Help me buy an MX5

Caporegime
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I think the Mk4 is a stunning looking car compared to the Mk3 and with some fettling could be seriously quick.

But like you say, the price is still too high when the Mk3 is a great, fun, cheap car to nip around in.

Also compounded by the fact the pre-facelift MK4 2.0 has a gearbox made of cheese so the only real option is the facelift which is still a 18K plus car. When you can get a decent MK3.5 for 7-8K it is a no brainer.
 
Soldato
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nd rf, just makes a bit more sense while in London. Hard to work on the car in the street.

Driving it just feels really good, nice to get back to a NA engine as well after 3 turbo cars. Its just usable performance.
 
Associate
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Edit - I didn't even say which one I went for. Mk3!

I think high mileage and a few niggles with gearbox and condition could mean I lose too much value on a car that's just for fun and light use. I feel MK3 ticks all the boxes required at the cost with minimal worry and fuss.

Glad to hear you went for it, my friend messaged me to say you liked it :)

Super clean car!
 

HRL

HRL

Soldato
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Devon
Only just spied this thread.

Looking to pick up a 2-3 year old ND with the 182bhp engine in a few months. Soft-top though, not RF.

Done with fast cars but the revised engine model ND is a bit of a corker. Not fast but enough to safely overtake if needed.

No doubt the prices will pick up when the sun comes out but not ready to buy until I’ve moved home.
 
Man of Honour
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Also interested in this thread, looking for an NC, ideally the 2 litre. Surely the 1.8 is a bit too slow...?
 
Associate
OP
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Yea it started with a "cheap" car and due to list creep I was looking at 9k lol.
That and I didn't want to keeping looking for well cared examples of cars as I was having to travel further and thought for a little more ££ I can get something now and enjoy it.
It didn't help they are also likely to rise when the sun comes out and more competition.

The ND was 1 owner but you could tell it had been driven 85k miles. Just a few marks on each alloy and plenty of stone chips at the front, more than I imagined and stood out quite a bit. Rear boot lid had a bit of artificial rust and same on inside of bonnet and then the seats were in more used condition than I would have liked.
It's 85k so expected but I was expecting cleaner based on how well I kept my 290 Cupra for the 2 years I had it. It then had a few dirt marks and dried mud around liners and inside bonnet. In comparison the MK3 looked pristine but obviously garaged and summer use.

Gearbox seemed a little bit more notchy than I expected in a bad way but only maybe 3x during my drive. It reminded my of my 2013 VXR which had LSD/Gearbox problems, had trouble finding 2nd etc when going for it.
That being said, when it did go into the gear it was very similar to when I had my short shifter and was a very nice feel.
It felt very small but the raised corner of the bonnet has perception its wider than it is until you see where your wheels are on the road lol.
Gearknob was quite worn superficially too which put me off. (Also no cupholders, not sure where they went and limited cabin space.) Music system and Nav was good tho.
Pickup was quicker than I expected and it really did carry great speed/balance through A/B roads.
It was a lot smoother/softer than I expected - My girlfriend would like being a passenger in this more.
To be honest if it wasnt for the gearbox worry and had of been a little better condition then I might have went for it or if he was willing to move more on price.
The MK3 just wasn't far behind and quick enough for my ability and almost as much fun - they do drive differently though its hard to compare.
I wanted it to feel well used and old but it was actually the more "solid" stable car of the 2, felt like tracking had been recently done and input felt spot on and same with road feel, kind of heavy but surefooted on the road if that makes sense?

It also put me off the MK4 was owned by a garage but the owner has been using it for maybe the past year as he knows them so just keeping owner low. So not really technically 1 owner. It also needed a service, gearbox oil and tyres soon and he wouldnt move on price.

Edit - The MK3 owner was definitely an enthusiast whereas the MK4 was driven by the fathers son. The MK3 owner told me all about past problems, what he had done, preventative etc You could instantly see he loved the car and cared for it. He never had an intention of selling but back injury means he cant use it for long periods so not as suitable anymore.
Both were nice guys but the MK3 person made me feel comfortable paying £4500 even tho I do feel £4000 is probably appropriate but the price is what someone is willing to pay at the end of the day.
It also helped an owner on this forum vouched for the seller and my old school teacher is his neighbor, said he loves the car ha - Cant get better vetting than that!
 
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Soldato
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22 Oct 2002
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Near Cheltenham
Hi all, quick update.

Drove the MK4 and then the MK3 today.

Such a tough decision.
They were both really good and totally understand why everyone rates the mx5 as highly as they do.

In short MK3 was very good for its age and excellent condition. Owner has definitely cherished it. The MK4 was faster and lighter but wasn't that much better in my opinion. Atleast not worth double the price and likely to depreciate more.

I didn't fancy the idea of having to potentially fix the gearbox.

Mk4
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/783046959009027/
8800 2015 1 owner fsh

Mk3
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/263018861895271/?ref=facebook_story_share

Edit - I didn't even say which one I went for. Mk3!

I think high mileage and a few niggles with gearbox and condition could mean I lose too much value on a car that's just for fun and light use. I feel MK3 ticks all the boxes required at the cost with minimal worry and fuss.

