Mazda Problems

In a world in which it is becoming increasingly difficult to enjoy driving cars the Mazda MX5 stands out as a beacon of old fashioned fun. Mazda’s little sports car isn’t the most expensive, it isn’t the most powerful, and it certainly isn’t the fastest car on the road, but it has to be the most fun of any currently putting rubber to road. It’s one of those cars that can be enjoyed even while parked at the kerb, a car that puts a smile on your face the moment you see it.The MX5 is a thoroughly modern car, but at the same time it’s a blast from the past, built to the time proven formula that produced some of the great old sports cars. It’s a beguiling blend of cute looks, light weight, an agile chassis and adequate power at an affordable price.Mazda launched the original MX5 in 1989 and gave the sports car a place in the world of modern motoring. Before the MX5 sports cars had virtually disappeared from our roads, it was only the very well heeled who could afford Ferraris and Porsches and the like. Sports car motoring had become the pastime of the rich and famous.The MX5 changed all of that.MODEL WATCHThe MX5 was an instant hit when it arrived in showrooms in 1989. It was snapped up by sports car fans that’d been deprived of their fun for almost 20 years since the last MGB left Leyland’s Sydney production line in the early 1970s. The MX5 was very much the spiritual successor of the old MG.Once the euphoria had died down, however, some found fault with the MX5’s modest performance and rather rubbery chassis. Simply, while they loved the MX5 they wanted more.It was inevitable that the MX5 would evolve as Mazda strove to meet the demands of the market, and ward off the growing number of rivals that were spawned on the back of its runaway success.The MX5’s evolution continued with the 1998 update, which is instantly recognised by its new face.While it looked like its predecessor there was a number of detailed changes that set it apart. It had fixed headlamps in place of the pop-up units that were part of the original model, the gaping mouth was reshaped according to Mazda’s corporate look at the time, the front and rear guards were given new lines that gave the MX5 a tougher look overall.The same 1.8-litre double overhead cam four-cylinder engine could be found under the bonnet, but it was then producing 106 kW at 6500 revs and 165 Nm at 4500 revs to boost the performance of the 1026 kg two-seater roadster.Variable valve timing further boosted power and torque to 113 kW and 181 Nm in October 2000.A locally developed turbocharged model was added to the list to satisfy those with a need for more speed. That engine’s output was up to 157 kW at 6800 revs and made the MX5 a more lively ride.One of the delights of the MX5 from the beginning was the gearshift with its precise short throw that made gear changing fun. In the 1998 update the throw was reduced to make it even more fun.Underneath, the MX5 retained its double wishbone independent suspension, which was enhanced by power-assisted rack and pinion steering and four-wheel disc brakes.The MX-5 was always a responsive little car with an agile chassis, but the body was stiffened in the 1998 update and it became even more responsive.There were a number of changes aimed at improving the MX5’s comfort. A glass rear window replaced the old flexible one making it even easier to operate the roof and eliminating the problem of fogging that eventually claimed the old window. There was also a wind blocker that reduced wind turbulence in the cockpit and made topdown motoring a little more comfortable.IN THE SHOPThere’s not much to be concerned about with the MX5. Check the usual things like a service record to confirm regular maintenance and body condition for evidence of a traffic tangle, but the little roadster generally stands up well.It’s worth taking a close look for evidence of motor sport use, which can be the presence of a roll bar in the cockpit, extra holes drilled in the body, the fitment of a fire extinguisher, or extra bonnet pins or tie-downs.Although the MX5 will cope quite well with amateur competition it’s probably worth