Mazda MX-5 roadster (2005-2015) - Interior & comfort

The Mazda MX-5 is a sports car first and foremost, but it’s comfortable and well equipped enough for you to use it every day. And unlike with some sports cars, you don’t have to be a committed petrolhead to do so.

Mazda MX-5 dashboard

Climb inside the Mazda MX-5 and you’re greeted by a traditional low-slung driving position and a high gearlever that makes you feel snug in the car. Plastic quality can’t match rivals such as the BMW Z4, but its dashboard design is sporty and cool. Some drivers might find the Mazda’s seating position to be slightly offset from the controls and pedals, while it’s a shame that the steering wheel only adjusts for height and not reach.

The Mazda was never designed to be a comfortable motorway cruiser, but it deals with most bumps in the road well and avoids the vibrations suffered by some open-tops, which have limited rigidity without a permanent metal roof.

The Sport Tech model comes with stiffer suspension and larger alloy wheels, which make the ride less comfortable, so it might be worth comparing it to a basic model before you sign on the dotted line.

Mazda MX-5 equipment

Given its sub-£18,500 starting price, the Mazda MX-5 is fairly well equipped. The entry-level SE model comes with climate-control air-conditioning, alloy wheels, electric windows and a CD stereo.

If you’re looking at a 2.0-litre model, we’d recommend getting it in Sport Tech trim, because that adds a healthy amount of kit, including sports suspension, a limited-slip differential, heated leather seats and a Bose stereo. As its name suggests, the Sport Tech Nav adds satellite navigation.

The special-edition Sport Venture edition is exceptionally well equipped for the money, with heated leather seats, sat nav, a unique alloy-wheel finish and cruise control. But it’s not our top pick, because it’s only available with the less powerful 1.8-litre engine.

Mazda MX-5 options

There’s a reasonably short options list for the Mazda MX-5. We’d recommend choosing the wind deflector, which reduces wind buffeting when the roof is down. Other parts depend on your taste, with different dashboard trims and other visual upgrades available. And you can have your Soft Top with a removable hard top if you wish, but we’d recommend buying the Roadster Coupe in the first place – then you won’t have to find somewhere to store the hard top when you’re not using it.