Clio 182 v's Mazda MX5 1.8

[tameracingdriver]

OK, this ISNT a typical versus thread, it isnt about a race or anything, I just want opinions.

Basically as much as I like the 182, and boy I really do like it, I just fancy something a bit different, and have been looking at the MX5, in 1.8 form. I just fancy something RWD, and the fact its a convertible is even more appealing.

I know its not as fast as the Clio in standard form, but they are supposed handle well and are supposed to be fun to drive.

Please mods dont move this to the other marques forum as i cant reply there!

So what do you lot reckon to it?

 

[Guy]

hahahahahaha

sorry not much input.. is this serious?

i HATE them cars with a passion..

supposed to be quite fun though so ive heard from people whos mums own them.
but id rather walk to be honest..

 

[kully]

OK, this ISNT a typical versus thread, it isnt about a race or anything, I just want opinions.

Basically as much as I like the 182, and boy I really do like it, I just fancy something a bit different, and have been looking at the MX5, in 1.8 form. I just fancy something RWD, and the fact its a convertible is even more appealing.

I know its not as fast as the Clio in standard form, but they are supposed handle well and are supposed to be fun to drive.

Please mods dont move this to the other marques forum as i cant reply there!

So what do you lot reckon to it?

bit of a girly car........lol:quiet:
s2000 is the beast to get

 

[lee_cup]

dude! thats wrong wrong wrong

182 all the way

 

[waynepixel]

the MX5 is a classic little sports car, and as you said they are RWD which for me is mush better, and what a True sports car is all about. In fact, if this is the first time you have driven a RWD sports car, you well never what to go back.

But as you said also the 182 is bloody fast for a small car, just because is has great PWR which is just as important as RWD. Its a hard one to pick.

If it was me I would go for a Clio for the speed. If the MX5 had the power of the Clio plus RWD which the Clio sport should have had all along there would be no contest

 

[Guy]

the MX5 is a classic little sports car, and as you said they are RWD which for me is mush better, and what a True sports car is all about. In fact, if this is the first time you have driven a RWD sports car, you well never what to go back.

But as you said also the 182 is bloody fast for a small car, just because is has great PWR which is just as important as RWD. Its a hard one to pick.

If it was me I would go for a Clio for the speed. If the MX5 had the power of the Clio plus RWD which the Clio sport should have had all along there would be no contest

mx5 - a sports car?? lmao!! what sport is this?? the special handicapped olympics?

next we'll have fiat panda sports cars.

 

[edde]

I'd go for the MX5 all the time but I don't fit in one easily so it would be the CLio which isn't a lesser car just a different and my choice would be an MX5. 182 is probbly quicker on 90% of circuits and roads though.

 

[tameracingdriver]

Haha, well i expected this response.

Its by no means a done deal though, i mean a 182 is a BLOODY hard act to follow! I'll still have a go of it just to see what its like, but stepping from a car with 180 bhp into one with just over 130 bhp i would imagine is bound to feel a little slow and sluggish.

But we'll see.

 

[Englebert]

I very almost got one as i wanted to enter the MaX5 Championship. They use the original models which are my favourite. With wider wheels they look a lot more manly!

I definetly think the facelift and new model are too girly in standard trim though. You can get a mint original for £5k and spent a few grand on some mods

RWD is far more entertaining and the MX5 is simply sublime car to drive, playful but forgiving. Sure, slow in a straightline but you can get a supercharger for 180bhp.

Here is me in the number 4 car

 

[waynepixel]

That is what I hate about Renault. The Clio 172 182 should have been RWD, like the V6 full stop. But they completely miss the opportunity and f**k-up with FWD. Could have been a racing classic. Shame.

 

[waynepixel]

mx5 - a sports car?? lmao!! what sport is this?? the special handicapped olympics?

next we'll have fiat panda sports cars.

So I take it, you have driven one!

 

[Guy]

do you class mg f's as sports cars too then?

what about the sumsuzki capcino things? or them dihatsu 2 seater convertible things?