walking away from cars that have been used in motor sport and look for one that’s obviously been used in more leisurely pursuits.IN A CRASHDual airbags provided the ultimate crash protection in the MX5, but it shouldn’t come to that given the little roadster’s nimble chassis and powerful four-wheel disc brakes, which were ABS assisted after 2000.OWNERS’ VIEWSGiuseppe Baratti owns an MX5 SE. From when he first saw it he says he wanted one because it looked smarter, was faster and handled better than the non-turbocharged model, while only being marginally more expensive. It inspires confidence in the driver, he says. the steering is quick, gearbox precise, handling sharp, and grip levels ridiculously high. A trip to the shops will never be the same. It has been 100 per cent reliable and running costs are quite reasonable. If you really try, he says, you might convince yourself that the MX5 is a sensible car. But there is only a token effort at practicality, with snug driving position and a tiny boot.Col Nicholl has been driving for 34 years and says he still gets excited when he drives his 1999 10th Anniversary Edition MX5, which he says has become one of the most sort after models since the MX5’s inception in 1989. Col’s is one of 150 sold here and was packed with special features like Innocent Blue Mica paint, black leather/blue suede interior, Bilstein suspension; tower strut brace; ABS; six-speed gearbox, polished alloy wheels, blue soft-top, etc.Kristian Curcio is the proud owner of a 2002 MX5 with 52,000 km on the clock. He bought it one year ago after taking one for a test drive and noticing the perfect balance and road holding, and the magnificent gearbox. The power is not great, but it is very nippy especially when run on 98 RON fuel. It says it looks great and he’s happy with the fuel economy.LOOK FOR• modifications that suggest motor sport use• generally robust and reliable mechanically• avoid grey imports with an unknown history• great handling• modest, but adequate power• small cockpit can be tight• tiny boot• cute head turning looksTHE BOTTOM LINEThe perfect tonic after a boring day in the office, the MX-5 is what sports car motoring is all about.RATING85/100

There’s no denying that the four-wheel drive segment has been the real growth part of the market in the last decade, just about every carmaker has raced on to the bandwagon with their own version of the all-powerful, all-purpose, go anywhere vehicle. Mazda was no different and introduced its Tribute four-wheel drive in 2001.While they all get lumped in together and described as a four-wheel drive there are so many of them now, and vary so widely that it’s wrong to call them all four-wheel drives.The Americans call them SUVs — Sports Utility Vehicles — and that’s probably a better term to describe them as they’re really not four-wheel drives in the traditional sense.The Mazda is really is an all-wheel drive wagon with an intelligent all-wheel drive system and reasonable ground clearance that will capably handle some pretty rough conditions, but in essence it’s an urban wagon conceived for family transport rather than belting around the bush.Because they are expected to be able to do everything SUVs have the toughest design brief of all.Their real purpose in life is to transport the family, with everything a modern family on the moves needs to carry. They must also be comfortable, handle like a sports car on the road, and bound over rocks off the highway. Add now you can add miserly fuel consumption to the long and growing list of demands from buyers of these modern day superhero cars. It really is an impossible brief for designers.The Mazda Tribute fits into the compact SUV class, a medium-sized wagon that delivers quite roomy and comfortable accommodation for a family of five along with the gear they need to carry.Its high ride height provides the broad view of the road, and its safety benefits., That’s one of the appealing features of this type of vehicle.The Mazda’s four-wheel drive system, better described as all-wheel drive, is an on-demand system that is biased towards the front wheels in normal use, but sends drive