NC real world MPG

[cirian75]

Getting the sports car itch again.


7 years ago I had a NB mk2.5 that was a gas guzzling (25mpg driven like a saint) rot box of an MX-5

left a very sour taste behind.

So thinking NC

I assume the new NC's don't rust like NB's do

what is the real world, not thrashing on it MPG for the 1.8 and 2.0s ?

[kostas_miata]

I get around 21-25mpg in my 2.0 NC but I've got a heavy foot and it's not really representative. I've heard from other owners that they get 30-35mpg on motorway driving.

[Evoluzione]

It says 30mpg on the dash of my 2 ltr, but i'll tell you how many real life miles I got from a tankful when I fill up in a week or so if you're still interested, a figure of about 300 miles to a tankful (£50) of unleaded springs to mind which tallies.
It doesn't seem to make much difference from motorway to Urban roads.

Mk3s can still rust, there is even a German FB page devoted to rusty NCs! So find that and take a look if you are on there and on the various forums.
If you can get a later one (2010 on) then they seem better. Early models had a problem with the vertical window divider on the door rubbing the door skin and rusting there, other bits are rear arches, cills, cill to wing joint (sound familiar?).
I shoved a camera in the cavities of mine and there is zero cavity wax from the factory, luckily mine was very clean so I've wax injected it everywhere, wire brushed it down underneath and undersealed it.
Basically buy the latest one you can afford or one that's been a Summer car or garaged a lot (I think mine was).

Edited by Evoluzione on Monday 4th September 21:31

[cirian75]

So Mazda still can't rust proof properly for toffee :/

[Evoluzione]

Yeah, but there are still plenty of good ones around too, they're hardly a rare car! Just choose carefully and have it checked over before finally buying.
The earliest NC is 11yrs old now so there are bound to be a few ropey ones, but you can't generalise.

[SmilerFTM]

I usually get around 26-28 mph on a tank but I'm fairly heavy footed. A big chunk of my commute is duel carriageway so that helps.
I drove from the north east down to near the Brecons earlier this year and despite putting my foot down when able (M1 was full of bloody 50mph average speed cameras) I amazed myself when I got down there and filled up again as I'd gotten 42mpg out of it. I'd never checked before on a long journey.

I've got the BBR Super 200 mods plus oversize (0.5mm bigger) pistons and a slight head skim

[SmilerFTM]

Underneath mine is showing a few scabby bits of rust and could do with a good wire brush and underseal but it's not too bad considering it's an 11 year old car and is used as a daily throughout winter

[cirian75]

Its just that my MX5 NB was 6 years old, and Carl at CBS auto said the rust was one of the worse he had seen.

The car had its outer sill panels done before I got it to hide how bad it was inside the sill.

[Evoluzione]

SmilerFTM said:

A big chunk of my commute is duel carriageway so that helps.

That conjures up an image of you travelling down this duel carriageway, top down with an antique pistol aimed at another MX5 coming the other way.

[Xtriple129]

had an NC (06) a few years back and I got rid of it because of... RUST. It was as rotten as a pear underneath pretty heavy corrosion everywhere especially the subframes. I was NOT impressed. Mazda are dreadful for not rustproofing their cars seen loads of other models just as rusty.

I bought it from a Mazda main dealers in the rain and didn't worry too much as it was a good car and dealer, really upset when the weather improved and I looked down below. The dealers did try and sort it - underseal etc but I'd lost confidence and sold it. It was a 1.8 and pretty useless on fuel as well, much to my surprise.

I had a MK1 import before that was immaculate underneath and I now have a MK2 that was undersealed when it was imported and is also perfect, they are not bad cars for rust, just Mazda don't underseal properly from the factory. Sad...

[Darryl247W]

Almost 39mpg over my A and B road commute. My 2007 has been badly crusty on the sub frame for years, and the shell is announcing forthcoming welding work. I viewed a 2014 with 15k miles and walked away from it when I saw how orange the sub frame has already become. Find the latest and cleanest you can afford and rust-proof it to the hilt.