Oli Wilkinson looks nice but why loose all that weight only to add it back on and in the UK the 1.5 is all about balance the top removes the 50/50 however if you have the 2.0 it should put back the 50/50 with the tin top but it then means the overall cars weight is over 100lbs more than the 1.5
Yeah, looks professional. And how lucky is that guy to be in such a beautiful landscape? I got a bit jealous when he had to swerve around those sheep that were meandering about in the road. Thats like a fairy tale to me.
All the car bores love a coupe - I suppose we could spot them a mile off and avoid them. "My Mx5 is so serious - it's actually lighter and stiffer than the convertible jah....jah...took her out on track for little sesh last weekend...lets just say I did my fair share of passing rah rah rah"
I appreciate the feeling a conv gives its owner...im not a fan of them unless its on a hyper car...but I do like seeing the smile it brings on an owners face when the top is down...I just prefer a hard top because the roof doesn't fade/become dry/noisy etc
This is an awesome car. We've been spoiled by the easy up-n-down of the soft top. I have no qualms toggling the button for the hard-top at a complete stop :)
Just bought this exact car; 2017 RF in Ceramic Pearl. Here in Australia we get AC as standard, for obvious reasons, but heated seats only come with the GT spec. The Ceramic Pearl looks amazing in the sunlight, and cruising along the West Coast Highway with the top down, watching the sun set is one of life's great pleasures
Great review as always but I think you could have emphasized what is the idea behind a ''cheap'' car like this. Mazda MX5s are not about how fast you can go (there are plenty of those already), they are about those little, curvy country roads and having fun while driving through them... They are very nimble and nippy on these! So don't expect V6 performance out of a car like this! For the price you can't buy a better 2 seat convertible unless it's an used porsche or something like it. Personally, I don't need anything fancy inside a convertible: No NAV (my cell can do it better anyways), no parking camera, lane departure (seriously?), extra sensors... Just the raw, full experience of driving one of these.
I have this infotainment system in my 3sGT and I hate it too. It works well enough, but its feature-set is light years behind the rest of the industry and it has quite a few annoying quirks that just piss you off. That said, I still love this car...and my 3 too. You just can't beat Mazda when it comes to affordable fun to drive cars.
i've read that Mazda set the 6 mph speed limit for the top operation because they were afraid of wind blowing people's hair up and getting caught in the seam as the top went up. personally, i'd rather just duck my head for a couple seconds while the top get close to being closed. however, there is a product that "fixes" this, allows top up/down at up to 30 mph, plus the button is one touch; you don't have to hold it down for the entire operation. the device doesn't speed up the operation; it still takes 12 seconds, but it's much more convenient. i haven't bought it myself since i dont put the top down that often.
I like this quite a lot. It offers most, if not all, of the "MX-5 experience" with an added dose of day-to-day civility. Plus, I like the look of the thing. Not as elemental as the ragtop, but I'm more than willing to give that up. I do wonder, however, why Mazda didn't just make the car a proper coupe; may have saved a bit of complexity over this.
I really do like it, I just wish they made a version with a manually removable targa (sans all the motors). That would save a lot if not all of the weight difference, while still having a removable top.
lol u can turn the volume down on the sat nav robot girl... but she will still cut in with "speed camera ahead" over the radio/cd etc which has saved me several times..
Yeah, probably, but you definitely risk breaking something in this. The reason why the set speed limit on the top is so low is because Mazda made the retractable arms and motors for the top as small/light as they could get away with to keep weight and cost down. But the sacrifice is the piddly speed limit.
It's still an improvement on the Mk3 retractable hardtop model - on that car you could only raise/lower the roof with the car stationary. If you started driving while the roof was in the process of raising/lowering it simply stopped. An aftermarket SmartTop module sorts that out (and also means you don't have to hold your finger on the button while the roof does its stuff, as well as providing a couple more enhancements). BTW, the hardtops on these cars are not made of metal as stated in the video (and in any number of other reviews) - they are made of plastic.
That's fucking stunning! I'd throw a Jackson Racing Supercharger Kit on it to make up for the slight weight gain....... Eh, not really for that reason. Lol.
