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MX5 - is it worth the humiliation?

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Old 07 October 2010, 03:05 PM
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Dunk
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Question MX5 - is it worth the humiliation?

Increasingly tempted to get one as the summer pricing premium has now dropped away and as little as £1k could get you a reasonable toy. Only question is who has the bigger laugh, those driving it or those pointing at a 40 yr old driving it?

D
Old 07 October 2010, 03:22 PM
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Turbo2
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Our neighbours bought a mint low mileage "03" one last week. Silver with nice alloys. I have to admit to a little secretive envy. She's a 70-odd year old widow with a 12 year old Avensis and her new "friend" is a similarly aged man with a beard and a Megane. She set off in it for its new life at his home in France yesterday, so I guess I'll never see it again.

If you fit in with that sort of demographic, then go for it!
Old 07 October 2010, 03:25 PM
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Matteeboy
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What is the hang up with these? They are brilliant. As is the mk3 MR2.

Anyone that calls them a hairdresser car is actually a repressed homo - fact.
Old 07 October 2010, 03:26 PM
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RB5SCOTT
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I jumped from 400bhp Impreza to 150bhp MX5 and had 10 times more fun
Old 07 October 2010, 04:33 PM
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Coffin Dodger
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PSLewis owns one (allegedly), so what further recommendation do you need
Old 07 October 2010, 04:38 PM
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Jonnip74
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I had one for a couple of years on a R plate. Best smile per mile I've ever had!
Old 07 October 2010, 04:41 PM
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Turbo2
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Originally Posted by Coffin Dodger
PSLewis owns one (allegedly), so what further recommendation do you need
I thought he had one of these sensible senior citizen cars?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/dri...icle766938.ece
Old 07 October 2010, 04:41 PM
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53
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Old and new I think they are great

New hardtops look great IMHO, I would



Old 07 October 2010, 04:57 PM
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Turbo2
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I think the new ones are too big to be an MX-5: more like an uglier Honda S2000. They're also far too big for their headlamps.

Anyway it seems that the OP's looking at the cheaper end of the market, so why not just go for it. Nothing much to lose.
Old 07 October 2010, 05:50 PM
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ScoobyJawa
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Great cars, albeit the MK3 a little more wooly, but cracking drivers machines. RWD version of a 205GTI
Old 07 October 2010, 07:05 PM
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Dunk
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205gti....don't put me off. If you'd said a proper hot hatch like a 130TC it'd be a different matter!

D
Old 07 October 2010, 07:44 PM
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richs2891
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I had a Mk2 MX5 - loved every mile I did in it. Personally I think the mk2 its the best of bunch. Most of the people that laugh at them have never driven one. So much fun for little cash.

Richard
Old 07 October 2010, 08:12 PM
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I went from a Scooby to a MK1 MX5..(in my opinion its purest form) only 130 HP but more smiles per mile
Old 07 October 2010, 08:20 PM
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Originally Posted by Matteeboy
What is the hang up with these? They are brilliant. As is the mk3 MR2.

Anyone that calls them a hairdresser car is actually a repressed homo - fact.
Unlike the people who own them who are unrepressed versions !

Fact !

Just kidding !
Old 07 October 2010, 08:47 PM
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Allan
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We've had a MK1, 2 and 3, drive one and you'll take any ribbing in your stride. Mk1 or 3 for me.
Old 07 October 2010, 09:33 PM
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MMT WRX
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I had a BRGreen Eunos Roadster V spec on a H plate. It was one of the most fun cars I've owned. They're bulletproof, I had mine for 2 years and it didn't cost me a penny in breakdowns.

Get one, I've been contemplating another.
Old 07 October 2010, 09:43 PM
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lozgti1
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I've got one.Bloody great fun.I'm too old and married and childrened to care! Everyone should have a 2 seater sportscar once in their life and mx ticks all the boxes

Just have a bit of fun and don't worry about what people think of your car (from ex Skoda Octavia vRS owner....great car too)
Old 08 October 2010, 07:31 PM
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dont listen to all the doom mongers out there and their hairdresser comments, exceptional car, very good fun, very relaible, loads around for good money and in good nick, 1000s of aftermarket parts and stuff to tinker with, go for it.
Old 08 October 2010, 09:40 PM
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thesyn
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"Is it worth the humiliation?"
Your previous posts seem to indicate that you are flamboyantly OUT already so any hairdresser comments will be like water off a duck's back.

