Mazda MX5 ND2 after 2 year and 20,000 miles - Likes, dislikes and what's gone wrong. 

The noise from the rear that I mentioned at the end of this video turned out to be the power plant frame bolts needing to be tightened. More information in my 3 year update which is now on RU-vid. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-95hgRdD2szk.html

You know when you love your car when you can remember where all the stone chips are from 🤣

If you drive alone , or with a partner , the MX5 is the best car on the road . At 85 years old , I don't do big mileages , but as an everyday car it's fine , and I drive with the top down all year round . I don't do long distances , so can't say , but on my low mileage runs , it's always fun to drive . I've had 4 new ones during the past 15 years , and , it's the only car for me .

Legend. Talking for half an hour and not one piece of superfluous information. Looking at buying one of these and feel like I know them inside out now. Thanks!

A video like this about your Seat Leon could be quite interesting

Thanks for this video Richard. As with all your videos, it's very informative and well presented. Your one year ownership video was very helpful when I was mulling over ordering my own MX-5, which I did late last year and have been driving daily since it was delivered in May. I love it. You've even inspired me to book my very first track day next month at Donington.

ive seen so many videos on this car, and yours has been the best. the absolute thoroughness with stuff that matters, and the best driving example ive seen yet.

About your first gear transmission issue: try flushing/bleeding your clutch. If there is air in your clutch line, it will cause it to not COMPLETELY disengage, which can prevent you from shifting into gear like you describe.

When you mentioned the advantage of the hybrid system while keeping the manual transmission, I immediately thought about the Honda IMA system on cars like the CR-Z, I wish more cars would've adopted powertrains such as this. I get nice torque even in the 2000+- rpm range.

Just bought a MX5 ND2 and your channel has been my best source of information. Really appreciate the detail you go into and I find your presentation excellent. Very many thanks!

Great to hear you didn't let them replace the door cover for that minor scratch. Moving the rollbar covers was probably the right thing to do instead of replacing the whole roof twice like they did on my car which resulted in three years with a leaky roof and a lot of troubleshooting 🙄

Man this car looks spotless ! It's impressive, you can tell he looks after his cars

Excellent, clear and informative breakdown of your ownership experience to date. I have found this useful as my wife & I are thinking about a 20/70 or 21/71 ND2 gt sport tech+ in soul red at some point in the near future (if we can find one) to enjoy down the (mostly) narrow roads of Devon. You raise some interesting points for consideration (potential rust, 1st gear engagement, thin paint & rear roll overs) but all in all I think it is still a great (relatively cheap) NA convertible to own, drive and enjoy hanging on to those gears. Full marks to you also for not screwing the Mazda dealership on those very minor blemishes. I would imagine not a lot of people would have the character to do similar.

It was nice of you to post this, it helps a lot when one is thinking about a car, to hear it all from an owner.

Thank you for all of your videos. It was actually your other channel's videos teaching how to drive manuals that helped me bring home my 2020 MX5 RF driving a manual for the first time, before I found out you also bought one for the same model year. Agree with everything you said and hear the same airbag rattle which I didn't know where it was originating from. Please continue to keep us updated in your journey with the MX5.

Thank you for your in-depth ownership experience ! Cheers, Tom.

I'm 6ft 3 and it is a bit of a squeeze to drive my wife's ND, that and the big steering wheel are really my only gripes, the suspension set up is much more forgiving than my GT86. Great review, thanks.

I enjoyed watching this, don't own an mx5 - but do own a convertible GT mustang FN. Almost at 100,000km might do a similar review. 3 years of ownership.

I don't know if it's available across the pond, but I use "Fluid Film" on my ND1 undercarriage every year before salt season. 140,000 miles and it looks new underneath. It's quite messy as it stays oily (uses lanolin) and will smell horrible for a short time if you manage to get some on the exhaust bits. It's never too late to start using it as it prevents any oxidation wherever it's applied. Nice review. You're spot on about having to be more active with the steering. Coming from the hydraulic system in my old NC, it really threw me at first. I'm used to it now, Subbed.

Excellent review, you are a naturally great presenter and the information is very good

That’s an awesome car. I live in Southern California and drive a Camaro SS 1LE manual. Test drove an ND2 last month and loved it. Super lightweight and fun to rev out without doing crazy speeds. Camaro is awesome too but it’s so fast you have to really watch your speed on the street. Hoping I can add an ND2 to the stable some day.

