Our Fleet Test Drive: Mazda MX-5 – 5th Report Update

26 NOVEMBER 2007 Miles driven 9796 Average consumption 34.5mpg Forecast CPM 32.2p Actual CPM 34.1p Following our praise for the hard top on our MX-5, which has kept us snug when it’s been wet outside, we’re now back to top-down motoring. It may be frosty out, but frosty normally goes hand-in-hand with sunny and dry, so at the insistence of my two-year-old daughter, I’ve been taking her to nursery with the top down, which she and I think is brilliant. However, there are a lot of people who, predictably, think we’re absolutely crazy. Top down also makes it far easier to get Isey into her baby seat, which itself fits very easily into the MX-5.

Main Report

It’s a distant memory now but we loved the wet summer we were treated to. If that sounds strange from someone running a convertible, let me explain.

Roof down, the MX-5 is a joy, but it’s all too easy to get wrapped up in boring things like nature and the suspicion your forehead is nearing, when the sun actually comes out, well done.

Roof up is when the real fun starts and it is only then you can truly concentrate and appreciate our Mazda’s finest quality – the way it drives.

Recently, on route to a car launch in Warwickshire in an epic downpour, the Mazda was an absolute hoot, with its entertaining handling and a firm ride that never verges on uncomfortable. Our car also has a six-speed gearbox [1] that keeps the engine on the boil, but importantly gets a special set of dampers that provide a controlled ride.

The only thing we found depressing about the summer is that it gave us the chance to fire up the standard heated leather seats a few times. Similarly depressing is the fuel consumption we’re averaging, perhaps down to the Mazda encouraging enthusiastic driving. So far our best figure has been just over 36mpg on the way to the LeMans 24hour race [2], but that average is just less than 30mpg.

Our recent office move and subsequent increase in motorway mileage has meant this overall average is improving, with recent figures typically the better side of 30mpg. And our running costs, at 34.1ppm, are looking impressively close to the already impressive predicted 32.2p figure.