Go for it
Old 08 October 2010, 09:45 PM
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Never even sat in one of these, what are they like for the larger gentleman?
Old 08 October 2010, 10:12 PM
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MMT WRX
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Originally Posted by cookstar
Never even sat in one of these, what are they like for the larger gentleman?
Are you bragging?

I'm 6'2" and 16 1/2 stone and dont recall any issues with mine.
Old 08 October 2010, 11:17 PM
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The ayes have it then. I'd better go find one to have a drive in and see what all the fuss is about.

D
Old 09 October 2010, 01:24 AM
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Originally Posted by Dunk
Increasingly tempted to get one as the summer pricing premium has now dropped away and as little as £1k could get you a reasonable toy. Only question is who has the bigger laugh, those driving it or those pointing at a 40 yr old driving it?

D
'Is it worth the humiliation.....?'

No.

Had one as a courtesy car for a while, god awful things.......( and people keep stopping you to ask for a short back and sides )
Old 09 October 2010, 06:49 AM
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djmisio85
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Are you looking at the NA (pop-up lights) or the NB (no pop-up lights)

I had an NA (automatic) as a courtesy car last month and it was full of mixed feelings.
Handling response was very good, but body was was quite big, and acceleration... erm, I'm still waiting lol:freak3 It was fun during the hot evenings with the roof down. Roof down on the motorway was also an interesting experience my head did go a bit numb though... Good quality car though, well made, and good driving position.
The battery was a weird one, with some kind of tube attached to it to get rid of gases (because its in the boot), so changing the battery is a lil tricky (mine died lol, so much for courtesty car)

Supposedly the NB is a world apart handling-wise from the NA....
Old 09 October 2010, 08:53 AM
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Never rated them and found them somewhat boring TBH.

If they ditched the power steering and gave the engines a bit more torque then maybe it would tickle my fancy a bit more.

The new ones are the worst; Too lardy and the gearing is too tall in 1st ,2nd, or the engine has too little torque to get its lardy **** moving. Once the revs are up, goes nicely but either way its yawn inspiring, steering is even more over-assisted and the brakes are over-assisted too. I have more fun driving a e39 BMW 530 sport.


As for top down motoring; I had the targa off on the NSX twice - and the once somone shouted hairdresser at me Silly as it seems, the car handled better with the roof on (sounded better too), so it stayed on.

Last edited by ALi-B; 09 October 2010 at 08:57 AM.
Old 09 October 2010, 09:42 AM
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I tend to see middle-aged women driving them around my area.
Old 09 October 2010, 09:58 AM
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Originally Posted by djmisio85

I had an NA (automatic) .
No one buys the automatic!...it was mx's lemon and I think just aimed at 2 pedal American market.

I'm no fan of the mk 3 but every mx has to be thrashed to get the best from it....they aren't quick but thats not the point.

And where is this weird courtesy car company that dishes out MX5's!
Old 09 October 2010, 12:43 PM
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MMT WRX
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Originally Posted by Dunk
The ayes have it then. I'd better go find one to have a drive in and see what all the fuss is about.

D
Good man, take no notice of the critics, go and have a go in one and see for yourself. Look at the Eunos Roadster as well, I think they're a bit better spec'ed than the MX5.
Old 09 October 2010, 05:28 PM
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Dunk
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I couldn't go for the Eunos, square rear plates just look odd.

D
Old 09 October 2010, 06:49 PM
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Originally Posted by Matteeboy
What is the hang up with these? They are brilliant. As is the mk3 MR2.

Anyone that calls them a hairdresser car is actually a repressed homo - fact.
repressed homo, from a bmw driver, funny!


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