Mx5

[jlef5]

Are Mazda MX5s a good car, i need to get a little run around once i take the fairmont off to do her up. I want to have a 4 banger and something that is back wheel drive and reliable. so all i can think of is an MX5 and a BMW. Has anyone here owned an MX5 or know if they are good or bad. Any shocking stories etc. Cheers

[mcnews]

Haven't owned an MX5 but have driven them and they are a good fun little jigger. You can sometimes get the good late model turbo ones for around 30k with quite low miles. Mazda generally have a pretty good name when it comes to reliability and dealer support.

One of our other cars is an RX8. We bought it secondhand, nearly 5 years old. 35k with 55,000km on the clock. A few days after having it I noticed a squeak from somewhere between the dash and the firewall. I took it back expecting to be told you bougth a 5 year old car for god sake, you have to expect a little squeak every now and then, but no, they inspected it there and then, mechanic thought it was from somewhere behind the stereo (and this to me meant big job as the stereo fascia etc. on the Mazda is pretty damn involved), they booked it in as a job the next day. Dropped it off next day, had it back a few hours later, squeak fixed.

Imagine a Ford or FPV dealer doing that....?

[jlef5]

Are they good on fuel, and this might seem like a stupid question but if you drive a turbo car sensible, not up it everywhere will it use that much more fuel over standard. I live in the country and do alot of highway driving girl lives an hour and 10 minutes away so do alot of travel seeing here and need the power for over taking trucks in sometimes short distances, so be nice to have the turbo there.

[mcnews]

I would imagine better than a Falcon, LOL. The RX8 is as bad perhaps even worse than the Falcon though for fuel economy, that's rotaries for you.

I would imagine an MX5 Turbo would still return on average around 10 litres per 100km. They are a small sportscar though so for country travelling the ride may get a little jiggly but in the mountains it would be bliss.

[jlef5]

* Let me just retype some of the above statement, that was shocking. Please ignore the second sentence this will hopefully make more sense. I live in the country and do alot of driving as my girlfriend lives an hour and 10 minutes from where i live. When i travel between i often get caught behind alot of trucks slow cars etc and would like to have the turbo for that extra bit of go when overtaking.

[jlef5]

My EF v8 gets on average 11 lt/100 on the highway only town work kills it, up around18 if i get into it.

[DBourne]

mx5 = gaymobile.
get a bmw

[jlef5]

haha, love it, i think the BMW from the movie Taxi would be nice, wait have to wake up now, lol.

[flappist]

MX5s are a nimble little rocket although a bit underpowered. They are spectacular fun in the windy stuff.
They are also a ragtop so you have the fun of sunburn, sunburn, sunburn and did I mention sunburn, as well as the odd bird poo on the seat, dust and crap from passing trucks and all the other joys of being in the great outdoors.
They hold their resale quite well and get very good milage although I will bet you a beer that you cant open the fuel cap without looking in the owner's manual.....

[partzkid]

Originally Posted by flappist

They hold their resale quite well and get very good milage although I will bet you a beer that you cant open the fuel cap without looking in the owner's manual.....

thats a funny one you can play on an apprentice, send em to the servo and then they come back saying they couldn't find the opener for the flap (its in a weird spot)

partzkid

[jlef5]

do they still have the power to over take.

[flappist]

Yes, they are quite quick on the open road but they are a NA 4 cyl so if your driving methodology relies on having a 1,000,000kw V8 to get you out of the poo when you try to overtake at the wrong time and there is a car coming the other way then you will get a lot of frights.

On the highway they are about as quick as NA Falcon XR6 with the exception that you don't need to slow as much for corners.

[jlef5]

What other rear wheel drives are left out there today, thats only a 4 banger.

[flappist]

350Z, BMW, Commodore, Falcon, RX8 (power of a 6 with the economy of a clevo), Merc.

Probably more but thats all I can think of at the moment.

There are a lot of AWDs too but these are really FWDs with a bit of RWD added.

Go do a test drive in a MX5, you might be surprised.....

[henry 351]

Go Classic compact Ford.

RS2000 or Twin Cam Escort, HEAPS of fun.

[Rev28K]

Fixed

Originally Posted by SgtBourne

Audi TT = gaymobile.

The “Elan from Japan” is a great handling sports car that a whole heap of people, including gay guys, like.


