Still the Best Bang for Buck?

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Mazda’s MX5 has been with us for 37 years now, and the current generation, the ND, is still in production after 11 years. But we don’t get bored of it because it’s so good. It is still nearly as small and light as the first generation NA, but with more safety and a bit more tech. And crucially, it’s pretty good on petrol too. This one owner, NZ new RF LTD edition could be yours today. Read on...

The first generation Mazda MX5 is still a great car to own, even after all this time. It’s lightweight, fun, reliable and pretty cheap to own for a classic. You could argue it’s the purist version of the four that Mazda has produced, and the only one with the iconic pop-up headlights.

But Mazda were smart when it came to the latest instalment, the ND. With the trend for cars to get bigger through the generations, Mazda made the new car smaller than all but the original version. In fact it is shorter than the very small NA, but a bit wider and a touch heavier. So still a small car but with more power, safety, tech and comfort, while still staying true to the nimble sports car brief.

It may be that the reason this generation MX5 is still in production after 11 years is because Mazda are not sure where to go from here. Will the next MX5 be hybrid, or even electric? Will Mazda even have a choice? It’s quite possible that the ND will be the last purely petrol powered version of the world’s most popular roadster. And as such, despite the cost of fuel and the move to EVs, the MX5s available now will likely always retain much of their value.

This particular car was sold new in NZ and is the top LTD spec with the electric folding hardtop. It has the 6 speed manual transmission, leather, cruise, climate etc, and has had just one owner and covered 92600kms.

Don’t look at the MX5 as just a summer car, as with the hardtop it’s an all year round proposition with the bonus of having an open roof on sunny days.

Get this car today from Turners Penrose for the drive away price of $29990. More details here.