Nice normal everyday guy with a passion for cars and enjoying life
Nice normal everyday guy with a passion for cars and enjoying life
Member since:10.10.2007
Reviews:2
This review will concentrate on the 1.6 litre cars available in the UK from 1989 to 1993
I Bought my MX5 in the winter of 2006. I picked up an early 1991 model with the 1.6 litre engine and 67,000 miles on the clock. The car was faultless without an ounce of rust on the body and had a full service history with Mazda and had been cared for by the Lotus garage that had taken the car in as a part exchange. The car did require the big service at 60,000 miles (includes the cam belt change) which was carried out by MKG3000 Mazda of Twickenham for the reasonable cost of £390.
Around town
the car deals with bumps very well with only large pot holes sending a shimmy through the chassis. Road noise around town is also very acceptable and its light direct steering makes it easy to park. Around town you'll achieve around 24-26mpg.
On the motorway the car deals with the road surface exceptionally well and its steering is once again excellent for placing the car. The big downfall for motorway cruising is that the road noise is quite high and the engine sits a 4000rpm in 5th gear which can become tiring on long journeys. However fitted with the optional hardtop the car is much more bearable on long journeys. You'll also achieve around 35mpg at cruising speed.
On a country road however the car is truly in its element. The excellent handling and snappy gearbox mean enjoying a country road is a thing of ease and the car would have to be pushed exceptionally hard to go beyond its limits.
Performance is brisk rather than quick with 0-60 being covered in just under 9 seconds and top speed of 116mph.
The cars roof is a simple affair but there are a few steps to insure the roof has a good lifetime. First of all make sure you unzip the rear window before lowering the rood otherwise it can lead to creases and eventually cracking in the plastic. Second of all if you have a the tonneau cover that came with the car I'd recommend using it to keep the underside of the hood from being damaged by the sun.
The cars interior is possibly the biggest let down on it depending on your point of view. Made in black plastic and vinyl it sounds unappealing but the design is very straightforward and simple to use if plain to look at. Standard equipment on most of the early cars included power steering, electric windows and a radio/tape deck. Cabin electrics tend to be reliable and cause few problems. The heater is also exceptionally powerful as it was designed for roof down motoring and warms up quickly on winter mornings.
Servicing the car is generally not an issue as Mazda recognizes the popularity of these models and works with the owners club to provide discounted rates. The average 9000 mile service costs between £150-£180 and the big 60,000 mile service costs between £390-£450.
There is also a large aftermarket scene for these cars and many are personalized by there owners. Mostly though this applies to owners upgrading the interior with one of the many dashboard cover kits
The bodies on these cars are exceptionally well made and the common (though still rare) rust point is the channel drains for the soft top as these can block up and fill with water. These are easily fixed though by simply unblocking them.
Other issues to watch are the thin paint on early cars and kerbed wheels which really upset the handling on these cars.
I'd recommend avoiding the Eunos Roadster (The Japanese MX5 import) as insurance is generally higher and they tend to come with unknown history, mileage etc. Especially with the amount of UK cars now available on the 2nd hand market. The Eunos is easily identified by its square rear numberplate holder, badging and the vin numbers do not begin with JMZ. If you have any doubts about a car take the VIN number and contact Mazda who can confirm if it's a UK car.
Insurance wise, these cars sit in Group 12 which can be a problem for younger drivers. Most companies will now insist on a Thatcham category alarm as well. At the age of 21 with the car on a driveway and 4 years no claims, a Thatcham 2 alarm system I currently pay £760 fully comprehensive.
Pricing (based on Autotrader) 1991 66,000 miles A1 condition £2800 1990 98,000 miles, fair condition £1900 1992 140,000 miles rough condition £1400
Having owned the car for 14 months now and covered 13,000 miles in it with no trouble, I highly recommend buying one as an everyday car or summer toy. And anyone who says it's a hairdressers ;) hasn't driven one
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Advantages: A great affordable sports car with fun driving added in for free! Disadvantages: If you are a big shopper like me, you may need to put the roof down!
hannahciao 25.02.2005 (01.04.2005)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Mazda MX-5 1.6i
Advantages: EUNOS is a cheap way to purchase mx5 generally with lower mileages Disadvantages: generally in not as good condition as UK cars, with work required as stated in my articale
richbay 06.07.2000 ·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Mazda MX-5 1.6i
very helpful by (36%):
helpful by (64%):
