Discussion
After twenty years of Caterham ownership I am going for the more civilised option and a pre owned current MX 5 ticks more boxes than anything else.
Any advice on Mk 4 welcomed - my model choice will be 2 litre with lsd etc - sport nav I think ? Convertible rather than RF
Colour - love the red and blue . All leather I assume?
Probably go for dealer purchase - how are Mazda dealers?
Too early for faults I hope but anything to look for?
Any options to look for or avoid ?
Insurance - my 220bhp Seven costs £250 pa to insure but I bet the MX 5 will be lots more. I'm old , full ncb etc - any insurers recommended ?
Any other thoughts welcomed .Thanks
Any advice on Mk 4 welcomed - my model choice will be 2 litre with lsd etc - sport nav I think ? Convertible rather than RF
Colour - love the red and blue . All leather I assume?
Probably go for dealer purchase - how are Mazda dealers?
Too early for faults I hope but anything to look for?
Any options to look for or avoid ?
Insurance - my 220bhp Seven costs £250 pa to insure but I bet the MX 5 will be lots more. I'm old , full ncb etc - any insurers recommended ?
Any other thoughts welcomed .Thanks
I wouldn't say too early for faults.
I have heard rumours of potential gearbox issues with the 2.0 versions.
I have also seen photographic evidence that Mazda have still not got on top of their undersealing with their cars - I would advise going for a full Dinitrol underseal if/when you do eventually purchase one for peace of mind.
I have heard rumours of potential gearbox issues with the 2.0 versions.
I have also seen photographic evidence that Mazda have still not got on top of their undersealing with their cars - I would advise going for a full Dinitrol underseal if/when you do eventually purchase one for peace of mind.
I have a Soul Red 2.0 sport (non NAV) conv as a second weekend car which I am loving. The car you are contemplating will have black leather as standard. The options list at new was miniscule, paint, tan leather and safety system (blind spot monitor, auto dipping lights that sort of thing) were the only options. There is a lane departure warning as standard. The only option I chose was red paint. I left the nav as they wanted £600 and it came with only 3 years free updates.
Mazda dealers seem OK, probably much the same as any other main dealer type outfit.
No faults to report but then again the mileage has been insignificant as it is a fair weather car for me. Insurance was about £500 as it is on a separate policy although they did mirror the max NCB I have on another policy (which I pay about £200 on an old E46 BMW)
Compared to the Seven it will be a world apart, far more civilised and far less raw. It won't have the performance of the Seven and the level of thrills will be much lower but on the other hand you will have heated seats and air con (sat in stationary traffic on the motorway at 28 celcius with the roof off getting roasted and not wanting the embarrassment of putting the roof up to provide some shade the air con blasting my feet and face was superb!)
I would take one for a test drive, you will either love it immediately or hate it as you will be comparing it to your Seven and thinking this is far too tame.
Mazda dealers seem OK, probably much the same as any other main dealer type outfit.
No faults to report but then again the mileage has been insignificant as it is a fair weather car for me. Insurance was about £500 as it is on a separate policy although they did mirror the max NCB I have on another policy (which I pay about £200 on an old E46 BMW)
Compared to the Seven it will be a world apart, far more civilised and far less raw. It won't have the performance of the Seven and the level of thrills will be much lower but on the other hand you will have heated seats and air con (sat in stationary traffic on the motorway at 28 celcius with the roof off getting roasted and not wanting the embarrassment of putting the roof up to provide some shade the air con blasting my feet and face was superb!)
I would take one for a test drive, you will either love it immediately or hate it as you will be comparing it to your Seven and thinking this is far too tame.
AmiableChimp said:
I wouldn't say too early for faults.
I have heard rumours of potential gearbox issues with the 2.0 versions.
I have also seen photographic evidence that Mazda have still not got on top of their undersealing with their cars - I would advise going for a full Dinitrol underseal if/when you do eventually purchase one for peace of mind.
I have heard rumours of potential gearbox issues with the 2.0 versions.
I have also seen photographic evidence that Mazda have still not got on top of their undersealing with their cars - I would advise going for a full Dinitrol underseal if/when you do eventually purchase one for peace of mind.
Really ? I didn't think any 'normal' new car went rusty any more . Gearbox woes too- the box is used in Caterhams now (5 speed ) and not heard of any issues . Just a 6 speed thing?
I'm also looking for one.
Currently have a Mk3 and after nearly 5 years reckoned it would be a keeper since it ticks all the right boxes for how we use it.