to the rear wheels when it senses the front wheels slipping.For off-road use there’s a dash-mounted switch that activates a coupling to lock the system in four-wheel drive with the torque split 50-50 front and rear.The system, along with generous ground clearance and approach and departure angles gave the Tribute the capacity to go quite a long way off the black top.Power was delivered by either a 2.0-litre double overhead camshaft, 16-valve four-cylinder engine or a 3.0-litre double overhead camshaft, 24-valve V6.Running at its peak the four cylinder produced 97 kW at 5400 revs, while the V6 boasted 149 kW at its 6000 revs peak.Tribute buyers had the choice of a five-speed manual gearbox or four-speed auto, and all had the on-demand all-wheel drive system.Under the wagon skin the Tribute had a combination of MacPherson Strut front suspension and multilink rear, along with power-assisted rack and pinion steering, which gave it good road manners and a comfortable ride.Mazda offered the Tribute in four models, the Limited 2.0 and 3.0 models, and the Classic and Luxury 3.0 versions.The Limited 2.0 got the four-cylinder engine and manual gearbox, along with steel wheels, tilt steering wheel, velour trim, 60/40 split-fold rear seat, air-conditioning, power windows, remote central locking, CD sound, driver and passenger airbags and immobiliser.When you stepped up to the 3.0 you got the V6 engine and auto trans, and ABS. If you went for the Classic 3.0 you also got alloy wheels, sunroof, roof rails and cruise, but tick the Luxury 3.0 box and you drove away with leather, and rear side airbags.Mazda build quality means there’s not a lot that goes wrong with the Tribute. It’s stitched together quite well so look for things that tell a story of misuse or neglect.Because they’re mostly used for family transport they tend to suffer from high traffic so look for wear on trim, floor coverings and seat belts, and look for damage caused by youngsters playing up.Also look for a service record for a level of confidence the previous owner has taken care of the car. Few will have reached the mileage a timing belt change is needed – that’s only on the four cylinder as the V6 has a chain – so you will be facing that in the next year or two.It’s worth doing the usual checks underneath just to make sure it hasn’t been beaten up off road, but few will have seen anything but the urban black top so there shouldn’t be any trouble there.Reports have been filtering in about problems with the gearbox casing splitting at around 100,000 km.Dual front airbags across the range provide good crash protection in the front seat, with standard side airbags adding protection for rear seat passengers in the Luxury 3.0.Ashley Manning drove a 2003 Tribute Luxury 3.0 for two and a half years and in the 52,000 km he did in it had nothing major go wrong with it apart from two small warranty claims being the sunroof switch and a small coolant leak which were repaired hassle free. He says the standard tyres were a bit weak in the sidewalls and he staked two of them in the time he owned it. He also says the temporary spare was a pain. The performance of the engine was very good, but it was a bit thirsty averaging 12.9 L/100 km. The other gripe with the engine was when you start it hot or stone cold it would rev very high which he didn't like on a frosty morning and the throttle was very sensitive and made it very hard to accelerate smoothly on takeoff at any time. The word luxury was used a bit loosely in the title, having leather seats and two more airbags over the classic model is not a big jump in features to gain the luxury tag. Basically the Tribute did all he ever asked of it and was typically well built being a Mazda. After trying unsuccessfully to sell it privately ended up trading it for $24,500. Some dealers offered as low as $19,000 for it.• roomy and comfortable accommodation• good build quality• thirsty V6• quite capable off-road• resale slipping with fuel crisis putting buyers off• good road view from high vantage pointWell built compact all-wheel drive wagon with the road manners that will see it at home in town and out.

From the moment the Mazda MX5 was launched there were calls for more power, calls that were finally answered in 2002 when the locally developed turbocharged SP went on sale. The MX5’s chassis always seemed as though it could handle more grunt, and the engine appeared capable of being fitted with a turbocharger, so it seemed inevitable that it would eventually be turbocharged.Mazda itself had no plans to turbocharge their sweet little roadster, so it was left to Mazda Australia and its veteran motorsport manager Allan Horsley to see the project through to realityAlthough the SP project was a Mazda Australia initiative it only happened once approval came down from Mazda headquarters.MODEL WATCHThe Mazda MX5 has been one of the great motoring success stories of the last 20 years. It was the car that made owning and driving open top cars socially acceptable again after many years in which they were shunned. It was the car that made motoring fun again.If there was a criticism of the MX5 it was that it lacked power. Not everyone was of the view it should have more grunt, the original 1.6-litre engine was plenty for most owners, but those with more of a motorsport bent wanted more power to exploit the little roadster’s very competent chassis.Mazda first responded by increasing the size of the engine to 1.8-litre, and then refined it with sequential valve timing, but some owners wanted still more.Finally that came early in 2002 when Mazda delivered the first of 100 SP models developed and built right here in Australia.Allan Horsley led the development of the car, but it was built by Prodrive in Melbourne, the company that builds FPV performance Fords in partnership with Ford.The heart of the SP was its turbocharged engine. Mazda took the MX5’s 1.8-litre double overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine and added a turbocharger to boost power by 44 kW and torque by 108 Nm.Boost pressure was set at a conservative 7.5-8.0 psi (0.54 bar) in the interests of engine durability, but peak output still surged to 157 kW at 6800 revs and 289 Nm at 4600 revs.It was enough to have the little two-seater racing to 100 km/h in six seconds, impressive given the standard car required 8.5 secs for the same journey.An air-to-water intercooler was employed to help get the incoming charge to the engine, a big-bore exhaust carried the spent gases away after they were expelled from the engine, larger radiator was installed to handle the extra heat the turbo engine generated and higher flow injectors were used to deliver the fuel the engine needed.Other features of the SP included anti-skid ABS brakes, 16-inch alloys, remote central locking, power windows, CD player, dual airbags, along with special touches like a polished alloy fuel filler cap, gearshift knob, door scuff plates, air vent surrounds, and special SP badges.IN THE SHOPThe main thing to look for when inspecting a Mazda MX5 SP is evidence of competition. Hard driving isn’t necessarily harmful if the car has been well serviced, but if it hasn’t been serviced competition can be detrimental to a car’s health.Look for holes that have been drilled in the body work for things like a roll bar, fire extinguisher, and other equipment under the bonnet.It’s best to reject a car that has clearly had a hard life, but don’t be so concerned about one that has been used for the occasional club event.It’s highly likely that most SPs will have been owned by members of the MX5 club so talk to members about them to ascertain their history before handing over your cash.Lift the oil filler cap and take a look inside the valve covers for sludge, which might suggest a lack of servicing. Turbo engines need more regular oil changes so be suspicious of a car that has sludge in the engine.Inspect brakes for disc wear to avoid the potential cost of replacement, also check tyres for wear as they tend to use them up.Keep an eye on the exhaust while driving looking for any smoke from the engine.IN A CRASHSafety in the MX5 is all about handling and braking. Its agile chassis and responsive steering, along with powerful antiskid disc brakes are a potent recipe when it comes to avoiding collisions.Add to that dual front airbags for that moment a collision becomes unavoidable and you have a strong safety story.OWNER’S VIEWSRob Spargo is a committee member of the Mazda MX5 Club of Victoria and owns SP number 82, bought in 2002 after convincing his wife, an MX5 owner herself, that it would be an investment much like the Falcon GT HO Phase III. It has now done over 83,000 Km and has had a couple of exhaust brackets replaced after they broke, the intercooler piping had to be realigned to correct a build problem, and the power steering pump and blow-off valve have been replaced. Rob says that it is just brilliant as a daily driver and fun machine.LOOK FOR• agile sports car handling• high performance from turbo engine• potential for increase in vale as a classic• be wary of cars used in competition• check history of use• ensure it has been regularly servicedTHE BOTTOM LINEThe MX5 was finally given the power to match the chassis and a great sports car was the result. Good potential for value to increase in the future as it becomes recognised as a classic.RATING75/100

And there is likely to be more of it so with all the top resorts reporting big falls of crisp fresh white stuff, enthusiasts are dusting of their ski gear and talking snow talk.Carsguide this week takes a look at some of the newer off-roaders and others we think are some of the more desirable partners in snow.NISSAN DUALIS Price: From $28,990IT is a big seller overseas, but the compact Dualis has been slow to take off with buyers here.But it is a competent snow companion. It's not too big, nor too small, has composed on road manners and reasonable soft-road ability.In keeping with the current crop of smaller off-roaders, the Dualis has a wagon-style design, upright driving position and cabin that will swallow a decent amount of gear.The rear seats split fold 60/40 and the four-wheel drive system has a lock function that splits drive 50/50 front and rear when the going gets tough at lower speeds.The Dualis is powered by a 102kW/198Nm 2.0-litre four that delivers acceptable, but not outstanding performance.The Ti gets standard stability control, six airbags and heated leather front seats.Tick: Compact styling.Cross: Still relatively unknown. VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN Price: From $33,990THE Tiguan is essentially a grown up Golf and takes on all the attributes of its smaller brother, adding all-wheel drive into the mix with a choice of 2.0-litre petrol or turbo-diesel engines.It's slightly longer than the Golf and comes with the 4Motion Haldex all-wheel drive system.There is no low range but the Tig will get you out of most trouble in the snow.One of the impressive things about this off-roader is its handling. Anyone familiar with the Golf will be perfectly at home.Like all VW's the Tiguan is well equipped and gets standard stability control, six airbags and optional hill-descent system.Roof rails are standard and you will need them for a luggage pod because boot space is limited. However, the rear seats do fold almost flat. If you specify leather, the front seats are heated.Tick: Badge and handling.Cross: Luggage space and firm ride. SUBARU FORESTER Price: From $30,990LIKE the previous model, the Forester is a top seller and popular among skiers.The new-generation wagon answers the criticism of limited luggage and rear seat legroom by being bigger and even more practical.However, by growing 90mm in wheelbase and up in overall size the Forester has lost some of that on-road precision that marked the previous model as a standout. Some aspects of the cabin, like the dashboard execution, are not of the quality we expect from Subaru either.Pluses are its size and 2.5-litre boxer four cylinder engines. Subaru build quality is generally good too, as is the constant all-wheel drive system.The Forester has a five-star crash rating and raft of safety features that includes anti-skid brakes, stability control and brace of airbags. Manual Foresters get hill-start assist, which stops the car rolling backwards while first gear is engaged.Tick: It's a Subbie.Cross: Soggy SUV feel. RENAULT KOLEOS Price: From $29,990TO dismiss the Koleos as just a French car over the top of Nissan mechanicals is missing the point.The Koleos is well executed, solid and safe. It has six airbags, stability control and hazard lights that come on after an emergency stop.The "All-Mode 4x4i" all-wheel drive versions also get hill-start assist and hill-descent control.In auto mode, the torque split between the front and rear is automatically determined by the amount of available grip.Entry models are two-wheel drive while all-wheel drive buyers get a choice of the smooth Renault-sourced 2.0-litre dCi turbo diesel or 2.5-litre Nissan-sourced petrol four cylinder.There's plenty of room. The rear centre armrest is removable to allow skis to be pushed through and there are storage bins under the front seats and rear floor.Like the Tiguan, the range topping models with leather get heated front seats.Tick: Better looking than an X-Trail.Cross: Renault badge. AUDI Q5 Price: From: $59,900IT seems that just about any vehicle Audi launches at the moment is a sellout.The Q5 is one of them.Smaller than a Q7, the Q5 has the same off-road attributes in a smaller sharply styled package with good luggage space via the 40/20/40 split rear seats and optional cargo barrier that separates luggage.Two petrol and two turbo diesels are available and the S-tronic seven-speed gearbox contributes to good fuel figures.Audi's permanent quattro all-wheel drive system splits torque 40/60 front and rear, which gives the car relatively neutral handling.For those looking for something bigger, there's the A6 Allroad and the Q7.Unfortunately Audi is becoming just like its German rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz when it comes to equipment.Tick: Space and diesel.Cross: Expensive options. FORD TERRITORY Price: From $39,490THE Territory has just undergone a recent update to bring it into line with the rest of the Ford range.However, the cabin remains largely the same, and that's not a bad thing. It's good for a family and has seven-seater capacity.The Territory's cabin is well thought out and there is lots of storage space.Buyers have a choice of four AWD models or three rear-drive models.Stability control is standard, as are four airbags and anti-skid brakes.The TS and Ghia four-wheel drive models get seven seats as standard. Mum and Dad will also appreciate the standard DVD player in the Ghia.The reversible rear-load floor and compartment for storing wet items is handy.Tick: Practical and good looking.Cross: Getting on despite update. VOLVO XC60 Price: From $57,950THE XC60 is one of the best handling Volvo wagons around and one of the most attractive.The new City Safety feature is more than just a gimmick. The system applies the brakes if you are about to rear-end another car in low-speed situations up to 30km/h.Other Volvo strengths are the lane change warning system and blind-spot warning system. Volvo seats are renown for their comfort. 40/20/40 split rear seat is practical.There is a choice of either the 2.4-litre D5 turbo-diesel, which is about to be upgraded to a twin-turbo for better economy and efficiency, or the 3.0-litre turbo petrol six.Tick: Styling and equipment.Cross: Rattly diesel. LEXUS RX350 Price: From $81,900.THE RX350 has grown slightly, which translates into more interior room.This wagon, like all Lexus models, is packed with equipment that is optional on its rivals like satellite navigation, power rear hatch and rear reversing camera.The Sports Luxury gets active headlights that follow the curve of the road, plus a heads-up display.The safety package consists of stability control with cooperative steering function (VSC+), traction control, anti-skid brakes, electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist.There is also, hill-start assist, 10 airbags and a first-aid kit.The rear seats split 40/20/40 and there is a wet-storage area in the luggage load floor. Thule luggage pods are also available.Tick: Standard equipment.Cross: Looks bloated. MAZDA CX9 Price: From $51,990It looks big and feels big but once under way, the CX9 shrink-wraps around you.It's well sorted on the road, has a host of safety gear and with seven seats, has plenty of room for the family.The cabin quality is better than the CX9 too.The 204kW/366Nm 3.7-litre V6 has plenty of poke but slurps petrol like a celebrity lining up for a free drink during Melbourne Cup week.The 60/40 split fold rear seats can be released from the luggage area.Tick: Rear seating, quality.Cross: Fuel economy. TOYOTA PRADOPrice: From $48,600THE Prado is the ideal family load-lugger if you need serious space and room for the family.It comes with eight seats and long-range fuel tank of 180 litres.The full-time 4WD system has a low-range setting for heavy off-roading.However only the higher spec Prados get standard stability control, anti-skid brakes, hill-descent control and six airbags as standard so it pays to check the fineprint.GXL, VX and Grande buyers get foglights and roof rails with satellite navigation and height-adjustable air suspension standard only on the top-of-the-range Grande.Tick: Standard and GX lack standard safety gear.Cross: Clunky styling. NISSAN MURANO Price: From $45,990THE previous-generation Murano was a sleeper.In a lineup dominated by the Navara and Patrol, it never really stood out other than a competent family wagon and its soft curves alienated many potential buyers.But Nissan hopes to change that with the new-generation Murano.The styling is sharper, the 191kW/336Nm 3.5-litre V6 a sweet engine that delivers good fuel economy. The packaging is good. The automatic All Mode 4x4-i all-wheel drive system can distribute torque on demand to where its needed.The luxury Ti gets all the fruit, from navigation system to heated front seats, reversing camera, automatic rear hatch and Bose sound system. The 60/40 split rear seats on both the ST and Ti can be flipped forward from the back of the car.Tick: Engine, equipment.Cross: Cheese-cutter grille. RANGE ROVER SPORT Price: From $90,900THE Range Rover brand has a strong following and is the preferred luxury chariot for seriously well-heeled snowgoers.Like the bigger Range Rover the Sport gets the nifty "Terrain Response" off-road system which means you just have to twist the switch to get the required off-road mode.The Range Rover Sport has real off-road capability but we don't think too many owners would ever go bush bashing in the leather-line luxury off-roader, particularly with the stylish 20-inch wheels available some models.The 65/35 split rear seats also have folding cushions and the full-size spare is easily accessible under the car. However, some of the bigger wheel/tyre options make do with a spacesaver.Tick: Luxury.Cross: Reliability.