 

[waynepixel]

do you class mg f's as sports cars too then?

what about the sumsuzki capcino things? or them dihatsu 2 seater convertible things?

Well, what els would you call a two seater RWD car. It is not a supercar. It is not a hot hatch being only 2 seats and having RWD. So what then.

And more to the point, have you driven a MX5!

 

[Englebert]

Yeah, Guy, shutup. You sound like you a 17 year old with a Vauxhall Nova.

 

[waynepixel]

Yeah, Guy, shutup. You sound like you a 17 year old with a Vauxhall Nova.

hahahaha. Sorry.

 

[Guy]

clio buyer.. tell me to shutup when you are a paid up member and i may listen to you xxx :clown:

wayne, i've never driven an mx5.. like i said. a few mates mums have them and theyve drove them. they have all said they are fun to drive and especially fun in the wet. which i cant deny. they more than likely are fun.

but i personally in my mind cant define mx5's, mgf's, and all the other slow cabriolets as a 'sports car' and i wouldnt want to own one. if my mother had one though id probably borrow it and take it on track for a bit of sideways action without a care about stuffing it into the tyre wall. ha

now the s2000 on the other hand.. yummy. cant you stretch to one of those pbirkett?
or some other rwd car thats more manly than an mx5? like a bmw cabriolet? 325 or something?

 

[Big G]

MX5 is a brilliant car, i drove my mates and i absolutely loved it.

Ok, it wasn't fast, but it wasn't about being fast.

 

[ChrisR]

My folks have one (sat in the garage doing nothing!) and it's a hoot.

140bhp thro the rear wheels, lsd (theirs is the 1.8s ) handling is cracking on it.

Nice engine too, yeah it's not blisteringly quick but they are a lot of fun, which is all that counts imho

 

[Guy]

about 110bhp through the rear wheels once youve taken the transmission losses off.

 

[Thomss]

I do like the new MX5.

 

[Tom Rigbanks]

I wonder how many of the people replying with derogatory comments on this thread have driven an mx5? I have and they are cracking cars.

Its chassis is certainly more balanced than my clio 172. Its slighty underpowered IMO.

Im not the worlds biggest fan of open top cars, but this is 99% sure to become a future classic.

 

[The Hoff]

If you want a RWD car for some fun then get yourself a Nissan 200SX S16 or something, proper fun for real men

MX-5 is a nice motor, and they do feel fast due to sitting so low, but they really suffer from image problems.

 

[Frasers Cup]

My dad has a 1.8 mx5 and it isnt anywhere near as quick as my 172, but they do handle amazingly well with little if any bodyroll and alot of grip. According to most mags its one of the best sports cars about. I would still have an elise though for the money

 

[ChrisR]

If you want a RWD car for some fun then get yourself a Nissan 200SX S16 or something, proper fun for real men

MX-5 is a nice motor, and they do feel fast due to sitting so low, but they really suffer from image problems.

S16 wow, last I head they were up to Silvia S15s S13 is cheap as chips, S14 not far off now.

As said the balance and handling of the MX5 is cracking, when I drove one it did feel a tad gutless low end, but liked to rev

 

[lawson706]

am i the only one thinking rx-7

 

[Frasers Cup]

yeah you might be considering their engines are made of plastic

 

[Guy]

am i the only one thinking rx-7

why you thinking that?? because that and the rx8 are the only cars mazda have made thats decent? :lol:


when you see some old bloke going round cadwell in his mx5 with the roof down (quite slowly) you can just picture him listening to some classical music pottering around his little sunday drive to tescos...

 

[Clart]

I like MX-5's. Great fun, nippy, well made and reliable. I wouldn't own one however - partly because both my mum and my sister have owned one in the past year or so.

You can set em up as proper little drift cars though!

 

[team_penetrator]

mx5 - a sports car?? lmao!! what sport is this?? the special handicapped olympics?

next we'll have fiat panda sports cars.

Welcome to the future...

