Where pricing is concerned, the MX-5 sits largely in its own orbit and remains a car with few direct rivals.
A 2.0-litre BMW Z4 is considerably dearer but is a much plusher and more refined car than the back-to-basics approach adopted by the Mazda.
A Lotus Elise 1.6 is also considerably more money, and leans towards the more hardcore end of the market, where Caterham sits.
Alternatively, there are a whole host of cropped hatchbacks which come closer to the Mazda, but none can hold a candle to its dynamic finesse or sporting appeal. Even the £25,000 Toyota GT86 is substantially more expensive.
The 2.0i Sport seems a little pricey, although you do get air-con, a limited-slip differential, a six-speed gearbox, the bespoke Bilstein dampers and a cross-brace, heated seats, a Bose sound system and cruise control.
Thanks to Mazda’s famed build quality and reliability (don’t worry, this MX-5’s no exception), the MX-5 won’t cost the earth to run.
In the standard roadster, the 1.8-litre unit will return 39.8mpg and the 2.0-litre 36.2mpg. Automatic ‘Powershift’ models see fuel economy drop to 35.3mpg, while CO2 emissions stand at 167g/km for the 1.8, 181g/km for the 2.0 and 188g/km for the auto.
Insurance groups range between 21 for the entry-level 1.8 Roadster Coupé, and 26 for the soft-top 2.0 Sport model.
