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I have a problem i'm hoping you guys can help me with. I want to buy a new MX5. I know a new hard top version is due in a few months time and i've been offered a great deal to buy a current soft top. This is my first convertable car and i am worried about what it's like to live with a soft top car. What's it like to live with in the depts of winter when it's lashing rain etc. Having seen the roof recently, it's thinner that i expected it to be. So any advice and reviews from MX5 owners would be great. Should I dive right in and enjoy the original or wait for the hardtop. I really love this car. Thanks Dermot,
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My son has a soft top MX5. It has proved watertight and warm through the winter. The heater is well able to cope. It had the standard hood when he bought it and this lasted until this spring when it cried enough and developed splits. A new mohair one has been fitted and this has proved as watertight as the old one.
He has also bought a secondhand hardtop which takes a couple of minutes to fit so that the car can be made more secure when required.
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I have the new Mk3 as a soft top. I have driven it through some pretty dreadful weather recently and the roof doesn't leak. The heater is pretty good too.I am known for being cold but even with grey skies and wind I have the roof down and the heating on and I'm fine. I have to turn the heating off if I have the roof up so I am not worried about the winter.
I think Mazda are actually offering the detachable hard top free at the moment if you didn't want to have a soft top all year round.
The roof goes up and down in a couple of seconds, much faster than the electric and I for one am very very happy with the rag top.
If you want more opinions try the UK based forums at www.mx-5.com where thishas been discussed pretty throughly!
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From the adverts that I recall - it's either £750 off or a "free" hardtop.
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My brother who lives in CA had the US version of the MX5 years ago and loved it. Can only assume the later model is only better.
As for hard or soft top not sure. But surely one selling point if the MX5 is the open roof so can you get a current MX5 plus a separate hard top for less than than the new hard top version. Or does the new version really make such a difference? e.g. Audi and BMW still use fabric roofs on Cabriolets.
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I had a mk2 for a while and the standard soft top was superb. Draught free, leak free, nice and taut when up, and an absolute doddle to operate.
The heater on the MX-5, or at least the mk2, is superb. It's quite capable of keeping your feet toasty warm with the hood down on a crisp, sunny 5°C winter morning. It never even begins to struggle with the hood up.
A word of warning on the hard top. There is quite a healthy market for these secondhand, which means they can attract the attention of thieves. More than one of the guys in the owners club had come out of the house in the morning to find their hard top missing. Make sure you buy one of the locking kits that are available. I'm assuming of course it works/attaches the same way as the mk2's hard top.
Great car though - the best I've ever owned (see the best cars thread). Enjoy.
Cheers
DP
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The only downside to MX5 soft tops that I'm aware of is the early MK1's with the plastic rear windows.
All the later ones with heated rear windows are better for looking out of in winter.
I'd never dream of a hard top for an MX5 - if you want one, maybe you should consider a different car ;)
Martin
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if you want one, maybe you should consider a different car
A very valid point which one would do well to consider.
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Thanks a lot guys. Thats the kind of stuff i needed to hear. I think i will go for the soft top. I'm in Ireland so believe me prices here are a LOT more that those some of you have quoted. You luckly sods. There virtually giving them away. I'll be paying ?32,000 and that's cheap over here as they are normally ?35,600. It's Metallic Electric blue and all the nice toys. I'll let you know how i get on.
Thanks for the advice Guys.
Dermot
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