Recently parked next to one of the new ones at Tescos and it was one of the Recaro Edition cars in red. Made me appreciate that I like the new shape and the soul red colour, plus the recaro seat options and even body kit options convinced me that I should get one.
Currently have a Mk3 and after nearly 5 years reckoned it would be a keeper since it ticks all the right boxes for how we use it.
Recently parked next to one of the new ones at Tescos and it was one of the Recaro Edition cars in red. Made me appreciate that I like the new shape and the soul red colour, plus the recaro seat options and even body kit options convinced me that I should get one.
The old adage was that you steered clear of any new models due to teething trouble, as Rodders eludes to the last of the last series are often the best buy for reliability until the new one is sorted out.
Google the problem as there is a lot of chat about it, seems 2nd gear just lets go.
Google the problem as there is a lot of chat about it, seems 2nd gear just lets go.
The colours are about to change with the 2018 model year...
My favourite - Reflex Blue - is going...
https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=638954...
My favourite - Reflex Blue - is going...
https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=638954...
coppice said:
Yes, I like the red too. Not the black (except the one with red bits on too ) , nor the white but I do like the dark metallic blue . Not tan leather though - I am a scruffy sod and mucky jeans soon spoil pale seats, as I found out with another car .
When I was going through the buying process 18 months ago, I looked at Tan leather and the local ealer had a demo with it and it marked up very easily, even though it was only a few weeks old it looked scruffy.I have done 18,000 miles in my Mk4 2.0 Sport Nav, faults so far:
- Headlining came out of position above rear window, fixed by dealer, needs fixing again as the extra clip they put in fell off last week
- ICE system was terrible but is getting better with updates
Nothing else to note. 5,000 of my miles have been on long road trips, the rest as a daily in all weather. I have the tan leather interior and it still looks like new. I don't like the Mk3 in any of its guises so the Mk4 was an easy choice for me.
It would be worth noting that the "4 gearboxes in 1200 miles" comment above is from someone who races the cars competitively, there are some other reports of them failing and they have had several revisions so clearly something is not quite right with them. My gearbox has always been a bit noisy but it hasn't changed in my ownership.
- Headlining came out of position above rear window, fixed by dealer, needs fixing again as the extra clip they put in fell off last week
- ICE system was terrible but is getting better with updates
Nothing else to note. 5,000 of my miles have been on long road trips, the rest as a daily in all weather. I have the tan leather interior and it still looks like new. I don't like the Mk3 in any of its guises so the Mk4 was an easy choice for me.
It would be worth noting that the "4 gearboxes in 1200 miles" comment above is from someone who races the cars competitively, there are some other reports of them failing and they have had several revisions so clearly something is not quite right with them. My gearbox has always been a bit noisy but it hasn't changed in my ownership.
I've had my Sport Recaro (2L) around 18 months. Zero faults so far. It's been running BBR's Super 190 for around 8000 miles and no problems at all in fact it's wonderful - just need to find the funds and make a decision on turbo or NA for the next step!
I don't know if they'd sorted their older gearbox issues by the time mine was made but I'd probably avoid ones made in the first 6 months or so just in case (By the way, just to be clear, we're not talking hundreds failing, more in the regions of a dozens and many of them are track cars (as per Rodders above) or auto-cross cars in the US.
I've had a (ropy) MK1 and a new Mk3 and the Mk4 is, for me, by far the best of them. How it would compare against a pristine Mk1 or MK2 RS for example I'm not sure but as an only car it's a perfect solution. Fast enough and very chuckable
Edited to remove duplicate post and add pic, I went for Ceramic white and love it:
I don't know if they'd sorted their older gearbox issues by the time mine was made but I'd probably avoid ones made in the first 6 months or so just in case (By the way, just to be clear, we're not talking hundreds failing, more in the regions of a dozens and many of them are track cars (as per Rodders above) or auto-cross cars in the US.
I've had a (ropy) MK1 and a new Mk3 and the Mk4 is, for me, by far the best of them. How it would compare against a pristine Mk1 or MK2 RS for example I'm not sure but as an only car it's a perfect solution. Fast enough and very chuckable
Edited to remove duplicate post and add pic, I went for Ceramic white and love it:
Edited by Mannginger on Monday 18th September 11:19
I've had mine (2 litre Satnav Sport) for about 2 years, it's my every day car through all weathers. I use winter tyres for 4 months or so during the year which I think are essential with this car.
Drive train backlash on gear changes is significant with the LSD, I can't understand why Mazda doesn't do something about it as it is so pronounced and at times noisy. However, it seems to be normal. Keep the ICE on and you won't notice it for much of the time.
