Ten Great Reasons To Buy A Mazda MX-5

1. Fun factor

The top reason has got to be the thrill of the ride. Mazda’s objective was to create total driving pleasure and wind-in-your-hair driving exhilaration – and it did just that.

Never just a way to get from A to B, Mazda’s MX-5 is a car in which to enjoy every mile of every journey and very often just from A to A. The MX-5 is still known to enthusiasts in the USA by its original name – ‘Miata’ which means ‘reward’. Need we say more?

2. 870,000 people can’t be wrong

Over 870,000 Mazda MX-5s have now been sold worldwide – making it the best selling two-seater roadster of all time. As a result it has been has been entered into the Guinness Book of World Records every year since 2000.

3. Car and driver as one

While some aspects of the third-generation Mazda MX-5 are even better than its predecessor, it retains all the original virtues for which the Mazda MX-5 is rightly famous. All MX-5 generations have reflected the Japanese ideal of Jinba Ittai, the symbiosis between rider and horse. Jinba Ittai served as guiding principle for developing the driving behaviour of the Mazda MX-5 - the ideal of a balanced driving machine that provides skilful drivers with high levels of driving enjoyment without the need of a large-displacement engine.

4. Gram Strategy

One way to deliver this ‘driving balance’ is vehicle weight. Despite featuring more standard equipment and a stiffer body shell, the current third generation Mazda MX-5 is only about 10kg heavier than the outgoing model. Painstaking adherence to a ‘gram strategy’ paid off, especially in designing the body and chassis. This results in better handling, performance and more importantly lower fuel consumption.

5. Fastest folding roof in the world

The powered retractable hardtop is a sheer masterpiece of engineering with style. Designed following Mazda’s acclaimed ‘gram strategy’, the electrically-operated roof is as strong and light as possible, retracting completely – without intrusion into the luggage space – in a breathtaking 12 seconds, the fastest electric roof in the world.

6. Affordability

The MX-5 is famous for representing affordable sports car motoring – and that hasn’t changed over the years. The 20^th anniversary edition, launched this year, is priced at £16,850 on-the-road, featuring 10 additional items of equipment worth more than £650, but costing just £55 more than the SE. This is significantly less than the original MX-5 of 1990, in real terms when prices are adjusted for inflation over two decades. Additionally fuel economy has recently been improved on the 2010 model by up to 8 percent while CO₂ emissions have been reduced by up to 7 percent, making the world’s favourite open top sports car even more affordable to run.

7. Handling

Perfect 50:50 weight distribution that produces razor-sharp agile handling and the classic sportscar set up – front engine, rear wheel drive for maximum balance –

makes the MX-5 hugely popular. Designed with lightness, agility and responsiveness in mind this affordable sportscar gives a performance to be proud of.

8. Safety

The thrilling MX-5 performance is balanced with advanced safety features for the ultimate driving experience. All 2-litre models feature Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), a Traction Control System (TCS)*, a Limited Slip Differential (LSD)* and front and side airbags. The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) adjusts the braking force to suit changing conditions.

*not on Powershift

9. Awards

The MX-5 has won over 170 awards including Wheels Magazine 's Car of the Year for 1989 and 2005, Sports Car International's ‘best sports car of the 1990s’ and ‘10 best sports cars of all time’, 2005-2006 ‘Car of the Year Japan’, and 2005 ‘Australian Car of the Year’ - and making the USA’s Car and Driver magazine's annual ‘Ten Best’ list seven times. More recently it won the title of ‘Best Sports Car’ in the highly-regarded 2010 JD Power vehicle ownership satisfaction survey.

10. Racing Capabilities

Almost from the day it was launched, the Mazda MX-5 has been hugely popular with thousands of racing enthusiasts from all over the world who have taken to the tracks at the wheel of the iconic roadster. Its unique blend of superb handling, optimum weight distribution, reliability and affordability has been a winning combination across two decades of one-make Mazda racing championships. Earlier this year, journalists from 26 European countries came to Italy to contest a thrilling four-hour endurance race as a fitting tribute to the 20^th anniversary of Mazda’s iconic sports car. During 2010, the MX-5 is also contesting in the Britcar Endurance Race Series which includes a 24-hour race at Silverstone in October.

To find out more about the MX-5 or the Mazda range call in to either of our Barnet or Chingford showrooms , or call us on 0845 871 5253 for Barnet or 0845 871 7101 for Chingford.