ND thoughts / questions

[Ecosseven]

Morning all. I’ve owned my 2010 2.0 Sport Tech for almost 13 years and have covered 80,000 very enjoyable miles in the car. I am considering replacing it with a nearly new ND next year and have a few questions / thoughts.

Colour – Not a great choice in the UK in my opinion. Current favourite is Deep Crystal Blue Mica, followed by Machine Grey Mica. Not keen on the white, Aero grey, or black. Soul Red looks lovely but concerned about durability over time and the chance of getting a good colour match if a panel is resprayed in the future. How easily does the paint chip? My current MX-5 has very few stone chips, surprisingly.

Rear hub carriers – I’ve heard that these can need replaced at relatively low mileages. Is it possible to replace the individual bushes rather than having to replace the whole hub carrier?

Are the mechanical changes to the diff and steering from the ND2 noticeable and worth paying the extra for an ND3.

How good is the chassis rust proofing on ND’s?

I’ve seen quite a few ND’s with deformed drivers seat squab. My current NC2 does not suffer from this and the seat squab still looks great. Is the deterioration of the drivers seat squab common in ND’s?

Thanks in advance.

[Nickp82]

There is a wide choice of aftermarket solutions for the rear bush issue, starting from about £150 for all four, it’s a pretty straight forward job to do yourself if you so wish.

The paint is thin so they do chip easily although I’m not sure it’s any thinner than a mk3.

Rust proofing is pretty terrible.

Seats aren’t particularly susceptible to getting squashed, I can only assume they just don’t stand up to larger people that well.

[pewe]

I don't know if they've changed them but the exploding bonnet hinges have always deterred me.