Mazda MX-5 review: legendary sports car updated

This classic, lightweight sports car has been putting smiles on dials for more than three decades and the latest version has lost none of its appeal.

It’s easy to forget how much the Mazda MX-5 has changed over the years. Though the core ingredients have remained the same since 1989, Mazda engineers continue to refine their recipe like master chefs in pursuit of perfection.

And it’s tastier than ever.

Pouring the lightweight roadster into a sweeping bend, you can feel the love that imbues every element of the driving experience.

Pick a ratio using the sweetest gear change in any showroom today, turn the fingertip-light steering wheel and feel the little roadster dart toward the apex of a corner in a way bigger cars just can’t match.

The MX-5

It’s like sashimi in a world of hamburgers. But there’s more beef to the roadster than before.

The fourth-generation MX-5 arrived in 2015 as a stripped-back machine priced from $31,990 plus on-roads, powered by the 1.5-litre heart of the Mazda2. Today, it’s a 2.0-litre machine that starts at $41,520 plus on-road costs (about $46,000 drive-away) and runs to more than $60,000 drive-away for an automatic model loaded with a Bose stereo, tan leather and folding hardtop roof.

That’s an increase of $2310 to $3220 over last year’s model.

Running changes include new LED lights at the front and rear, a larger 8.8-inch infotainment screen with USB-C outlets, and new “connected services” to let you remotely check the car’s location and lock its doors with an app.

It can call an ambulance following a crash, or notify owners if the car has been driven outside of set times or locations – dobbing in the kids if they take it for a joy ride.

The driver instruments look slightly different (but there is still no digital speedo) and there are subtle tweaks to the 17-inch wheels.

The driver-focused cabin is analog in a digital world. Picture: Supplied.

Driving enthusiasts will be more interested in a retuned limited-slip differential with a reduced locking effect on corner entry that makes the car more predictable on the approach to a bend. Similarly, a sharpened throttle is intended to deliver more precise responses to how you use the accelerator, particularly when easing off the gas to adjust your line in long corners.

Having already benefited from a larger throttle body, revised exhaust, bigger valves and new fuel injectors in 2018, the MX-5’s 2.0-litre motor has a new air intake for 2024 that amplifies induction noise without eliciting any more power than the 135kW and 205Nm claimed by last year’s model.

We sampled the car during a test-drive in the Adelaide Hills before touring the East Circuit at The Bend Motorsport Park, a technical layout that combines 22 corners in less than four kilometres of tarmac.

The MX-5 is a great track weapon in the right hands. Picture: Supplied.

The little Mazda shines on track, particularly in MX-5 GT RS trim that brings performance upgrades including 17-inch BBS wheels, Bilstein suspension, Brembo brakes, under bonnet bracing and a new “track mode” for the stability control.

Activate the latter and the car allows more leeway when you reach the limit of its skinny tyres, encouraging drivers to enjoy the odd slide on track while knowing there is still a safety net to prevent you spinning out of control.

Anyone can appreciate the light and crisp nature of the MX-5.

It also rewards sensitivity and a delicate touch from experienced drivers who can coax the most out of its superbly balanced chassis.

Buyers can choose from soft and hardtop versions. Picture: Supplied.

Buying and driving an MX-5 requires some selfishness and self-awareness from customers.

You don’t pick it to impress passengers, who are hemmed into a cozy spot with minimal legroom and storage space. You certainly don’t buy the MX-5 expecting it to be a practical daily driver, to impress mates with fresh tech or bystanders with a throbbing exhaust note.

You shouldn’t buy the MX-5 to be the fastest down the straight on a track day, or to roll up to “Cars and Coffee” in a ride no-one has seen before.

You buy it because you savour the art of driving and because that’s more important to you than impressing your neighbours, colleagues or strangers on social media.

Though the MX-5 evolves each year, that part hasn’t changed at all.

VERDICT

Four stars

An analog machine in a world of digital pretenders, the MX-5 has been subtly tweaked to sharpen its focus on driving purity.

MAZDA MX-5

PRICE From about $46,000 drive-away

ENGINE 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 135kW and 205Nm

WARRANTY/SERVICE 5-yr/u’ld km, $2721 for 5 yrs

SAFETY Four airbags, front and rear auto emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert

THIRST 6.8L/100km

CARGO 130 litres

SPARE Repair kit

Originally published as Mazda MX-5 review: legendary sports car updated