Having owned a TVR Griffith (and a 350i before that) I have been the happy owner of a 2 litre, 3 year old MX5 RF for the last 6 months. (partly thanks to the local yobs who stole my Fiesta ST3 and the insurance company paying up in double quick time)
Wheras the 2 TVR’s looked and sounded fantastic and would hurl you at the horizon (or nearby street furniture) at an impressive rate, the MX5 makes me smile with the finesse of it’s handling and its ability to make any country road driven at a modestly fast speed so much fun.
I might be the lucky one but I didn’t have any major issues with either TVR, unlike most Porsche owners. With Mazda build quality I don’t expect much trouble with reliability and the owners club is probably one of the most active and helpful there is.
I’ve found with my MX5 used day to day I achieve c40mpg with more on a run, compared to 25mpg with the TVR’s. Putting higher octane fuel in gives a few more mpg rather than making a notable difference to performance. I’ve just done my first long weekend away and there was adequate space for a couple of holdalls and a cool bag in the boot so next year a tour around Europe is looking likely.
I am sure you will come to love the MX5 like I have. Enjoy!
Good choice, Jonathan. Too many cars these days are big and bloated, full of pointless tech. Small, straightforward fun cars are a dying breed as everyone seems to want SUVs.
It’ll be interesting to see how the MX5 will eventually evolve as an EV.
Sounds like a great idea but your comments reminded me of a time yonks ago when I bought a sporty car. It was great fun but I had slightly ignored/ wasn’t aware of the smidgen shortfall of legroom and it was only when I eventually went on a longish run that the compromised legroom introduced itself to me! Thought worth mentioning ahead of your test drive tomorrow to encourage you to make sure the MX5 will work for you on the longer trips you have in mind.
Agree. I sold my 7 series through Motorway and got almost £2K more for it than any of the other offers. No fees and money in the bank within five minutes of deal completed. Hassle free.
I had a mark 1 Triumph GT6 back in the day. That was basically a fixed head Spitfire but with a 6 cylinder 2 litre engine up front. The Mark 1 was renowned for its dreadful handling, basically the back suspension in no way could handle all that weight up front. But it went pretty well in a more or less straight line. And by being careful, I never did spin it or turn it over…
Working on the engine or gearbox was a whole different experience because the whole front part of the body hinged up revealing the engine and you could remove the transmission tunnel inside the car to get at the gearbox. When I rebuilt the gearbox, I did it with the car parked in a lay-by outside our flat and the gearbox and overdrive came out of the car upwards through the cabin, so no need to have a pit or ramps. Those were the days!
Can only comment that my Mk3 2007 2L MX5 has been my daily car for 178k miles. Brings a smile to my face every time I set off. No major probs except rear arches starting to rust. I’m 6’1" and its perfectly good for the driver but the few times I’ve been the passenger I’ve noticed that it’s not overly comfortable. Too hot in the sun (AC compressor failed about 4 years back and was circa 1K for a new one), too cold in a hard winter but nevertheless love it. I’d happily buy a new one.
Great to hear all these replies and endorsements of the MX5. I don’t mind admitting as a TVR owner I tended to think that nothing mass produced was going to be as thrilling to drive, but I was wrong. The MX5 really is a superbly involving car with bags of character. That makes it almost unique in modern motoring and totally unique when you’re looking for a £30k ish car new.
The good news is that I have bought a car! On Sunday the missus and I decided to book a test drive at our local Mazda main agent. Quite by chance that very weekend a 6400 mile MX5 GT Sport Tech which was top of the line when registered in 2022 came into stock in our perfect colour combo. After a morning spent haggling I have now placed a deposit on this beautiful car.
Both my wife and I felt this was “the one” when we drove it on Sunday afternoon and it’s a useful saving when compared to the costs of a new one.
I’ve always wanted to take the Griff to Scotland to drive that road featured in Skyfall. For various reasons we never did, so I’m wondering if that should be our first road trip this Summer in the car.
Just us, a small tent and Trangia and the open road…
Welcome to the club. Planning a trip up to Scotland in Sept in my MX5 NC3.75. Had it for nearly 4 weeks now and love it. Nothing like the bike but just as good in different ways. I always dreamed of a Griffith back in the day but I dont think I need that any more
Having had a Chimp 450 (mk 2 (IIRC) with covered front lights) for 2 1/2 years, I thought I’d sorely miss it, but in the final analysis, it was almost a relief not to have it to be honest. It had the usual TVR foibles, it had to be driven regularly, and on bad roads, it would bang & crash over potholes. At its best, it was brilliant fun and motorway cruising was comfortable, at its worst I was always fearing a big bill, things capped-off when the enclosed headlights needed de-misting, only to be told this couldn’t be done, as the cover would likely break and, by this time, TVR was in turmoil, ergo no/few spares.