How good would an mx5 coupe look and the boot would actually be quite good, I’d love a car like this but I just don’t care about having the roof down. Actually....they should do it as a shooting brake
Abstract Name Fun is subjective. While giving a go-cart feeling to the driver, Mini is also a very comfortable and convenient car, whether you want to go on a tour, grab loads of baggage, take a third passenger or a bit of all three. For me, not worrying about such things is fun. That said, I adore Miata's "light british roadster" formula, and am sure that having no roof adds to the driver's pleasure. But Miata is less convenient than Mini, and if I was to search for a pure sports car, I'd look for used Boxters/Caymans (which I hope to do in a couple of years, when 981's will get cheaper). Those give you sporty fun while also having a mature interior - which Miatas sadly lack.
I prefer coupes not because of their sense of safety, but rather their more cohesive styling (convertibles for me, seem as if the design was never finalized) and structural rigidity.
i would too. but id rather if they made a proper coupe like they did with the 2nd generation MX-5/Miata. to me it's rather stupid to have 2 different types of convertibles for the same car
does the mapquest app work in england? cause its awesome for going places (but make sure you are charging your phone while driving it eats up battery bad)
Heh, I have to laugh a bit about the soft top being "unlivable" on the highway. I have a 1994 with a rip in the top and lowering springs and a loud exhaust and I realized, hmm, this car has, ya know, interior trim and power steering and air conditioning. It's effectively a luxury car compared to my ideal sports car experience. So I hope I'll succeed in converting it to an Exocet! :D
Not sure if I actually find this fella annoying. It’s a great car I tow one behind my RV and use it for fun. Which is exactly what it’s made for. “ fantastic fun” couldn’t agree more.
It looks exactly like a coupe with targa top, so they shouldn't need to go through the hassle of building the retractable mechanism and add more weight in the process!
What's the point of a car that does 0-60 at the speed of light and has a top speed of 1000 mph in a country like Britain covered in speed cameras , increasing numbers of 20mph zones , a motorway top speed of 70mph ,not to mention the parlous state of many roads requiring caution or a large repair bill? Imo the Mx5 is almost the perfect car , nippy ,cheap to run and maintain and above all , pure fun to drive.
8 років тому
I drove the current generation MX-5 for a day during an event and it is a fantastic car, but at 185cm and on the large side, it is simply to small.
Mazda MX5s are not about how fast you can go (there are plenty of those already), they are about those curvy country roads and having fun while driving through them... They are very nimble and nippy on these! Too bad the reviewer didn't make this clear.
The thing with the MX5 is that it is kinda slow... but it dosen't have to be this way, at one point Mazda themselves even considered making a V6 variant. 2L 4cyl engine just dosen't cut it in my book.
160hp in a 900kg car is not slow in my book. Most people will struggle to drive an MX5 car at its limits on a twisted backcountry road for more then five minutes simply due to lack of physical and mental fitness. This is why they need a 300+hp car to fill in the gaps in straight lines to have the feeling of speed.
Why only up to 6mph to raise and lower the roof? Because between being completely open and completely closed, the mechanism is complicated and weak on the little Mexa... crashing while in mid-action could have catastrophic consequences. Other cars are bigger and have more safety tolerances built into them. Simple as that really.
Who else is getting some Toyota 2000GT vibes off this car. With the roof down, this resembles a targa from the side with the C pillars still in place. And targas always give me a boner. Fantastic car.
such a good looking side profile
Oli Wilkinson ....if you were a big fan of the Pontiac Solstice, maybe.
I personally see a bit of RX7 in it, which is a very good thing.
besides the front, there's really nothing wrong with the Solstice's aesthetics imo.
Oli Wilkinson looks nice but why loose all that weight only to add it back on and in the UK the 1.5 is all about balance the top removes the 50/50 however if you have the 2.0 it should put back the 50/50 with the tin top but it then means the overall cars weight is over 100lbs more than the 1.5
Love it. I see a bit of the old Toyota Supra in it when I look at it.
Didn't think that the MX-5 could get any cooler, but this RF hit the bulls-eye in my opinion. Great video!
Funny how the shift knob just dances
The shifter is not remote, it comes right out of the gearbox. That is why it moves. That's also why it is so direct.
I saw one recently and it just looks right to me. I just love folding metal roofs.
Fellating a ceiling fan? I must try this new kink.
When he said it I thought of the drunken gremlins going round on the ceiling fan,, but just looked it up and lol i was so so so wrong lol :o
He's a cunning linguist!
+narphizoid HA!!! How I've never stumbled across this before I'll never know. However, it's now in the daily tool box! Thank sir(?)
Great reporting and editing as always.
Yeah, looks professional. And how lucky is that guy to be in such a beautiful landscape? I got a bit jealous when he had to swerve around those sheep that were meandering about in the road. Thats like a fairy tale to me.