When the Mazda MX5 was launched in 1989 it was like a breath of fresh air to a country starved of sports cars for almost 20 years and it ushered in a new era in fun motoring. Now in its mid-life the original MX5 is a reliable and affordable entry level sports car, particularly for anyone keen to enter motor sport and enjoy events such as the annual Grand Prix Rally and the many other mostly social road rallies that are now so popular.The MX5 changed the way we looked at cars. After a decade or more when cars were viewed as evil polluting monsters it was no longer antisocial to enjoy motoring and the clearest sign of that was the MX5’s instant acceptance by the car buying public.We’d been starved of real sports cars since 1972 when Leyland halted local production of the MGB, the last of the traditional British sports cars, which first hit the roads in 1962. The lack of sports cars meant enthusiasts had to keep the old MG going well beyond its use-by date if they wanted to continue to enjoy the thrill of wind-in-the-hair motoring.Ironically the arrival of the MX5 gave the venerable old MG a new lease on life. Those who held nostalgic memories of the sporty British roadster went looking for another one to rekindle their youth, while others turned to the ageing sportster as a substitute when they couldn’t afford the $29,550 Mazda was asking for the MX5.For a time the price of MGBs climbed as the demand increased and it wasn’t long before clean, original cars were going for $20,000-plus. Restorers were flat-out trying to keep up with the call for fully rebuilt cars, for which they were getting up to $40,000.Underpinning the MGB’s price was the fact that the MX5 defied the natural laws of depreciation and its price on the used car market held up well against the trend. Anyone waiting for the price to fall was left disappointed.It’s only in the last year or so that the price of used MX5s has dipped below $20,000, and ironically the bottom has dropped out of the MGB market as the price of MX5s has dropped. Now with early examples around $15,000, unless you’re a died-in-the-wool MG enthusiast, there’s no reason to buy an MGB with its breathless performance, oil leaks and unreliable British electrics.MODEL WATCHIt’s no secret that Mazda used the MGB for inspiration when they sat down to create the MX5. In the nearly 20 years it was in production the MGB became the biggest selling sports car ever, and in many ways the MX5 is a modern remake of it.When it was first launched the MX5 had a cute innocence with its clean curves, pop-up headlights and youthful proportions.Power was from a double overhead camshaft, fuel-injected 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine that produced 86 kW, and it had a delightful four-speed gearbox and drove through the rear wheels.Suspension was independent front and rear and there were disc brakes on all corners.It was well equipped with power steering, power windows, leather-trimmed steering wheel and gearshift knob, and radio/cassette sound, but air-conditioning was optional. The roof was manual, but simple to use.Performance was brisk with a top speed of 188 km/h and the ability to reach 100 km/h 8.6 seconds from rest, but its nimble chassis was clearly capable of more and Mazda finally succumbed to calls for extra power and installed a larger 1.8-litre engine in November 1993.At the same time the chassis was stiffened, and a new Clubman model, with a limited-slip differential and sports tuned suspension, was added to the range.An all-new model replaced the first generation MX5 in March 1998.IN THE SHOPThe first generation MX5 has stood the test of time well, and few problems are being reported from the trade.One source reported a weakness in the gearbox with second gear synchro needing replacement at around 60,000 km, and noisy input shaft bearings necessitating an $800-$900 rebuild under 100,000 km.Generally it seems there are few problems, but prospective owners should be aware that with the cars having done 100,000-150,000 km on average that they could face some major service items, like clutch replacement, camshaft timing belt replacement, and overhauling the brakes.The first generation MX5 had a plastic rear window and this can become discoloured over time, particularly if it’s been folded when wet, but any trimmer can fit a replacement.