Obviously, be mindful of the timing of any sale, and where you advertise it.
IMHO, modern low-slung cars can be so well engineered, and roadholding standards have improved so much, that it’s possible to retain a great % of the fun a TVR offers. With my Chimp, it was sometimes the low-down torque which caused issues on damp/moist roads, even at very low speeds and low revs. Wet leaves and any mush were to be avoided at all costs.
Interestingly all the independents were out of stock of the cylinder. Had to get one from local Mazda franchise, at twice the price the independents were charging (for a genuine Mazda part). Guess I’m not the only one experiencing this issue.
Likely doing a Scotland road trip myself in October.
Paul - stunning looking MX5 you have there and looks absolutely mint!!! Your choice of Aston DB5 grey lol was my runner up choice actually - really suits the car!
Happy Listener, actually I know exactly how you felt!! I think I have reached the same point with mine and it will indeed be a relief when it sells. I’m probably mourning the loss of my GT86 daily driver more than I am the Griffith because both GT86’s I have had have been just stunning cars - utterly reliable, brilliant to drive and with so much driving feel. In fact I would say they are the best handling cars I have ever driven - far beyond the Griff and actually a little bit better than the MX5. If anybody with kids thinks they can’t have a proper sports car which is economical and reliable then you are absolutely wrong because that is why the GT86 was invented!! My daughter and her friends always loved riding in it back from school, it really is practical and offers a very long load area with the rear seat folded down. Mine took wife, teen daughter and me plus a week’s luggage and two full size guitars down to central France for a week and it was just fabulous…
Sorry to hear about the clutch cyclinder Willy - hope you get it sorted soon! In truth my research hasn’t dug up too many clutch issues on them - hubs yes, rust yes and gearboxes on some early 4th gen models.
Thanks for the good wishes Mark - I’m really looking forward to it arriving and totally agree re: that Mazda red - I always admire it even on their saloons and SUV’s. It might just be the nicest red on any car brand I think. The only downside is I’ve heard all Mazda paint is soft so prone to chips but we’ll see. If you read some forum posts you’d think it was made of chocolate!!
@JonathanG
hmmm…Mazda red the nicest red on any brand ? Sacrilege…Ferrari red is the nicest and the most iconic one (although yellow is the historical and original head color of that Italian legend)
But that’s only a small detail. Enjoy fully your new car exploring beautiful small roads with the head in the air and some good music around
Everyone knows Mazda Red cars are faster… I have always liked the MX5 but find it a bit too small when I test drove it a couple of times. So I had Mazda RX8’s instead. A lovely car if you close your mind to the fuel consumption. Regret gettign rid of my last one some 5 years ago.
You’re certainly right that red Ferraris are absolutely iconic and I wouldn’t say no to one either…
Take a look at this video though of the Mazda red - it astonishes me that they’re turning out mass produced cars with this kind of colour quality, although if it’s as soft as some forums say I’m glad they’re ceramic coating it for me prior to sale.
A pilot chum of mine has amusingly just pointed out that it’s almost the exact colour of Virgin Atlantic’s aircraft, which might cause some consternation in the BA car park at work!!
As others have commented and I wholeheartedly agree, the red colour looks amazing.
Introducing you to a little bit of man maths logic… did you realise that not only have you saved money on a new MX5, but with a little lateral thinking, you have saved a further £24k!! How come? Well, the other day I watched a review of the Ferrari Roma Spider by JayEmm on Cars. The press car was loaded with options, including a special red paint finish, the option list declaring it could be yours for a mere £23,950!
With such amazing savings baked into your new car, perhaps set aside some funds for the application of a protective wrap to the front exposed edges of your new car. Particularly if likely to be a keeper, this could be money well spent.
Either way, best wishes for an enjoyable experience with your new MX5.
My missus was in the process of deciding on a new car recently, and had more or less narrowed it down to either a Mazda or a Toyota.
She fancied a red car, and whilst there was a Toyota which fitted her requirements, the salesman sadly commented that “nobody comes close to Mazda, where red is concerned.”
“ * Soul Red Crystal:
Mazda’s most recent iteration of the Soul Red, it boasts 20% greater color saturation and 50% more depth than the original Soul Red.
Three-Layer Structure:
The paint consists of a clear coat, a translucent layer, and a reflective layer, creating a visual depth and richness.
