Mazda MX-5 2.0i Sport review
Mazda MX-5 2.0i Sport Road Test
Test date 10 January 2006
Price as tested £18,650
For Handling, interior room and quality
Against Unsettled ride, harsh engine
Before the 1989 Chicago motor show, there was no mass-market sports car for motoring enthusiasts of average means. There were hot hatches and mid-engined coupés, but the affordable roadster had vanished. Then Mazda unveiled the MX-5, and in a moment the open sports car had a future.
By 2000, the MX-5 became the biggest-selling sports car of all time. All told, 431,506 MX-5 Mk1s found homes across the world, along with 290,123 Mk2s. With the introduction of the MX-5 Mk3, Mazda has a lot at stake.
Look at the sales figures above, furnished with the knowledge that each model was on sale for roughly eight years, and it’s clear that the original MX-5 was significantly more successful than its predecessor. Of course, it had the market virtually to itself at first, and a small part of the original’s magic was lost in the transition to the Mk2. For this all-new replacement, Mazda has therefore strived to recall the flavour of the original, while offering the space, safety and durability of a thoroughly modern car.
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