They should make just a coupe, Maybe it will be lighter than the convertible, and if not, more structural rigidity.
A coupe would also broaden its base of appeal massively, more than the RF, IMO
All the car bores love a coupe - I suppose we could spot them a mile off and avoid them. "My Mx5 is so serious - it's actually lighter and stiffer than the convertible jah....jah...took her out on track for little sesh last weekend...lets just say I did my fair share of passing rah rah rah"
I appreciate the feeling a conv gives its owner...im not a fan of them unless its on a hyper car...but I do like seeing the smile it brings on an owners face when the top is down...I just prefer a hard top because the roof doesn't fade/become dry/noisy etc
CADesigner i'm hoping for a ~240 hp and extra lightweight 'track focused' miata.
NEVER felate a ceiling fan.
urbanmystify Or do, it might get it's rocks off and thank you?!?
This is an awesome car. We've been spoiled by the easy up-n-down of the soft top. I have no qualms toggling the button for the hard-top at a complete stop :)
god i wish there will be an s2000 'rf'
What does ist have that the MX5 doesn't?
a gorgeous front end.
9000/8200rpm revlimiter (depending on generation)
with a low roof line
well the non RF has a low roof line?
I saw one of these at a car show and it was one of the best looking cars there and a tiny fraction of the other pretty cars
also I see you guys are still getting convertibles to drive in rainy weather
I like hard top design.
"Balletic" and "Fellating a ceiling fan"
Opposite ends of the class spectrum however both point to a mastery of the English language. Well played sir.
Just bought this exact car; 2017 RF in Ceramic Pearl. Here in Australia we get AC as standard, for obvious reasons, but heated seats only come with the GT spec. The Ceramic Pearl looks amazing in the sunlight, and cruising along the West Coast Highway with the top down, watching the sun set is one of life's great pleasures
Great review as always but I think you could have emphasized what is the idea behind a ''cheap'' car like this.
Mazda MX5s are not about how fast you can go (there are plenty of those already), they are about those little, curvy country roads and having fun while driving through them... They are very nimble and nippy on these!
So don't expect V6 performance out of a car like this! For the price you can't buy a better 2 seat convertible unless it's an used porsche or something like it. Personally, I don't need anything fancy inside a convertible: No NAV (my cell can do it better anyways), no parking camera, lane departure (seriously?), extra sensors... Just the raw, full experience of driving one of these.
Man that looks gorgeous in white
The design is AMAZING
This guy is great, another great review for another great car.
Imagine the new ND Miata with a Fiesta ST engine :)
I have this infotainment system in my 3sGT and I hate it too. It works well enough, but its feature-set is light years behind the rest of the industry and it has quite a few annoying quirks that just piss you off. That said, I still love this car...and my 3 too. You just can't beat Mazda when it comes to affordable fun to drive cars.
i've read that Mazda set the 6 mph speed limit for the top operation because they were afraid of wind blowing people's hair up and getting caught in the seam as the top went up. personally, i'd rather just duck my head for a couple seconds while
the top get close to being closed. however, there is a product that "fixes" this, allows top up/down at up to 30 mph, plus the button is one touch; you don't have to hold it down for the entire operation. the device doesn't speed up the operation; it still takes 12 seconds, but it's much more convenient. i haven't bought it myself since i dont put the top down that often.
I like this quite a lot. It offers most, if not all, of the "MX-5 experience" with an added dose of day-to-day civility. Plus, I like the look of the thing. Not as elemental as the ragtop, but I'm more than willing to give that up. I do wonder, however, why Mazda didn't just make the car a proper coupe; may have saved a bit of complexity over this.
3:51 LOL I've never seen Alex like this)
It looks truly amazing!
But I would love for Mazda to make a coupé version of this car, like the limited edition they made of the NB.
I really do like it, I just wish they made a version with a manually removable targa (sans all the motors). That would save a lot if not all of the weight difference, while still having a removable top.
it looks really good.
lol u can turn the volume down on the sat nav robot girl... but she will still cut in with "speed camera ahead" over the radio/cd etc which has saved me several times..
This looks so much better
Good looking car.
won't the roof work at any speed if you remove the fuse. worked with the s2000
Yeah, probably, but you definitely risk breaking something in this. The reason why the set speed limit on the top is so low is because Mazda made the retractable arms and motors for the top as small/light as they could get away with to keep weight and cost down. But the sacrifice is the piddly speed limit.
