Owner Review: Unique, small, lightweight but peppy - This Mazda MX-5 is my partner for 7 years

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Basic information

2007 Mazda MX-5 “NC” PHRT (Power Retractable Hard Top) 2.0L 6MT

Short story here.

I was intrigued by convertibles 7-8 years ago, and whilst I was eyeballing on a baby blue Porsche Boxster, a disappointing test drive on a CRZ and counting my pennies, I spotted a red 1990s Mazda MX-5 driving through my residential area. I found out that it was the same model I had when I first started Gran Turismo 2 in PlayStation 1 so I decided to research more about it. A week later, I bumped into a newer NC MX-5 model (a white NC) and discovered a ton of videos of people and a ton of MX-5 clubs around the world enjoying their top-down driving with rave reviews on how fun it is to drive and within safe limits (yeah its slow).

Made my decision and took a test drive from an owner who was in need of selling one urgently; the drive was spectacular. Under the drizzling rain, the owner asked to drop the top down. That first impression sold me. Unfortunately, I had to forego my purchase on that particular car but after checking out 2 more NC MX-5s, I settled with the last; a Silver (uncle karer) NC MX-5 with 6 speed Automatic. The interior was just what I wanted; tan coloured accents look really premium and this was the JDM imported spec with some extra features like keyless entry, heated seats etc.

Car selection process

• I had a budget of: RM100k
• Models that I have considered include:  1996 Porsche Boxster, Honda CRZ and the Nissan Fairlady 350Z

Since the Porsche is way out of my league. Looking at the first-gen Boxster, there were doubts on the engine with some engine failures leading from bearing issues…sort of putting me off the search. Dealing with the insurance, tax and subsequent maintenance didn’t help either.

Honda CRZ, while it looked cool at that time, was pretty underwhelming during my test drive. I thought I could feel the joy when driving but it felt…lacking. The rearview was limited, the drive was so-so.

I did not test the 350Z but just considered it (because it looked cool) but went off the grid after weighing my options.

The MX-5 is what I’ve wanted. It’s unique, not fast, small, lightweight but peppy, RWD and last but not least, it brings heaps of joy when driving. It’s pretty photogenic too.

User experience

• I have already done almost 100,000km over the course of 7 years.

This Rootbeer (as people have called it) has been my partner for 7 years.

It has been through ups and downs, from an accident to a dying battery in the middle of Thailand, to a misguided convoy through a palm-oil plantation road, to a number of gymkhana/track days both in and out the country but it has been the best partner there is. There’s no restoring work need to be done; it came in a fantastic 2nd hand condition from an owner who was meticulous in taking care of it. I just improved on it with my own taste by adding engine and aero parts from Japan, my own interior touch, swapping the automatic transmission to a manual, and heaps more.

The size of the car makes it very easy to park and navigate but this can be viewed differently for other road users…the car is small so be aware when you are driving. You’d get to learn some of your own defensive driving techniques when owning a convertible such as keeping your driver door close to the curb in traffic light to prevent motorcyclists passing on your driver’s side or locking your possessions in the many cubbies available in the car.

The overall engine is a breeze to navigate, despite the small nature of the car. Service is somewhat easy although the oil filter location could be improved (filter is close to the front chassis). The interior as well makes you feel at home; you just feel at ease just driving with every button and items within reach.

This car has made a lot of rounds through Malaysia and up towards north of Thailand, and never once I complained about how it drives (it could get loud from removing the cat from the exhaust). The car handles well on highways and B-roads and even if you push it further, the fuel consumption doesn’t falter. You don’t wear your tires and brake pads as much because first the car is light and secondly you only need to brake briefly or no brake at all because the car’s momentum gives you that confidence.

Within the past 7 years, there are 3 major things that happened with the car. One being the “rod bearing” issues overseas owners have reported that only came in 1 in a million NC MX-5s, and unfortunately this happened to me. Luckily, I’m the only known case here in Malaysia, I ended up buying an engine from a fellow MX-5 owner and transplanted it in the Rootbeer. Still runs fine even now.

The second major well-documented issue is the plastic coolant tank that these cars come with. After long usage of few years, the mouth of these tanks can be prone to failure, with the coolant steaming out of the tank. And yes, it happened to me some years back during a spirited drive. This is easily solved by buying a new plastic tank from Mazda OR a more permanent solution; an aluminium crafted tank (many overseas vendors have these, and our local owners have started to migrate into aluminium tanks for prevention).

