,000 could secure.