Overview

The Mazda MX-5 is a sports car with enormously broad appeal. Not only is the Mk.4 MX-5 – codenamed ND – remarkably affordable to buy and run, it’s so easy and enjoyable to drive that it brings in a wide spectrum of buyers.

It could be your only car or a weekend toy. You might be thinking about dipping your toe into the cold fresh water that is sports car ownership. Or you could be a serial MX-5 owner after the latest model.

Whatever you want it for, and whatever your experience of the breed, the MX-5 is unlikely to disappoint. It’s no accident it’s the bestselling sports car of all time, after all. And it’s one of the cheapest ways into the driver’s seat of the increasingly rare classic sports car layout – the front-engine, rear-wheel-drive convertible.

The MX-5 was originally launched in 1989 and the current version arrived in 2015. Many enthusiasts welcomed it as a return to form after the somewhat bloated Mk.3 iteration. There are 1.5- and 2.0-litre petrol engines to choose from, and three trim levels are currently available. A mind-boggling total of 23 trim packages have been available, many of them limited-run special editions. And there’s the hardtop MX-5 RF if you prefer having a hardtop over your head.

We’ve tested many examples of the MX-5 over the years, covering many miles. You can read more about how we test cars at Parkers to reach the verdicts given here.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to MX-5 rivals. The first is other rear-wheel drive convertibles. There aren’t many alternatives that are as affordable, though. Perhaps an entry-level BMW Z4 or used Fiat 124 (now discontinued, the 124 was based on the MX-5 and built by Mazda). Even adding RWD coupes to the mix doesn’t help as the only affordable one technically available is the Toyota GR86, but that’s effectively sold out in the UK. Maybe consider a BMW 2 Series, as well.

Or take a look at a hot hatchback. The dearly departed Ford Fiesta ST and Hyundai i20 N are our favourites at the cheaper end of the market, and the Hyundai i30 N is a riot if you need a bigger car.

None of the above offer the sheer unbridled simplicity of the MX-5 experience, though. Italian philosopher Umberto Eco once mused that ‘people are tired of simple things.’ Apparently the design team at Mazda’s Hiroshima base weren’t big on philosophy. The MX-5 has a delightfully uncomplicated fabric top that’s manually operated and can be opened and closed with one hand in mere seconds. Perfect for changeable British weather.

The SkyActiv-G petrol engines do without turbochargers – which is rather refreshing, these days – and have a sweet-shifting six-speed manual gearbox. They’re great fun to thrash yet refined and economical at a cruise. They gained extra power in 2018 and, in 2022, a new stability control system was introduced, called Kinematic Posture Control (we kid you not).

Read on for our full Mazda MX-5 review, with a verdict that draws on everything from this diminutive car’s practicality and running costs to its performance and handing.