Shopping bags and airport commutes prove no match for the Mazda MX-5 RF
Aidan Rennie-Jones has been finding out what the MX-5 RF is like to live with in all situations
I recently flew to Barcelona for a launch but had to stay at Heathrow the night before, so what better car in which to get there than our long-term Mazda MX5-RF? Ah, you’re thinking, but how did you get your luggage in there? The answer, surprisingly, is with ease. The boot swallowed up my suitcase and a holdall quite happily.
I hadn’t driven the Mazda for a while and getting back behind the wheel felt fantastic, with the whole experience instantly putting a smile on my face. Before heading off to Spain I had a couple of days to spend with the car over a weekend, and I enjoyed every single minute. I drove with the roof down whenever I could – my rule is that if it’s not raining or snowing, the roof is down – and despite it being a wee bit chilly outside, the heated seats and excellent heater soon had me nice and warm.
My fondness for this little gem of a car is continuing to grow. Every time you jump in and go, the journey becomes an occasion. Firstly, there’s the sound – a burbling twin exhaust erupts into life and doesn’t stop bellowing out a tuneful sound until you switch it off again. I love it – it’s just so characterful and bubbly. Everyone else still seems to love VN66 ZHZ too, and it’s not difficult to see why.
For a start, there’s the way it looks. The standard MX5 is a very good-looking car, but adding the RF’s snazzy folding metal roof adds a touch of elegance to it. And when the roof’s down with the windows left up it’s almost like driving a Targa, so your hair is left intact – until you go on the motorway, when you end up with a bouffant hairstyle.
I drove the car through central London on a beautiful cold, sunny day – with the roof down, of course. As I snaked my way through the hubbub of the capital, I occasionally caught a glimpse of the car in a shop window and realised once again what a great-looking little vehicle it is. There are supercars that cost 10 times as much that aren’t even half as pretty as the Mazda. Its dainty proportions are spot on. Park it in Knightsbridge and it looks at home, too.
The main reason to love this car, however, is the way it drives and the way it makes you feel. It’s just a charming little sports car that puts a massive grin on your face. From the sharp steering to the excellent six-speed manual gearbox, every aspect of this car 12,500 miles on is superb. And that’s the biggest clue to people liking it: we’ve racked up that mileage in six months.
The Mazda isn’t perfect, though – it still has its foibles. Visibility with the roof up or down is terrible. You have no choice but to rely on the blind spot detection system. Without it, you’d be completely blind to any cars alongside you on the motorway – something that isn’t an issue in the standard roadster.
Another niggle is the lack of cabin space. Now, it’s fine for me, but taller colleagues or passengers over 5’10” have complained that they don’t fit. Having said this, boot space isn’t too bad, as can be seen in the pictures from a shopping trip to Bicester Village with my girlfriend, where we got our shopping in without issue.
The foibles don’t mar the driving experience, though. It’s such an enjoyable car to drive and has so much character that I’d even go so far as to say it’s the best sports car under £30,000 on the market today. You get such a lot for your money too, especially in Sport Nav guise as with our car, which gets LED headlamps, Nappa leather seats, DAB radio, sat nav, cruise control, Bluetooth and a Bose sound system among its standard features. Some of these are very expensive optional extras on other cars but our car cost £27,165. If you want one without all the kit, it costs from £25,695.
So, it’s good value for money, has a practical folding metal roof that doesn’t impact on boot space, feels excellent to drive and looks great. For me, it’s still a winning package, and I think almost every person in the office will be reluctant to hand over the keys when Mazda finally comes to take it away. Long may the fun continue!
HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH: Getting back behind the wheel of our MX5-RF after a while felt fantastic, and within a couple of miles I had a huge smile on my face
MODEL: Mazda MX5-RF
PRICE: £27,165
ENGINE: 2.0-litre petrol
POWER: 157bhp
TORQUE: 200 Nm
MAX SPEED: 134mph
0-60MPH: 7.2 seconds
MPG (COMBINED): 40.9
EMISSIONS: 161 g/km
MILEAGE: 12,507