Hey Rich! Good video about your mazda, and with a lot of in depth perspectives. I'm part of the "two cars club" as well. I would say many times you don't like something in your car, you don't necessarily need to buy a new one but you can do little things here and there to make it better. For example, with my 2014 Impreza PZEV I purchased in may of this year I started off with a K&N engine air filter to replace the stock paper filter, which is known to be pretty restrictive in terms of air flow. Then, I serviced the CVT transmission and got a transmission oil cooler. After that, I got a new Magnaflow muffler to replace the stock one because the one that it comes with is a bit too high pitched and whiny sounding for me. But now, I feel like I am proud of the car. Might do a coilover kit on there just for the heck of it, but as it is right now I can ride it with pride. It gets on to the highway without any whine now, and damn near feels like a mercedes c240 I used to drive (albeit with polyester seats, not that i am complaining because I am vegan anyway). It's great for cruising now, especially with the new muffler which keeps the engine sounds nice and low pitched for me. Then there's my WRX, my first manual transmission car ever, which the previous owner already got a head start on. I bought this one a few months later. When I bought it, it already had a performance racing clutch and flywheel and an aftermarket steering rack and pinion. Then, I put a cold air intake on there and got the transmission serviced as well. Now, waiting to get an appointment for installing carbon fiber brakes on there. 280hp but it feels like so much more, it's like this cartoony, exaggerated experience of driving this juvenile and crazy little four cylinder car, outdoing quite a few v6 engines. But it is frightening to drive because you know you can just go to like 95 Miles an hour in a split second if you lose track of yourself on the highway or whatnot. It's the first car I've ever had where I felt like I had to drive it with a lot of respect just to keep it underneath me. It has traction control and all of that to help you, but it's still insane when you do a downshift on the highway and you start hitting bumps or whatever. Then you really can feel that rally racing heritage at play, and the suspension swinging under you. I never had any Subaru cars before this year but they are my favorite now. I've driven Mercedes, Honda, Toyota, Saturn, Jaguar and I have never had so much goddamn fun driving. Even the regular Impreza feels so fun to just cruise around. The WRX is like my treat to myself a few times a week. It is a lot of power to have underneath you all the time. It's intimidating for sure. And they were both cheap cars--I bought them used with low miles. Sub $15k US dollars per car, and the WRX I paid less for because it was a salvage (negotiation helps).

Can’t believe Mazda still haven’t improved their rust proofing, I know in Japan they don’t use salt on the roads but surely they should do something for the other markets. It tends to be the rear Subframe that goes first on most Mazdas but not something that will even get advised till around 10 years old. It’s a shame as they’re otherwise solid cars that can probably last a couple of decades if it wasn’t for the rust

Thanks - I didn't know about the difference between US and UK gallon. Interesting series of videos.

89,500 miles on my '16 ND-1. The only issue has been that the original rear calipers froze up from corrosion caused by winter salting of New Hampshire, USA roads. I cured that by converting to Flyin' Miata's Little Big brake kit, four piston Wilwood calipers all around. These also make brake pad changing very easy, pull some pins, make the swap, off you go, no special tools needed. The kits come with braided stainless hoses and all the brackets, quality stuff. Around $1,100 USD, I did the job myself. My car is making that rattling at the rear, I suspect the bushes in the uprights are the problem.

I own mazda cx5 for 1 year now. I just love it.

Every country needs a road somewhere with no speed limit.

I just bought one of these (The RF version) two days ago. It's obviously used but with only 13000km on the clock. I appreciate your videos as they help me learn my new toy and how to take care of it.

28:18 is what I look like driving my 2020 mx-5 club. Really great car. Luckily in the 13000 or so miles I’ve put on, no 1st gear gearbox issues. Although I infrequently have issues finding 3rd from 6th or 5th or 2nd. But that might be more of a user issue. I have only heard creaking from two places. The plastic surround from the infotainment screen/ middle horizontal aircon vents, but only in hot weather with direct sunlight. The wind deflector can rattle a bit in cold weather. Looking to get new tires soon as the S001s are wearing quick, and can confirm wet weather sketchiness even when new. Unfortunately PS4s do not come in 205 45 17 in the US. Bummer, but looking at new Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02s. Anyway, been enjoying your instructional videos, wish I had them around when I was learning to drive. If you’re ever in the DC area there’s a seat in a Miata for you.

Thank you for taking the time to give an honest detailed review of the MX-5. I’m seriously thinking of getting one for a fun summer car. I really miss driving a manual and they are becoming harder to find in Canada. This looks like a great little car for some nice weekend drives and maybe a couple of road trips!

I have a 2016 club, it is my favorite car EVER, and I've run the course mercedes, bmw, crx caddy. MY FAVE car ever it is just such a joy to drive!

You might wanna try Lanoguard for the rust underneath. It's transparent so you can still see what's happening to the metal. Only issue is it cures to a waxy state meaning it collects dust so you need to hose it down every now and again. Worth a shot for about £70 and a couple of hours work most of which is just prep. The application process is a spray on about 20 mins for a MX5.

Woah... I just got a MX5, thanks for this video and all your tips on driving. I had no idea these existed until I got the MX-5 just a week ago... I had not expected you to have an MX5... and Idk... makes me feel I made a good choice! lol

I always have regretted selling both my 2006 RX8 and my 2002 MX5. Both very lovely cars that didn't make a lot of power but rewarded you for pushing the car hard and never failed to make me smile.

I'm going to buy ND3 next year (ND2 are not produced any more) as my only car and the anticipation is killing me. I live in central Europe and, as I do not have a garage, I'm getting the RF version. I've tested it a few times, read a lot and seen many videos about it. In my mind this is a one person car for someone who just likes the drive experience. It's classy car for a steady gentlemen who is willing to accept all compromises that it presents. Like small cabin, low driving position, very limited boot space and modest power. Love your review and I see it as one of very few that I can trust.

Informative isn't the word I would use Richard, it's a fricken Comedy Routine! Keep 'um coming man! More investigative research is required on year #3 coming up shortly. Us Richard followers are waiting with bated breath.

enjoyed your review very much... 😊 can't wait for mine to arrive in mid-2023...🥰

Project Farm on RU-vid did extensive testing for rust converters and truck bed sprays, I think you could reasonably slow down the under body rust with a couple of spray bottles and spray cans, the touch it up once a year.

Interesting point regarding the roof. I bought an ND2 about 5 months ago, 3 years old and I’m loving it. I had my whole roof and rollhoops replaced under warranty. The roof was fouling the drivers side rollhoop and had scored a big chunk out of the rollhoop and actually put a hole in the roof letting water in. All sorted out under warranty with no issues, but something I’d urge anyone buying or who owns an MX5 ND to get checked out before it gets any worse.

Blue Loctite will probably cure your shift knob from turning. If that does not work then use red Loctite. You can buy a third party lumbar support for your back.

As someone who lives in the USA you sound funny, but you know how to review a car very well! lol

I love my MX5......18 plate with the RF hardtop...in white with black alloys. Thanks for a great report...you have made me want to take mine out NOW!!

Hi Richard, I must appreciate your driving enthusiasm and also the pain taken to go in such a depth providing so much information. I have gone through all your Mazda mx-5 videos as I am looking to buy a 2 seater convertible soft-top, either new or used. I am still deciding either to go for a new or used one. I love driving and your videos helped me to decide that it has to be a mx-5. Many thanks!!

The first gear issue, mine has been doing it from new. If you put it in second then move it to first it’ll go in easier. It’s an extra step but you won’t have to fight it.

Hello from Ohio USA . Great review ! Sold my 2019 Rf last year and what a mistake . I have drove the WRX and the Toyota and Subaru twins and about 20 other cars . Thought I wanted a faster car but no . Scrambling to try and get on list for a 2024 RF GT .

Really good stuff once again. Wish the motor mag journalist’s could review cars in such a down to earth manner. Have a MX5 MD and you have been great to follow for tips and info. Love the man bag in the boot by the way. Pity I couldn’t make out the make 😊

First time viewer, here. Fantastic review; thorough, well-articulated, and a pleasure to watch. Keep up the good work!

Watched this just before buying one myself, your review is spot on with what I see from mine after a month, thank you for the excellent review, might even see you at a track day!

Richard cracks me up!😁

I drove through the Scottish highlands in a seat SUV and couldn't help but wish I had my nd2 with me to throw around those incredible roads.

not sure I could put mine through the NC500 but fair play for having the balls for that.

Honest appraisal. Impressive little car.

The black plastic around the windscreen can be machine polished easily and will come up like new . Gearknob just screws on. A spray of Lanoguard underneath would sort that surface rust.

Good work Richard. Enjoy my MX5 NC 2006…..dont need speed….i like changing gears……its just fun & it gives it to me in spades.

Fantastic in-depth review. I had an ND Sport Nav 2.0 in Arctic White which exhibited door hinge Ruston both sides that was visible after 5 months and I had the car from brand new. The interior also had 3 loud rattles from the roof, in the passenger door and deep in the dash that were super loud in cold weather. I got rid of the car after 7 months as I couldn’t stomach the poor build quality and rust on a new car is completely unacceptable. I love the look of the ND and it’s ridiculously good fun to drive but feels cheap and tinny unfortunately. Mine also developed the bum impressions. Keep up the great work with the channel 🎉❤🎉

Thanks for teaching me how to drive manual! I also own a ND Miata now and absolutely love it.

Great review packed with extremely useful info for prospective MX5 purchasers. Thanks and please keep up the great work.

i like hearing that Mazda was willing to fix even the smallest things

I stumbled on this video because I'm looking into buying a BMW Z4 or Mazda ND2 to daily drive whole year around. Sad to see the underside is rusting already. I would have thought they fixed it on modern cars.

I've got an ND2 Club w/BBR pkg on order - hopefully will receive it mid-December. Thank you for this very informative and insightful video - greatly appreciate it!!👍

Fantastic review, one of the best I’ve seen. I just picked up my 2023 club edition 3 days ago....loving it. I had a 2012 model that I sold too soon, and I’ve been missing having a Miata ever since. Just sub’d to your channel.

Best MX-5 review I've seen. Thanks heaps!!

I love an mx-5 vid great review, i bought a nc 2007 2.0 hard top 18 months ago after parting with my beloved jag, no issues so far apart from just buying a new battery last week, I have loved owning it so far, I have a few hours drive down to south wales along the coast this week and i cannot wait, smiles per mile all the way :D the only car i will replace my mx-5 for is a Jaguar F-Type which is my favorite looking sports car. I thought id want my mx-5 to be faster but still not bored after 18 months, it feels like its is on rails at times, probably my favorite car i've ever owned, it definitely is when you factor in price and cost to own

Love the "extra" long term review! Which jack and axle stands do you use/recommend (light work such as changing brake pads)? Regarding the steering wheel self centering, have you thought of doing a wheel alignment, i think increasing the caster angle could help?

Appreciate you explaining how to accelerate with a manual shifter. Shift to lower gear, high RPM, accelerate, then shift to higher gear maintain at higher velocity.

This is an absolutely fantastic video, thank you so much

Really great review. Very well done and fair and balanced. 👍👍

I am thinking exactly the same about modifying mine. Originally wanted the BBR treatment, but I really enjoy it as it is for road use.

Love your vids. This review is a good one and honest. I bought a 2023 club recently, also with a soft top. I can see you truly enjoy your Miata, and do lots of driving....if I get around to doing half as much driving as you do, I’ll be impressed with myself. Cheers mate 🍻

Excellent review man, you are a true car guy. Thanks!

Kudos to you for not to being an A-hole and declining getting things replaced for minor scratches.

Bit disappointed you didn't mention the Bose system! I have a 2022 model and being a premium system, I was expecting it to be good. It is good, being a 9-speaker setup; 2 ultra nearfields in each headrest*** 1 tweeter in each windscreen pillar 1 mid in each door That's 8, but specifically the bass is what floored me! The 9th is a subwoofer in the passenger upper footwell area. On full bass setting, the bass is ridiculously powerful! ***many people think the headrest speakers are phone call only; NONSENSE, they are an integral, permanently used part of the system.

Here in Greece we don't get salt on the roads so rust shouldn't be an issue, but Mazda should fix this problem for northern markets, it is a shame this has happened for so long. They are a reliable brand mechanically but things like the thin paint and rust protection really leave a bad impression to potential car buyers.

I have a 2019 ND2 which I bought used, currently done 34k km (21k miles) and the paint ("Machine Grey Metallic") at the front end (bumper, hood) is in pretty decent but at the rocker panels - its horrified worn. Rocker panels behind front wheels, maybe 50-60cm at length are like it would be kind of "hazy dirty", but its just worn paint. The car even has those small factory "Splash Guards" behind front wheels installed since new, but still ... I'm kind of baffled. No rattles, no squeaks - which surprises me. Everything is fine apart the idiotic touch screen not being touch screen when vehicle is moving -thing. The basic leather seats should have better lumbar support, I'm 5ft 9" and I have to alter my driving position on a long journeys in order to avoid lumbar region pain after many hours of driving. I wish I'd found one with Recaro's but here in Finland these ND2's with 2.0L -engine are really scarce as the 1.5L was so much cheaper when new due our stupid taxation policy. Otherwise I'm happy bunny and planning to keep the car long time. Fuel consumption is ridiculously low, yearly car taxes, insurance, servicing (at the dealership) all are dirt cheap compared to any other convertible sports car. Not to mention the price, I paid only 32k euros for mine (used one). You can't find anything even remotely modern in that price range here in Finland except very old, higher mileage Porsche Boxters or old SLK Mercs etc.

Very interested in getting one of these next, love the look of the white with the red roof

I love these videos. They are so interesting 😃👍.

im late posting here but great detailed review and the ins-n-outs,goods-n-bads....i dont live in the UK but just a tip,since you mentioned you do not have a garage to keep the mx-5 where a car like this,and frankly ANY 'convertible' should be, to prolong longevity etc,you can always put it in a storage-unit to keep it in and act as a garage...people here in the USA that do not have garages and have 'special cars' do infact practice this without their own garage,when i was starting out young,i did this exact method with a safe/secure storage unit(for years) respected their rules-n-regs,got to know the owners,never had an issue,regardless where i set up 'my garage' per se' at that time,again just a suggestion;it then and is(storage unit fee/cost)a small price to pay for an investment like a special-car such as the mx-5.remember too,you have to pay-to-play,in most cases.

Excellent review , as an owner i can say this review is accurate ! Although i oil soray so i dont have rust issues. And i dont a problem with the wipers. As for your shufter, try to turn it on tighter 1 more revolution.

best detailed review I have ever seen on the Miata! Do you recommend driving the soft top Miata in a rainy place like Seattle?

Loved it you certainly nailed it!

Great video picking up a 2 year old with 18k on it next week I will check everything out thanks for the advice

omg no wonder you look familiar! i love your driving lessons!

Nice video. I don’t even like the Miata but I still watched it all the way through.

very interesting vid! looking to switch off my current fiesta st line and seeing your videos with the mx5 is always a joy

This is a Friday afternoon car. Mine is 40 months old and still showroom fresh. No rust, no peeling no canopy issues

I've learned driving a manual from your videos for my upcoming mx5 ND3 which I got last march. I'm surprised that you also have an mx-5. Thanks and your videos are great! keep it up

Very informative, thank you. My planned next vehicle. Again, thank you

Great video. I didn’t know UK used miles per hour but it’s definitely appreciated LOL

I’ve been trying to decide whether to buy an ND or an another NC as I’ve had previously. I’m 6’2” and read about how small the ND interior is. Tried one yesterday and was pleasantly surprised at how well I fit. Better than my newish VM Polo. The only thing slightly bothersome is how close the A pillar is to my face. I guess you get used to it.

The rattling sound you have recorded, is very identical to the rattling sound i heard in my hybrid corolla cross. Now i know it's from airbags component 😅

i got mine 5 months ago and have put 10,000 miles on it. Your videos inspired the purchase. cheers it's an absolute blast to drive.

10:32 Rubber-based rust coatings are the ones that make rust worse. Oil-based coatings work excellent. This is why people get so confused over this (we salt the roads 7 months a year where I live, so I have a lot of experience with this)

Alike able report. Thank you. Agree with you as right now there is no NEW AUTO comparable. I feel rightfully or wrongly there is a place for this type of car for PEOPLE THAT KNOW HOW TO DROVE!

Love my 4 year old Mazda MX-5 RF Convertible 2.0 Gt Sport Nav+…only issue I’ve had is the Start-Stop system stopped working after 6 months and hasn’t worked since. Was told by dealer it’s because I don’t drive it enough. A new battery, thrashing the car in third gear for two or three days and it worked just one time. Still love the car so much though and whenever I’m tempted to swap for a more economical vehicle I just can’t bear to lose it!

It’s raw, it’s noisy. It is what it is: A SPORTS CAR. A bit slow, but a true two seater sports car. Reminds me of the early 90s corvette I owned. Raw, untouched by new age comfort and electrical demands. If you’re thinking of getting one, do it. Most of these issues I’ve never experienced. Mazda dealerships will address your needs as far as repair, unlike most brands.

Informative video and good content many thanks

We had a 2003 MX5 1.8 nearly new, I totally loved that car, it felt solid and was so much fun. We swapped it for a New 2013 Model. Only kept it 2 years. It felt plasticky and just wasn’t the same. We looked at the new shape last year, but decided against it. According to the MOT history the 2003 car was scrapped in 2017 due to rust I assume, as it was the last entry, and the 2013 car has advisories for underbody rust. Not good.

Other commenters may have mentioned this, but that gauge with the purple hue does indeed have an anti-reflective coating.

Regards the spherical bearings I had the silicone ones added. Bought them from mx5 parts. Cheaper and better for suspension

still love this car and,, still, want want want want one!!!