Mazda MX-5 2006 review

The Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe carries a $47,660 price-tag. This hard-top edition adds $2930 to the price of its soft-top sibling (with leather and Bose sound), which is not cheap for a small, rather impractical two-seater car.

But it's in a league of its own as one of the few sports models priced below $90,000 with a power folding roof. So if you're after some fun and want to turn heads without hurting the hip-pocket too much, the MX-5 is up to the job. Sitting low to the ground, you spend most of your time looking up at the surrounding traffic.

You physically feel small, in a good way of course, as you pass the larger Commodores, Falcons and Camrys. Despite a 37kg penalty for the folding roof, the MX-5 retains the class-leading dynamics and road manners for which the marque is famous.

The 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine puts out 118kW at 6700rpm and while you have to stay into the throttle to get the best out of the moderate 188Nm of urge on tap at 5000rpm, the fun factor remains high. While it may not be the most powerful sports car in the shed, its looks are matched to its performance balance — and that is all good. With its low height, low body weight and decently loud revs, there is a feeling of satisfaction as you settle into this Stuart Little-type car.

The weight-saving — or more accurately, weight modification — in the roof comes from the use of leading technology plastics. Take the MX-5 to high speeds and you notice some minor issues. First, road noise. Second, it gets a little shaky and the steering weights-up considerably around fast, tight bends.

But turn up the six-stacker Bose sound system and hold on tight and neither will be too big of a problem. Being so low to the ground, it has a ride like a go-kart, but with good firm suspension and a decent ride quality. With a six-speed manual gearbox, shifting is short and sharp and sixth gear particularly comes in handy on the highway. The MX-5 will travel smoothly around the 2500rpm mark.

The pedals take some getting used to, and the footrest feels slightly wider than usual — which means the clutch, the brake and the accelerator are positioned a little further to the right than normal.

The good thing about the Roadster Coupe, is that when you switch into topless mode (the car that is), you don't have to sacrifice the already limited boot space.

Instead, the roof folds into a space behind the seats and it only takes about 12 seconds for it to become a convertible.

There's also extra storage space behind the rear seats. The opening and closing of the roof isn't by the most technically advanced method, but it's efficient for the price.

And although parts of the interior and the inside of the roof have a touch of the plastic look, the leather trim and sports seats do add a genuine touch of class.

With the roof up, there's a large blind spot on the driver's side of the car and you have to ensure your mirrors are properly adjusted to avoid lane-change moments.

If you have a passenger, it's not too bad as you can get some reassurance.

But it's when you are driving on your own that it becomes scary.

Also, drivers should be warned, when taking the top off, even though you feel

trendy and look cool, you leave yourself open to sunburn. This driver came to that conclusion the hard way. So it's slip, slop, slap all the way. The Roadster Coupe adds Dynamic Stability Control with traction control to the safety mix, on top of the ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and dual front and front side airbags previously offered on the soft top.

These new additions are now standard across the MX-5 range. While it's affordable, it still seems a tad pricey at just under $50,000.

But if you're after some fun, want to be noticed and don't mind the impracticality, the MX-5 could be the one. Good things come in small packages. While you'd think "cute" might deter some males, one who used to refer to the MX-5 as a "hairdresser's car" came back for several rides.