There’s something magical about driving a small, lightweight sports car. A low curb weight improves acceleration, improves brake performance and increases a car’s agility. Put simply, light cars are fun to drive. Problem is, there aren’t many left in 2023, and as we move further and further towards an electric future, it’s getting more and more difficult for car companies to make lightweight sports cars. But there is still at least one left on sale.
It is the Mazda MX-5, and it tips the scales at just 1170 kilograms. By contrast, the new MG Cybuster, which has been unveiled the week we’re filming this car, is set to weigh at least 1850 kilograms. So is the MX-5 the last of its kind then? Well, almost. You can still buy a Porsche 718 Boxster, problem is, the cheapest one of those is £54,000 and it’s £20,000 more than this Homura spec MX-5. Or you could look at the lovely Alpine, but that’s over £50,000. Nope.
When it comes to affordable, lightweight, open top sports cars that you can actually buy right now, the MX-5 is pretty much in a class of its own. It’s no spring chicken, though. The soft top version was launched in 2015, and this RF version with the Targa style retractable hard top was launched in 2016. Question is, is it still a piece of desirable kit in 2023? And as we move closer to the ban of internally combustion engine powered vehicles, will manufacturers be able to make anything like this? And will we be sad if they come to an end? I
t certainly still looks the part, though this zerk on sand paint job new for 2023 does mask some of the little Mazda’s graceful curves a bit. Now, one of the downsides of being lightweight and therefore small is that you don’t get a very big boot. There’s 127 litres in here, which is just about big enough to swallow a suitcase. But if you want to go skiing, think again. Now I’m five foot four and a half. If you are six foot, you might find that it’s a little cramped in here. However, if you’re used to small sports cars, you’ll feel right at home. That said, you’re not left wanting when it comes to equipment. We’ve got heated seats, cruise control and infotainment system with built in sat nav, wireless Apple CarPlay integration and wired Android Auto and climate control, which is operated with real buttons and dials to no fussy distracting touchscreens here. Hooray.
Oddly, though, there’s no one touch operation for the windows on the way up. There is on the way down, but not on the way up. And there are some other quirks to the BMW style rotary controller, which we like is just set a little bit further back than you might expect. So it’s a little uncomfortable to get to. And the cupholders are in an even stranger position.
However, these are the compromises that you make for such a lightweight, compact design. And of course, there’s this button, which in just 13 seconds turns your Mazda from an open top roadster into a slinky coupe. Quite the party trick and one you can do at speeds of up to six miles per hour. And despite the compromised space overall, the quality is very good.
This definitely feels like a special product. It’s helped in this one, the Homura spec with the cream coloured Nappa leather seats and the superb quality Bose sound system, which even has four speakers in the headrests. With the Homura model, you also get rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, lane departure warning and a limited slip differential, which helps improve grip and traction out of corners. Talking of which, this is a sports car, so it’s about time we did some driving.
You can get the MX-5 and the MX-5 RF with a 132 horsepower, 1.5 litre petrol engine or a two litre engine, which is fitted to this car. And since 2018, it’s had 184 horsepower up from 160, which it used to have before 2018. That might not sound all that much in a world of 300 horsepower hot hatches, but it’s enough to get the
MX-5 RF to 62 miles per hour in 6.8 seconds. It also delivers its power in a pretty thrilling way. The six speed manual gearbox is precise without feeling notchy and the two litre naturally aspirated engine just finds its way going up the rev range in a really smooth linear way, which is very satisfying. You can get a six speed automatic gearbox, however, unless you really need to. We’d recommend sticking with the manual so that you get that extra satisfaction of changing the gears yourself. Not to mention, it is a little bit quicker.
There’s clever stuff at work in the chassis, too. Not only is the limited slip differential there to help you out. Mazda has recently also introduced a clever bit of tech that actually slightly breaks an inside wheel during cornering, stabilising the car and reducing body roll, especially on bumpy country roads.
Combine that with lovely, delicate steering and the Mazda MX-5 is a hoot to drive on your favourite country B roads. The brakes are confidence inspiring, too, which is always a good thing on a performance focused car. We also really like this central rev counter, which is large enough to see at a glance. It’s no jittery monster on the motorway either. At cruising speeds, it’s comfortable, stable and reasonably refined, both roof down and roof up. Although you can definitely hear the wind whistling around the joints and hinges in the roof when it’s in its closed position. But that’s possibly because your head’s physically so close to it. Oh, and one more advantage of low weight fuel economy. Decent fuel economy at that.
This car’s official fuel economy figures are 40.9 miles per gallon, and we have got close to that. If you go for the 1.5, you might even get 44.8 miles per gallon without really trying that hard for fuel efficiency. And as for the question we asked earlier, I think we can emphatically say, yes, the MX-5 is still a brilliant little car. It hides its age beautifully.
It still looks good, drives brilliantly, and it packs a performance punch that puts a smile on your face. And as for the little part, well, that’s a compromise you make for such a lightweight design. And whether that’s a compromise too much possibly depends on how tall you are.
What do you think? Is lighter and smaller better? Will you be sorry when the MX-5 as we know it is gone, as it surely will be one day? Let us know in the comments below. And if you’re considering buying a Mazda MX-5 or indeed any car, head to cargurus.co.uk to find loads of great cars for sale from top rated dealers.
And with our super clever pricing technology, we’ll even tell you whether it’s a good deal or not.
