2.0 184ps GT Sport Nav+ 2dr Convertible

I'm in love with driving again.

I had no real intention of buying an MX 5 but as I had a bit of time off work coming up, I thought I'd take the chance to take a test drive in a few cars I'd always liked the look of. A bit of cheap fun with dealers paying for the fuel, I reasoned. Long story short and one MX 5 test drive later, I was sat in the dealership signing the paperwork for my 2.0 GT Sport Nav+, maybe not my best money saving idea to date?

I've owned quite a lot of cars in 30 odd years of motoring and the MX 5 took me back to a couple of old MGB's I used to own and play with at weekends in the 80's and 90's. The driving position felt the same, the view from the drivers seat looking out over a long bonnet with raised wheel arches in my peripheral view, the feeling my bum was only inches from the ground, the push button start, all transported me back to my MG days. The differences, unlike the MGB's the MX 5 is actually quick, handles beautifully, starts first time and the inside doesn't smell permanently of petrol.

The cabin is well appointed but there's not much storage, one central glovebox between the seats which is quite roomy and a hidden small compartment behind each seat that you can only access by folding the seat forwards are your lot. The seats themselves are very comfortable, with reasonable adjustment and amazingly powerful heaters, level 2 of 3 is the hottest I can manage. The infotainment system is simple to use, comprehansive and well laid out. It also boasts apple CarPlay/Android Auto which I've become a real fan of, as I can use waze with live traffic updates in place of the only ok-ish Mazda built in satnav. The 9 speaker bose sound system is good rather than spectacular but it does have speakers in the headrests which are fantastic with the roof down. As mine is the GT model it has lots of additional electronic kit, the only one of which I'm really sold on is blind spot warning, which is a great safety feature, particularly when the hood is up, when over the shoulder visibility is pretty much non existant. Whether you need all the rest of the gizmos is debatable but the GT also benefits from a LSD, uprated shocks and sway bar. The boot is small but deeper than I thought and we've managed to pack two small cabin sized suitcases and a soft holdall for a week away. Our weeks normal food shop also fits if you pack carefully. You probably don't buy a car like this for the practicalities but in saying that it is my daily driver and I've always seemed to manage space wise.

The joy of open top wind in the hair motoring rather than load lugging, is what this car is really all about. The newly reworked 2.0 litre normally aspirated engine revs freely to 7500 and there's more than enough power (181bhp) for this featherweight to keep up with anything but serious performance machines on back roads at least. The 6 speed gear box is a joy to use and the handling is superb, confidence inspiring and predictable. With the top down on country roads 60mph feels like 80mph to me at least, so I don't find I have to drive fast to have a massive grin on my face. Cruising on motorways with the roof up is ok but you do feel quite small and perhaps a bit vulnerable, when passing Range Rover wheels are level with your head. I therefore take every chance I can to get onto the back roads and put the roof down. The heater works very well and combined with the heated seats you really can enjoy convertible motoring most of the time unless it's actually raining. Raising and lowering the roof itself can be done with one hand from the drivers seat and takes only 2 or 3 seconds. Fuel economy has been better than I thought at 43mpg and I'm going to follow HJ's advice and try out a few tanks of Shell V Power to see if I can improve things further.

In summary this is a car that makes me smile every time I get behind the wheel and that makes me want to drive just for the sheer pleasure of it. Something I haven't done I realised in years. Is it a mid life crisis, probably? Do I want more of it, definitely! My advice, if you get the chance take an MX 5 out for a test drive. Just don't blame me if you end up coming home with one.

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