The last was an accident which was a result of me having a microsleep; guys, when you are tired, rest. This was an important lesson, but without this lesson, I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am now with the car. The journey of collecting parts to restore, improve and changing the car took almost a year. Majority of the parts I have sourced from Japan, including a 6-speed manual gearbox, a set of Ohlins suspensions, performance rotors, JDM exhausts and many more.

There’s still more to do with the car; it is never-ending. Hopefully, I will still drive it for many years to come.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Pretty unique (at least in Malaysia). The MX-5 quite a head-turner; the colour and the look can be mistaken for some other car models (it could be a con for some people who prefer to lay low).
• Reliable. I have very minor qualms about the reliability of the car, engine and its other auxiliaries. Do your regular service and the MX-5 will last you for eons.
• The fun comes when driving it, top-down. The feeling is bliss; top-down, cool weather, music or no music, you’d be in your own world just enjoying the drive without going absurdly fast. 50-50 weight distribution huh.
• The roof mechanism is fast; it was crowned as the fastest folding electric top for many years (maybe it still is). Within 10-12 seconds of a button, you can have your top-down or up and with some plug and play mods you can do these while driving under 60km/h. Unlike some cars (e.g Mercedes SLK), the top actually folds into its own compartment in the middle, leaving the trunk usable.
• The manual shifting is crisp and clean. It’s like smoothly reloading a bolt-action rifle, with a light clutch and beautiful shift knob response when you kick into each gear. It’s addicting.
• A number of driver-orientated features/conveniences. Steering, air-cond, controls, shift knob are all within the driver’s reach. Visibility is fantastic, and even better when you’re top-down (duh). Parking top-down is safe (despite public perception); the trunk has a lock function that only the owner with the key can unlock it…a stranger can not open the trunk using the open trunk button near the driver’s seat if this is enabled.
• It is the most popular roadster in the world, and for good measure. The support for this car is immense (outside of Malaysia). A trove of information is available online for owners of the MX-5 to delve into and much aftermarket support as well.
• The community is great; be it in Malaysia or overseas. The MX-5 community has given me the chance of meeting owners from not just Malaysia, but Singapore, Thailand, Japan and the rest of the world. We actually had the biggest gathering of MX-5s in South East Asia at Sepang F1 Track back in 2019 (at least 100 MX-5s from 3 countries attended).
• Safety-wise, it really protects the driver. I can attest to this as I was involved in a frontal accident before; the hood collapse itself to absorb the shock of the damage and the A-pillars are tested to prevent collapse during rollovers.
• Cornering is mint. You’ll really enjoy pushing it back and forth on the corners.
• Engine is similar to the Mazda 3 and the chassis is the same as RX-8 hence some items can be swapped over.

Cons

• Being unique has its drawbacks. Although Mazda Malaysia has sufficient support on at least the basic servicing of the car (e.g. wear and tear items like fluids, pads), there isn’t much local stock around for other parts…however these are still available through your local Mazda dealer but with a downtime of at least 2 weeks min. (parts coming from Japan etc.). It is not the end of the world (a common question for new owners). Price-wise, standard items are more or less the same as any typical sedan but speciality items like aircond system, roofs may get pricey.
• Not much aftermarket support locally. Most JDM performance parts cater for the typical big guns like R34, BRZ/GT86, Supra, RX-7/RX-8 etc. You better be off finding overseas performance parts which are already proven in the bigger markets like America/Japan/Europe/Australia/NZ. I source my aftermarket items mainly from Japan.
• Sometimes space is an issue, but it’s not a dealbreaker. It’s not a family car after all. Have driven around Thailand with a cabin sized bag and some smaller bags for two, sufficient.
• Speaking about power, the car isn’t the most powerful thing out there. Don’t be surprised if a Myvi is faster than you. Keep telling yourself that you’ll outrun them in the corners (which is true). There are mods out there though…(I’m not responsible for any poison)

Ratings

Total Score: 5
Performance: 5
Quality & Features: 5
Space: 3
Ride Comfort: 4
Fuel Economy: 5
Price & Cost: 4 

Summary

For all the power talk for many car enthusiasts in Malaysia, try sitting in an MX-5 then drive one around; chances are you’ll enjoy it thoroughly. The driving essence is there, the bonus of having the wind blowing through your hair just amplifies that experience and this car easily captivates you with its charm.

Lastly, any interesting event?

Well, there are too many events with this rootbeer but I believe one for sharing to the readers is the time where Malaysia has a hundred of Mazda MX-5s in Sepang. This was a cumulative effort from both the owners, Mazda Malaysia, sponsors and our neighbours Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines. 

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