It's still an improvement on the Mk3 retractable hardtop model - on that car you could only raise/lower the roof with the car stationary. If you started driving while the roof was in the process of raising/lowering it simply stopped. An aftermarket SmartTop module sorts that out (and also means you don't have to hold your finger on the button while the roof does its stuff, as well as providing a couple more enhancements).
BTW, the hardtops on these cars are not made of metal as stated in the video (and in any number of other reviews) - they are made of plastic.
How have people found the reliability of the hard top folding mechanism? Any major issues?
Beautiful! I love it. Just needs a few more bhp. But i never drove one so i could be wrong.
I like it better than the soft top but it costs more right?
Awesome review!!!
Great looking car
That's fucking stunning! I'd throw a Jackson Racing Supercharger Kit on it to make up for the slight weight gain....... Eh, not really for that reason. Lol.
Constructive Critique Be honest its to eat mustangs lol
Man I want one of these!
there you the King Has Spoken... I'll go for this one....
The roof can be opened/closed from outside the car?
Rommel V no
2:01 what's the word he uses? closed caption says 'pathetic' but it sounded like balletic.
How good would an mx5 coupe look and the boot would actually be quite good, I’d love a car like this but I just don’t care about having the roof down. Actually....they should do it as a shooting brake
porsche targa can't do it on the move either
Are gear levers always bobbing around like that? I have never noticed.
what color is this one? pearl white? or is it another white?
love it!
why couldnt the roof be made out of carbon fiber? great vid btw!
Because this is a Mazda MX-5, it would cost too much.
Uhm, cause price?
supercars of lincolnshire Because it's the cheap sports car...
supercars of lincolnshire
The top is made of composite plastic on the NC. I assuming the ND is too.
caleb slagle A sports car? Ha, no.
i've ordered the mx5 rf
filip stevens congrats!
nice sir
metallic grey
I'm wondering what this natural second fun car will be like with a torque-y electric motor, and how long until we start seeing ND conversions.....
I do like it but those rear lights ruin it, for me they just look wrong somehow.
Ceramicolive not to mention the front lights..
Is the dancing gearstick an optional extra?
Remove the pillars and make it fold like the softtop it would've been so much better. Or maybe make a coupe version.
daayuuuummm look at those sheep 6:25 :)
Is it more fun than the Mini Cooper S 6 speed manual?
juan gutierrez nothing is more fun than a manual Mini Cooper.
Boris Volokh Thanks Pal 👍
Abstract Name Fun is subjective. While giving a go-cart feeling to the driver, Mini is also a very comfortable and convenient car, whether you want to go on a tour, grab loads of baggage, take a third passenger or a bit of all three. For me, not worrying about such things is fun. That said, I adore Miata's "light british roadster" formula, and am sure that having no roof adds to the driver's pleasure. But Miata is less convenient than Mini, and if I was to search for a pure sports car, I'd look for used Boxters/Caymans (which I hope to do in a couple of years, when 981's will get cheaper). Those give you sporty fun while also having a mature interior - which Miatas sadly lack.
Abstract Name you just yearn for a conflict with random people on the internet, don't you? Every opinion is subjective.
I prefer coupes not because of their sense of safety, but rather their more cohesive styling (convertibles for me, seem as if the design was never finalized) and structural rigidity.
i would too. but id rather if they made a proper coupe like they did with the 2nd generation MX-5/Miata. to me it's rather stupid to have 2 different types of convertibles for the same car
Why is the gear stick bopping around so much? lol
It's a brand new car, no excuse for it.
wiggly gear sticks feel softer when changing gears, i'd rather have that than a stirdy one.
+ it's less probable to grind the gears while shifting
What a prat! I own, from new, a retractable hard top MX 5 III. If he owned and drove one of these cars he wouldn't show himself as much!
Or why not do it as an attachment like it was for the mk1 and mk2?
what about the brz...? hardtop coupe with good handling and driving characteristics
Ah, the good ole days when racing was dangerous and felating a ceiling fan was safe.
So two questions, the RF or a BRZ? Secondly do you normally have sheep just roaming along the side of the road in the U.K.?
SS S brz.
yes
does the mapquest app work in england? cause its awesome for going places (but make sure you are charging your phone while driving it eats up battery bad)
And the 250 pound guys that buy these cars don't effect the performance? What's an extra 40!
ZigSteenine 40 kilograms. More like 80 pounds, but your point still stands.
