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Mazda MX-5 RF 160ps SE-L Nav – A real two-seater

The Mazda MX-5 now comes with a retractable fastback (RF) which if I am honest, looks stylish, practical and features a unique power retractable hardtop that fits in well with the award-winning shape and stunningly balanced proportions of the new generation MX-5.

Of course I am a big fan of the MX-5 – I always have been, because for me it’s the only two-seater sports car worth taking about for under £24k.

Also, the styling has moved on so much since it first arrived back in 1989, which is yet another reason why I think the MX-5 is now one of the most desirable sports cars to own.

Power and Efficiency:

Fitted with a SKYACTIV-G direct-injection 2.0 litre four-cylinder in-line DOHC, 16 valve petrol engine with 160ps @ 6000rpm, 200Nm of torque and a fantastic and nimble 6 speed gearbox that is pretty much perfect in every way.

That’s the thing about the MX-5, it takes you to another place – a place where you can feel the connection it has with you and the road ahead. Put it this way, driving the MX-5 on a twisty road in my book is one of the best places to be. Let’s not forget about its healthy 0-62 time of around 7.4sec and an impressive 40.9mpg (combined) along with a top speed of around 134mph.

On the road:

Nimble, frisky and downright sublime – and that’s just to get you started. The handling is also just as superb thanks to the Mazda engineers getting everything right and getting all those all important components working together in perfect harmony. There have also been some new revisions to the shock absorbers, front stabiliser bar and rear springs, links and bump-stops on the front double wishbone and rear multi-link suspension – which all helps in giving the new MX-5 RF a more cultured ride.

Design & Technology

The design of the MX-5 has stood the test of time really well – even with the new LED lighting changes and the body boosting upgrades, you can still tell it’s an MX-5.

Sitting inside any two-seater sports car is tight – but for some reason the MX-5 feels spacious and not really that tight at all. Headroom and legroom are also good and I was really surprised that none of my limbs needed to be man handled into place before I could sit inside.

Additional standard equipment on the SE-L Nav includes; 17” Gunmetal alloy wheels, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Limited Slip Differential (LSD), Drivers and passengers front and side airbags, climate control air-conditioning, 7” Colour touch-screen display and Multimedia Commander, DAB radio, Piano Black fashion bars and power retractable hardtop roof.

To sum up:

What can I say – the MX-5 is the perfect little two-seater that everyone should at some point in their life experience.

I would recommend that you go out and test drive the new RF – and then immediately drive it around some fast bends with the roof down and the stereo set to ‘loud’.

Price: £23,395 (Standard Car OTR)

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2 comments

Tony Yates June 20, 2017 at 12:11 am

Hard to choose…. But I think the RF. Much more quiet….

Reply
guest June 8, 2017 at 11:29 pm

rf or standard mx-5 is better?

Reply

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