I agree with a lot of the comments on the MX5. They seem to be great fun on twisty roads, the owners clubs can be a bit yuppie pretentious but there is a wealth of enthusiasts who want to be quicker in the clubs. The MX5s are very capable on circuits and will easily beat up on other cars in turns and under brakes. Try and make sure that you get one that hasn’t been thrashed to death as they are getting quite old nowdays. They seem to combine all the best bits of the old British convertibles with fewer failings (build quality, rust, etc). The stock engine is a bit limp but some people have had turbo and Moss superchargers fitted to them and by all accounts they really fly after that.

Other options – AW11 Toyota MR2, Suzuki Cappuccino (but you don’t want to be in a crash) & the Honda CRX (hatchback).

Don’t sneer at the CRX they were good in Group E racing, won under 2000cc sports sedan titles, etc. A well set-up & well-maintained CRX will keep up with all but the most extreme MX5/MR2/etc in sprints, mine (and my mates ones) certainly did – I even got asked if it was a turbo at an HSV sprint after beating a few V8 guys.
================================================== ======
Forgot the Toyota AE86 Sprinter (the local version didn’t have the twin cam engine or the disc rear brakes) and the Nissan Silvia/180SX.

$10k for a good one? All those pimply-faced P platers wearing their baseball caps backwards can’t be wrong!

[jlef5]

Think im leading towards about a 1989 1990 model, and get a removeable hard top for it in a black colour.

[Fev]

go for a 180SX, heaps of cheap fun! just make sure you find an Sr20 version, the CA18 was a bit of a slug even in turbo form - although some crazy japs who prefer to keep the original engine in them over in japan have make 600ps versions of the CA18det - not that you will be doin that lol

you can get a 90 MX5 for around 8-10k depending on luck and condition. SSV have like a specialty thing with them, their show room is chock full of 90 shaped MX5's with bodykits and rims etc

[jlef5]

What's the site for SSV

[Powdered Toast Man]

Get a Bullitt, now theres an MX5 (well it's based on them) that I'd love to own.

Didn't the early MX5s have a smaller engine than the later ones, 1.6 vs 1.8? Would be a fun little car to drive either way, but I just cant bring myself to own a convertable.

[jlef5]

Yeah thats the only thing im worried about the convertable part, althought i will probably try to get one of the hard tops for them.

[Fev]

http://ssv.com.au/car_list

thats a list of the cars SSV are selling. Its Sydney Special vehicles if you didnt know(where are you situated?)

[jlef5]

Im in beautiful qld. so when you said ssv i had no idea what it was lol.

[Fev]

ahwell, im sure it would be a great drive. just pick one up, fly down and drive it back - give you time to work out the kinks and problems that always come with second hand cars

[Buddy 1]

What about the last of the RX7 Series, they went well shame about the Fuel usage though :P but would be cheaper than a RX8

[flappist]

Originally Posted by Buddy 1

What about the last of the RX7 Series, they went well shame about the Fuel usage though :P but would be cheaper than a RX8

I had a RX7 once, I traded it on a 351 clevo fairlane sportsman with full pollution gear fitted and a horse float permanently attached just to save money on petrol.........

[partzkid]

Originally Posted by flappist

I had a RX7 once, I traded it on a 351 clevo fairlane sportsman with full pollution gear fitted and a horse float permanently attached just to save money on petrol.........

saving money on petrol, fairlane must have been straight GAS......
a rotor driven properly can be alright on fuel. even better with a turbo as you don't have to rev as hard. imagine spinning the 4l six to 10 grand constantly.

partzkid

[flavze]

been looking for a fun smaller run about car for the wife to go to work in, considering an mx5 but it is probibly a bit to small. Been looking at WRX's, can get a mid/late 90's ones for between 10-20,000grand depending on the condition an km's.
If innsurance isn't gonna be totally fukin insane then i'll probly go for one of these.

[Andrew E]

MX-5 are great little cars, couldnt recomend them more highly.

Some results from a day at Heathcote with this forum - here. The results are not all that flash, but they arent bulit to go fast in a straight line..

Go and take one for a drive and see what you think.

[jlef5]

I'm only 20 so a WRX is outta the question be heaps for insurence, i only need a car that can get me to work, to tafe and to the girlfriends house, so MX5 will be fine.