Operation of the roof is really easy, but there is an issue with the front of the roof rubbing on the inverted 'U's behind the seats. I know of people who have needed a replacement roof because of the damage, but this can be minimised if you follow the instruction book to the letter. Mine has wear/damage that Mazda isn't interested in (yet).
Windows have a tendency to squeak occasionally when opening and closing.
Nothing else so far.
However, I can't begin to tell you how much fun you'll have, and this is from someone who also has a TVR. The MX-5 is a lively puppy compared to the thoroughbred horse that is the TVR, but I love both for different reasons. I drove the 40 miles to work this morning in the dark with the roof down, half the way on the motorway, and it's so much fun to drive something that you can feel, not just drive.
Update Jun 2018:
- the gearbox on early builds is apparently susceptible to failure if the car is tracked or pushed hard. I understand that Mazda is now onto its 4th variant to address the problem. Mine is currently OK, but I'll certainly be taking up the extended warranty.
- the brake discs/pads are rubbish, as the discs corrode like nothing I've ever experienced and the pads are very soft. Front discs/pads replaced after just over 24k, the rears (which deposited lumps of metal on my drive) replaced after about 31k - the pads had worn down to the metal as well, only 7 months after the last dealer service. And no, it's not my driving style, this has never given similar problems with my TVR or previous Scoobies.
- the interior roof liner can come away from the roof, leaving you with a view in the rear view mirror of the bottom half of the rear window only. It's taken two attempts to sort it, but seems OK now.
Still love driving it to bits, though.
Drive train backlash on gear changes is significant with the LSD, I can't understand why Mazda doesn't do something about it as it is so pronounced and at times noisy. However, it seems to be normal. Keep the ICE on and you won't notice it for much of the time.
Operation of the roof is really easy, but there is an issue with the front of the roof rubbing on the inverted 'U's behind the seats. I know of people who have needed a replacement roof because of the damage, but this can be minimised if you follow the instruction book to the letter. Mine has wear/damage that Mazda isn't interested in (yet).
Windows have a tendency to squeak occasionally when opening and closing.
Nothing else so far.
However, I can't begin to tell you how much fun you'll have, and this is from someone who also has a TVR. The MX-5 is a lively puppy compared to the thoroughbred horse that is the TVR, but I love both for different reasons. I drove the 40 miles to work this morning in the dark with the roof down, half the way on the motorway, and it's so much fun to drive something that you can feel, not just drive.
Update Jun 2018:
- the gearbox on early builds is apparently susceptible to failure if the car is tracked or pushed hard. I understand that Mazda is now onto its 4th variant to address the problem. Mine is currently OK, but I'll certainly be taking up the extended warranty.
- the brake discs/pads are rubbish, as the discs corrode like nothing I've ever experienced and the pads are very soft. Front discs/pads replaced after just over 24k, the rears (which deposited lumps of metal on my drive) replaced after about 31k - the pads had worn down to the metal as well, only 7 months after the last dealer service. And no, it's not my driving style, this has never given similar problems with my TVR or previous Scoobies.
- the interior roof liner can come away from the roof, leaving you with a view in the rear view mirror of the bottom half of the rear window only. It's taken two attempts to sort it, but seems OK now.
Still love driving it to bits, though.
Edited by julianc on Monday 4th June 12:52
I changed my Caterham for a 1.5 ND and use it every day....unlike the Caterham I can get in (and out!) easily, well I am 80!
Not the thrill of the Caterham but this engine revs all day to 7500 and MAZDA gearbox is as good as the old Ford Series 9. The problems seem to be in the US where there is a very strong race series.
As for wind noise wet with the elec windows....didn't have that problem with the Caterham!
Go and try one....you will be sold.
Not the thrill of the Caterham but this engine revs all day to 7500 and MAZDA gearbox is as good as the old Ford Series 9. The problems seem to be in the US where there is a very strong race series.
As for wind noise wet with the elec windows....didn't have that problem with the Caterham!
Go and try one....you will be sold.
Mannginger said:
I've had my Sport Recaro (2L) around 18 months. Zero faults so far. It's been running BBR's Super 190 for around 8000 miles and no problems at all in fact it's wonderful - just need to find the funds and make a decision on turbo or NA for the next step!
[/footnote]
Ditto ... we're 12x months in on same car with the 214bhp S200 conversion, car has been faultless in 5,000 miles.[/footnote]
I keep an eye out for the reported common faults but haven't had any whatsoever so far ?
We also chose after 16x years of 7 ownership ... hence the BBR tweaks !!!
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