The Mazda MX-5 has long been considered the best affordable sports car you can buy, but its been around for while. So in a bid to stay ahead of newer rivals like the Peugeot RCZ and MINI Roadster, it’s been given a bit of a revamp.
There’s a new front grille and bumper design, which aren’t just for looks, but also help reduce drag. Inside there are additions to give it a more upmarket feel, including climate control as standard, along with a glossy dark grey dashboard.
The Sport Tech Nav model we tried also gets an integrated TomTom sat-nav with 5.8-inch touchscreen, plus iPod and Bluetooth connection. Sadly, though, the system feels dated and isn’t the most intuitive.
There’s also some added safety kit, with the new active bonnet system. This pops up the trailing edge of the bonnet if a collision with a pedestrian is detected, increasing the deformable area between the panel and the engine.
Mechanical changes include a modified throttle map for the six-speed manual gearbox to improve responsiveness, while the brakes have been tweaked to provide more control when braking through corners.
It gets the same 2.0-litre engine as before and, with 158bhp it’s not especially quick. Work it hard though and it produces its best, enhancing the feeling of involvement. The snappy six-speed manual feels particularly great, though sometimes you do have to fight it to get into first gear.
Throw it around a bit and the Mazda is as brilliantly balanced as ever. The sharp handling means you always know which way the car is pointing, or sliding, making it lots of fun, albeit not supercar-fast.
If you’re after refinement and relaxation, then the Mazda might not be the best choice. Wind and road noise are quite intrusive, and the low suspension means you’ll feel the bumps in the road.
But despite these minor niggles, the latest MX-5 looks even better than before, still delivers pure driving thrills and sets the benchmark its younger rivals should strive for.
For an alternative review of the latest Mazda MX-5 Convertible visit our sister site carbuyer.co.uk
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Brilliant car and great to see that a model that debuted in 2005 still achieves such praise from the motoring press. After driving a family members MX5 on several occasions I would have to agree that it is indeed a five star sports car. One of the best drivers cars around regardless of money.
I'm not sure the car needed a facelift, but to be honest, I cannot tell the difference.
Nowadays, Mazda cars rarely seem dated after several years on the market.
This kind of review could easily be written after reading press release kit from Mazda. However, as you're writing about "getting behind the wheel" there was one critical thing I was expecting from this review - telling if the changes translate into any noticable difference while driving it hard? And the answer is not here :(
Looks good, although I'm not sure white suits it. Has Mazda discovered DAB yet, I wonder.
Five stars for a Japanese car! Is this an AE first?
As an owner of much humbler Mazda machinery I can only confirm what a great ownership proposition they make.
The somewhat subtle changes are welcome. It finally looks right all around. I had an early one and will get another. It's so good at being a daily driver, specially for the money.
BTW Chris, try not to use words you are not comfortable with. Albeit means exactly the opposite of what you intended.