Hey everyone, thanks so much for the comments on this video, it's been great to talk to so many people. If you're not subscribed please do, it really helps me out, and if you could also check out my latest video on detailing the MX-5 (the algorithm hates it!) that'd be great too. Thanks and more to come!
Great review. Relatively similar to my experience as well. Had no real interest in a Mazda, but saw an RF, did a double take, test drove it...& an hour later I was driving it home. What a machine...
I never really cared for the soft top mx5s either, but when I saw the RF I fell in love. I couldn't afford them when I first saw them so bought a 370Z instead. I bought a 2020 RF last year with only 8k km on it and love it. Compared to the Z it's fun to drive everywhere, you can enjoy the acceleration without fear of losing your license, and it's so cheap to run, compared to the Z. There's a wonderful Mazda dealer in the blue mountains in NSW (called blue mountains Mazda) and they basically threw me the keys and let me head out to find some fun roads to test it on. That was all they had to do to sell it to me, no convincing, no sales tactics other than letting me go out and enjoy the car alone. The best dealer experience I've ever had.
Great review! I had a very similar experience - after a disappointing test drive in a GT86 I decided to give an ND a try and knew it was the car for me, but couldn't justify the price at the time. After a long search for something in my price range I finally found an ND2 RF in Christchurch. Have had it a couple of months now and absolutely loving it! 😄
Glad to have stumbled here. I am hoping to buy an ND2 RF in manual sometime early next year. I’ve been dreaming about this car for a while now, so I’m happy to find yet another youtube channel, especially one where the owner has had the car for 5 years. Waiting for more videos!
I rented the nd with the normal two liter for my birthday this year. Ive loved this car from afar (because im 24 and car ownership in spain is EXPENSIVE). When I got in it for a long weekend, i loved it up close. I met my hero and loves it. Im saving up for an nd2 and hopefully prices will drop a bit for when ive saved enough
Enjoyable video, thanks. I've got an ND2 RF and love watching videos about them, it's the best little car money can buy. I use it more than my main car and get huge MPG! 👍
I didn’t mention the MPG but on long runs it’s actually more economical than my 2008 Swift, which is my daily. The MX-5 is lighter and has two more gears, might explain it!
Wow finally a kiwi review 🎉 and you nailed everything about this car. And you have some of the best roads in the world to enjoy it on. I went all out and got the 2024 ragtop gt rs absolutely no regrets.
Thanks Dave, really appreciate it. We're lucky in New Zealand for sure - I am planning a great summer road trip which will be uploaded to the channel in due course, keep an eye out!
@@jameamenefee6575 Thanks - yeah the next generation will be very interesting. Where do they take it in a world of electrification and hybrids?? I think and hope Mazda will stick to the whole ethos of the MX-5.
Outstanding video mate! I'm looking forward to your future content. I just have a little Fiesta XR4 (ST150) which I'll never get rid of but I hope to park an ND next to it one day.
I own both cars (kinda) and can compare the experience. I have a beautiful NA MX5 in red. My fiancé has an orange Toyota 86. I also own a V8 Holden SSV ute, but the 86 was such a blast of a car, I also wanted something that was that much fun for weekends, so I hunted down my favourite MX5, a red NA manual in wonderful condition and low for age kms. As brilliant as the 86 is (she’s keeping it for life) the MX5 breaks the shackles from being a commuter car to a pure drivers car. It is the perfect weekend car where the drive is just as much an experience (if not more) than the destination. Now that being said, if you only had one car, then the 86 would be my pick, it’s surprisingly versatile with the rear seats folded down, and can fit far so much more stuff in the car, as well as emergency rear seats for passengers, while getting a similar driving experience to the MX5. But as a second car, there may not be a more enjoyable car on the planet for public roads where you have to consider your license.
Hey thanks for the comment. I’m a massive Holden fan but that will be a story for another video! Totally agree on practicality, the ND is not great and when I do a big Roadtrip this December I’m sure we’ll cover that. This is my second car and it does that job perfectly - would I have it as my only car? Probably not! Thanks for watching.
Eventually relented and drove my lads NC after he kept pestering me, cant stop looking now driven the 1.5 ND loved itdriven ND 1 2.0 wasnt as impressed with it as the 1.5, definitely need to try 2.0 nd2, top vid mate 👍
Thanks for watching mate! The 1.5 is a gem of an engine and is arguably the closest modern day equivalent to the NA. For that reason alone there’s no way it’s a bad choice. Try an ND2 or 3 if you can, but it’s MX-5s, there’s no real wrong answers.
Similar story: Drove a Porsche Boxster, a GT86, a GR86 and a GR Yaris. None of them made me feel and smile like the MX-5 so I am buying an RF 2024 tomorrow (again). 😀
@@kinghock Thx Buddy. Well a hot hatch feels like a usual car thats trimmed more 'sporty'. The MX5 just feels like a sports car. Amazing. Have fun as well.
I saw a MX-5 ND RF in the Drive-thru line at a fastfood joint, and your video was the first thing I saw here when I typed it in. I also was not bored shitless.
Thanks! I still love the shape of the RF and despite some drawbacks (I'll cover one day), I'd totally buy it again over the soft top. More to come, thanks for subscribing!
It's actually gray BUT I know exactly what you mean, especially when freshly washed and in direct sun it looks almost black. Red would be my first choice too, just the classic used car "right car right time" thing. Thanks for watching!
I recently bought an ND2 2.0 in the UK. Paid more than I wanted, but I really wanted the newer engine and it's pretty cool. Red line at 7500rpm is very impressive! It is also happy to drive in heavy traffic at low speed in 1st or 2nd gear which is a bonus in the UK. On a 250 mile trip the other day it averaged 42mpg even though I was driving in a sporty manner! It's a great car but not perfect. My previous car was a Fiat 124 spider with a 1.4 litre engine with turbo. The Mazda ND2 2.0 is quicker to 60mph, but if I was able to spec an ND4 I would keep the same 2.0 engine as in the ND2/3 but add a turbo and replace the silly electric steering with a decent hydraulic setup.
Thank you. I love the 124 Spider, and still prefer the engine and exhaust note to any ND, but they are very rare in New Zealand and while I was looking all I could find for sale were automatics. I completely agree about the steering - one of Mazda's few mis-steps with this car.
Thx for the video, I am undecided between a 1.5 with132 hp (true 50-50) and a 2.0 with 184. I am not looking for extreme performance, I have a Tesla M3 performance, but just to have fun. My fear is that with the 1.5 on mountain passes I will be underpowered. Can you please advise?
Personally I would still have the 2.0 myself, (provided it was the 184 ND2). I’ve only driven a 1.5 once but as mentioned you basically floor it everywhere, and it’s easy to find the limits of its power. Based on frequent mountain driving I’d say the 2.0.
I’m very concerned about messing with the feel of the car. I’ll cover this in another video but I installed Cusco Swaybars on my car - this was a great change that reduced body roll considerably. I’d like to reduce the ride height - slightly - for the appearance factor and a little more stiffness, but scared I’ll ruin the everyday fun of the car. Lots to think about, thanks for watching!
I thought you bought it recently at the beginning of the vid but damn 20k for nd2 5 years ago. I think the main problem with gt86 manual is the manual gearbox is actually not strong enough and will worn out even on stock power and torque, hence why I'm considering the automatic, from what I could gather it shifts quite quickly on manual mode and can take far more power than the manual box. On the other hand though, fa20 is not that strong of an engine to take power either, so I'm not quite locked in on what to pull the trigger on. Other options I have considered by looking at trademe are skyline 370gt facelift(they apparently cost around 10k), really good for the price but the 2.85m wheelbase makes me question how its going to do on any mountainpass; Audi A3 and BMW 220i F87, both turbo 2/1.8L with some potential in power just by flashing the ecu, but hard to find mods and I suspect higher insurance cost, with other concerns, A3 having understeerin and 220i being too heavy for its power(accordingly 1.8 ton gross weight). Anyways, probably too long for a comment but nice video
I did a track day at Hampton Downs a couple of years ago and to be honest there was a 370GT there and it cooked its gearbox very quickly, went into limp mode. I didn’t end up looking into Audi or BMW but that 1.8ton weight sounds insane. Best of luck with your search!
My partner has a 86 in an Automatic, the automatic is the only thing I don’t like about the car. There is nothing wrong with the automatic, it works just fine, but you just know this car was just made to be a manual, the auto softens the experience of what is otherwise a great drivers car.
I really wanted to like the GT86, and I remember my research showing on the track they’d be better, for everyday driving it just didn’t feel fun. Thanks for watching!
you should consider the Cayma 718 with a 4cyl and turbo, the torque is a LOT more than the 6cyl. Yes, you lost the sound but torque makes a big difference. Btw I have fonds memories of living in Wellington :)
I know both cars very well. The MX-5 feels like a nice stylish hairdresser's car with its indisputable sitting position (like on the toilet), much too soft swing suspension and synthetic steering. In comparison, the GT/GR 86 feels like a Porsche in every respect. The two cars are not comparable.
Each to their own of course, but the fact you’ve started with an insult from 30 years ago tells me you’re more a troll than anything else. And to suggest the Toyobaru twins feel like Porsches is taking the absolute piss 😂
You sit right back on the toilet...(?) Bit strange. Btw, it's abundantly clear you've not spent much time in a recent MX5 because, if you had, you wouldn't have listed such inane flaws. Flaws that are every bit as perplexing as your stance on the toilet...
@@AdAstra78 If you allow me, I will answer you in a factual tone. I rented the MX-5 for a day about a dozen times in the summer of 2016 because I really wanted to get used to it. To no avail. The problem that has been well known for decades is that the whole car is adapted to the ergonomics of small far east people. All MX-5 drivers I met or know are smaller than me (176 cm). Even at my height, it is not possible to recline the backrest in a way that I find comfortable and that is easily possible in any other car. This leads to an inappropriately upright sitting position. In addition, the seating position is too high in relation to the car, which means that even at my height you look down at the bonnet as if from a lookout tower. That is not my idea of a seating position in a sporty vehicle. Sit in a BMW Z4 (no matter which generation) and you will know what I mean in a second.
@@AdAstra78 No, not at all. In the MX-5 you sit UPRIGHT - like on the toilet. My recommendation: lie down in a BMW Z4, no matter what generation, and you'll understand what I mean in a second.
A new BRZ may be in my future but my buddy with an NA that we just did an engine rebuild on may try to convince me otherwise. Whatever happens, I'll enjoy the conversations we have. How do I make friends? I help 'em fix their cars, lol. PS - I tried to convince hime to do a 1.8 swap. I have a bugeye Imp with an H6
Hey everyone, thanks so much for the comments on this video, it's been great to talk to so many people. If you're not subscribed please do, it really helps me out, and if you could also check out my latest video on detailing the MX-5 (the algorithm hates it!) that'd be great too. Thanks and more to come!
Great review. Relatively similar to my experience as well. Had no real interest in a Mazda, but saw an RF, did a double take, test drove it...& an hour later I was driving it home. What a machine...
Cheers for the comment - I still remember the first drive - very special and quite unexpected…thanks for watching!
I never really cared for the soft top mx5s either, but when I saw the RF I fell in love. I couldn't afford them when I first saw them so bought a 370Z instead.
I bought a 2020 RF last year with only 8k km on it and love it. Compared to the Z it's fun to drive everywhere, you can enjoy the acceleration without fear of losing your license, and it's so cheap to run, compared to the Z.
There's a wonderful Mazda dealer in the blue mountains in NSW (called blue mountains Mazda) and they basically threw me the keys and let me head out to find some fun roads to test it on. That was all they had to do to sell it to me, no convincing, no sales tactics other than letting me go out and enjoy the car alone.
The best dealer experience I've ever had.
I ordered my 2.0 ND2 Roadster over the phone without even test driving one prior 😂 soft top because it’s the purest and lightest
Great review!
I had a very similar experience - after a disappointing test drive in a GT86 I decided to give an ND a try and knew it was the car for me, but couldn't justify the price at the time. After a long search for something in my price range I finally found an ND2 RF in Christchurch. Have had it a couple of months now and absolutely loving it! 😄
Thanks for watching! Sounds exactly like me....don't tell me yours is Machine Gray too? Haha
@@kinghock we clearly have very similar tastes because yes I got machine grey, and you’ll never guess what plate design I chose 🤦♂️ lol
Great video. You have a great way of telling things. Subscribed.
Thank you! More videos to come in a couple of weeks.
@@kinghock Sounds great. I hope to own an RF in the near future as well. Enjoy it
Glad to have stumbled here. I am hoping to buy an ND2 RF in manual sometime early next year. I’ve been dreaming about this car for a while now, so I’m happy to find yet another youtube channel, especially one where the owner has had the car for 5 years.
Waiting for more videos!
Best of luck with your search, you won't be disappointed! More videos to come.
Get an nd3
Great story mate. Always love hearing people’s car stories and seeing the passion shine through. Looking forward to your future videos 🤙
I rented the nd with the normal two liter for my birthday this year. Ive loved this car from afar (because im 24 and car ownership in spain is EXPENSIVE). When I got in it for a long weekend, i loved it up close. I met my hero and loves it. Im saving up for an nd2 and hopefully prices will drop a bit for when ive saved enough
Enjoyable video, thanks. I've got an ND2 RF and love watching videos about them, it's the best little car money can buy. I use it more than my main car and get huge MPG! 👍
I didn’t mention the MPG but on long runs it’s actually more economical than my 2008 Swift, which is my daily. The MX-5 is lighter and has two more gears, might explain it!
@@kinghock Yes, it could be the extra gears and it also has a very clever little engine.👍
We just got a 24 GT RF in the same color. My wife wanted it but me not so much. Oh boy do we both love the car. Hello from Deland Florida.
Once you drive one it's pretty infectious hey! Thanks so much for your comment - what a place to own an MX-5!
Wow finally a kiwi review 🎉 and you nailed everything about this car. And you have some of the best roads in the world to enjoy it on. I went all out and got the 2024 ragtop gt rs absolutely no regrets.
Thanks Dave, really appreciate it. We're lucky in New Zealand for sure - I am planning a great summer road trip which will be uploaded to the channel in due course, keep an eye out!
@@kinghock will do. The drive around the east coast awesome. I’ll keep an eye out.
Awesome review, I’m looking forward to purchasing one. However I’m waiting for the 2025 to be revealed first. Thanks for sharing.
@@jameamenefee6575 Thanks - yeah the next generation will be very interesting. Where do they take it in a world of electrification and hybrids?? I think and hope Mazda will stick to the whole ethos of the MX-5.
Congrats, you got the best version.
Great story, enjoyed it!
Thanks! Be sure to check out the other videos I've got up :)
Great first vid, very well spoken and presented. The RF is just a peach
Outstanding video mate! I'm looking forward to your future content. I just have a little Fiesta XR4 (ST150) which I'll never get rid of but I hope to park an ND next to it one day.
Thanks for watching! I’m a big fan of that shape of Fiesta, has aged beautifully and I’ve heard they go well.
I own both cars (kinda) and can compare the experience. I have a beautiful NA MX5 in red. My fiancé has an orange Toyota 86. I also own a V8 Holden SSV ute, but the 86 was such a blast of a car, I also wanted something that was that much fun for weekends, so I hunted down my favourite MX5, a red NA manual in wonderful condition and low for age kms. As brilliant as the 86 is (she’s keeping it for life) the MX5 breaks the shackles from being a commuter car to a pure drivers car. It is the perfect weekend car where the drive is just as much an experience (if not more) than the destination. Now that being said, if you only had one car, then the 86 would be my pick, it’s surprisingly versatile with the rear seats folded down, and can fit far so much more stuff in the car, as well as emergency rear seats for passengers, while getting a similar driving experience to the MX5. But as a second car, there may not be a more enjoyable car on the planet for public roads where you have to consider your license.
Hey thanks for the comment. I’m a massive Holden fan but that will be a story for another video! Totally agree on practicality, the ND is not great and when I do a big Roadtrip this December I’m sure we’ll cover that. This is my second car and it does that job perfectly - would I have it as my only car? Probably not! Thanks for watching.
I was not bored absolutely shitless. Really glad I came across this video.
Hey, thanks so much! Just starting out, more videos to come in the next couple of weeks 👍
Loved your video! Please keep making more. Cheers
Thanks! Next video is out tomorrow 👍
Well done! Happy to find a RUclipsr in love with MX-5 here in NZ!
Please feature the Miata wave sometime soon!
Eventually relented and drove my lads NC after he kept pestering me, cant stop looking now driven the 1.5 ND loved itdriven ND 1 2.0 wasnt as impressed with it as the 1.5, definitely need to try 2.0 nd2, top vid mate 👍
Thanks for watching mate! The 1.5 is a gem of an engine and is arguably the closest modern day equivalent to the NA. For that reason alone there’s no way it’s a bad choice. Try an ND2 or 3 if you can, but it’s MX-5s, there’s no real wrong answers.
Good review. I enjoyed it. I have the same car but soft top. Fantastic machine.
Thanks for watching! I’ve also just done a video covering the exhaust fitted to the car if you fancy that. Cheers
Similar story: Drove a Porsche Boxster, a GT86, a GR86 and a GR Yaris.
None of them made me feel and smile like the MX-5 so I am buying an RF 2024 tomorrow (again). 😀
Interesting - I haven't driven a GR Yaris. I respect hot hatches but I also wanted a car that's shape just said "sports car". Enjoy your new RF!!
@@kinghock Thx Buddy. Well a hot hatch feels like a usual car thats trimmed more 'sporty'. The MX5 just feels like a sports car. Amazing. Have fun as well.
I saw a MX-5 ND RF in the Drive-thru line at a fastfood joint, and your video was the first thing I saw here when I typed it in. I also was not bored shitless.
Thanks! I still love the shape of the RF and despite some drawbacks (I'll cover one day), I'd totally buy it again over the soft top. More to come, thanks for subscribing!
Its gorgeous isnt it? The red wins it for mine but that black is slick af
It's actually gray BUT I know exactly what you mean, especially when freshly washed and in direct sun it looks almost black. Red would be my first choice too, just the classic used car "right car right time" thing. Thanks for watching!
I recently bought an ND2 2.0 in the UK. Paid more than I wanted, but I really wanted the newer engine and it's pretty cool. Red line at 7500rpm is very impressive! It is also happy to drive in heavy traffic at low speed in 1st or 2nd gear which is a bonus in the UK. On a 250 mile trip the other day it averaged 42mpg even though I was driving in a sporty manner! It's a great car but not perfect. My previous car was a Fiat 124 spider with a 1.4 litre engine with turbo. The Mazda ND2 2.0 is quicker to 60mph, but if I was able to spec an ND4 I would keep the same 2.0 engine as in the ND2/3 but add a turbo and replace the silly electric steering with a decent hydraulic setup.
Thank you. I love the 124 Spider, and still prefer the engine and exhaust note to any ND, but they are very rare in New Zealand and while I was looking all I could find for sale were automatics. I completely agree about the steering - one of Mazda's few mis-steps with this car.
Thx for the video, I am undecided between a 1.5 with132 hp (true 50-50) and a 2.0 with 184. I am not looking for extreme performance, I have a Tesla M3 performance, but just to have fun. My fear is that with the 1.5 on mountain passes I will be underpowered. Can you please advise?
Personally I would still have the 2.0 myself, (provided it was the 184 ND2). I’ve only driven a 1.5 once but as mentioned you basically floor it everywhere, and it’s easy to find the limits of its power. Based on frequent mountain driving I’d say the 2.0.
They are both great. Flip a coin.
Very nice! Don’t go too aggressive with the tire setup for street driving. It kills the liveliness of the car.
I’m very concerned about messing with the feel of the car. I’ll cover this in another video but I installed Cusco Swaybars on my car - this was a great change that reduced body roll considerably. I’d like to reduce the ride height - slightly - for the appearance factor and a little more stiffness, but scared I’ll ruin the everyday fun of the car. Lots to think about, thanks for watching!
I thought you bought it recently at the beginning of the vid but damn 20k for nd2 5 years ago.
