Mazda MX-5 review: Top-down fun in Fife with the updated roadster

In 18 years as this newspaper’s motoring writer I’ve never tested a convertible without getting the hood down at least once – no matter the weather.

One time that involved gloves, hat, and a down jacket to drive an Audi A3 from Brechin to Dundee when it was -8 outside.

In 2012 I drove a Mazda MX-5 from John o’ Groats to Dundee with the hood down all the way.

Half an hour from home it started bucketing down, but by that time it had become a bit of a mission.

The Mazda MX-5 with a field in the background — The Mazda MX-5 offers fantastic driving fun. Image: Jack McKeown.

So when the updated version of the Mazda MX-5 was scheduled to arrive with me in mid-October I looked out my warmest clothing and steeled myself for some cold-weather top-down ‘fun’.

Fortunately, my week with the little roadster coincided with a spell of sunny autumnal weather.

Getting the hood down each time I drove was a joy rather than a chore.

What’s new in the Mazda MX-5?

The MX-5 is not a car Mazda fiddles with very often. The current model was launched in 2015 and hasn’t changed much since.

And with good reason. It’s been hugely successful and is almost universally liked.

Earlier this year, Mazda gave the MX-5 a very light dusting down.

the new infotainment screen. — There is a new infotainment screen. Image: Mazda.

The cabin has been updated with an 8.8in infotainment screen that’s much slicker and more responsive than the hoary old 7.0in display.

There’s smartphone mirroring and USB-C ports. Buttons and other switchgear have been tidied up, and there are some new safety features (including the dreaded warning beep when you go 1mph above the speed limit).

And that’s about it – Mazda hasn’t tinkered with its winning formula.

How much does it cost?

The Mazda MX-5 is very affordable by the standards of today’s car prices. It starts at around £28,000, with top-spec models costing roughly £35,000.

There aren’t many rivals to the Mazda MX-5 and the few other options – Porsche’s Boxster and BMW’s Z4 – cost nearly twice as much.

Under the bonnet there’s a choice of 1.5 or 2.0-litre petrol engines.

You can have it in ‘pure’ roadster form with a soft-top, or in RF (retractable fastback) guise, which has a metal folding roof.

motoring writer Jack McKeown leans against the car's bonnet with a field in the background — Folding the hood down takes just a few seconds. Image: Jack McKeown.

I prefer the traditional version. The hardtop model uses electrics to fold the roof, whereas with the soft top you just pull a level, push the top back and it clicks into place.

If you use your MX-5 all year round you might want to consider the RF version but, to be honest, the roadster model I tested could probably be used on all but the worst winter days.

a parked MX-5 seen from the front — Our writer enjoyed his time with the MX-5.

My MX-5 in high-spec Homura trim had the 2.0-litre engine, which produces 184hp and gets the car from 0-62mph in just 6.5 seconds. That’s very quick, but straight-line speed is not what makes the MX-5 such a delight, and you’ll be just (or almost) as happy with the 1.5-litre model.

No. What makes it so wonderful is how much fun you can have without putting your licence at risk. It’s so small, light, responsive and low to the road that zipping along a country lane at 50mph feels like doing 90 does in a much more expensive and powerful sports car.

It responds instantly to every throttle or steering input, and whipping through a series of bends is a joyful experience.

What is the MX-5 like inside?

It isn’t a practical car. At 6’5”, I’m bordering on being too big to fit inside.

The boot is tiny. And if you want to take a cup of coffee with you, you need to grab the cupholders from a storage compartment and clip them into place. Even then you have to reach awkwardly around your body to grab your drink.

a picture showing the front two seats and dashboard from above — The cabin has been updated – although our tall test driver would love a little more space. Image: Jack McKeown.

But none of that is important. Coffee is for long, boring journeys in a Toyota or a Volvo. In the Mazda you’ll be having too much fun driving along your favourite stretch of road to be fussed about sipping a latte.

I drove from Edinburgh to St Andrews in the MX-5. On the dual carriageway I was sensible and kept the hood up (all right, I was swigging a coffee) but as soon as I hit the A92 I pulled over and got the hood down.

May the sun never set on the Mazda MX-5. Image: Jack McKeown.

I took some of the minor country lanes inland from the East Neuk and had an absolute blast zooming around these quiet, scenic roads.

Readers often ask me what the best car I’ve ever driven is. That’s a question I hate answering. Part of the delight of this job is its variety. And I can tell you that supercars are not nearly as wonderful as I thought they were when I was a teenager.

‘What’s the most fun car to drive’ is a much easier question to answer. Pound-for-pound, nothing puts as big a grin on your face as a Mazda MX-5.