Mazda MX-5 2.0 GT
Australia’s Best Driver’s Car

11th

When you think of driver’s cars, the Mazda MX-5 springs immediately to mind. It’s the car with few rivals that for almost 30 years has delivered old-school thrills in an affordable, two-seat roadster package. Now in its fourth generation, the little MX-5 fronts up to this year’s ABDC in top-spec 2.0-litre form, but is it enough in a field comprising some of Europe’s, America’s and Australia’s most potent performance cars?

To put it bluntly, Mazda’s MX-5 was largely outclassed in the 2016 edition of Australia’s Best Driver’s Car (ABDC). As good as it is – almost one million buyers over the past 27 years can’t be wrong! – the world’s favourite budget sports car just couldn’t quite match it in a hardcore, road and track shoot-out involving some of Europe’s finest performance coupes and feisty hot hatches, not to mention well-honed Aussie and Yankee muscle sedans.

But while ‘handicapped’ as the least powerful and cheapest entry in this year’s 13-car line-up, the fourth-generation MX-5 was far from embarrassed. After all, it still managed a higher score overall than the blown Ford XR6 Sprint and Renault Clio RS 220 Trophy.

It may not have been the quickest point-to-point weapon on Tassie’s twisty tarmac, but it was one of the most inviting, engaging, and entertaining cars to drive. No other car had the word fun mentioned in the same sentence as much as the MX-5; it’s impossible not to like it.

Part of the appeal is the back-to-basics cabin, including snug, low-slung seating position and clear view over the bonnet. With no ‘Dynamic’ driving modes or electronic trickery to distract from the experience, this is sportscar driving at its purest; just slide into position, fire the start button, bang the gearshift into first and go carve some corners.

“There’s something about the simplicity of this car that is so appealing in this category. It’s just so easy to drive,” was how one judge explained it.

Its ‘snickety-snick’ close-ratio, short throw, six-speed manual transmission, was universally praised, and arguably the pick of the self-shifting bunch, although 911’s seven speeder was hard to beat. Also lauded was the MX-5’s pin-sharp electric steering which could also be compared with the Porsche’s precision-engineered tiller.

Unlike last year’s lightweight entry, the Toyota 86 which was criticised for its skinny tyres, the Bridgestone Potenza rubber on the Mazda gripped surprisingly well in both wet and dry conditions.

Combined with sharp turn-in, plenty of feedback and predictable nature, the MX-5 darted through tight, greasy corners that left some of the bigger engined cars scrabbling for grip. After driving it on the serpentine Elephant Pass Targa stage, one judge went so far to say “it instils confidence like no other car here”.

Whereas master-blasters like the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S only really fired up at licence-busting speeds, the MX-5 provided most of its thrills under 100km/h; its limits far more accessible to the average driver. The double wishbone/multi-link suspension delivered a beautifully compliant and comfy ride, but at the expense of body roll when pushed hard.

“Feels soft and loose in this company, makes me want to check tyre pressures” said one of the judges. Others criticised the ride as “jiggly”, though it was far less jumpy on patchy terrain than the more highly strung European hatches.

While easily thrown off course by mid-corner bumps, the tendency for progressive oversteer provided plenty of opportunity for mid-corner shenanigans before the stability control kicked in.

The MX-5’s softer nature was also evident at the track, where V8 Supercar racer Luke Youlden noticed a “tendency to roll oversteer… which can help in certain circumstances, but could feel unnerving to inexperienced drivers”.

The 118kW/200Nm 2.0-litre atmo engine in the MX-5 was pipped by the MINI JCW's and Renault's Clio RS 220 Trophy for the slowest lap time (1.05.786) around Baskerville Raceway. Even then the driver was kept busy keeping the engine on the boil, and in the right gear to keep up with the more explosive hot hatches.

The MX-5 was also marked down for its insipid engine/exhaust note – more Corolla than Corvette, even at 6500rpm redline – in stark contrast to the soul-stirring mechanical cacophony from the likes of the Jaguar F-TYPE S AWD and Holden SS V-Series Redline.

Even tipping the scales at a featherweight 1023kg couldn’t help the MX-5 on the dragstrip, where the MX-5 was slowest from zero to 100km/h (7.42sec), and in the 400m sprint (15.127 @ 145.0km/h). The Mazda’s small brakes also faded quickly on track. “Want a bit more of everything in regards to dynamics,” was a typical comment.

While mostly praised for ergonomics, the cosy cabin was marked down by taller drivers for the lack of legroom even with the seat pushed right back as well as lateral support on the narrow sports seats.

Also not to everyone’s liking was the off-set pedal position and lack of telescopic adjustment for the steering wheel. However, the manually-operated rag-top was hard to fault, the only downside excessive wind noise in the cabin at highway speeds.

While not counted the little Mazda was most frugal by far over the week, consuming just 9.56L/100km on average. It confirmed its status as the most easy-to-live with, but not necessarily the best driver’s car, at least in this prestigious company. Put simply, it was out of its depth…

2016 Mazda MX-5 2.0 GT pricing and specification:
Price: $39,550 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 118kW/200Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 6.9L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 162g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Four-star ANCAP

motoring.com.au’s 2016 Australia’s Best Driver’s Car

>> Get the full story of Australia's Best Driver's Car here