 

[Chris n nic]

Didn`t the mx-5 win best handling car one year in Evo......A sports car isn`t just about outright speed but a decent package over all. I agree that they are a bit girly but as is said often....we do drive clios lol. A bloke at my works has a 147bhp (IIRC) one and it feels really solid...very slugish compared to the Cup but it can really carry some speed round the corners

Chris

 

[mja182]

If your intension is to tear arse it around everywhere then the mx5 aint for you! but as in most cases most who wants to do that all the time! As time goes on it becomes less important to get somewhere as fast as you can, and thats when something like the mx5 fits the bill! they are rewarding to drive and handle well, with the added advantage of open top driving in the summer! Plus if you get one cheap enough they hold their value well! Same cant be said for a clio!

 

[grahamk182]

MX5 is the most girly car about and you'd look like a gay hairdresser driving one but I had a shot of one and it is very very good fun to drive, as was said its not about speed with them, they r just such good fun, clio would chow it for brekkers though. If u want a cheapish RWD with hundereds of grunt, for not too much cash you can get the last BMW M3 for 8-9k now!

 

[mja182]

MX5 is the most girly car about and you'd look like a gay hairdresser driving one but I had a shot of one and it is very very good fun to drive, as was said its not about speed with them, they r just such good fun, clio would chow it for brekkers though. If u want a cheapish RWD with hundereds of grunt, for not too much cash you can get the last BMW M3 for 8-9k now!

Not everybody has the green to be able to run a an m3 let alone any m car. The running costs in comparison to an mx5 are worlds apart, if you want to look after a car properly that is!
The same could be said for a porsche boxter (not the 's' model) that they are slow etc etc. So maybe the boxter is slightly slower than a 182! Who cares! I know what id rather be driving, poors man porsche or not!

 

[paul]

Hi, ive had x2 MX5 (1.6), a new one back in 52 plate and an S reg - Cracking Car!!! i do miss the wind in my hair, but thats about it, now on my second 182 love it to bits! New Shape MX5 to much money! (i only paid 13000 brand new for my MX5 and it was worth every penny)

Cheers

 

[Floodie]

.

 

[mja182]

LOL! Maybe he should of left "the wind in my hair" comment out of his post!

 

[Floodie]

i do miss the wind in my hair...

Get a girl to pump on your face...

 

[paul]

thanks ha ha

 

[Fishy Dave]

Didn`t the mx-5 win best handling car one year in Evo......A sports car isn`t just about outright speed but a decent package over all. I agree that they are a bit girly but as is said often....we do drive clios lol. A bloke at my works has a 147bhp (IIRC) one and it feels really solid...very slugish compared to the Cup but it can really carry some speed round the corners

Chris

I agree completely, the MX5 IS a sports car IMO.

I owned this mk2 a couple of years ago -

It was an import S model with 6 speed 'box an LSD, little 14" wheels and air con (which the UK models rarely have). I owned this at the same time as my 300BHP Fiat Coupe, so it felt sssllllooooowwww, but was more fun in many ways.
Having an open top and being low to the ground really gives you a big impression of speed; 120mph in the dark with the roof down during the summer is awesome.
It's characteristics are quite clio like actually, very revvy, delivers most of its power at the top end, and divides opinion. If you stuck a 172 and an MX5 next to each other and asked the non car loving joe public which is a 'sports' car they would pick the MX5 every time.
I would go so far as to say that my MX5 was the best handling car I have driven, certainly NOT the fastest, but for actual 'feel' on the track it was superb, totally balanced and could make you seem like a driving genius when you take a passenger out. :approve: .

I WILL own another one, and will look for the same model - an import MX5 mk2 1.8S with 6 speed gearbox. They are easy to tune with the addition of a supercharger or turbo kit, instantly becoming a perfect wolf in sheep clothing car to surprise people. :evil:

I bought my MX5 in early April, kept it until the september, put about 8k miles on the clock including 3 trackdays and sold it for the same money I paid for it! I didn't even need to service or tax it, bargain!

Check out www.mx5oc.co.uk I am registered on the forum as Fishy Dave there too.

Cheers, Dave

 

[tameracingdriver]

Get a girl to pump on your face...

pmsl

Anyway, I am having a test drive later, i'll report back here with my thoughts.