Mazda MX-5 review: Classic convertible will make you smile

Perhaps having the convertible Mazda MX-5 on test during the worst of storm Eowyn was not the greatest act of stupidity you’ve ever heard of, but it may well come close.

A convertible, after all, is something to be enjoyed during periods of riviera-esque balmy sunshine and pet days when you can leave the roof down and relish wind-in-the-hair motoring and a sense of motoring freedom that’s unparallelled.

However, with a scything wind taking your hair out by the roots, lifting slates from your roof and propelling them like lethal frisbees down main street, along with truly horizontal rain battering everything into submission, a drop-head was certainly not the ideal automotive tool.

As it was, we here down in the south-west got away lightly by comparison with those poor souls in east Galway, or Roscommon, or Mayo, or Leitrim who only got reconnected to the national grid nearly three weeks after the tempest hit. But still, it was not exactly ideal for a convertible; A Unimog, maybe, but not a two-seat rag-top.

Then again, this is no ordinary beast. A Japanese take on the classic British two-seat convertibles of the 1950’s, ‘60’s and ‘70’s, the MX-5 first saw the light of day in 1989 and was an instant hit with enthusiasts globally.

Its cutesy looks, pop-up headlights, wrist-flick gearshift and tail-out demeanour (if you were able/brave enough), set it apart for anything else at the time. Its reliability, no-leak windows and roof and a willingness to actually start first time, every time were characteristics which its lauded British predecessors never possessed.

It was then – and remains now, three generations on – an exemplar of how to do things right and not in the half-assed manner so favoured by Triumph, MG, Austin Healy and so many others.

For sure the Brits loved their little coupe convertibles but, as anyone who ever owned one will attest, they commanded your attention 24/7 because if you were not administering tender loving care every moment of every day they tended not to work – at all.

Those cars were a labour of love, with heavy emphasis on the ‘labour’ end of things and, by and large, if you were not prepared to get your hands dirty, then you were never going to experience the joys they could offer.

The Mazda was very different gravy. It worked every time, started with monotonous regularity, didn’t jet water down the back of your neck every time there was the hint of rain and it didn’t rust either. The engine ran smoothly, the gearbox was a joy and the clutch never failed.

In short, it was an object lesson to those – who, admittedly, came up with the concept in the first place – about how to do it right. From California to the Cote d’Azur to Cleethorpes, it was an instant hit and has remained so ever since.

The MX-5 has evolved, of course, in the near four decades it has been with us and if ever there was a car which embodied character, joie de vivre, driving pleasure and affordability, it was the one. It made small children squeal with delight upon seeing it, while it sent adults into raptures when they sat behind the wheel.

And the thing is – it still does. Although the design has matured over the years, it has not done so at the expense of diluting the essential character of the car or the sheer happiness it gives people – even those who only ever get to look at it, not to mind the people who actually own and drive one.

It is, certainly, something most people would consider a frippery, but most who have one love it the same way they would a family dog; it is an indispensable addition to their household and while they might only take it out occasionally, they do so with joy in their hearts and an indescribable feeling of wellbeing because it is like an emotional high tide – it lifts all boats.

I know one couple (hi Laura and Damo) who found one in a state of disrepair, bought it and restored it to almost factory condition and now, several years on, when they do take it out, its still sparks a level of interest from people like few other possessions they own.

That’s how it is with an MX-5 — it is a bringer of delight to whoever owns it and wherever they drive it to.

Our storm-lashed tester was kitted out with the slightly revised higher-revving two-litre Skyactiv-G engine which sees lighter pistons and con-rods being utilised alongside upgrades to the camshafts, piston rings, valves, ports, fuel injection, air intake and flywheel.

These changes might be of little import to those simply enchanted by the car’s demeanour, but for the enthusiast they mean a rev. limit at 7,500 rpm rather than 6,800 and an output of 181 bhp, up from 158.

The MX-5 was never a truly stunning performer, but this engine puts it in a higher bracket than ever before and more appealing therefore to those who like a bit of hot chilli sauce added to their motoring menu. This provides for a 0-100 km/h time of 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 218 km/h – quite the zippy thing.

There’s a six-speed ‘box (which is quite magnificent to use) and, despite the increased performance, fuel consumption is still a fairly economic 6.8 l/100 km (40.9 mpg), although I doubt that few if any owners will care less.

Given the tiny amount of space available to operate in in the cockpit, there are not too many luxuries in there, but Mazda has still made your surrounds fairly comfortable in the circumstances. The 7” infotainment screen might seem a little incongruous in such a car, but it works well and Mazda’s simple and driver-friendly user system is fully in tune with the overall no-nonsense design approach.

The spec. too is comprehensive with everything from heated seats, to auto wipers and lights, cruise control, climate control and a Bose stereo system.

This cockpit is a sort of automotive equivalent of slip-on shoes – you wear it rather than get into it. For all that though, it has very comfortable chairs and a lor elbow room than you might expect in a two-seater.

On the road the ride, as you might expect, is on the firm side (new Bilstein shocks are part of the package) and the handling is as taut as you might expect. It is, of course, possible to wring its neck and see a lot of sideways motoring, but that sort of thing is best left for track-day scenarios.

On roads you know, however, you can make this thing dance without having to resort to hooliganism and if you don’t get out of it with a smile on your mush, then you need medical assistance.

It is simply a joy to drive and that’s why it gets a five-star rating.