Mk3.0 1.8 or 2.0 sport?
Discussion
would be a shame to choose the gutless 1.8 in an NC. It would be slower than a 7 seater MPV and wouldn't mach the cars personality at all. if you are looking for top down fun and cruising, it would be the wiser option, but then again you could as well buy a peugeot cc..
i have tried many, 1.6 mk2.5s before buying my 1.8mk2.5 and i still feel it was the good decision. In the NC the 2.0 is the obvious choice, although it still doesnt feel as responsive as the mk2.5 1.8..
i have tried many, 1.6 mk2.5s before buying my 1.8mk2.5 and i still feel it was the good decision. In the NC the 2.0 is the obvious choice, although it still doesnt feel as responsive as the mk2.5 1.8..
I've just bought myself a 56-plate 2.0 option pack (non-sport), which is great, having had a Mk 1, and then boxster before it.
I would say to take a look at both sport and non-sport cars to see what you fancy - I ended up going for the non-sport, as I found a better deal than the sports I had seen, and I don't feel I've missed out.
The non-sport still comes with LSD, DSC etc, but misses the fancier bits on the sport, such as bilsteins and usually Leather, bose, a/c etc... Mine is a fun car, that might get used for a few trackdays etc, so I figured that if I wanted to go hardcore on suspension, then it would likely all be replaced, and that I wouldn't miss the other frills.
So far, I haven't regretted the decision - I have now been to WIM and had their springs and alignment done, which has made a big difference both to looks (I think with the 16's that they look even more 4x4-like!) and the handling, so that is recommended as £300 well spent.
I would say to take a look at both sport and non-sport cars to see what you fancy - I ended up going for the non-sport, as I found a better deal than the sports I had seen, and I don't feel I've missed out.
The non-sport still comes with LSD, DSC etc, but misses the fancier bits on the sport, such as bilsteins and usually Leather, bose, a/c etc... Mine is a fun car, that might get used for a few trackdays etc, so I figured that if I wanted to go hardcore on suspension, then it would likely all be replaced, and that I wouldn't miss the other frills.
So far, I haven't regretted the decision - I have now been to WIM and had their springs and alignment done, which has made a big difference both to looks (I think with the 16's that they look even more 4x4-like!) and the handling, so that is recommended as £300 well spent.
Thanks for all the feedback. After what you've said Browno, I think the 2.0 sport is what I'm after. Sounds like we've had a similar recent car history too - mk1 mx5 --> Porsche 996.2 --> Mk3 mx5
The Porsche is a lovely car, but you very quickly get into illegal speeds if you want to have fun. I maintain that my £1.5K eunos was the most fun car I've owned, so hopefully the mk3 will be similar fun (admitadly popup headlights accounted for 10% of the fun factor)
The Porsche is a lovely car, but you very quickly get into illegal speeds if you want to have fun. I maintain that my £1.5K eunos was the most fun car I've owned, so hopefully the mk3 will be similar fun (admitadly popup headlights accounted for 10% of the fun factor)
Munter said:
hornetrider said:
The list of us 5ers that have gone MX5 > Porsche > back to MX5 grows ever longer!
I looked really hard at Boxsters, even some 996 I could have stretched to. But skipped the Porsche phase and went direct to the MK3.Does that make me boring or wise...
So the second option is to get rid of the Jag and the Mk1 and get a Boxster. The only problem here is that I don't really like how the Boxster looks (brand new version excepted) and again there's the running costs/waste of a car issues.
This throws up a third option. Swap the Jag for a Mk3.5 Coupe and keep the Mk1 and modify it a bit. Although the Mk3.5 isn't really a motorway car, running costs will be low, I'd have the benefits of having a convertible for everyday use and the hardtop built in for when it's cold/raining etc. Does owning two MX5s for different purposes make sense?
How does the Mk3.5 cope with motorway travel compared to the Mk1? It's never going to match the Jag, but is it a viable option?
Sorry for the ramble, but it's a conundrum.
VladD said:
How does the Mk3.5 cope with motorway travel compared to the Mk1? It's never going to match the Jag, but is it a viable option?
Well, it'll do it but it's quite noisy, albeit quiter than a Mk1. I don't think I could honestly recommend it. I did it for a while but became conscious of the mileage I was putting on the 3.5 and also wanted more refinement, so bought an E38 as well.hornetrider said:
VladD said:
How does the Mk3.5 cope with motorway travel compared to the Mk1? It's never going to match the Jag, but is it a viable option?
Well, it'll do it but it's quite noisy, albeit quiter than a Mk1. I don't think I could honestly recommend it. I did it for a while but became conscious of the mileage I was putting on the 3.5 and also wanted more refinement, so bought an E38 as well.hornetrider said:
Mine had half that engine - similar motorway mpg to the 5! (give or take 3mpg here or there!)
To be honest 21 mpg I could live with, it was the other running costs that killed me. I had it for less than 2 years and spent over £10k keeping it on the road. Everytime I got something fixed I hoped that that would be the end of the spending, but it kept going. In the end I just had to cut my losses. It was a 2 owner car with 70k on the clock when I bought, it should have been a dream. 
Anyway, sorry to drag the thread OT.
Another vote for the 2.0 here, I haven the 1.8 and although the performance isn't great, it is a lot better than a 7 seater people carrier 
I'd also suggest looking at the non sport version, as other than the suspension it has all the other important bits of the sport, ie the engine and the LSD, but doesn't have the luxury add ons, A/C, leather seats etc. To me a sports version should have all the go faster bits and less weight, but Mazda seem to add all the luxury bling onto their sport versions.
I'd also suggest looking at the non sport version, as other than the suspension it has all the other important bits of the sport, ie the engine and the LSD, but doesn't have the luxury add ons, A/C, leather seats etc. To me a sports version should have all the go faster bits and less weight, but Mazda seem to add all the luxury bling onto their sport versions.
Hi
Well it depends on what you are going to use the car for.
If your on short runs and just a weekend racer the 2.0 is theobviouse more powerful choice.
If however your like us and use the car for 3 month long 6000 or 7000 mile european tours the 1.8 is the better choice.
1.8 returns better MPG - is cheaper to insure - is cheaper on the roadtax - will use tyre's far less quickly - and when touring the whole of europe the race soon leaves you for a more cruize approach. Its a great little convertable car for this purpose. Even the 1.8 is thirsty though.
But i used to tour europe on motorcycles and they only ever returned about 37 to 39 mpg. I rather be 2 or 3 mpg lower and have the comfort of the car.
So for my purpose the 1.8 mk 3.5 is the obvious choice. Saves me perhaps 1500 a year which i can use to treat myself on the tours instead.
Well it depends on what you are going to use the car for.
If your on short runs and just a weekend racer the 2.0 is theobviouse more powerful choice.
If however your like us and use the car for 3 month long 6000 or 7000 mile european tours the 1.8 is the better choice.
1.8 returns better MPG - is cheaper to insure - is cheaper on the roadtax - will use tyre's far less quickly - and when touring the whole of europe the race soon leaves you for a more cruize approach. Its a great little convertable car for this purpose. Even the 1.8 is thirsty though.
But i used to tour europe on motorcycles and they only ever returned about 37 to 39 mpg. I rather be 2 or 3 mpg lower and have the comfort of the car.
So for my purpose the 1.8 mk 3.5 is the obvious choice. Saves me perhaps 1500 a year which i can use to treat myself on the tours instead.
Gassing Station | Mazda MX5/Roadster/Miata | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff