Mazda MX-5 manual 2006 review

"Pack light" was the advice, given the photographer was destined to use almost all of his luggage space quota with his camera equipment. The MX-5 two-seater is 3995mm long and is short on storage space – that much is blindingly obvious.

But what is not as clear is the superb dynamics and driving experience in the slick little convertible.

It was this I wanted to exploit – most definitely for my own enjoyment. After all, if I'm to going to buzz around some of the hottest holiday destinations in South Australia watching and writing about how much fun others are having, I want to enjoy myself ... and driving the MX-5 delivered the goods. Fellow CARSguide writer Stuart Martin – a man whose stature is not particularly matched to the cute and sleek little MX-5 – warned that some women might throw me a strange sideways look when they saw me behind the wheel.

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It has something to do with the car's lack of masculinity. Big on brawn it is not.

Martin has given up trying to sway his at-home boss that the driving experience of the MX-5 builds on the superb dynamics and feel of the old one. Myself, well, I had no problem with my domestic leader calling it a "girl's car" – I'm comfortable with my masculinity and even more pleased she had no desire to steal the keys and that enviable driving experience from me. Off the line, the 1090kg Mazda isn't super quick. The two-litre in-line four-cylinder engine throws out 118kW of power with 188Nm of torque, driving it from 0-100km/h in 7.8 seconds. But it is the cornering ability of the MX-5, the ease at which it can be thrown through the twists and bends and how it hugs the road even when pushed. That is what puts it in a fancied league.

Drop the soft-top and there's an element of "look-at-me" fun to be had also, although that tends to attract those strange looks from women I spoke of earlier. They're just jealous.

The fact I found myself asking where the rest of the car went each time I looked in the rear-view mirror has a lot to do with how good this car is to drive.

The saying "good things come in small packages" is only too true when it comes to the MX-5. Don't be mistaken – there's a lot packed into this little parcel.

Something which could be easily overlooked – but not on a long trip – is the fuel efficiency achievable while having all this fun.

Combined city/country driving tests put the MX-5 consumption, for the six-speed manual, at 8.5 litres/100km. It was stunningly obvious just how frugal this setup is when the 333km trip from Naracoorte to Adelaide barely troubled the fuel-gauge needle.

The manual shift furthers the driving enjoyment. The short sports stick, offering clean and quick gear changes, is typical of the MX-5 controls and switch gear.

All the controls – from the indicator stalk through to the radio and CD player controls on the steering wheel – are set up to meld the driver with the car.

Mazda calls this the principle of "Jinba Ittai" – rider and horse as one. Handling has been refined so it is so intuitive that it feels like an extension of the body, and balance and harmony, the most complex of feelings, come together to create the ultimate Zoom-Zoom. The new MX-5, we're told, was engineered and designed around the Jinba Ittai idiom instead of specific, unemotional performance targets such as the time required to accelerate to 100km/h.

The comfy leather seats continue that marriage of car and driver. The fact those seats in the road-test model were in a somewhat disturbing terracotta colour was something I was willing to deal with to enjoy the ride.

It is fair to say some sacrifices have to be made in order to enjoy the MX-5.

There's the space issue for one, and also the fact envious women – and uneducated men – will refer to it as a girl's car.

So what, I say. Let the name calling begin.

Small torque 

Mazda's magic

PADDLESHIFTS and an extra cog are just the beginning when it comes to the new MX-5.

Where the second-gen drop-top had to make do with something of a slug in the auto gearbox stakes, the new car looks set to up the rate of sales of the auto significantly.

While the speed of the shift is not likely to frighten the engineers at Ferrari, its shift quality in auto or manual-change mode is slick.

Dawdling around in traffic with the selector in D, the other qualities of the car – taut frame, extra room, quality fittings and an easy-to-operate manual roof – can be admired without the distraction of gear changes.

Its a bit like cheating when a lightweight with great on-road manners and a sweet four-cylinder changes gears on its own.

Flip the lever to the left and the decision is back with the driver. It will hold gears in corners at high engine revs, something many "sports" cars refuse to do, and the accurate throttle makes the whole package a joy.

– Stuart Martin