Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them. The Mazda MX-5, you will recall, hit the ground running, so instantly iconic that it seems weird now to think that there was a time when it didn’t exist.
It turned out to be, over its four generations (so far), the ultimate real-world enthusiast’s car and the biggest-selling two-seat sports car of all time. Oh, yes, of course, there were other dainty drop-top two-seaters that came before it and some that came after it, but this delightfully simple and properly screwed-together roadster delivered a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive answer to more than a million people’s prayers.
You see, if you want affordable fun, the iconic MX-5 has always delivered in spades. The Mk1 car (the NA) was an analogue delight, the Mk2 (NB) a practical uptick, the Mk3 (NC) more refined and the latest Mk4 (ND) a dainty peach.
The answer to the question of which one to buy is probably that you really need one of each. However, presuming the budget allows only one, we would start by discounting the first two generations, because they’re now well stricken in years, so to find a good one means shopping very carefully. We would dismiss the Mk4, too, as a nouveau venu. That leaves us with the Mk3, and that’s good, because this is a car that’s definitely still a sound purchase and starting to look like really good value.
Launched in 2005, it was larger and heavier (by around 100kg) than the Mk2, but it offered more comfort and refinement. It was more powerful, too. Under the bonnet, you could choose between a 125bhp 1.8-litre or 158bhp 2.0-litre in-line four, the latter with variable valve timing and a limited-slip differential.
A slick five-speed gearbox was standard on both, but track down a 2.0-litre in Sport trim and it will have a six-speed ’box, as well as 17in alloy wheels, stiffer suspension, traction control and heated leather seats.
Unlike the previous MX-5s, this model was available in two different guises: the traditional soft-top roadster and a Coupé Cabriolet, which came with an electrically powered folding hard top that gave the refinement of a coupé but allowed you to get the wind in your hair at the touch of a button.
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The facelift cars have an uglier front grille (makes them easier to spot) but are much improved in every other way. Yet another Autocar used buying guide that reads like an hour's desk research and omits the genuine insight you really want.
I had my 2.0 2006 sport for 3.5 years as a weekend car and it was a fantastic. It was only on 89k miles when I sold it but it would use oil and I would be checking it every 2 weeks even though there was no smoke and no leaks. There are so many early NC's that burn oil and have ruined tapping engines from low oil. In the end the only reason I got rid was because they are no better than the mk1 and mk2 for rust. It was everywhere and it was garage stored and not used in the wet or salt through my ownership and it still got worse each year. The second gear can be incredibly nothcy and tough to get into when the engine is cold but this was the same in the 3 I drove before buying my own so a "charcertistic" apparently.
My advice is to get one as new as possible and get it undersealed if you want to keep it for a good few years. I really miss having a convertible every time it is sunny but I had an itch that needed to be scratched and I bought a freshly import DC5 Integra Type R. If I return in a few years it will be to the mk4 2018- with the 180bhp 2.0. The MX5 has finally got the power it deserves, although a bump to 220bhp is perfect in my opinion.
I can remember the Mk3 being severely criticised for putting on weight and that the Mk4 was hailed as correcting that mistake.
I think the truth is that the mk3 was a bit under developed at launch but got considerably better throughout its life. Autocar pushing one of the early ones here though...