Faults:

The passenger side door doesn't unlock through the central locking anymore. Needs a new actuator, but cannot be bothered yet to fix it.

General Comments:

Coming from a V6 Alfa I convinced myself that power and speed was not everything and chose a car which had a reputation for an enjoyable drive without bankrupting me on running costs. All the reviews were good so I found myself a very good example after a long search. After 6 months ownership I still like the Mazda, but I really think that Mazda should have put a better engine in to make it a really good drive. The engine is harsh and isn't a joy to use especially when you push it. But this car is only good at Sunday drives with the hood down on a twisty back road and not on long motorway journeys as the noise is excessive to say the least. It doesn't stir the soul like the Alfa, but the Mazda is fairly cheap to run and reliable. A really good second car which will always sell on easy with a good return.

Faults:

Utterly reliable.

General Comments:

This is now my third MX-5 and what can I say? Until someone builds a better affordable sports car, I'll just keep buying the things.

Much is made of the series 2 being a softer car than the original series 1 but it's still one of the most fluid and enjoyable handling cars on the road at any price, with almost telepathic steering. It grips strongly, and then communicates everything through the wheel rim and through your backside. You can slide it around and play with it, without ever feeling like it's going to bite you. Power oversteer, drifts, doughnuts - whatever takes your fancy. Nothing else at this price comes close as a package.

Performance is good, although this 1.8 engine really likes to be worked hard. It doesn't deliver all of its 146 bhp until 7,000 RPM meaning you have to row the gearbox hard, but it's no hardship when the gear lever is a tiny 4" long thing which plugs directly into the tail of the gearbox right underneath it. Front engine and RWD = no gear linkage to speak of. Knife through butter quality and a lovely short gate.

Fuel economy is poor for a small car (26-28 mpg) and insurance is expensive despite a lowish group. Build quality, dealers and driving experience however are all first class. At this price, it's unbeatable.