Mazda MX-5

I’ve fallen in love... with my car! To be honest, this passionate affair started as soon as OE55 NYB arrived back in February, but the onset of summer sealed the deal for me and our Mazda MX-5.

That’s not to say our relationship has always run smoothly. I’ve let the keys to the roadster slip from my grasp on several occasions, since it’s proving so popular with office colleagues. Motoring writer Sam Hardy borrowed the car, but spending his precious weekend sitting in a hot traffic jam wasn’t what he’d intended.

Unfortunately, things went from bad to worse when the engine warning light came on and refused to go out. The car was taken into Mazda dealer TW White & Sons in Byfleet, Surrey, who diagnosed the fault. Apparently, frequent half-depressing of the clutch while moving in traffic confused the electrical wizardry into believing there was a problem. The sensor was reset, and happily it hasn’t happened again.

Worse was to come. Fellow motoring writer Ross Pinnock was at the helm when a Mercedes CLK came up the inside of the MX-5 and glanced the rear bumper at a junction. Luckily, the other driver admitted responsibility for the creased bodywork and broken light cluster, but it meant a trip back to TW White & Sons, this time to the bodyshop for an estimate on the repair. The insurer may be footing the bill, but we were still surprised at the hefty £982.56 repair costs. What’s more, they say things happen in threes, so I’m dreading what will be next to befall the MX-5.

But with the sun shining, those thoughts quickly vanish as I plan my next roof-down expedition, even though I don’t actually find the hood that easy to lower. Now, it might be that I simply need to spend more time at the gym, but while the mechanism is simple, I find it a real struggle to push the roof up over my head from the inside. Extra use may well help to loosen it up.

At least the canvas hood is properly water-tight. Despite encountering monsoon conditions on more than one occasion, not a drop of rain has found its way into the cockpit. At the other end of the scale, on scorching hot days I’m beginning to wish I had opted for air-conditioning. The wind may be in your hair, but the fan alone can’t keep your lower half chilled.

That aside, life with the MX-5 is a breeze. It’s a gorgeous little roadster that never fails to raise a smile – especially with a bunch of heart-shaped balloons tied to the headrest!
Lesley Harris

Second opinion
A sunny weekend jaunt provided plenty of time to enjoy the MX-5’s simple thrills, but after 450 top-down miles, the rear end was looking decidedly sooty. A quick check revealed the oil was near the minimum level. Has our car decided to emulate the rotary-engined RX-8 with its thirst for the black stuff? Oil consumption aside, the Mazda’s keys are highly prized at weekends now thatthe weather has improved.
Ross Pinnock, motoring writer