Many regard a front-engined, rear-wheel drive layout to be the quintessential setup for a car. It’s one Mazda has preferred for its MX-5 for more than 35 years, making it one of the best roadsters of all time.
It’s certainly worked for the Japanese car maker, and the enthusiasts who own and drive them. Now in its fourth, ND generation, our test of this car revealed one very important fact – it’s damn hard to give the keys back when you have to.
The MX-5 formula hasn’t changed, and with this generation it’s more about going back to basics, with shortened dimensions and reduced weight. The engine manages to sit behind the front axle, helping with the 50/50 weight distribution.
The body wraps around the occupants in a design that still looks great, and while purists may still prefer the simple lines of a soft-top, our review car’s RF ‘retractable fastback’ has plenty of its own appeal.
The MX-5 isn’t overly complex in terms of design lines and yet still manages to look attractive and slightly menacing. That’s especially so across the front end. Inside, there’s enough room for two, although your size, height and weight may factor into comfort levels.
It’s again basic, but functional, with that reliable Mazda quality about it. The leather seats look and feel great, even with minimal adjustment. There are some intrusions in both footwells but you’d be hard pressed to notice as you slide down in to position.
Sitting seemingly millimetres from the ground, we love the view out over the bonnet that seems to extend some distance in front of you. The shifter feels sublime and perfectly located. The handbrake looks massive but also conveniently within reach.
The larger 8.8-inch infotainment screen is a welcomed update with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, although the recess designed for your phone is a little on the small side for today’s devices.
There’s a touch of the exterior colour on the inner door cards and a mix of analogue and digital instruments. Passengers can move their cupholder depending on preference and the 9-speaker audio system is amazing, thanks to units in the headrests.
The roof will raise or lower in about 13 seconds and doesn’t affect the available 127-litres of boot space. While it’s nowhere near as quick as the canvas counterpart, it’s quite a work of art and engineering watching all the pieces do their thing.
The boot space is only 3.0-litres less than the soft-top and still decent enough to accommodate some smaller suitcases for a weekend away. Considered the top spec in the range, the RF GT RS is priced at $61,360 (or thereabouts) drive away.
For that coin, you do get upgraded Bilstein suspension with a strut brace and some 17-inch black forged BBS rims sitting over 4-pot Brembo brakes up front. They provide a definite advantage on the road.
That’s because in GT RS form, the MX-5 is the ultimate driving machine for those weekend twisties, the track, or just an enjoyable drive with the roof down. We put this to the test in a run down to the NSW South Coast, and it performed wonderfully.
Both passenger and driver couldn’t fault the experience under clear blue skies, which found us looking for roads to carve up. The exhaust sounds great, and the engine loves to rev, with the 2.0-litre delivering 135kW and 205Nm to propel the 1101kg weight.
Around corners, up hills and through the countryside, the steering response provides confidence and a go-kart like chuck-a-bility, adding to the enjoyment. The MX-5 is every bit about getting to the destination in the most fun way possible.
It entices the driver to go the long way around because it will be more enjoyable and better for your health (we can’t really claim that one but as driving enthusiasts, it has been very much our experience).
Given the car’s track potential however, it’s interesting that the fine print reminds owners that such activities may void the warranty. As joyous as the MX-5 is to drive with that wonderful manual transmission though, it’s definitely not suited to stop-start traffic.
Something we found while sitting in some slow-moving holiday traffic was that the car’s low stance means the headlights of other cars (particularly SUVs) are often glaring at you through the rearview mirror.
There’s no head-up display, keeping the driving experience that little bit purer. Driver assistance features are minimal but what is included works well. Blind spot monitoring is essential considering the impact of the roof and there’s also smart city brake support.
The latter monitors for the likelihood of a collision and will warn or take action to avoid this. Traffic sign recognition is slightly imperfect, especially on motorways where 110 is often confused for 70, but it does an okay job.
Lane departure warning creates a vibration through the steering wheel as well as an alert on the instrument display and there are adaptive LED headlamps which can alter the high-beam when oncoming vehicles are detected.
Though such a small car should be easy enough to park, there are rear parking sensors with a rear camera. It provides a clear image but misses out on active guides or a 360-degree surround view.
As we said, it’s all adequate for the task, if feeling a little old-school against other, more modern types of vehicles – although that’s part of the Mazda’s charm. Now, let’s talk about the colour – Zircon Sand.
It’s not what you’d expect, like say WR Blue on a Subaru or White on a Volvo, or even Mazda’s signature Soul Red, or Audi’s Nardo Grey. And that’s where things got interesting. Our test vehicle colour is essentially the beige version of the latter.
A little divisive, it oddly suits the small MX-5 and looks quite different, depending on the lighting. We did find it interesting that there was no iconic dark green option to choose from in the array of colours though.
Backed by Mazda’s 5-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, the MX-5 RF GT RS is a capable and fun weekend car that holds up to its heritage and continues to make driving fun. There’s enough room for two, as well as the flexibility of having the roof up or down.
With the suspension and brake goodies thrown in, it’s also a very capable track car, if that’s your thing. Regardless, it’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face. You can find out more on the Mazda Australia website, or by talking to your local dealership.
To see a great range of vehicles, check out OnlyCars.com.au. If you’re keen on one, and need finance, visit CreditOne.
Our test vehicle was provided by Mazda Australia for independent review purposes.
