2011 Mazda MX-5 Review and Road Test

‘Mazda MX-5’ just the name quickens your pulse with thoughts of one of the world’s best sports cars. Now in its third generation, the MX-5 has carved a niche in automotive folklore as perhaps the affordable two-seat sports car of this generation. 

That’s some claim but - with around 900,000 sales since it first appeared in 1989, plus truckloads of awards from journalists in every corner of the planet, not to mention thousands of enthusiastic members of MX-5 Clubs gathering every weekend somewhere in the world – well it’s more than justified.

Perhaps there’s a challenge on the horizon in the form of Toyota’s boxster-engined FT86 so the time was right for the Car Showroom team to re-visit one of our all-time favourites.

Mazda MX-5 Overview

We’ve loved lots of MX-5 drives over the years but this time Mazda handed us the keys to a hardtop version – the ‘Roadster Coupe’ – priced from $47,200. Entry to the MX-5 range is the ‘Soft Top Touring’ stickered at $42,460. 

The hardtop adds just 37kgs to the overall weight and can be operated in only 12 seconds to deliver the hallmark Mazda MX-5 open top enjoyment while retaining the same boot capacity (150-litres). Compared to the soft-top model, the Mazda MX-5 Coupe Roadster is also much quieter inside when the roof is closed – in fact it’s very refined even in thick, noisy, truck-overloaded freeway conditions.

Mazda has cleverly maintained the key attributes which have made the two-seater such a success – light-weight, 50:50 weight distribution and superb driving dynamics.

Mazda MX-5 Under Engine

Detail changes for the Mazda MX-5’s 2.0-litre petrol engine focused on enhanced performance and improved fuel consumption.

The red-line is now 7,500rpm and maximum power of 118kW is delivered at 7,000rpm. Peak torque of 188Nm is available at 5,000rpm.
 

Inside there is a new forged crankshaft, fully floating pistons, revised valve springs and new material for the connecting rod bearings.

All of that means faster acceleration (zero to 100km/h is now 7.6 seconds) and reduced fuel economy (down to 8.1l/100kms).

Mazda MX-5 The Interior

Inside Mazda has incorporated detail changes to enhance the feel and refinement of the MX-5. Immediately noticeable were the improved seats with larger side bolsters and improved surfaces for an even more sporty, enveloping feel.
 

The Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe as tested also scores a padded upper surface for the centre console.

Elsewhere the dashboard trim has switched from piano black to a more sporty silver colour and there is some extra chrome for the dials and door trims.

The classic Mazda MX-5 instrument panel is slightly larger for easier reading and there is now red backlighting.
 

Our Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe ran a seven-speaker Bose CD audio system.

Naturally the beautiful leather-wrapped three spoke steering wheel (tilt adjustment only) combined with the alloy pedals and improved, height-adjustable seat to provide a great driving position.

Mazda MX-5 Exterior & Styling

For the first facelift of the third generation Mazda MX-5 the tasks for Mazda’s designers were to integrate a more up-market look and enhanced aerodynamics with the company’s current design ‘DNA’.

This is most obvious at the front end by wider tyre deflectors, a new one-piece front fascia with more pronounced lower lip, Mazda’s ‘five-point’ grille (mesh for the Roadster Coupe), new inward-slanting headlights with built-in turn indicators and new triangular fog light housings.
 

From the side, the latest Mazda MX-5 is identified by beefier rear wheel arches and deeper sculpturing for the side sills.

At the rear there is a new, thicker bumper and new lights which have a modern “u” shape when illuminated. In fact the rear light design sees them extended outwards and this provides enhanced aerodynamics.

The changes to the Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe as tested looked superb while retaining the classic MX-5 style.

Mazda MX-5 On The Road

Regardless of the car we’re driving, the Car Showroom test regime always includes our high-speed mountain roads test loop – so we can confidently make direct comparisons. We knew the Mazda MX-5 would excel over the mountains – and it did.

‘Agility’ is the term that springs to mind and it comes not so much from sheer grunt (the MX-5’s 118kW/188Nm, 2.0-litre is far from the most powerful sports car we’ve tested) but from the combination of chassis and engine.
 

The latest Mazda MX-5 benefits from a 26mm lower front roll centre and a new suspension tune to reduce yaw and roll even more. Over our test loop this meant even more precision and improved feedback.

Crisp turn-in, wonderful balance and direct steering mean the Mazda MX-5 points like sports cars costing 10-times as much. And the MX-5’s multi-link rear end did a superb job handling mid-corner bumps.

Of course one of the attributes which has endeared the Mazda MX-5 to so many over the years is its comfort and ease-of-operation around town. Nice throttle response, good all-round visibility (even with the roof closed) and a handy 9.4-metre turning circle make for hassle-free weekday commutes and parking.

The Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe also benefits from the extra sound insulation included in the hard-top roof (Mazda says the current version is measured at 2.7dB quieter than its predecessor). So those 18-wheelers rumbling past at close quarters on the freeway don’t sound quite so intimidating.

Mazda MX-5 Challenges

Drivers love the Mazda MX-5 because of the harmony between the responsive 2.0-litre engine and the gloriously balanced rear-wheel-drive chassis. It’s so good we reckon Mazda’s engineers could ramp-up the engine performance just a bit without upsetting the finely balanced combination – perhaps that 2.3-litre turbo?

Mazda MX-5 Verdict

Whichever way you look at it, the Mazda MX-5 is a winner – the affordable sports car of our time. We reckon the Roadster Coupe is the pick of the MX-5 crop and definitely worth the extra dollars – a beautifully crafted hard-top for extra refinement when closed but the same open-air MX-5 enjoyment when retracted.
 

The Mazda MX-5 has always been a brilliant drive and the detailed chassis tweaks in the latest models have made it even better.

In this segment, the Mazda MX-5 is still the one by which all others are judged.

Mazda MX-5 The Competition

Audi A3 Cabrio delivers the same grunt and more torque (250Nm or 280Nm) while BMW’s 1 Series Convertible starts with 115kW/200Nm in 2.0-litre petrol form - but both aren’t pure sports cars like the MX-5 and both require a fair whack of extra coin ($50,500 starring price for the Audi and $52,900 for the Beemer).

Peugeot’s 207CC is less dollars (starting price $33,490) but it’s definitely more of an ‘Esplanade Cruiser’ than a rorty sporty like the Mazda MX-5. Same for the Renault Megane CC which is pricey at $45,990.

Volkswagen EOS boasts a 155kW/280Nm turbo four, but at $48,990 it’s extra dollars and ultimately not as sporty as the MX-5.