I think the main problem with gt86 manual is the manual gearbox is actually not strong enough and will worn out even on stock power and torque, hence why I'm considering the automatic, from what I could gather it shifts quite quickly on manual mode and can take far more power than the manual box. On the other hand though, fa20 is not that strong of an engine to take power either, so I'm not quite locked in on what to pull the trigger on.
Other options I have considered by looking at trademe are skyline 370gt facelift(they apparently cost around 10k), really good for the price but the 2.85m wheelbase makes me question how its going to do on any mountainpass; Audi A3 and BMW 220i F87, both turbo 2/1.8L with some potential in power just by flashing the ecu, but hard to find mods and I suspect higher insurance cost, with other concerns, A3 having understeerin and 220i being too heavy for its power(accordingly 1.8 ton gross weight).
Anyways, probably too long for a comment but nice video
I did a track day at Hampton Downs a couple of years ago and to be honest there was a 370GT there and it cooked its gearbox very quickly, went into limp mode. I didn’t end up looking into Audi or BMW but that 1.8ton weight sounds insane. Best of luck with your search!
My partner has a 86 in an Automatic, the automatic is the only thing I don’t like about the car. There is nothing wrong with the automatic, it works just fine, but you just know this car was just made to be a manual, the auto softens the experience of what is otherwise a great drivers car.
My roommate has a GT86 and while it has it's advantages it's nowhere close to as fun as my MX5
I really wanted to like the GT86, and I remember my research showing on the track they’d be better, for everyday driving it just didn’t feel fun. Thanks for watching!
you should consider the Cayma 718 with a 4cyl and turbo, the torque is a LOT more than the 6cyl. Yes, you lost the sound but torque makes a big difference. Btw I have fonds memories of living in Wellington :)
how come you didn't look at the new generation gr86? edit I assume budget
I bought my car at the end of 2020, so the GR86 didn’t exist at that time
@@kinghock ah I hadn't realized that. Did you have a chance to test drive one since?
@@fretstainHaven’t yet, would love to one day though! I don’t love the looks but wouldn’t mind seeing how they drive
I'd rather push a Miata than drive a Subaru BRZ.
Why? What do you have against a random Japanese sports car?
I know both cars very well.
The MX-5 feels like a nice stylish hairdresser's car with its indisputable sitting position (like on the toilet), much too soft swing suspension and synthetic steering.
In comparison, the GT/GR 86 feels like a Porsche in every respect.
The two cars are not comparable.
Each to their own of course, but the fact you’ve started with an insult from 30 years ago tells me you’re more a troll than anything else. And to suggest the Toyobaru twins feel like Porsches is taking the absolute piss 😂
You sit right back on the toilet...(?) Bit strange.
Btw, it's abundantly clear you've not spent much time in a recent MX5 because, if you had, you wouldn't have listed such inane flaws. Flaws that are every bit as perplexing as your stance on the toilet...
@@AdAstra78 If you allow me, I will answer you in a factual tone.
I rented the MX-5 for a day about a dozen times in the summer of 2016 because I really wanted to get used to it. To no avail.
The problem that has been well known for decades is that the whole car is adapted to the ergonomics of small far east people. All MX-5 drivers I met or know are smaller than me (176 cm).
Even at my height, it is not possible to recline the backrest in a way that I find comfortable and that is easily possible in any other car. This leads to an inappropriately upright sitting position.
In addition, the seating position is too high in relation to the car, which means that even at my height you look down at the bonnet as if from a lookout tower.
That is not my idea of a seating position in a sporty vehicle. Sit in a BMW Z4 (no matter which generation) and you will know what I mean in a second.
Bus rider opinion kek.
@@AdAstra78 No, not at all. In the MX-5 you sit UPRIGHT - like on the toilet. My recommendation: lie down in a BMW Z4, no matter what generation, and you'll understand what I mean in a second.
Hes talking about slow, The Miata is the slowed of the bunch....
A new BRZ may be in my future but my buddy with an NA that we just did an engine rebuild on may try to convince me otherwise. Whatever happens, I'll enjoy the conversations we have. How do I make friends? I help 'em fix their cars, lol. PS - I tried to convince hime to do a 1.8 swap. I have a bugeye Imp with an H6