I'd make the same choice, congrats, that looks very clean. finding a good 'cherished' car will no doubt lead to an easier and cheaper ownership experience!

At least with the MX-5 you get 'enthusiasts' which makes finding cherished ones feasible and the best thing is often they'll tell you everything that's wrong with the car!
 
Soldato
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London
Only just spied this thread.

Looking to pick up a 2-3 year old ND with the 182bhp engine in a few months. Soft-top though, not RF.

Done with fast cars but the revised engine model ND is a bit of a corker. Not fast but enough to safely overtake if needed.

No doubt the prices will pick up when the sun comes out but not ready to buy until I’ve moved home.

Prices are already pretty nuts, people have been buying for the last month or so. Mazda massively cut back on how many they where selling, and in 2020 jacked up the price by about £4k for similar spec.

The ND2 cars with 180~bhp are up about £18-27k depending on year/millage/spec. They are selling really fast as well, picked mine up from a small mx5 specialist and he had sold loads in the last few weeks. I phoned up with the car listed for 1 hour, then later on he had a bunch more calls. So be prepared to put a small deposit on it if it's a dealer instead of private.

From what I've read, the gearbox issues where for the ND1 cars in 2016 with 2ltr engines. They where breaking them mainly in the states doing autocross. The later cars have better boxes but maybe not as strong as mk3 ones.
 

HRL

HRL

Soldato
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Devon
Well I’m not in a hurry fortunately.

Got to get myself a 4x4 shed first, then a weekend car afterwards.

Probably looking around the £18-20K range but I’ll see what’s available when I’m ready.
 
Soldato
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The South
The ND2 cars with 180~bhp are up about £18-27k depending on year/millage/spec.

Is that down to time of year or are they just on the up?

Seems a bit nuts though as £17k a few months back (Jan/Feb this year) bought you a mint lowish mileage (<25k) fully spec'd '18 plate Abarth 124* :eek:

* If the GT wasn't as rare as hens teeth and/or they did an RF version, i would have had one :(
 
Soldato
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23,304
That much for an MX5 does seem crazy considering what you can get for that price. They are great sub 15k cars, but more than that...
 
Associate
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1,206
it's not just the MX5 but other "enthusiast" cars have shot up in price in the last year. An equivalent to a workmate's Elise S2 was about 18-19k ~14 months ago and now it's about 23k.

I think it's mainly because dealers have been closed, so there haven't been many options for people wanting to change cars. Fewer cars traded in mean less used car options - supply and demand, and the supply is a lot less than normal (especially Elises).

We're still in a mental recession, being propped up by furlough, so I'm cynically thinking prices could crash at the end of the year. Especially if interest rates ever go up and people can no longer justify the cost of a 2nd car. But, at the moment, it almost seems like prices are rising... madness...
 
Soldato
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Melksham
I wonder if it's also related to the (perceived) change in working conditions? e.g. if you were commuting 20-30 miles each way and didn't want the 'hassle'/inconvenience/running costsof a sports car but now you're working from home so why not!

I'm beginning to see more and more where it seems companies will want people back in the office after all, so maybe that'll change quite rapidly.

Also more money in general, the skewed way the lockdowns have hit means a lot of people like myself who can work from home are not just still working and getting full wages, but also spending less on restaurants/pubs/holidays/commuting so do have more disposable income... I guess the same effect causing crazy prices/shortages of consoles/gpus etc...
 
Soldato
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London
Think it's multiple reasons really. A lot of new car production numbers are down across the board, will have a knock on affect in to the used car market. Desirable cars being sold for lockdown restrictions being removed and summer fun (more holidays in UK as well). New fleet averages for emissions, certain cars are just going to struggle to be created in the near future. Potential desirable cars have been seen to go up in value i.e. S2000 dunno if MX5 will ever be in that specific category though.

ND2 184ps cars are still fairly new, oldest are only about 18 months old and still in warranty. Most are not the base specs either so have some nice kit on them. Some of these are also really low millage due to covid restrictions. It's basically buying an almost new car with half the warranty for £5-6k saving, and the cars are pretty reliable anyway so less importance on warranty.

People who have kept good jobs though Covid have probably manged to save pretty well as well, not much to spend it on with no proper holidays.

Will be interesting to see the knock on effect in to 2022-2023.
 
Soldato
Joined
22 Nov 2006
Posts
23,304
I think they made way to many MX5s for them ever to rocket up to collectable car prices. Not for a long time anyway.

it's not just the MX5 but other "enthusiast" cars have shot up in price in the last year. An equivalent to a workmate's Elise S2 was about 18-19k ~14 months ago and now it's about 23k.

I think it's mainly because dealers have been closed, so there haven't been many options for people wanting to change cars. Fewer cars traded in mean less used car options - supply and demand, and the supply is a lot less than normal (especially Elises).

We're still in a mental recession, being propped up by furlough, so I'm cynically thinking prices could crash at the end of the year. Especially if interest rates ever go up and people can no longer justify the cost of a 2nd car. But, at the moment, it almost seems like prices are rising... madness...

Yea I think my S2 is worth about the same as it was new when you factor in inflation (was about 25k new, which seems peanuts now). It's like owning a free car :p
 
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