Why did you buy an MX5 ?

[Zac]

Mx5 is just so unique and in a league of it's own with regard to convention. There is no other car on the road like it

Hard to find something sporty and rwd that isn't a silvia/skyline, commodore, falcon or bmw. The turbo Nissans are fine if they aren't thrashed and you're off your Ps but they can be expensive for what they are.

Simple, reliable, cheap, easy to reg and insure, good on fuel, light, RWD. Perfect for a 19yo car enthusiast! Might as well buy one now rather than later!

[Ross]

Why - my daughter got a 90 for her first car and I get to drive it after doing maintenance on it, it is just too much fun to not have my own.
So I have a JDM 90 BRG V-Special on club reg, its a good 20ft car
Pros - Cheap, reliable, fun, did I say cheap and fun, yeah, cheap and fun
Cons, .............

[speed]

Less than half the price of an FD and much more 'sleeper' potential.

Driving them all ways reminded me of the series 2 and 3 rx7's I owned in my late teens but a bit more modern and easier to obtain parts cheaply.
The seating position and interior ergonomics are very similar which I loved.

I also really wanted a 4 cylinder RWD that was no bigger than an NA mx5 and no older with mx5/rx7 weight distribution.

Alrhough the original 86 was a 4 cylinder RWD it was just far too square and old fashioned looking for my liking.

Pitty more manufacturers don't offer anything with this formula, even if it was a coupe!


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[speed]

I had enough of how annoying our VW golf was for reliability and ease of working on. I decided it had to go.

What, you didn't like having to jack it up and remove the power steering pump to get to the thermostat housing under the engine.
Or pulling the whole front of the car off to replace the thermo fan.
Or realise that the boot light is not triggered by a regular switch, rather the latch mechanism.
Or the fact that the heater core stopped working and then you realised VW built the entire car around it.

I'm a VW fan yet I do recognize how much of a PITA it is to carry out what should be simple maintenance, so completely understand where you're coming from

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[MrCat]

Less than half the price of an FD and much more 'sleeper' potential.

Pitty more manufacturers don't offer anything with this formula, even if it was a coupe!

Could NOT agree more..!

If an AWD Subaru Impreza is about 4k more than say a FWD Corolla, I just cannot understand why more sub 30k RWD coupes/compact 4 doors are not made!

For me, based on what I’ve dríven over the years, there is absolutely nothing in the price point (initial cost + maintenance) which is more fun to drive compared to a run-of-the-mill NA or NB MX5.

It’s my number 1 choice as a track car as well because: simple mechanicals, easy to work on, N/A reliability, spares availability, easy on consumables such as brakes, great chassis to learn to drive a slow car fast, etc…

[jdm_wannabe]

Well, as a young guy on my p's, my car obviously made a huge difference to my ego...

Seriously though, I always enjoyed moving around corners at a higher speed than my parents were comfortable with in their cars, so I leaned towards cars that prioritised that very fact.
Basically, I wanted cars that prioritised lightness, handling, small engines (cheap on fuel for a student haha) and half decent reliabilty.
First I was looking at what I thought were very nice hot hatchbacks, such as the Alfa 147, Renault Clio, Ford Focus, old 1 series, and the Alfa Brera (out of budget but just look at it). Then I came across an mx5, I wasn't sure at first, as I was leaning towards the 3 door hatchbacks for a smidgen of practicality, but then I asked myself if I really needed it, and if I could compromise. I'd be fine I told myself.

And here I am with a NB8B, without ever needing any more space than there is.

[StanTheMan]

saw the white & red Mx5 at the Sydney Motor show in October 1989. Fell in love.

It was mostly about being a convertible in those days. Bought My first mariner Blue in 1991. The the current NA6 in 1997.

Now its more about driving it. the fact that it is convertible got lost on me about 6 years ago.
Ive had it for so long now......there is just no desire of changing it. maybe the car itself in modding it. But not selling patchy any time soon. Kids are all grown up now. While this proved difficult when they were little. It really not a problem now.

[atlast]

Well, I kinda explained my reasons in my Intro post, but simply, I loved the Lotus Elan when it came out; I was a teenager and a guy who lived in the next suburb in Newcastle had one, and I drooled every time I saw it.

Much, much later, when the MX5 came out I thought, "Well that's what Lotus Should have done", but I wasn't in a position to buy one until recently.

Now I have a 2008 NC PRHT model, BOSE sound and fabulous, rear-wheel-drive handling (like driving a four-wheeled motorcycle) and I couldn't be happier.

[billybunter]

well lets see I paid almost $55K for a bmw z4 with a rattle in the motor so I thought that's not good so off loaded it and bought a one owner SE in the wrong colour and then had to paint it white

[DarrenM]

Back in 2000 I was looking for an MR2. Couldn't find anything in the condition I wanted for a reasonable price. I kept seeing MX5's everywhere & the price of those seemed reasonable so I went & looked at a couple. I found a really nice white NA6 at a good price. It came with a hardtop which was a bonus because I thought it being a convertible was a negative. Though it wasn't what I was looking for I've never regretted buying it, I love it & after 30 years of driving & 50 something cars it's the only car I've ever kept.

[Dehamsta]

Because I'm a hairdresser


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[StanTheMan]

The NA certainly has a certain appeal. Which was killed off with the NB8A. Not saying the NB8A is a bad choice . its just not mine.
I would certainly look at a SE in total stock form. I feel that is the closest to the NA.

Having said that. Ive not dríven an ND

[Daffy]

Had they made an FD convertible I may have gone that way (despite the many rotary dramas that almost every mechanic would tell you about). The SE had all I was looking for, a great looking factory turbo convertible sports car, with the potential to work it in a way that it can go toe to toe with the likes of a lotus or BMW and then some, without the cost. And I love a great top down drive with a view. There is a big world that has been born around this iconic car, it polarisers rev heads, brunts many jokes but is still the most popular sports car in history for a reason. And almost everyone that has gone for a ride in mine gets out smiling after they pry their fingers out of the dashboard! Why MX5, just because

[Vat]

Beavis pretty much nailed it, light, cheap, reliable, rear drive, nimble handling, plus love the convertible aspect.

Wanted an MX-5 to fiddle with and track for years. I'm very much of the "it's more fun driving a slow car fast than a slow car fast" school and that's what they're about. Had been keeping an eye out for MR2's as well. Had a late '90s Mirage which I'd done a bit of suspension work which was hilarious to extract speed out of, but the lack of HP and front drive meant you were pretty much flat out everywhere.

[Lokiel]

The NA certainly has a certain appeal. Which was killed off with the NB8A. Not saying the NB8A is a bad choice . its just not mine.
I would certainly look at a SE in total stock form. I feel that is the closest to the NA.

Having said that. Ive not dríven an ND

COMPLETELY disagree with that 2nd sentence.
* SE body shape and interior is essentially the same as any NB
* SE is the heaviest of NBs
* SE has the largest and heaviest rims of any NA/NB (with its stiff suspension and 17" rims, the ride is too harsh)
* SE is rev-limited to 6,500rpm (the original NA6 loved to rev over this)

If you ever get the chance to drive an NA6, you'll love how light and nimble it is and it loves to rev - I'm not surprised when people upgrade from it that they lament on how they miss it.