Heh, I have to laugh a bit about the soft top being "unlivable" on the highway. I have a 1994 with a rip in the top and lowering springs and a loud exhaust and I realized, hmm, this car has, ya know, interior trim and power steering and air conditioning. It's effectively a luxury car compared to my ideal sports car experience. So I hope I'll succeed in converting it to an Exocet! :D
I would never disagree, just sharing mine as a drop in the ocean of many.
Not sure if I actually find this fella annoying. It’s a great car I tow one behind my RV and use it for fun. Which is exactly what it’s made for. “ fantastic fun” couldn’t agree more.
What car is the first engine sound when the video starts?
1compaqedr8 Audi R8 V8
the "sat nav" is not infuriating. slight learning curve but overall quite easy to figure out and use
Will there be a fiat 124c abarth hardtop version???
It looks exactly like a coupe with targa top, so they shouldn't need to go through the hassle of building the retractable mechanism and add more weight in the process!
Leatherseats? No sir, I went for the recaroseats, its a must
That's some serious gear stick wobble.
Mazda has said the RF is for people that wouldn't want to put the top down often.
What's the point of a car that does 0-60 at the speed of light and has a top speed of 1000 mph in a country like Britain covered in speed cameras , increasing numbers of 20mph zones , a motorway top speed of 70mph ,not to mention the parlous state of many roads requiring caution or a large repair bill? Imo the Mx5 is almost the perfect car , nippy ,cheap to run and maintain and above all , pure fun to drive.
I drove the current generation MX-5 for a day during an event and it is a fantastic car, but at 185cm and on the large side, it is simply to small.
Stick a V6 in this and you're on to something great
Mazda MX5s are not about how fast you can go (there are plenty of those already), they are about those curvy country roads and having fun while driving through them... They are very nimble and nippy on these! Too bad the reviewer didn't make this clear.
The weight a V6 adds just consumes up the extra power. This car is not about top speed or 0-60 numbers.
The thing with the MX5 is that it is kinda slow... but it dosen't have to be this way, at one point Mazda themselves even considered making a V6 variant. 2L 4cyl engine just dosen't cut it in my book.
160hp in a 900kg car is not slow in my book. Most people will struggle to drive an MX5 car at its limits on a twisted backcountry road for more then five minutes simply due to lack of physical and mental fitness. This is why they need a 300+hp car to fill in the gaps in straight lines to have the feeling of speed.
Basih it's needs a true 200-230hp turbo version and call it a mazdaspeed.
I find the Mazda gps to be rather great actually, weird that it was so annoying for you guys.
I got this car today shes a beauty love her to bits avin the other make before shes gorg
Amazing car!!!
All I can do is shake my head at this....
2:13 LMFAO HAHAHAHAHAHA it's got a smiley face!!!
3:00-3:15 had me laughing out loud
Why do British people say, "Mazder"? IT'S MAZ-DUH!
Kevin Allen you probably say jagwire 😂😂
It's Matsuda.
I say Mazda as Maz-duh
also i'm a 787B
I've never heard it pronounced "mazduh" in Japan. Mazduh is a childish slang for stepping in dog turd in Japanese...
Kevin Allen The Japanese people call it Ma-Zue-Dah
why not just make it like a manual T roof so it will be cheaper to manufacture and maybe more sturdy
The sheep at 6:30, lol.
The gearstick really wobbles around a lot, so weird
i want a used RF....but I don't when that will happen in 4 door america lol.
You know what would look even better? A 124 RF...
From 3km away 😍
3km away with the sun shining in yours eyes :)
3km away with the sun shining in your eyes, and forgetting to put on your prescription glasses. ;"D
looks really pretty
I don’t have a ceiling fan.
This or Toyota 86?
Think ive found my next car
Looks like a baby jag.
Why only up to 6mph to raise and lower the roof? Because between being completely open and completely closed, the mechanism is complicated and weak on the little Mexa... crashing while in mid-action could have catastrophic consequences. Other cars are bigger and have more safety tolerances built into them. Simple as that really.
You say its japanese but isn't the engine FORD: Fix Or Repair Daily?
aly davidson No its engineered/ made by Mazda. Ford doesnt use the Skyactive Technology
The gear shift knob is so wobbly tho
Man, that thing does bounce around
"Fellating a ceiling fan" HAHAHAHA
6:26 - SHEEP!
You know you can just go into settings and mute the sat nav voice....
Why did you not mention that you can get this as an automatic? :D
The one to get! So stunning! But it looks boring in this color.
Who else is getting some Toyota 2000GT vibes off this car. With the roof down, this resembles a targa from the side with the C pillars still in place. And targas always give me a boner. Fantastic car.