2009 MAZDA MX-5 reviews

Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe 2009

Everything's going for it, so why don't you go for it? It harvests the traditional sports car virtues without getting stuck in the rut of the past. It's as up to date as the date on today's calendar and has the charm and appeal to make everyday feel like that special holiday. There's all the dash and flair one could wish for without the flash of the exhibitionist - so if you could package fun in commonsense and splash it with a dash of sunshine, this treat would be hard to beat. We're talking glowingly about Mazda's latest MX5 - with origins back to 1989 - which continues the great sports car tradition that dashing young (and old) blades have known and loved for generations. Being a Mazda, It's as reliable as a banker's bonus; with a plus factor that prices haven't gone through the roof (Starting at £19345 for the Roadster Coupe tested, but Soft top MX5s start at just over £16000). This little Mazda is simply amazing and one wonders why everyone doesn't grab themselves a share. Delighted owners derive satisfaction from the fact that they're members of a very exclusive club. An exclusivity that doesn't depend on a bottomless wallet, but a reservoir of sense, spiced with a sense of fun - brrrm brrrm! zoom zoom! And fun is what this sporty Mazda is all about. Whether you're driving it or passing by you can't help but smile. Once the high revving 159bhp 2.0 litre engine (You can have a 1.8 litre124bhp version) is alive it breathes through an exhaust with a lovely sporty note; hinting at the fun to come. Settling into the comfortable hot seat you take in your surroundings and appreciate the practical cabin - with plenty of room for two and their bits and pieces - where everything combines to stir the emotions ready for that delectable sports car enjoyment. It's fitted with welcome features such as power windows, airbags and a jolly good quality stereo system. And, of course, if fresh air action is your thing, you just push a button and...Hey Presto! Electric power folds that metal roof away in seconds. Grasp the steering wheel, which fits snugly into you hands, snick the gearlever into the first of the six gears, blip the throttle to amplify the burbling exhaust and fuel the sense of exhilaration and you're ready to go. On the grimy streets of our decaying cities the MX5 shines like a neon as you elicit admiring glances and pointing fingers: the sculpted styling and curvaceous shape enhancing the considerable road presence. Impeccable manners born of responsive steering, astute brakes and well tuned suspension mean that smooth progress can be made even along streets deliberately fouled with humps, ramps and tank traps by the overpaid zealots from the Ministry of Nastiness and Elimination of Fun. Out on my top-secret test route things really began to buzz. I couldn't help but push it hard and utilise the 159bhp. Acceleration is sharp and smooth, steering is wonderfully weighted and there's lots of grip - and should you push to lunatic levels where even the traction control won't save you, you can bring it back into line with a quick flick of the wheel - because it's rear wheel drive. It handles like a pedigree without any niggles whatsoever, doing all that's required so well that the wonder is that you're not caught in a permanent state of wonder. It holds the road so tenaciously that you don't even question it, and it delivers punch enough to take you to near 130mph when needed, without the trepidation that can accompany ludicrously quick supercars. You don't need that sort of nonsense on today's roads. What you need is enough zip to act as a pick-me-up, and the reassurance that comes with sublimely adjusted engineering. The sort of car, in short, that won't spin out when you take it for a spin - but will weave a little magic web of its own. Monsieur and Madame Toad might not take to the road in such a vehicle, but the less terminally desperate will certainly find it's the cat's whiskers. And the running costs - even though I only achieved about 29mpg - are bound to leave any owner purring. It's very definitely the cream of small sports cars - and do I want one in my Christmas stocking? Yes Rudolph. Yes! On a grim November night on a damp road in a traffic jam, this car is a veritable shaft of sunlight.